Everyone knows the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so we whipped up this special Drunken Noodle aka Pad Kee Mao recipe, adapted from thewoksoflife.com, so you can treat Dad to a homemade Thai feast on Father’s Day. 

For an extra treat, starting today our gluten-free Pad See Ew Noodles are 15% off through end of the month!

Dad's Drunken Pad See Ew

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

12 oz protein of your choice (we used steak, but you can also use chicken, shrimp, or tofu)

4 tsp soy sauce

1 whole package of Nona Lim Pad See Ew

2 tsp brown sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water

1 tbs fish sauce

2 tsp oyster sauce

pepper to taste

3 tbs canola oil

3 cloves minced garlic

¼ tsp grated ginger

2 shallots, sliced

1 scallion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 thai red chili peppers, deseeded and sliced

1 cup loosely packed basil or thai basil

1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Directions: 

1. Slice steak or chicken, if using and mix with 1 tsp of soy sauce to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min.
2. Meanwhile, look Nona Lim Pad See Ew Noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
3. Mix brown sugar water, remaining 3 tsp of soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper in a bowl and set aside.
4. Heat wok or large sauté pan on medium-high heat until just before smoking. Add 2 tbs canola oil to coat pan, and then add protein, cooking until just about cooked through.
5. Remove protein from pan, and set aside. Rinse pan if there is residue from the protein to prevent other ingredients from sticking.
6. With heat still on medium-high add remaining 1 tbs of canola oil to pan then add garlic and ginger. Cook for 20 or so seconds, then add shallots. Let cook for another 20 seconds until very fragrant, then add scallions, bell peppers, chili peppers, and basil.
7. Stir to cook another 20 seconds then add Pad See Ew Noodles. Stirring carefully to keep noodles intact. Once the noodles have warmed up, add the sauce mixture and cook, while stirring, for another minute or so, until the noodles all look uniform in color.
8. Add protein and cook through for another 1-2 minutes.
9. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lime and enjoy!

With Mother's Day just a few days away, we thought we'd honor the process that all mothers go through as they begin their adventures in motherhood: pregnancy and postpartum recovery. The journey is different for everyone, and can include a myriad of emotions and symptoms, including joy, fear, sadness, exhaustion, nausea, the list goes on. 

During these crucial times so much focus is put on making the right choices for your baby; what you eat, the products you use, your exercise habits, your sleep, and while all of these things are extremely important for a growing, healthy baby, it's important for moms to prioritize self-care as well to keep themselves in the best health possible for the massive transition their body is going through.

Ideally, mamas-to-be are taking extra-special care of themselves from pre-conception, through the postpartum recovery period, and until they finish breast-feeding. A notable tradition in China, known as "sitting the month" or zuo yue zi, requires that women who have just given birth not leave the house for 30 days after delivery and basically stay in bed without bathing, air conditioning, or general distractions (think a constant stream of visitors and surfing the web), while family and friends bring them food and help care for the baby.

The theory behind zuo yue zi is that the body is extremely depleted after childbirth, making the mother susceptible to illness and ongoing exhaustion. The 30 days of bedrest and curated nutrition are meant to help build back what was lost during pregnancy and childbirth and to help new moms bounce back stronger, allowing them to better care for their new baby and experience fewer longterm side effects to the birthing process.

While many aspects of this practice seem unrealistic for the modern lifestyle, even archaic, there are some worthwhile methods in the tradition, enhanced nutrition for example. Foods traditionally recommended are warm or hot in nature to help bolster what was lost during labor, like blood and fluid. Bone broth, and especially chicken broth, which is considered extra warming in Chinese nutrition is recommended, along with eggs, congee, peanuts, goji berries, and dates, which are said to warm the body, build blood, and replenish fluids. Bone broth is also packed with nutrients and minerals to flood your system with goodness and nourishment.

Additionally, it's recommended to avoid cold foods and drinks (i.e. raw veggies, iced drinks, and most dairy) during the 30 day period because cold can cause bodily processes to slow down, potentially leading to illness or stunting recovery and causing pain. This also ties into the recommendation to avoid air conditioning or going outside. The theory is that pores are more open after pregnancy, so cold [air] can easily enter the body, and cause problems. In other words, the immune system isn't strong enough to block and fight off illness.

The other worthwhile takeaway from this traditional practice is to prioritize taking some down time. It's so easy in modern culture to hit the ground running as soon as possible after childbirth, and while most of us don't have the luxury of having 30 days to stay at home while family caters to you, try to take time to rest, enjoy precious bonding time with your baby, and when you're ready, slowly integrate back to your normal routine... or your new normal, that is!

The good news is, we can help! Nona Lim products make an excellent addition to a pre, during, and postpartum routine, so you don't have to spend much time in the kitchen (leave that to us), and you can dedicate more time to your new baby and your recovery. Our broths are especially nourishing, and will provide the nutrition even a zuo yue zi advocate would approve of.

On that note, we're running a special Mother's Day Giveaway for one new mom or mama-to-be to win a month's supply of bone broth on us! We'll send the winner a week's supply of our Heat & Sip Soup Cups four weeks in a row in preparation for labor, postpartum recovery, or the ongoing physical demands of being a mom in general, because let's be honest, that will take a lot out of you too!

Visit our Instagram page for details on how to enter, and check back on Monday, May 15th when we'll announce the winner. We're also offering 20% off orders placed online through our website until Monday, 5/15/17. Enter the code "MOMSTAKE20" at checkout.

Good luck, mamas, and Happy Mother's Day!

 

We get it, you may not know where to start with seaweed in the kitchen, so we're sharing a few tips to get you inspired to incorporate this delicious, healthy sea-veggie into your everyday meals.

With hundreds of varieties to choose from, this superfood is packed with essential nutrients to improve overall health. It is an especially good source of iodine, which helps with thyroid function. Seaweed also contains iron, calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin A to name a few, and each type of seaweed touts its own specific benefits.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine certain varieties of seaweed are used in herbal formulas to help reduce internal masses, swelling, and edema. The salty flavor is said to have a dispersing effect to help soften hardness, dispel phlegm, and promote urination in the body.

Pictured above are some widely used varieties of edible seaweed, from left to right: kombu, dulse, wakame.

Kombu is often used to flavor broths and is responsible for the elusive umami flavor. Add it to any broth at home to kick the flavor up a notch.

Dulce, a red seaweed, can be used in a variety of ways. Try adding it to your next stir-fry or soup. It would work well as an addition to any of our broths, or toast it up and add it to a bowl of popcorn for a fun movie night snack. 

Finally we have wakame, the type of seaweed you will most often come across in seaweed salads or miso soup. You can use it to make your own restaurant versions at home! Add it to our Miso Ramen Broth with cubed tofu and scallions for a traditional miso soup, or toss it with some rice wine vinegar and Tokyo Ramen for a unique seaweed noodle salad.

You'll find these seaweed varieties in the Asian Foods aisle at most Whole Foods Markets or specialty retailers in dried form. Keep in mind that once you add them to liquid they will soften and expand.

Happy cooking!

Leading up to the Natural Products Expo West this week, we teamed up with our friends at Mother-In-Law's Kimchi again to create two more recipes and offer two lucky winners some seriously awesome loot. 

This time we had some fun with summer rolls, which are actually super easy to make (seriously!). We customized them with a variety of different fillers, so we encourage you to #MakeItYourOwn by mixing and matching to suit your tastes.

Ingredients:

Sauce #1:

The juice from 1 lime - about a 1/2 cup

1 Tbs Mother-In-Law's Kimchi Liquid

2 Tbs fish sauce

2 Tbs coconut sugar

1 jalapeño, sliced

Sauce #2:

 

Wraps:

1 package of Nona Lim Laksa Noodles

10 rice paper rounds (we used Star Anise Foods Brown Rice Spring Roll Wrapper, which can be found at Whole Foods Markets)

1 Avocado, sliced

15 cooked shrimp, deveined, and sliced in half vertically

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilatntro

1 cup red pepper, julienned

1 cup carrots, julienned

1 cup cucumber, julienned

A few handfuls of lettuce

Marinated jalapeño slices from Sauce #1 (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for sauce #1, mix, cover and refrigerate

2. Combine all ingredients for sauce #2, mix, cover and refrigerate

3. Blanche Laksa Noodles in boiling water, according to package directions, rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside.

4. Fill a shallow bowl or cake pan with water, and one at a time, dip rice round into the water until flexible (about 20 seconds). Remove from water and transfer to a large plate or work area.

5. Remove Sauce #1 from fridge and add three jalapeño slices to the center of the rice round

6. Top the jalapeños with either 3 shrimp halves or avocado slices

7. Next add a few leaves each of basil, mint, and cilantro

8. Then add a few pieces each of the julienned veggies.

9. If using, remove a few slices of jalapeño from the marinating Sauce #1 to add to the pile.

10. Top with a lettuce leaf that covers the pile.

11. Next you are going to roll this baby like a burrito! Fold up the bottom portion to cover the bottom part of the filling. Then fold in one side, then the other, so everything is tightly packed, but be careful not to tear the rice paper round. Finish by folding in the top portion to seal the wrap shut, and voila! 

12. Serve with both dipping sauces. Enjoy! 

Big congrats to our giveaway winners, who will be taking home our Laksa Noodles, a sampling of our Heat & Sip Soup Cups as well as Mother-In-Law's Kimchi Liquid Kimchi, Sesame Gochujang, and more kimchi goodness!

 

 

 

 

We teamed up with our friends at Mother-In-Law's Kimchi to create two decadent meals to spice up your Valentine's Day date night. Here's our take on Bon Appétit's Kimchi Udon with Scallions using our Pad Thai Noodles and Mother-In-Law's Kimchi House Napa Cabbage Kimchi, Tangy Gojuchang, and Kimchi Liquid. 

Ingredients:

Serves 4

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or ghee), divided

1 cup finely chopped Mother-In-Law's Kimchi House Napa Cabbage Kimchi

1/3 cup Mother-In-Law's Kimchi Liquid

2 tbs Mother-In-Law's Kimchi Tangy Gojuchang

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 package Nona Lim Pad Thai Noodles (Laksa Noodles work too)

Kosher salt

4 large egg yolks, room temperature

3 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly on a diagonal 

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Blanche Pad Thai Noodles according to package directions, then rinse under cold water in a colander, and set aside. Make sure not to overcook!

2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted.

3. Add chopped House Napa Cabbage Kimchi and Tangy Gojuchang, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, 3-4 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth and Kimchi Liquid, bring to a simmer, and allow to slightly reduce, about 3 minutes.

5. Transfer cooked Pad Thai Noodles to the mixture using tongs, and stir until the noodles are well coated, about 2 minutes.

6. Divide noodles into serving bowls, gently top with egg yolk, sprinkle with scallions, sesame seeds, and kosher salt (as needed), and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit

In honor of Valentine's Day we're also giving away goodies from Nona Lim and Mother-In-Law's Kimchi. Head over to our Instagram for details and to enter. We'll be announcing the winner tomorrow, V-Day (02/14/17) - Good luck!