We're constantly asked: "What's the big deal about bone broth?" Here's why you should be drinking it every day.

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 Gochujang Chili Sauce

• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup peanut oil
• ¼ cup Mother In Law’s Kimchi Original Gochujang
• 1 TBS white sesame seeds
• 1 star anise
• 1 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon chili flakes

Seasoned Soy Sauce

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbs water
• 1 tsp light brown sugar (or white sugar)
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole clove
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Tomato Sauce

• tablespoon peanut oil
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

Noodles

• 1 package Nona Lim Pad See Ew Noodles
• Your choice of protein (beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu. We used beef), cooked and sliced
• 1 persian cucumber, sliced
• Cilantro, chopped for garnish

Instructions:

Gochujang Chili Sauce:

1. Combine soy sauce and garlic in a small bowl
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat and add peanut oil, Mother In Law’s Kimchi Original Gochujang, sesame seeds, star anise, bay leaf, coriander, and cumin.
3. Heat until it begins to sizzle, and then turn down heat to low, and cook until sauce darkens a bit. Remove from heat and stir in chili peppers.
4. Carefully add soy sauce and garlic (watch out for splashing oil!) and stir to combine.
5. Move oil mixture to a heat resistant bowl to cool.
6. Once cooled, store in an airtight container. Best if used the next day, so flavors can meld. Also great on leftovers, meat, salads, etc. We used some on scrambled eggs, and it was delicious!

 Seasoned Soy Sauce:

1. Add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, chili flakes, star anise, cinnamon, and clove in a small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat until it reaches a simmer and then let simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Strain sauce and discard spices. Add vinegar and mix to combine. Let cool.

 Noodles:

1. Cook Nona Lim Pad See Ew Noodles according to package instructions. Strain, and set aside.
2. Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken. Turn down heat to low.
3. Add seasoned soy sauce to desired taste, and stir to combine.
4. Add noodles and carefully mix to coat.
5. Separate into bowls
6. Top with cooked protein, sliced cucumber, plenty of gojuchang chili oil, chopped cilantro, and serve!

Adapted from Omnivore’s Cookbook

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!