Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae)

Well, the best laid plans of mice and men. I meant to submit this noodle dish to last month's No Croutons Required, but tardy girl as I often am, missed the deadline. Jackie did a lovely job of rounding up the entries and you will find lots of delicious noodle dishes to satisfy your palate. This month, I am hosting NCR, and the theme is quinoa. Submit a soup or salad featuring this most wholesome food by the 20th of the month. I will be serving up a submission soon.

Japchae is a Korean noodle dish that can be served hot or cold. Made with cellophane noodles and typically served with finely chopped vegetables, and soya sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and chilies, this is surely a treat anytime of year.

Korean Glass Noodles (Japchae)
1/2 pound of Korean Noodles
3 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into strips
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 - 3 green onions, chopped
1/2 pound of cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 ounce of dried mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes and drained
2 fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 pound of spinach, washed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of tamari
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds

Boil the noodles for 7 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Chop up the noodles with a knife and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a wok over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, green onions, carrots and stir and fry for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, chillies, and cook for another few minutes. Toss in the spinach, tamari and noodles and simmer for another few minutes or until the veggies are cooked to your preference. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

On the top of the reading stack: The Best Quick Breads: 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and Moreby Beth Hensperger

Audio Accompaniment: Apollo Atmospheres And Soundtracksby Brian Eno.