Awase dashi also known as Ichiban dashi is the most basic kind of Japanese dashi. This dashi is made from a combination of dried kelp (kombu) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Dashi is a staple in Japanese cooking and is the base for many dishes including miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and known to accentuate the savory flavor of umami. If that wasn't enough to convince you to try making it, dashi is also mixed into the flour base of some grilled foods like okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

I personally make Awase dashi whenever I'm in the mood for Beef Udon. If you're here because you're planning to make Beef Udon, this recipe makes enough dashi for the needed amount. Dashi stores well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days so you can either store the leftovers or make it ahead of time.

Awase Dashi/Ichiban Dashi Recipe

Prep and Marinate Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients

-4 cups water
-3 small pieces of dried kelp or 3" x 5" (kombu)
-2 cups of bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Instructions

1. Dried kelp (kombu) naturally has a white powder on its surface which is a lot of the flavor so don't wash it. If the kelp (kombu) seems dirty, gently wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
2. In a medium pot, add the water and kelp (kombu). Turn on the heat to medium-low heat and slowly bring to almost a boil, about 10 minutes.
3. Before the dashi starts to boil, remove the kelp (kombu). If you leave the kelp (kombu) in the pot, the dashi will become slimy and bitter.
4. Add the bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and bring it back to a boil.
5. Once the dashi is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 seconds before turning off the heat.
6. Let the bonito flakes (katsuobushi) sink to the bottom, about 10 minutes.
7. Strain the dashi through a fine sieve and the finished product is ready to be used.

To Store:
If you're not planning to use the dashi right away, store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze it.

Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs is a favorite in our household. If we're not having braised pork belly with eggs (Thit Kho Trung) than we're definitely having this dish. It is fairly easy to make, but make sure you have plenty of time to simmer the pork so it'll be nice and tender. I'm usually making canh (soup) or another dish while I give the sauce time to evaporate and thicken.

The Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs will be covered with a sweet glaze that pairs perfectly with a bowl of rice. If you tend to prefer things less sweet, you can always cut back on some of the sugar.

Caramelizing Sugar

If you're someone that makes desserts often, then this isn't anything new. However, for those that aren't familiar with this process, it might seem intimidating. Basically, you're melting granulated sugar directly onto your pot/pan until it becomes an amber liquid. This is a fairly quick process so you don't want to walk away from your sugar during this step. Keep your heat on medium high and gently stir the sugar with a silicone/wood spatula. You'll notice the sugar slowly melting and if there are rock chunks they'll eventually melt from the heat.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Spare Ribs Recipe (Sườn Ram Mặn)

Prep and Marinate Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 85 minutes
Yield: 5 portions

Ingredients

-2 pounds of pork spare ribs
-1 tsp salt
-1 shallot, minced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 tbs chicken bouillon powder
-2 tbs fish sauce
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-3 tbs granulated sugar (reserve 2 tbs for caramelizing step)
-1 cup coconut soda (Coco Rico) or water
-1 green onion, sliced thinly

Instructions

1. Clean the pork spare ribs. Fill a pot with just enough water to cover the pork spare ribs and add the salt. Bring the water to a boil before adding the pork and let boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain the ribs in a colander under cold water to rinse all the impurities.
2. Mix the shallot, garlic, chicken powder, fish sauce, black pepper, and 1 tbs of the sugar. Marinate the pork spare ribs for at least 20 minutes.
3. Add the remaining 2 tbs of sugar into a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Be careful not to let the sugar burn, gently stir with a silicone/wood spatula. As the sugar melts, it'll turn liquid with a nice caramel color.
4. Pour in your marinated pork spare ribs plus the excess marinade into the pot and coat the ribs with the caramelized sugar.
5. Add the coconut soda or water and bring the pot to a boil.
6. Cover the pot with a lid (leave it a bit open) and reduce the heat to low to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir the ribs once in a while to ensure even cooking.
7. Now remove the lid completely and continue to simmer on low for another 20 minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate. The finished product will have a nice thick glaze. Top off your dish with the green onions before serving.
   

Egg Drop Soup takes under 10 minutes to make. Honestly, this is one of those dishes I would order at restaurants, but never think about making at home. I'm glad we were really craving soup one day with our meal.

This is a Chinese soup that consists of egg ribbons in chicken broth. All you need to boost up the flavor is soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and scallions/green onion.

Egg Drop Soup Recipe

Prep and Marinate Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

-4 cups chicken broth
-1 tsp reduced soy sauce
-1/2 tsp sesame oil
-2 tsp cornstarch
-4 tsp water
-2 eggs
-1/2 tsp white pepper
-1 green onion, chopped

Instructions

1. In a small pot, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Bring it to a simmer on high heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch into the water and add it into the broth.
3. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and slowly pour it into the simmering broth while stirring to create the egg ribbons.
4. Add in the white pepper and green onions. Serve immediately.

Tteokbokki (떡볶이) or stir-fried rice cakes is a popular Korean street food. Its spicy, sweet flavor and chewy texture makes it an instant favorite.

Tteokbokki Rice Cake

Tteokbokki is made with garaetteok (가래떡), a cylinder-shaped white rice cake. They come in various shapes and sizes used for different Korean dishes. The thinner, short type is ideal for this recipe otherwise it'll take much longer to cook.

Tteokbokki Sauce

The spicy tteokbokki sauce is made with a combination of gochujang (고추장, Korean red chili pepper paste) and gochugaru (고추가루, Korean red chili pepper flakes). I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of gochugaru and tasting the spice level before adding more. If you prefer a more mild version, consider not adding any gochugaru.

Other Tteokbokki Ingredients

There are many variations to this dish. You can stir in anything like fishcakes, eggs, ramen, seafood, and cheese. This recipe is a classic version, but I definitely add in boiled eggs and ramen from time to time.

Tteokbokki Recipe (Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cakes)

Prep and Marinate Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients
-1 pound tteokbokki tteok, about 24 3-inch long rice cake pieces
-1 sheet eomuk fish cake
-8 ounces green cabbage
-2 scallions
-3 cups anchovy broth or water
-3 tbs Korean red chili pepper paste, gochujang
-1-3 tsp Korean red chili pepper flakes, gochugaru
-1 tbs reduced soy sauce
-1 tbs sugar
-1 tbs minced garlic
-1 tbs corn syrup

Optional: Boil and peel a few eggs before cutting them in halves to stir in during the final 1-2 minutes.

Instructions
1. Make the anchovy broth. Soak the rice cakes for about 20 minutes if they're hardened or refrigerated. Prep the fish cake, cabbage, and scallions by cutting them into 2 inch pieces.

2. Pour the 3 cups of anchovy broth or water into a large pan and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Add the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and corn syrup. Stir until everything is dissolved.

3. Add the rice cakes. Boil until the rice cakes become very soft and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently so the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

4. Mix in the vegetables and fish cakes. Continue to boil and stir constantly for another 5 minutes. If you would like the fish cakes or rice cakes softer continue cooking for longer and add more broth or water if necessary.

Notes:
1. For tteokbokki rice cakes, fresh or refrigerated are best.
2. Corn starch is easier to add if you dissolve it with a bit of hot water before adding it into the pan.
3. Reheat leftover Tteokbokki in a small pan over low heat with a bit of broth or water for best taste.

It hasn't been long since I started making Korean dishes. My husband and I are big fans of Korean food, but never made dishes at home except for KBBQ. The recipes may seem intimidating at first, but once you learn to make the Anchovy Broth, you'll notice that it's a staple in many Korean dishes. Just off the top of my head, it's a base I use in Soft Tofu Stew (Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae) and Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes).

Despite its name, the finished broth is light and flavorful, without being fishy. There are many variations that you can make, but for this recipe we'll be using just dried anchovies (myeolchi, 멸치) and dried kelp (dashima, 다시마).

Buying Dried Anchovies

Dried anchovies are typically sold in plastic bags that can be found on aisle shelves or the refrigerated area. For this recipe, you'll be looking for large anchovies (gukmulyong mareunmyeolchi 국물용 마른멸치) which are best for flavoring soups and stews. If you use medium anchovies, add a bit more.

Store leftovers in the ziploc bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 year.

Preparing Large Dried Anchovies

You're going to need to remove the guts/intestines before using them. Otherwise, the broth will be bitter. This step seems way more difficult than it is. If you've ever devein shrimp, this is as close as it'll get. Cut a slit underneath the anchovy near the head and scrape out the black innards.

Buying and Preparing Dashima (Kombu)

Dashima (다시마) is kelp that's commonly used to make stock then thrown away. Don't confuse this with the seaweed Koreans use for miyeok guk or the seaweed used for sushi. Dried dashima comes in slightly thick flat sheets with white powder on the surface.

It's best to not wash the white powder off, since that adds to the natural flavor. If you must, gently wipe dashima with a dampened cloth just to remove sand or grit. Keep leftovers stored in a cool dry place.

Anchovy Packets

Some grocery stores sell anchovy packets that contain dried anchovies and dried kelp already proportioned. All you need to do is drop a packet into a pot of water. If you opt for this option, make sure you check the ingredients since some of them have shrimp or other flavors included.

Making Anchovy Broth

After the prep work, the actual process is very simple. Boil some water, add anchovies and kelp, then strain. I suggest soaking the ingredients in the water for at least 20 minutes before turning the heat on.

Anchovy Broth Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Soak Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: about 6 cups

Ingredients
-12 large dried anchovies
-2 pieces of dried dashima, 3-inch squares
-8 cups water

Instructions
1. Prepare the anchovies by removing the innards. Remove the heads if you would like, but I prefer to leave them for more flavor.

2. Soak the anchovies and kelp in the water for at least 20 minutes in a medium sized pot.

3. Bring it to a gentle boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium high and boil for 10 minutes.

4. Strain the liquid to remove anchovies and dashima from the stock.

Note: Store leftover anchovy stock in refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for later use.

Homemade tasting Spaghetti from a jar ready in 30 minutes!

If you're looking for a way to level up your spaghetti sauce without needing to make it from scratch, this is for you. For those looking for a completely homemade from scratch recipe, check out my Homemade Spaghetti Recipe.

We usually don't order spaghetti at restaurants just because they're never as loaded as the ones you can make at home. You either get meat sauce or one meatball as your options. The amount of ingredients you can jam pack into this sauce recipe is endless. For this spaghetti sauce recipe, I've included ground beef, onions, garlic, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and hot links. Feel free to get creative and add in whatever your heart desires.

Spaghetti Sauce (From a Jar) with Ground Beef
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
-1 lb of ground beef
-1 cup onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 small green bell pepper, chopped
-1 cup of mushrooms
-3 hot links or hot dog franks, sliced into pieces
-about 48oz spaghetti sauce of your choice
-2 tsp Italian seasoning
-1 tsp red pepper chili flakes or fresh chopped chili
-1 tsp parsley flakes
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and hot links/hot dog franks in a large sauce pan on medium high. Cook and stir until ground beef meat is brown. Drain the grease.

2. Add in the spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper, parsley flakes, salt and black pepper. Stir everything together.

3. Let the Spaghetti sauce heat up (slight bubbling) before simmering on low heat 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally so it doesn't scorch.

4. Take this time to cook your pasta. Serve your finished sauce over cooked noodles with a salad, garlic bread, or broccoli* on the side.

Optional: We love broccoli with our spaghetti so we usually boil up broccoli for 2-3 minutes before draining. This adds a nice healthy crunch to your finished meal.