BEEF VEGETABLE RAMEN

A simple ramen soup choc full of vegetables with a salty soup. Dashi is a type of soup and cooking stock used in Japanese cuisine. It is made from large dried, smoked and cured bonito flakes; bonito being a type of tuna. I used bonito flavoured seasoning, which can be found at all Asian supermarkets, however if you do have time to buy this, beef stock will work just fine. 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons dashi (bonito flavoured seasoning) or 1 litre beef stock
• water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons miso paste
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 star anise
• 1 spring onion, plus extra to serve
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets and stalk chopped
• 2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
• 1 bunch buk choy, end removed and roughly chopped
• 100g ramen / soba / somen / rice vermicelli noodles
• 225-250g eye fillet beef, thinly sliced

Cooking 

1. Combine the dashi with 4 cups of water and pour this or the beef stock into a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves, star anise, miso paste, spring onion, sesame oil and 2 more cups of water to the pan and bring to the boil, covered. 

2. Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium, add 2 more cups of water as well as the broccoli, carrot and buk choy. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the carrot is just tender. Turn off the heat, add the beef strips and noodles and leave, covered, for 5 minutes. 

Remove the star anise from the broth. Divide into 4 soup bowls and serve warm, garnished with extra spring onion, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

PUMPKIN, BROCCOLI & MISO SOUP

This recipe came to be after my inventive friend Tahnee told me that she paired soba noodles with pumpkin the other day. Soba, udon or ramen noodles work beautifully with this dish, as do rice vermicelli noodles that I have used here. I like using these noodles as they are gluten-free friendly, very inexpensive and light. The pumpkin and broccoli work nicely together and add texture and flavour to the miso broth. One piece of advice - go easy on the miso paste. Start dissolving 2 tablespoons of paste in 5 cups of water and taste. If it is too weak slowly add more miso paste but at a tablespoon at a time rate rate; different brands of miso paste can vary widely in their saltness. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / coconut oil
• 3-4cm fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 green shallots, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• 400g pumpkin, skin cut off and cut into small even pieces
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped into even sized florets & stalk thinly sliced 
• 3-4 tablespoons miso paste 
• 100g rice vermicelli noodles 
• Optional - fresh coriander, to serve  

COOKING 

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the ginger and shallots to the pan and stir for 2 minutes, until the air is fragrant. Add the pumpkin to the pan and stir well to combine, reducing the heat to low. Leave to cook for 4 minutes. 

2. Whilst the pumpkin is cooking, place the miso paste in a large bowl and add 5 cups of boiling hot water. Stir well with a large spoon to combine the paste and the water and taste test. It is really up to you how much miso paste you use. As a general idea I use 3 tablespoons of miso paste and around 7-8 cups of water. 

3. When the paste has completely dissolved add the miso water to the pan and change the heat to a medium-high. Add the broccoli florets and stalks to the pan. Make sure that the water just covers the vegetables. Cover the saucepan and bring to the boil. 

4. When the water has boiled, add the noodles to the pan and stir, making sure the noodles do not stick together. The rice noodles should be tender 1-2 minutes after placing them in the pan. Make sure that the pumpkin and broccoli are just tender (they should be by this stage) and then remove the pan from the heat. 

Serve warm and sprinkled with extra shallots and coriander, if desired.  

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

MISO STEAK with VEGE STACK

Steak is something that I didn't used to really love to eat, but I know I need to eat to keep my iron levels from plummeting to an anemic level. Therefore I am often searching for ways to make red meat appetising for myself. On a lunch and movie date with my mother a few years ago she suggested that I try marinating steak with miso paste. I was intrigued and went home to do just that. The steak marinade was salty, moreish and light and before I knew it the meat had disappeared from my plate. I think my partner was secretly upset, as it was the first time that he was not begged to help me finish my steak. What a catch-22 for him; nicer steak but less for him to eat! 

INGREDIENTS

Miso Steak

• 350-400g lean eye fillet steak, cut into two even sized pieces (or approx. 150g for a woman, 200-250g for a man)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped 
• 1 heaped tablespoon miso paste 
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• al foil 

Vege Stack

• 1 green capsicum, membrane & seeds removed, cut into 6 slices
• 1 large tomato, cut into 6 slices 
• 1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• Optional - fresh basil leaves 

COOKING 

1. Combine all the steak ingredients except for the oil and al foil and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 10 minutes. 

2. Whilst the steak is marinading, assemble your vege stacks. 

3. Heat the oil in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the steak for around 3 minutes on each side, allowing a little more cooking time for the bigger steak on each side. Remove from the pan and loosely cover the steak with al foil for 5 minutes. 

4. Steak the two steaks alongside the vege stack, which can be drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped off with a fresh basil leaf or two, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes plus 30 minutes refrigeration time 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily