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     Title: My Mom's Easy Vegetarian Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
Categories: Korean
     Yield: 4 Servings

     6 c  Uncooked spinach
     2 tb Extra virgin olive oil
 3 1/2 oz Plantspired Korean BBQ Steak
          - -OR-
     1 tb Soy sauce; plus:
     1 tb Brown rice syrup; plus:
   1/2 ts Black pepper
   1/2 c  Shiitake mushrooms; sliced
   1/2 c  Yellow onion; julienned
     2 ts Garlic; minced
   1/2 c  Red bell pepper; julienned
   1/2 c  Green bell pepper; julienned
   1/2 c  Orange bell pepper;
          - julienned
   1/2 c  Yellow bell pepper;
          - julienned
   1/2 c  Carrot; julienned
     7 oz Korean sweet potato
          - vermicelli
   1/4 c  Soy sauce
     2 tb Brown sugar
     2 tb Brown rice syrup
     2 tb Toasted sesame oil
     2 ts Cracked black pepper
     1 tb Toasted sesame seeds

 Preparation time: 15 minutes
 Cooking time: 30 minutes

 The perfect noodle dish for your holiday table!

 Cook the spinach by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the
 spinach in and let it cook for about 1 minute, until the leaves turn a
 bright and brilliant green. Drain and run the spinach under cold
 water, to stop it from cooking longer. Squeeze out the excess liquid
 and place the spinach in a very large bowl.

 Next, julienne everything: the Plantspired steak, onion, mushrooms,
 carrots, and bell peppers. For the bell peppers and carrot, create
 very thin layers (you can use a mandolin) and then chop them into
 matchsticks.

 Begin by sautéing the Plantspired steak, onions and mushrooms over
 medium-high heat in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and
 pepper, until the onions grow translucent (around 3 to 5 minutes). If
 you're not using Plantspired steak, add 1 tb of soy sauce, 1 tb of
 syrup, and black pepper and continue sauteeing until the liquid
 evaporates (about 1 minute). Then, throw those in the same bowl with
 the spinach. Next, sauté the carrots in the same fashion--with a
 little olive oil, salt, and pepper, until they begin to soften (about
 4 to 5 minutes). Add to the same bowl with the spinach and mushrooms.
 Repeat for the red bell pepper, then the green bell pepper, then the
 orange bell pepper, and finally the yellow bell pepper. The order
 doesn't matter--so long as you cook each vegetable separately.

 To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add your
 glass noodles. My mom tells me that the best way to ensure perfectly
 chewy noodles is to cook the noodles for about 3 minutes and then add
 1/2 cup of cold water. When the water comes back to a boil, add
 another 1/2 cup of cold water. Continue doing this until your noodles
 are cooked (around 7 minutes in total). Before draining the excess
 water, reserve about 1 cup. Then drain the water, run the noodles
 under cold water (so they don't get soggy), and place the noodles in
 the same pan as the stir-fry.

 To the large bowl of vegetables, add soy sauce, brown sugar, brown
 rice syrup, sesame oil, and black pepper. Then, add about 1/4 cup of
 the reserved noodle liquid. Using your hand or a pair of tongs, stir
 the sauce into the noodles, mixing vigorously to help thicken the
 sauce. I like my vegetarian japchae to have a bit of a broth (not
 swimming in broth, just "broth-y") and if you do too, continue adding
 a bit more of that reserved noodle liquid at a time until you reach
 your desired consistency. The key is to stir it vigorously!

 Garnish your vegetarian japchae with toasted sesame seeds and a couple
 turns of cracked black pepper.

 Recipe by Joanne Molinaro

 Recipe FROM:
 <https://thekoreanvegan.com/easy-traditional-vegetarian-japchae/>

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