Asian fusion; udon noodle soup with tofu and korean miso sautéed enoki mushroom

There are few things that taste as good as a nice hot and spicy noodle soup on a cold and rainy day. I've been making my version of this for years and it never turns out the same as the time before; sometimes frustrating, sometimes a source of new creative possibilities. I tried to make this one as basic as possible so that I would remember what I used. I'm calling it Asian Fusion since the noodles are Japanese, the Pak Soi and silk tofu originally Chinese and the miso paste I've used is Korean. If you have any, I think this soup would be great to top off with some kimchi; I'll come back to that in another post!

The What for the Soup

Udon noodles

Silk tofu

Mini Shanghai Pak Soi (or bok choi if you prefer)

chili

garlic

ginger

coriander roots (and leaves for garnish)

Korean Miso Paste

vegetable stoclk

lime juice

water

Coconut oil 

The What for the Miso Sautéed Enoki Mushroom Side

Enoki mushrooms

Sesame seeds

chili

garlic

ginger

Korean Miso Paste

tamari or soy sauce

Soup: The How

Finely chop garlic, ginger and chili and crush the coriander roots. Gently fry in coconut oil in a large pan. Add the Korean Miso Paste and stir. 

Pour in the water, bring to the boil and add the vegetable stock and the lime juice. Add more miso paste to bring up the taste if needed as well as some soy sauce if you want it more salty. 

Wash the pak soi and cut into quarters, add to the soup. 

Cut the silk tofu into cubes. 

Add the Udon noodles and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes until they start getting softer. 

Finally add the tofu, stir gently and let it get warm before serving. 

Serve in a deep bowl, top with coriander and freshly cut chili.

Enoki Mushroom Sauté: The How

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly.

Finely chop garlic, ginger and chili and gently fry in coconut oil in a frying pan along with the sesame seeds. Add the enoki mushrroms as well as the Korean Miso Paste and stir.

Season with tamari or soy sauce, be careful not to use too much as it is quite salty.

Serve the mushrooms warm or cold as a side or as a part of a buffet style meal.

You can vary this soup endlessly; make it your own and I promise it will be your go to meal on a cold and rainy night when you're longing for a beach and some sunshine!

Beautiful Farmers Salad

As you might have already guessed, I love vegetables! I love them in every way; oven baked, seared in a pan, fresh in a salad, as a side dish, as the main... well, you get the point. You've already seen my Hot Salad, hopefully you've even tried it :)! This beautiful and rustic farmers salad is made in the same way; hot in the oven. What makes it different is the veggies used and the fact that they are mostly roasted whole.

The What:

A bundle of asparagus

1 butternut squash

about 5 or 6 carrots

1 bundle of large spring onions

fresh thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper

Crumbled feta cheese and arugula to serve.

The How:

Turn the oven to 200 degrees. 

Peel the butternut squash and cut into smaller pieces, not too small though since the rest of the veggies will be roasted whole.

Cut the spring onions into halves. 

Break the asparagus in two to get rid of the "stringy" part. 

Wash the carrots and cut off any rough bits you don't want to eat. Keep the skin on. 

Put all the vegetables together in an oven safe pan, drizzle over olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Put the dish in the middle of the oven, keep an eye on the onion so that it doesn't burn!

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are nice and roasted. 

Serve with a piece of meat, chicken or, as I did, all on it's own! 

It really doesn't need anything else!