broccoli rabe and silken tofu with spicy black bean sauce

The bitterness of broccoli rabe balances well with smooth and delicate flavor of silken tofu in this dish. This is a good choice for heathy and speedy Banchan.

ingredients

1 block tofu/drained

1/2 buddle broccoli rabes/cut to 1 inch length pieces

1/4 Cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water

1 tsp canola oil

1 heaping Tbsp spicy black bean sauce (store bought/available in Asian market)

Heat canola oil in a medium sized pan. Fry spicy black bean sauce over low heat, stirring for a minute. Add broccoli rabes to the pan, pour 1/4 cup of the liquid of your choice. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Uncover the pan, add tofu, breaking up to small pieces with your fingers. Bring it up to boil and cook for a minute or so. Serve with rice.

hot and salty fish cakes (umook moochim)

It only takes 15 minutes to make one of my favorite Banchans which is fantastic for Doshirak (AKA Bento). You can use any kind/shape of fish cakes for this recipe. I used fish cake sheets this time.

a picture of the fish cakes

and the rice syrup

prep work: cut 5 fish cake sheets, 1 onion and 1 scallion

Wash the fish cakes in hot water (or balnch them in the boiling water) to remove the grease.

make sauce with

2 Tbsp of Gochugaru (ground Korean red peppers)

3 Tbsp of soy sauce

1 Tbsp of sugar

1 Tbsp of rice syrup

1 tsp of minced garlic

a few grinds of black peppercorn

0.5 tsp of freshly ground sesame seeds

0.5 tsp of sesame seed oil

mix all together and set aside

In a hot frying pan, heat a little bit of canola oil, fry onion until translucent then add fishcakes. Cook for 3 minutes.

Pour the prepared sauce onto the fish cakes and cook for another 2 minutes until fish cake absorb the sauce.

Finish it with some freshly ground sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Anchovy Sambal

If's versatile Sambal is used to make this yummy dish. It's sweet, salty, hot and sour. And crispy too. Best eaten with freshly cooked white rice.

You will need....

If's Sambal

Dried anchovies and peanuts

In a heavy skillet, heat enough Canola oil to deep fry anchovies. Drop one anchovy to check the oil temperature, the oil is ready when anchovy bubbles. Fry anchovies until slightly golden and crunch. With slotted spoon, fish anchovies and set aside on top of paper towel to absorb excess oil.

In a same pan, fry peanuts until they are golden. Fish the peanuts and set aside. Discard the used oil from the pan.

In low heat, cook If's Sambal (as much as you can enjoy) to bubble. Add the peanuts and anchovies. Stir and coat with Sambal.

Sauteed Bokchoy with Shitkake mushroom

This is a great Banchan or side dish which can go well with any Asian entrees. Depends on mood and availability, I use XO sauce or oyster sauce to make this dish more flavorful. Please be careful not to overcook Bokchoys, otherwise they will be to too mushy and discolored.

ingredients

1 lb Bokchoys

5 Shitake mushrooms

1/2 tsp Xo sauce or 1 Tsp oyster sauce

1 heaping Tsp of garlic chili sauce (can be found in Asian grocery section)

2 scallion/chopped

1 Tsp sesame oil + 1 tsp canola oil

salt

how to

1. In a big pan, boil just enough water to blanch bokchoys with a little bit of salt. Toss bokchoys into the pan and cover to cook 1 minute or less. Bokchoys should be slightly crunchy and very green.

2. Drain, set the boychoys aside. Heat oils on high heat, using same pan, cook XO or oyster sauce with garlic chili sauce for 15 seconds.

3. Add the mushrooms with scallion into the pan, cook 30 seconds. Add the bokchoys and cook just enough to coat with the sauce.

4. Season with salt.