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Grace

Top Things To Do In The Taos Area!

April 26, 2019 by Grace 4 Comments

I love New Mexico, but had never stayed in the Taos area until recently. Better late than never! Taos is not just a ski destination. There are so many varied and wonderful things to do and see in Taos. Taos is for everyone!

Top Things To Do In The Taos Area

Ojo Caliente

Waterfall and landscaping at Ojo Caliente

Ojo Caliente is one of the oldest health resorts in North America. Translated it means "Hot Eye." It is located approximately 45 minutes away from Taos, and the drive to the resort is beautiful from Taos.

Sign for Artesian Restaurant

They have a great restaurant on site, called the Artesian. Prior to experiencing the hot springs and saunas, we dined at the Artesian and had some great fish tacos and a New Mexican classic: the green chili cheeseburger. 🙂

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Vegemite and Marmite - 1,000 Foods to Eat Project

April 13, 2019 by Grace 6 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Marmite and Vegemite
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Acquired Tastes 😃

I was first introduced to the taste of Marmite when I was living in England. No, I didn’t eat Marmite from the jar (can’t imagine doing that!). snacked on Twiglets which are coated with a savory yeast extract that tastes like Marmite. Twiglets are so named because they look like twigs.

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How To Make Jajangmyeon -Delicious Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles!

April 10, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

A white bowl with blue flowers on the edge holding jajangmyeon topped with cucumber and pickled daikon matchsticks with metal chopsticks and kimchi in the background
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What is Jajangmyeon?

Jajangmyeon is Korean comfort food at its best. It originated in China, and now is considered a type of Chinese-Korean fusion food.

It is delicious noodles topped with black bean paste. The black bean sauce is added to a stir fry that consists of diced pork, zucchini, potato, cabbage, and onion. It is then topped with some cucumber matchsticks to finish it off. You will definitely want a heaping bowlful of the jajangmyeon as it is so scrumptious!

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Jajangmyeon?

Bottle of olive oil, jar of black bean paste, bottle of soy sauce, saucer with chicken broth, wedge of cabbage, garlic cloves, ginger, potato, onion, zucchini, and some pork chops on a white plate

You'll need the following ingredients to make this fantastic Korean comfort food:

  • Olive oil
  • Pork (I used thin pork chops)
  • Zucchini squash
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Cabbage
  • Onion
  • Potato
  • Korean black bean paste (I used Assi brand)
  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Black pepper
  • Rice vinegar
  • Chicken broth
  • Cucumber and pickled daikon radish matchsticks (optional garnish)

Once you gather your ingredients, the hardest part of this recipe is dicing the veggies. Other than that, this comes together pretty quickly and you will be rewarded with some amazing delish noodles!

Black Bean Paste and Noodles

The black bean paste I used is by the Korean brand Assi. You can buy this at your local Korean market or at Amazon using this link. The black bean paste is called "chunjang" and it is fermented caramel, soybean, and flour. The taste is a bit salty and sweet, and of course the color is black. Once opened, the chunjang will need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Jar os assi black bean paste being held by a hand with cabbage and pork in the background

The noodles that are used for this dish are typically made of wheat, and very often sold frozen in Asian or Korean stores. They may be labeled udon or jajangmyeon noodles. However, I only had these Kalguksu Knife-Cut Korean Style Noodles and they worked perfectly fine! The Kalguksu noodles are not traditional for this dish but I enjoyed using them. In general you will find both dried and fresh varieties of noodles available in your local Korean market, and it's fun to experiment with both kinds of noodles!

package of Kalguksu noodles

Instructions

It's super easy to make Jajangmyeon!

Begin by heating up a pan on med high heat, and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic.  Stir fry constantly for 1 minute. Then add the pork and continue stir frying until no longer pink (approximately 3-5 min). 

minced ginger and garlic in olive oil in a pan
minced garlic, ginger, and diced pork in a pan

Then add the cabbage, onion, potato, and zucchini.  Stir and lower the heat to medium. Cover and cook for around 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring every so often. 

Add 1 cup of chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and the Korean black bean paste.  Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat up water and cook your noodles of choice according to package directions. 

vegetables including cabbage, chicken broth, pork, and black bean paste in a pan
noodles held by tongs over boiling water

Add the rice vinegar as a final step and the jajangmyeon is ready to eat!

diced pork and vegetables with black bean sauce in a pan

What To Serve With Jajangmyeon

A Korean meal is not complete without the national dish of Korea, which is kimchi. So you'll want to serve the jajangmyeon with some kimchi. Kimchi is pretty much salted and fermented vegetables with seasonings. There are so many different kinds available, all delicious! You can buy prepared kimchi at your local Korean market. Or you may want to try this delicious recipe for Pa Kimchi, which is Korean Wild Green Onion Kimchi.

I also recommend that you have serve some cucumber matchsticks and yellow pickled daikon radish with this dish. You can find the pickled daikon radish at your local Asian market in the refrigerated section.

A white bowl with blue flowers on the edge holding jajangmyeon topped with cucumber and pickled daikon matchsticks with metal chopsticks and kimchi in the background

Black Food Day

Jajangmyeon noodles and black bean sauce with cucumber matchsticks and chopsticks holding up the noodles

April 14th is Black Food Day. What is Black Food Day? In Korea it is a day when single people get together to eat black food (typically jajangmyeon!) to commiserate over not being part of Valentine's Day or White Day.

In Korea, Valentine's Day is observed by women giving men gifts on February 14. March 14 then, is White Day. On this day, men return the favor by giving women gifts. Then one month later, April 14, Black Day (or Black Food Day) singles who didn't receive gifts on Valentine's Day or White Day get together to eat the jajangmyeon! By the way, jajang refers to the black bean paste sauce, and myeon refers to the noodles.

Jajangmyeon is an awesome meal for any day, not just April 14. 🙂 It is budget friendly, and quick and easy to prepare.

Jajangmyeon Is Such A Fun Dish!

I always love to practice pronouncing the name of the international dishes that I cook. If you are not familiar with jajangmyeon, then click here to listen to the pronunciation. Then you can practice saying jajangmyeon until it rolls off the tongue. 🙂

Try this delicious noodle dish and bring a taste of Korea to your table! 식사 맛있게하세요!! (Enjoy your meal in Korean). 🙂

Let's Enjoy A Food Journey Together!

Please sign up to get the latest recipes and culinary inspiration! Also come along with me on the 1,000 Foods to Eat Journey by signing up here. 😃

Cheers!

Grace

A white bowl with blue flowers on the edge holding jajangmyeon topped with cucumber and pickled daikon matchsticks with metal chopsticks and kimchi in the background

Easy and Delicious Jajangmyeon Recipe

Grace
Jajangmyeon is Korean comfort food at its best!  Serve a heaping bowlful with some kimchi for a delicious meal tonight!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4 people
Calories 341 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¾ lb pork diced
  • ½ zucchini squash diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 inch ginger peeled and minced
  • ¼ cabbage cored and cut into bite sized pieces
  • ½ onion cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 small potato peeled and cut into small pieces
  • 6 tablespoon Korean black bean paste I used Assi brand (reduce this amount if you are watching your salt)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 ts sugar
  • ½ ts black pepper
  • ½ cucumber cut into matchsticks - for garnish
  • pickled daikon radish cut into matchsticks - for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat up a pan on med high heat, and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced ginger and garlic.  Stir fry constantly for 1 minute. 
    minced ginger and garlic in olive oil in a pan
  • Add the pork and continue stir frying until no longer pink (approximately 3-5 min). 
    minced garlic, ginger, and diced pork in a pan
  • Then add the cabbage, onion, potato, and zucchini.  Stir and lower the heat to medium. Cover and cook for around 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring every so often. 
    diced cabbage, zucchini, onion, and potato added to diced pork
  • Add 1 cup of chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and the Korean black bean paste.  Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
    vegetables including cabbage, chicken broth, pork, and black bean paste in a pan
  • In the meantime, heat up water and cook your noodles of choice according to package directions. 
    noodles held by tongs over boiling water
  • Add the rice vinegar as a final step and the jajangmyeon is ready to eat!
    diced pork and vegetables with black bean sauce in a pan

Notes

If you are watching your salt, feel free to reduce the amount of black bean paste to suit your tastes.  
Serve the jajangmyeon on top of Asian noodles, and garnish with cucumber matchsticks.  Great accompaniments include kimchi, and yellow pickled daikon radish.  Enjoy! 

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 19gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 334mgPotassium: 742mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Noodles
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Indian Spiced Green Lentils

April 6, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Indian Spiced Lentils With Onion Salad and rice in a bowl
Delicious Indian Spiced Lentils With Basmati Rice and Onion Salad
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I was first introduced to Indian food when I was living in Birmingham, England. The British have long had a love affair with curries, and I was totally hooked after my first bite.

Although I had dined on meat curries such as chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo for awhile, it took me a few years before I developed an appreciation for Indian vegetarian fare. In fact, India has the world's largest number of vegetarians, and consequently some of the most mouthwatering vegetarian dishes!

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Awesome Places To Visit In Southern Utah!

April 3, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Awesome Places To Visit In Southern Utah is the topic of this post!

Cliff walls stream rocks and trees at Zion National Park
Zion National Park
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Southern Utah is AMAZING!

We were blown away by the beauty that was everywhere in southern Utah, and you will be too. Our family spent one week there (which was not enough), and we are yearning to go back.

If you are considering where to take your family on an affordable vacation that will be full of adventure and fun, you must consider southern Utah!

Where To Stay

We found an amazing Airbnb to stay in, which was our home base. The Smithsonian Retreat is where we stayed, and it is located in the little town of Apple Valley. You can read about this incredible Airbnb in my post, Amazing Stay at the Smithsonian Retreat, Utah. It is perfect for a large family, and offers so many amenities including tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. The house is awesome, but its standout features are the location and the views. I can't say enough about it!!

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Incredible and Easy Greek Omelette!

April 2, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

Spinach and Feta Omelette
Greek Omelette

The Incredible Edible Egg

"The incredible edible egg." This is a jingle from an egg commercial from my childhood that I remember. I 100% agree that eggs are pretty incredible.

I love eggs in any way, shape, or form. Hard or soft boiled, scrambled, over easy, sunny side up (one of my favorites!)...all these preparations are wonderful.

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Healthy Turkey Sandwich With Grilled Zucchini

March 31, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

Turkey Sandwich With Grilled Zucchini

Sometimes there is nothing better than a great sandwich.

I love sandwiches because they are so satisfying, budget friendly, and easy to prepare.

This healthy turkey sandwich is so colorful. In addition to the zucchini it includes red onion, tomatoes, and havarti cheese, but you can also substitute swiss. The dressing is a mixture of mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and fresh garlic, which gives it a kick.

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10 Foods Down, 990 To Go

March 30, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

10 Foods of 1,000 Foods To Eat

Last year, I purchased the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. The back of the book jacket states that the book contains "the tastes, ingredients, restaurants, dishes, and recipes (more than 70) that every food lover should experience or dream about." As I am a food lover, I certainly didn't want to miss out on anything, so I purchased this book and began my project.

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Colcannon and Champ - (1,000 Foods to Eat Project)

March 30, 2019 by Grace 4 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

Colcannon

Irish Colcannon

If you have never heard of colcannon and champ, you'd be hard pressed to figure out what these are.

Colcannon is a much beloved Irish mashed potato dish. It is a heavenly concoction, traditionally served on All Hallows' Eve, with either charms or coins hidden inside it.

Colcannon (along with champ), is one of the 1,000 foods to eat listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. If you've never tried colcannon, I beg you to make this and indulge in a huge bowl of it soon!

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Amazing Stay at the Smithsonian Retreat, Utah

March 28, 2019 by Grace Leave a Comment

Smithsonian Retreat House, Dog and Ford Excursion

The Smithsonian Retreat is what drew us to Utah. This is an Airbnb near Zion National Park, and having stayed there for a week I can confirm that it is truly an awesome property. If you are looking for lodging in Southern Utah, look no further this is it!

As you can see, it is dog friendly. The beautiful grounds are 2.5 acres (plenty of room for pooches to run!) and has volleyball, tennis, and basketball courts.

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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

Recent Posts

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