Happy New Year, everyone! I recently flew back to Boston after spending my Winter Break with my family in California & I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back here. Not that I don’t love my family, I absolutely do, but coming back & seeing it snow is breathtaking. Walking about to the grocery store, cheeks rosy & face numb, with the snow drifting analogously to confetti was magical. It’s so beautiful here, but let’s not forget that it’s also a good deal colder here than it is in California. Channeling my inner Elsa, the cold never bothered me anyway, but that’s also because I’m equipped with recipes for comforting warm soups! Curious what’s in my arsenal? Spice up your life with my new spicy soup recipe that’ll keep you warm during this frosty season. If you’re on the West Coast or Florida–well, I suppose 18 ºC (64 ºF) is “cold” to you–this soup will suit you just fine. I present to you my Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, a cold buster whether it’s the weather or if you’re feeling under the weather.
Recipes
Tired of holiday treats & what not? I’m not, but if you are, this new recipe may brighten up your life or light up your tastebuds. Try out my version of my favorite Korean dish Bibim Naengmyeon, which is anything but winter apropos. The word “bibim” means “mixed” & “naengmyeon” means “cold noodles” – sound like the perfect dish for summer? Pretty much! However, if you want to prepare a post-workout meal, this would be it. We all know y’all get sweaty after hitting up the gym, so cool down with this carbilicious meal. Don’t be fooled by the noodles; sesame seeds, tofu (if you decide to add it), & egg are great sources of protein. You can get a good amount of amino acids & vitamins from this meal, so don’t you dare underestimate the power of the noodle dish! Add more veggies to pack more vitamins, minerals or even mushrooms for Vitamin D. Let’s welcome the brand new Gregorian calendar year with a new noodle recipe under your belt, shall we?
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Bibim Naengmyeon is one of my favorite Korean dishes of all time. This is not a dish for those who don’t enjoy cold noodles, but I find the dish so refreshing on a hot day. It’s so filling & full of flavor. Naengmyeon means “cold noodle” & bibim means “mixed” so its literal translation is “mixed cold noodles.” For my version of this dish, I chose to make a poached egg instead of a hard-boiled egg, which is purely out of preference. You can enjoy the dish with a hard-boiled egg, soft-boiled, or no egg! The toppings are as versatile as your tastes. Add whatever you’d like to it (avocado, lettuce, spinach, kale, whatever!), but the dish’s toppings are generally simplistic.
PrintBibim Naengmyeon
- Total Time: 38
Ingredients
Pickled Cucumber
- 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp agave syrup (or honey)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Naengmyeon
- 8 cups water
- 4 servings buckwheat noodles
Bibim Sauce
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 3 sprig green onions, roughly chopped
- 1 small Asian pear or Fuji apple, roughly chopped
- 2 heaping Tbsp Gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 3–4 Tbsp Gochugaru (red pepper flakes)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Bibim Toppings
- 4 cups water
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup kimchi
- 1 Asian pear, thinly sliced
- 4 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1. In a glass jar or tupperware large enough to fit the cucumber & vinegar, mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Allow to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- 2. In a medium soup pot, bring water to boil. Add buckwheat noodles & boil for 8 minutes or until soft. Drain water & rinse a few times with cold, icy water. Set aside in a large bowl of iced water or without water set in fridge.
- 3. In a food processor, toss in all the ingredients for the bibim sauce & process until sauce is smooth. Taste test the sauce & add salt to taste. Set sauce aside & refrigerate.
- 4. Prepare toppings. Bring a pot of water to boil & poach one egg at a time.
- 5. Assemble your Bibim Naengmyeon: add noodles to a bowl, ladle in some of the sauce, & top with pickled cucumber, kimchi, poached egg, Asian pear, & sesame seeds.
Notes
- The most successful way to poach an egg (in my experience) is to leave the eggs out to warm up to room temperature. If you’re impatient, just place an egg in a ladle & dip it into boiling water for a hot second. Crack the egg into the ladle (shouldn’t have anything in it) & gently, but quickly tilt the ladle into boiling water. Use a ladle with slits to remove poached egg.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 8
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 566
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 31
- Protein: 11
- Cholesterol: 186
Since arriving in California to spend Winter break, I’ve felt awkwardly sluggish. I don’t know if there’s something in the air or if my body is taking on the persona of a geriatric patient with back pain because sitting in a flying tube for 6+ hours without food is upsetting, but it’s taking me 3x as long to edit photos. I have a thousand photos to get through–no exaggeration, I’m serious–but it feels like work so I keep taking breaks. Even the thought of posting a recipe seems so daunting to me, yet I posted two effortlessly last night, at 1 AM. None of this is so bad, I think my brain reverts back to being an annoying teenager whenever I’m in my room. None of the things I do for the website is even difficult besides the coding, so I’m just complaining to complain…like a teenager. This doesn’t mean I’m an angsty teenager who’s glum, I’m anything but – I’m quite happy, but full of complaints concerning the fog in my brain. Note to self: you’re in your 20s, be a real adult.
In any case, like a wealthy parent who’s too busy to spend time with their kid, I’m going to buy your love & forgiveness–for neglecting the blog & not socializing with you for the last month–with two new recipes & gallery updates. Two weeks ago on Instagram, I posted a photo of Sesame Peanut Noodles. If you wanted the recipe, here it is. A month ago, I posted a photo of Falafel Salad with Tzatziki & if you wanted the recipe for Tzatziki, well here it is. I find being productive via TB is really rewarding, yet my brain is still yawning. At least I work with a smile on my face, regardless. My reason for happiness is simple really: food. Food always manages to make me happy & the company I surround myself with makes enjoying the food even better.
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Tzatziki
If you love Mediterranean cuisine, you need this recipe in your life because tzatziki sauce pairs perfectly with falafel, pita, chips, &/ or any salad. It’s great as a dip, great as a dressing, & an overall better option than ranch dressing! So easy to make in the comfort of your home, you’ll find it unnecessary to buy it pre-made! Trust me, the only thing difficult about this recipe is trying to spell “tzatziki” at 100 wpm!
Tzatziki
- Total Time: 10
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup Persian cucumber (1 cucumber), diced
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lemon (1–2 lemons), freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl & top with extra cucumber & dill to display. Remember to salt accordingly. Use fresh coarse salt or kosher salt for optimum flavor.
Notes
To make this vegan, use unsweetened plain vegan yogurt & add extra lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Dips & Sauces
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: dips, sauces, mediterranean, tzatziki, vegan, vegetarian, recipes, quick, easy, simple, healthy, recipes