Udon noodle with fresh vegetables

On a scorching hot day, I crave this dish... really spicy, cold noodle with lots of fresh green vegetables! Korean miso is a main ingredient for the sauce, which gives you both spiciness and sweetness. It's quick and easy steps: make sauce, cook udon noodles and mix them up! Add meat, seafood or eggs in this dish to create your favourite taste!

What you need today.....     (serves 2)
  180g-200g Udon noodle
  1.5 tbsp Korean miso (Gochujang)
  1 tsp soy sauce
  1.5 tbsp white sugar
  1 tsp white vinegar
  2 tbsp mirin
  0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  Green vegetables (lettuce, spinach etc)
  Mayonnaise to serve with


     1. Combine Korean miso, sugar, soy sauce, mirin and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Cook udon in boiling water(follow the instruction on a package). Cool them down with cold water. Drain well.

     3. Mix the sauce and udon well in a big bowl. Serve them in a dish with fresh vegetables and meat or seafood on top. Finish with mayonnaise.

     4. Mix everything together when you eat.

There are several varieties of udon in Asian section in a local supermarket.

Sauted salmon and vegies with miso sauce

Although I have a healthy food lifestyle here in Australia, one thing I really miss about Japan is to eat fresh fish. Unfortunately, in the place where I currently live it is really hard to get fresh fish and seafood. That's why I cook fish in the Japanese way with lots of healthy vegetables when I find nice ones! This is one of the yummy fish recipes my mom often cooks and I'll share with you today. Enjoy it!

What you need today.....     (serves 2)
  2 pieces of salmon fillet
  Vegetables (mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, capsicums, onions etc), sliced or cut into small pieces
  10g butter
  3 tbsp miso
  2 tbsp white sugar
  2 tbsp sake
  1 tbsp mirin
  1 tsp soy sauce
  2 cloves garlic, grated
  Salt / pepper to season


     1. Mix miso, sugar, sake, mirin and soy sauce into a small bowl. Set aside.

     2. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook salmon both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

     3. When the outside of salmon is cooked, add all the vegetables cook them until they get soft.

     4. Add the sauce (discard the water from the vegetables if you have) and mix everything well. Cook for another 1 min and it's ready to eat!


Additional note: I used mixed miso(red and white) this time. The taste would be different depending on what type of miso you use. If you have only red miso, use less as it has strong flavour. Taste the sauce first before you add into a pan.