{ Noodle: Instant Udon Soup }

There was a time in my life, when I was in Thailand, that I was so in to Japanese cartoons (manga) and video games. Japanese culture has had quite an influent on me. I don't remember exactly which manga I was reading but one of them did inspire me to start making my first Udon noodle soup (I would say Ranma 1/2 since I remember first time seeing a spiral pattern fish cake from it.) Since I had no idea what exactly is supposed to be in the broth, I technically just made a chicken noodle soup with udon and fish cake, and as a child that was good enough for me.

Anyway, now that there are internet and more cook books available, making Udon noodle soup can never get any easier, better yet... an instant Udon noodle soup. One of the easiest way to satisfy your palette during winter time, and something different from your normal chicken noodle soup... >_>.

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{ 1 serving }

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of instant Udon noodle (any flavor that you'd like)
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 4-5 pieces of snow peas
• 2-3 pieces of sliced fish cake
• 20-30 grams of Enoki mushroom
• 1 sheet of seaweed
• 1 tsp of thinly cut green onion

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{ Snow peas, Enoki mushroom, fish cake }

1. Add Udon noodle in a boiling water. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add snow peas, and Enoki mushroom, cook for 30-40 second more.

2. Right before you turn off the heat, add soup base (that comes with the instant Udon noodle.)

3. Top the soup with fish cake, green onion, and seaweed.

///Add some shichimi to kick it up a notch!///

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Voilà!

{ Noodle: Chicken Paloh Soup }

Yesterday I was craving for one of the Thai-Chinese dish called Paloh. As I was a (picky) child this was one of my favorite dish. Traditionally you would be eating this with rice (in Thailand.) And it actually contains hard boiled eggs and pork in this soup. Anyway, here's what you can do alternately.

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{ 3-4 servings }

Ingredients:

-set 1-

• 5-6 pieces of chicken drumsticks
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp regular soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil

-set 2-

• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cups of water

-set 3-

• 2-3 medium size of cinnamon sticks
• 6-7 pieces of star anise
• 5-6 pieces of bay leaves
• 1 tbsp of dried coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup of black soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of shitake mushroom soy sauce
• 2 tbsp of sugar

-set 4-

• 1 lb. of fresh egg noodle
• 2 tbsp fried garlic with its oil
• 2 cups of sprout
• 1 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 pack of tofu cutlet

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{ Cinnamon Stick, Bay leaf, Star anise }

1. Marinated chicken drumsticks with garlic powder, cinnamon powder, and regular soy sauce for about 10-15 minutes.

2. In a medium pan add vegetable oil, once the oil gets hot add the marinated chicken drumsticks. Cook the drumsticks until the outside turns golden brown (don't cook all the way through.) Set aside.

3. In a medium-large saucepan add water and chicken (or vegetable) broth and bring it to a boil.

4. Add set 3, and the partially cooked drumsticks into a saucepan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let it cook for about 2 hours.

5. Cook the noodle (approximately 1/4 lb per person) in a separate pot. Once the noodle is cooked, drain, add fried garlic, bean sprout, and chopped cilantro, mix it well.

6. Once the soup is done pour it over the noodle, and top the dish with some sliced tofu cutlet.

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Voilà!

{ Tom Ka Gai: Coconut Chicken Soup }

Hello! I'm pretty sure many of you are already familiar with this dish, Tom Ka Gai. Yes, that spicy coconut milk soup. Well, I have to admit that I was motivated to make this dish by my new banker (secretly, I'd just like to get his lasagna recipe!). Anyway, for those family and friends of mine that are Thai, please read the "Note from the author" on your right hand side before you move on o_o ---->

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***Note: minus the chili paste and green onion if you want it to be a bit more traditional***

{ 2-3 servings }

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cans (about 400 ml. each ) of coconut milk (could use more or less, depends on how creamy you want it to be. Also, some Thai people use milk instead)
• 1/2 of a whole onion
• 2/3 cup of chopped cilantro
• 2/3 cup of chopped green onion
• 2/3 lb of chicken breast
• 1/2-1 cup of sliced mushroom (however much you'd like)
• 5-6 pieces of sliced Galanga (Ka) ///see image below///
• 6-7 pieces of sliced lemon grass ///see image below///
• 3-4 tbsp of tamarin paste
• 3-4 tbsp of (Thai) chili paste
• 3-4 tbsp of fish sauce

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{ Lemongrass }

{ Galanga (Ka) }

{ Sliced Galanga (Ka) }

{ Onion }

{ Green Onion }

{ Cilantro }

1. Slice/cut lemongrass, galanga, onion, cilantro, and green onion as shown from images above.

2. Slice chicken breast into strips.

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3. In a medium-large saucepan add chicken or vegetable broth and bring it to a boil, then add galanga and lemongrass. Bring the temperature down to medium and cook it for about 5 minutes, then add chicken and onion. Cook for about 15 minutes.

4. Add coconut milk and bring it to a boil.

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{ Thai Chili Paste }

{ Tamarin Paste }

{ Fish Sauce }

5. Add chili paste, tamarin paste, and fish sauce, stir it well.

///Adjust the amount of these ingredients to suit your own palate///

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{ Fresh Thai Pepper }

6. Turn the temperature down to medium-low, then add Thai pepper (if you want it to be spicy), green onion and cilantro. Roasted pepper would also give an excellent flavor.

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Voilà!

Oh, and don't forget a bowl of rice!

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{ Kin Jay: Shitake Mushroom and Cellophane Noodle Soup }

When I used to live in Thailand, every year my family will celebrate Kin Jay Festival (Vegetarian Festival), technically, you'll become a vegetarian for a period of time (I believe it's sometimes in October.) Anyway, since I've been eating a lot of meat for the past few days, today, I'd like to make something simply vegetarian. This dish was first made available for my palette about 15 years ago by my sister. The actual ingredients that my sister used were dried shitake mushroom, cellophane noodle, water, and white soy sauce. But here's what you can also add on...

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***Note: traditionally, Kin Jay Festival food does not contain any ingredients that has a strong flavor/smell (not so sure what's the story behind it) such as green onion and garlic***

{ 1 serving }

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1-2 tbsp of white soy sauce (regular soy sauce would do)
• 2-3 whole dried shitake mushrooms
• 1 pack of cellophane noodle
• garnish (optional): green onion, cilantro, or seaweed...or all of the above...o_o.

Before you start cooking, soak dried shitake mushrooms in a bowl of water for about 2-3 hours (it will be easier to slice and better texture to eat.) Do the same thing with cellophane noodle.

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{ Dried Shitake Mushroom }

You can get dried shitake mushroom from any asian market, they are not that expensive. (The one that I got was about $9.99, bigger package, and that would last me for about a year. Or you could get a smaller package for like 4 dollar-ish...)

Once dried shitake mushrooms are soft enough, thin slice them.

In a saucepan, add water and vegetarian broth, bring to a boil then add sliced shitake mushroom. Cook for about 10 minutes.

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{ Cellophane Noodle }

Add pre-soaked cellophane noodle into the saucepan, add soy sauce (actually, the amount of soy sauce totally depends on you!!!) And cook the noodle for about 30 seconds.

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Voilà!

///I added some green onion and seaweed for some extra flavor...///