Cold Sesame Noodles

I don't remember having cold sesame noodles till I moved to Manchuria - it was when I was living there that they became a summertime favorite. The winters are cold in northeastern China, but the summers are sweltering and these noodles were a gift on hot, sweaty days at work. (Air conditioning was not much of a thing where I lived.) My favorite wonton restaurant had a delightful version of this dish with chilled wontons - if you have a brand you like, try adding a couple to each serving. Even without wontons this dish is gorgeous, however!

Maen Gamja Jorim

This gorgeous recipe for spicy Korean-style braised potatoes largely comes from Aaron and Claire's wonderful YouTube channel, with minor adaptations to make for a quicker weeknight dinner. With slight changes this was an incredibly easy, delicious recipe. It's usually served as a banchan (side dish) at meals in Korea, but it works beautifully as a main over rice. It was an instant hit in my family and medium-hot for us, but if you're not good with spicy food consider dialing back the hotter spices - the flavors won't be the same, but you'll be less at risk of burning up too! 

Beef Keema Aloo

I grew up eating South Asian food, but I often find making it myself to be a daunting task given the number of ingredients, toasting spices, and on and on. I appreciate the results, but often don't want to be responsible for them myself. That being the case, this simplified recipe for beef keema aloo (with some adaptations of my own) has become a favorite weeknight meal as it doesn't require a lot of extra steps or time to throw together. My apologies to any South Asian readers out there, I know this recipe is probably far from what it should be. It's a nice shortcut to a delicious weekday dinner, however, and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!