Bendigo Cooking Channel

It’s been a while since I posted! 🫢 But never fear, I’ve finally got more time in my schedule to make tasty, comforting food from various Asian cuisines 😍

Tonight, it’s some satisfying rice paper rolls, with delicious Viet BBQ pork (brought all the way from Springvale, Victoria!) 🤤👌

|| Kimbap ||

Kimbap, or gimbap, is the Korean version of 'sushi'. The key differences are the rice and filling. While Japanese sushi is mostly filled with raw ingredients, Korean kimbap is often made with cooked ingredients and pickles. Kimbap also uses sesame oil to flavour the rice (whereas Japanese sushi uses rice vinegar). And at the end, the roll is brushed with sesame oil, for extra flavour!

Ingredients can include:
- Meats: Spam, Egg, Beef bulgogi, Spicy tuna
- Vegetarian/vegan option: Fried tofu
- Vegie fillings: Danmuji (yellow pickled radish or takuan), spinach (quickly fried), julienned carrot (lightly cooked), sliced cucumber (fresh)

The combinations are endless!

|| Stir Fry Sauce ||

Weeknights were made for delicious, easy, healthy stir fry dishes! This is my go-to recipe for stir fry sauce - which you can use to make stir fry with meats or just vegetables. Enjoy with a side of rice and you've got yourself a satisfying meal to replenish your energy levels after a busy day at work! I tend to add a lot of ingredients in my stir fry - so use as much or as little of this sauce recipe depending on the dish you want to make!

Serves 4 (with lots of stir fry ingredients)

INGREDIENTS:
(Stir fry sauce)
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Chinese wine (or dry sherry)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
4 tbsp water (approximate amount - the amount of water you need depends on what other stir fry ingredients you've cooked. You can add this at the end as the sauce thickens during cooking, to get the right amount for your dish)

METHOD:
1. Mix all ingredients for stir fry sauce in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cook stir fry ingredients of your choice (e.g. chicken, broccoli, carrot, corn spears, zucchini, onion etc)
3. Add stir fry sauce into the pan/wok once other ingredients are cooked.
4. Fry everything together for approx 2mins, until the sauce thickens to your liking. (Add more water or more cornstarch+water if needed, depending on the thickness you prefer.)

Enjoy!

|| Japchae ||

'Japchae' is a Korean glass noodle stir fry dish that's a staple menu item in any Korean restaurant. The chewy sweet potato noodles, soy sauce and sesame oil are the main ingredients that give these noodles its unique flavour. It's super delicious and can be made into a healthy, filling meal suitable for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free requirements!

INGREDIENTS:
- 200g sweet potato noodles (available in Woolies/Coles and Asian grocers)
- 250g rump steak, or your choice of beef cut - sliced into equally thin pieces [if making for vegetarians/vegans, use tofu! Or omit completely]
- 3-4 sprigs of spring onion, cut up into 3-4cm long strips
- An assortment of vegetables - I use carrots, sh*ttake mushrooms, red capsicum, choy sum

BEEF MARINADE:
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice wine (mirin)
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp corn starch

SAUCE:
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/8 tsp ground white pepper

METHOD:
1. Cook sweet potato noodles as per package instructions. Drain, then rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking. I also coat with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
2. Marinade beef for at least 30mins
3. Stir fry vegetables in 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable/other oil. Cook vegetables to your preference of crunchiness/softness
4. Add the beef to the pan and stir fry until cooked
5. Add the noodles into the pan
6. Add the SAUCE and stir fry all ingredients for a further 1-2mins
7. Serve warm, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Enjoy! 😊