Having my friend coming over for lunch, I wanted to make something quick and easy, looking elegant, a bit of Korean and a bit of Western style. So I came up with these two dishes. Japchae is Korean stir-fried sweet potato noodles with soy-based sauce, whereas this noodles salad is inspired by Busan-style Japchae with spicy Gochujang sauce. I only cooked noodles underneath otherwise all veggies are raw and healthy. For the sauce, it is best to make it in advance so that the flavour gets all balanced and rich. You can find Gochujang paste at Korean or Asian grocery shops. Go easy on this sauce if you don’t like chili. This salad is totally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. Second dish is a great party finger food idea. This beautiful Tasmanian salmon gravlax is cured in sugar, salt and dill. It is moist, sweet, succulent and melting in your mouth, perfect match with savoury pancakes. I cannot wait to actually go to Tasmania and explore all the fresh seafood. I heard it is amazing. There you have it! Lunch is ready!
Raw Veggie Noodle Salad with Gochujang Sauce
Ingredients
200g of dried sweet potato noodles
1 carrot
1/2 cucumber
1 cup of bean sprouts
alfalfa sprouts
shredded nori for garnish
For the sauce
1/2 tsp Gochujang paste
1/2 tsp Korean chili flakes
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the noodles in boiling water until cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside. For the sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add noodles into the bowl and mix with the sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cut the noodles if too long. Arrange prepared veggies on top and garnish with shredded nori.
Spring Onion Pancakes with Gravlax Salmon
Ingredients
1 bunch of spring onions
100g buckwheat flour
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
cold water
1 tbsp coconut oil
100g Gravlax salmon
2 tsp of capers
Wash the spring onions and peel off the outer layer if too tough. Mix buckwheat flour, finely chopped spring onions, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add water little by little while whisking until you get a pancake batter consistency, not too runny or thick. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Spoon the batter into a pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with salmon and capers on top.