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Herbaceous Babe is going to be a little less regular in the days to come as the author gets launched in her professional career. Keep checking back, because there's no telling when a new post will appear!

Friday, July 14, 2017

Chap Che(?) Asian-style noodles and stir-fry anyway....

I don't mean to brag, but this is probably one of the most delicious things I've ever made....


I used to live in this community where once a week, this group of Korean ladies would show up and make dinner for everybody. It was great (who doesn't love a night off?). One of their signature dishes was fried tofu and chap che. Now, that can mean a lot of different things, as many Asian countries have their own version (jap che in Japan), but for them, it meant zucchini, summer squash, and white onion. As I write this, I suddenly can't remember if they served it with rice or noodles. But no matter.

I rarely cook Asian cuisine (or eat it, for that matter), because I don't like rice. Even rice noodles are... meh. But I had some leftover mung bean vermicelli and was feeling nostalgic. But standing in the produce section of the grocery store, instead of grabbing a summer squash, I reached for a red bell pepper. I also don't remember the last time I cooked with white onion - it's usually yellow. To choose the right onion for the job, click here.

Boil water. Chop, chop, chop. Fry in olive oil. Salt and pepper. Loads of garlic. Might have used some chili powder. Give the noodles a little bath (3-5 min), drain well, then add to the skillet. Soy sauce or liquid aminos. Bowl. Chop sticks. Enjoy. 

Seriously y'all, I feel like everything I cook contains zucchini, bell pepper, and/or tomato. But sauces. If you can figure out sauces, that is where it's at. And if someone can unlock the difference between szechuan and teriyaki, I'd be eternally grateful (seriously, I'm useless at this stuff....).