Monday’s Bread Bowl: Cold Kimchi Noodle Salad w/ Snap Beans

More Crisp Korean Fare

We revisit an old-favorite in this week’s noodle salad that’s seasoned with Kimchi sauce.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need: 

1 spatula 
1 large bowl 
10 cups water 

1 medium bowl 
1 colander 
1 stock pot 
1 package bean thread noodles 
At least 1/3 cup sugar or more to taste 
1 (8 oz.) jar kimchi base 
1/3 cup sesame oil 
1lb snap beans 
¼ cup palm white vinegar 

Cooking and Directions:

Heat 6 cups water in stock pot until boiling point then place dried bean thread noodles in large bowl.  Next, pour hot water into bowl with noodles until submerged. Let bean thread noodles soak and soften for 2 to 3 minutes then drain in colander. Return cooked noodles to large bowl.  Set aside.

Pour 4 cups water into stock pot then heat on stove until boiling point.  Add snap beans to pot and soak for 5 minutes then drain.  Split each snap bean length-wise at the center as shown.  Set aside.   

       

Combine kimchi base, sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil in medium bowl.  Add kimchi dressing to noodles and toss well. Finally, stir in snap beans then chill in fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.  

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Steaks done better

We recommend using sirloin, minute, or chuck steak instead of flank.  Remember that leaner cuts should not be cooked until well-done if you desire more appetizing and tender servings.  Meanwhile, substitute the soy sauce with a solid rubbing of plain sea salt or coarse salt.  Wanna kick it up a notch in terms of pungent spices?  Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce for a more fragrant but tasty steak.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island steak on-the-fly

The Mixed Stew crew enjoyed this menu item growing up in Guam.  Grilled flank steak, sliced butterfly-style, was always a yummy site to see and eat.  The Chamorro cooks also piled oodles and oodles of onion rings piled on top for good measure.  The reliable combination soy sauce and lemon juice forms a potent sauce that complements this mean cut’s natural juices and flavors.   

   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island-style grilled steak

The tougher steak cut becomes more palatable with simple seasoning and searing.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you will need:

1 large serving plate

1 cast-iron skillet

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 ½ lbs flank steak

3 garlic toes, pilled

1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions: 

Cut into the flank steak in a sideways motion in “butterfly-style” as shown.  Season and rub steak with black pepper and salt.  Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Grease pan with canola oil.  Throw in garlic toes and repeatedly slide across bottom of pan.  Next, place steak in hot pan.  Let steak sear on both sides for 5 to 7 minutes.  Repeat for all steak pieces.  Place steaks on serving plate.  Keep pan on heat.  Add onion rings and let them sautee until softer.  Toss well.  Pour in lemon juice and soy sauce.  Toss onions again.  Pile onions and pour sauce over steaks.  Serve immediately.          

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternatives for Spamurger

More to it than ground beef

Regular burgers can get boring and that we have the Spamurger.  Remember that  you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey  or ground chicken if you’re dodging red meat.  Also, try using ground lamb to make a more delectable version of the Spamurger with some gamey flavor.   Meanwhile, try switching out the Spam with generic luncheon meat in a pinch.  Lastly, add some extra spice to each patty with a dash of red pepper flakes or sliced chili pepper. 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Teriyaki Spamurger

Bits of Loco Moco

This food item is an All-American classic with some Japanese spice mixed in for a twist.  The Mixed Stew was inspired by our craving for Loco Moco and Spam, which is a Guamanian favorite.  Consequently, this amalgam goes well with steamed rice or a traditional hamburger bun.  The tastes of East and West meet in every bite.  Also try making this unique burger with regular or any other of the Spam flavor varieties.     

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Teriyaki Spamurger

A sizzling number

The Mixed Stew crew suggests frying up this ground beef patty for a burger with some tangy zing with extra flavor.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 frying pan

1 spatula

 1 serving plate

1 mixing bow

1 whole egg, beaten

2 ½ lbs ground beef

1/3 cup teriyaki spam, minced

3 bread slices, toasted and crumbled

1 small onion, diced small

2 garlic toes, minced

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Pinch of black pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Combine ground beef, spam, onion, garlic, and egg in mixing bowl.  Mix well. Add bread, milk, and pepper to meat mixture.  Mix well again.  Make 4 generous patties. Set aside.

Heat frying pan at medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil.  Place meat in pan. Cook patties on both sides for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove finished patties to serving plate.  Let meat rest for 10 minutes then serve.     

Friday's Last Spoonful: Chorizo Flavored Spam

Thursday's Side Dish: Hot & Spicy Spam

Wednesday's Helping: Teriyaki Flavored Spam

Tuesday's Cupful: Garlic Flavored Spam

Monday's Bread Bowl: One Spam a Day

Yup...this week's theme is a photo essay of Spam flavor selections. Hawaiians and Guamanians love this delicacy on a can that can keep for months on a dry-shelf.  Enjoy! +

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Simple Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

Cold Chicken Salad Delight

Leftover-fried chicken in a fresh veggie salad cannot be beat in terms of flavor combined with nutrition.  We suggest substituting the cilantro with regular flat leaf parsley or Italian parsley.   Fresh basil is also a great tasting alternative in a pinch.  Coincidentally, use baked chicken instead of fried chicken for less caloric intake per serving.  Eliminate more calories by using skinless chicken breast ensures healthier eating.  If you remove the chicken skin, add crushed pecans or walnuts for a more nutritious crunch.    

Thursday’s Side Dish: TYJ Spring Roll Pastry Wrap

Ready - made convenience

Look for these in the frozen section at your favorite Asian foods grocery store, H-Mart, and Lotte Plaza.  TYJ Pastry , by Spring Home,wraps come in different sizes, too.  So, you can make smaller rolls for appetizers or larger ones.  It’s difficult to make spring roll wraps from scratch so the Mixed Stew crew recommends buying a frozen pack to save time on tedious effort in the kitchen. We bought an (8 oz.) pack of 50 wraps for under $2.00 so shop around for the best price.        

Wednesday’s Helping: Serving Up Spring Rolls

How you stuff’em and dip ‘em

There’s something about biting into one of these that rewards our tastebuds with yum yum.  You can make these savory and sweet.   They also make for great finger food, too.  If you prefer to go sweet and serve dessert rolls, roll some banana or mango slivers inside the light wraps.  Dip the pieces of fruit in some powdered sugar or brown sugar before rolling them inside to enhance the fruit’s natural sweetness.  Meanwhile, remember that you can always switch out the ground pork with chicken, beef, seafood, or crab meat.  Another simple filling can be made using blanched and julienned veggies, such as carrots and cabbage, which are finely cut lengthwise.  You can use a “stacking method” with julienned ingredients while rolling your spring rolls.  Lastly, spring rolls can be dipped in any sauce that compliments the stuffing’s ingredients.         

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Pork Spring Rolls

Crispy Asian Tidbits

Stuffing and then rolling these requires a delicate hand and some patience.  Yes, we encourage you to try making these.  Plus the frying part is always fun.

What you will need:

1 cutting board

1 large mixing bowl

1 metal pair of tongs

1 small bowl, for egg wash

1 wooden spoon

1 large fry pan

1 metal baking pan w/ wire rack

1 metal baking sheet

1 small spoon

Wax paper

1 ½ - 2 lbs ground pork

3 to 4 medium-sized carrots, diced small

1 red onion, finely chopped

2 ½ cups cooking oil

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped small

1 large pepper, seeded and finely chopped (We used a poblano.)

1 (19 oz.) can bamboo shoots, finely chopped

1 (15. Oz) can quail eggs, minced

1 (8 oz.) pack spring roll pastry (50 sheets), frozen

1 egg, beaten

Dash of soy sauce to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Meat filling

Heat pan at medium-high heat.  Add canola oil, onion, and garlic.  Sautee until onion turn translucent.  Pour in ground pork and let meat brown.   Crumble with wooden spoon.  Toss well.  Pour in carrots, bamboo shoots, pepper, and quail egg.  Add soy sauce and stir well.  Let ingredients cook for another 10 minutes until veggies are tender.  Remove pan from stove.  Ingredients must reach room temperature before stuffing pastry wraps.

Stuffing spring rolls

Move pastry sheets from freezer to fridge and allow them to defrost overnight for prep the next day.  Layout cutting board and cover with wax paper.  Have meat filling on hand with small spoon.  Place one leaf of pastry wrap on paper.  Carefully stuff and roll each wrap with 1 to 2 spoons of meat filling.  Slather on some egg wash while rolling to seal the spring roll.  Repeat process until you run out of meat stuffing.  The finished rolls should look like logs that can be stacked and lined up with each other.  You may choose to freeze spring rolls at this point to fry later.

Frying spring rolls

Set fry pan over medium-high heat.  Pour in cooking oil.  Let oil heat up to 350 degrees.  Gently place and drop spring rolls into pan.  Fry 5 to 8 rolls at a time depending on the size of the rolls for 8 minutes until crispy.  Rolls should turn a golden-brown color.  Pull out rolls and set on wire rack over baking pan.  Let them for at least 5 minutes before serving.                 

Thursday’s Side Dish: Goya Discos

Red, white, and convenient

What makes these so great is that they’re already molded to create the perfect empanadas aka turnovers.  Each (20 oz.) package contains 10 circular-shaped pieces of dough.  This food item, by GOYA, comes in red and white.  We recommend that you fill these with your favorite fillings – pork, chicken, or seafood mixes can go well inside this product.  You can fry them or even bake them.  The Mixed Stew found these at Giant in the Latin American foods section for well under $2.00 so shop around for the best price.        

Wednesday’s Helping: Variations on Guam Empanada

Some substitutions in a pinch

The Mixed Stew crew suggests substituting small chunks of boneless chicken breast meat for the drumsticks to lessen the calorie count.  If you’re pressed for time, use canned chicken meat to speed things up a bit.  You can use regular rice instead of cream of rice but remember to account for the large and whole rice grains.  We’ve also had Guam empanadas made with pieces of pork and even crab bits.  Lastly, try baking these babies instead of frying them for healthier empanadas.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Guam Empanadas

Hot pocket history

Yes, this is our rendition of Guam’s red-colored empanadas.  These turnover pies, which can come in with an assortment of fillings throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, originated in Spain and Portugal.  Look for these at local “mom and pop” stores and island gas stations in Guam.  Remember that the island was a Spanish colony for over two centuries.  This favorite comes traditionally stuffed with a tasty filling of corn meal, cream of rice, and chicken pieces.  Meanwhile, the chopped onion, garlic, and annatto flavors make for a savory meat pie.  Guamanians love ‘em.

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Traditional Guam Empanadas

Meat pies in w/ a blush

Biting into one of these empanadas is a surprising treat.  The Mixed Stew has enjoyed these since childhood and we hope you’ll enjoy them, too.

What you will need:

1 long wooden spoon

1 pair of tongs

1 cutting board

1 metal baking pan with wire rack

1 cast-iron skillet

1 large stock pot w/ lid

1 large baking sheet

Wax paper

1 rolling pin

1 metal fork

2 packs Goya brand discs for empanada (10 per pack) Select the red colored ones.

Meat of 6 chicken drumsticks, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 yellow onion, chopped small

3 tablespoons cooking oil (for filling)

2 ½ cups canola oil (for frying empanadas)

2 cups chicken broth

2 ½ cups water

3 garlic toes, minced

1 to 3 jalapenos, chopped

1 tablespoon achiote/ annatto powder

1 cup corn meal

¾ cup cream of rice

Salt to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Meat filling

Heat stock pot at medium-high heat.  Add oil, onion, jalapenos, and garlic. Stir well.  Let ingredients sautee until onion turns translucent.  Pour in chicken pieces and let pieces cook.  Add salt to taste.  Stir well.  Pour in chicken broth, achiote, and water.  Cover pot with lid.  Lower heat to medium.  Ingredients should reach a slow simmer and cook for 15 minutes. 

Next, gradually stir in cream of rice and corn meal.  The broth should thicken into a porridge-like consistency.  Mix well.  Return lid and let filling cook for another 10 minutes on medium-low heat.  Be careful not to burn filling to bottom of pot by occasionally stirring.  Remove finished filling from stove and let contents cool to room temperature before stuffing empanadas.     

Stuffing Empanadas

Pull Goya discs packages out from freezer the night before.  Place them in the fridge overnight to defrost.  Take packages out of fridge about ½ hour before it’s time to stuff empanadas.  Prepare a clean cutting board, wax paper, and rolling pin for handling dough.  Line the bottom of metal baking sheet with wax paper. 

Handle discs of dough with wax paper since they’re fragile.  You may roll dough into larger (in diameter) discs to make even bigger turnovers.  Place each discs between two leaves of wax paper then press and roll dough from the center of the discs to the outer edge until content with the larger size. 

Spoon chicken filling onto ½ of each disc then fold over the other half of the circle to form a turnover.  Press dough edges together with metal fork.  This seals and forms the empanada.  Repeat process until 20 empanadas are completed.  Let empanadas rest on baking sheet (lined with wax paper) for at least 20 minutes before frying.  You may choose to freeze empanadas at this point in time to fry at a later date.

Frying Empanadas

Heat cast-iron skillet filled on medium-high heat.  Pour in canola oil and let it heat to 350 degrees.  The oil needs to be hot!  Carefully place 3 or 4 turnovers (depending on size) in skillet.  Let the empanadas fry on each side until golden crust forms.  Place crispy empanadas on wire rack over baking pan.  Let them rest for at least 10 minutes.  Repeat process until all turnovers have been fried.  Enjoy!