Korean Jap Chae Mixed Vegetables With Noodles

Jap Chae (Japchae, or "glass noodles") is a traditional favorite from the Korean Joseon Dynasty (17th century) made with potato noodles, carrots, onion, mushrooms and marinated beef, served with sesame seeds on a bed of rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb cooked bulgogi, cut into bite sized pieces (can use regular cooked sliced thin beef)
• 1/2 lb dried Korean sweet potato noodles (Asian vermicelli noodles)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced onions
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 bunch spinach - blanched, cut into thirds
• 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 3 teaspoons Spicely® Organic Minced Garlic)
• 3 stalks green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1/2 cup dehydrated shitake mushrooms (soak for 2 hours, slice thin)
• 5 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted Spicely® Organic Sesame Seeds
• Spicely® Organic Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. When water in boiling add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Toss with only 1 tsp of sesame oil. Use shears to cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 8 inches in length. Set aside in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix soy sauce and sugar together. Add the vegetable oil in a wok or a large saute pan on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, cook onions and carrots until just softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mirin, garlic, green onions and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Then add the spinach, soy sauce and sugar mixture, sherry vinegar, sliced beef and the noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are cooked through. Turn off heat, toss with sesame seeds and the remaining 1 1/2 tsp of sesame oil. Add ground pepper to taste.

This dish is great served hot, at room temperature or cold.

(Submitted by Sandy Nevels, 5/12/2011)

(Photo from Wikipedia)