I agree! I was watching something called the quaint housewife and she was making scrambled eggs with 2 tablespoons of canned salmon and chopped kale ! I just can’t get my head around how that would ever taste..,
You are hands-down my favorite budget food RUclipsr! Your meals are creative and super inexpensive without compromising on FLAVOR, which is something that I think a lot of folks making budget food on RUclips overlook. 😂 They're also really easy to make vegan! 💚
Finally someone showing how hard it really is to cut through a squash!. I microwave them 5 min on high, otherwise I cannot get through the outside. I have 2 pretty bad cuts recently and although I don't like to cook veggies in the microwave, I do soften squashes now!
Thai basil and all basil is really easy to grow in your window. Very inexpensive seeds, and they grow well in very little soil in a window container. Just make sure you do feed them plant food, some people think all plants need is dirt and water. Plant food is extremely cheap and should last you years once u buy it 😊
Sorry to keep you waiting. I think I'm about to get laid off at my job so you might be seeing my videos much more frequently. 😁👩🍳 Kind of scary but exciting also. Thanks for watching 🥰
Hi Michelle, I love this Gluten Free recipes. I live down the street from a 80 yr old Chinese lady, she is very sweet and generous. I have learned about Purple Okra, Yardlong green beans , squash ( looks like a cucumber that has a strange red seed in the middle ) she boils it then adds sugar for a dessert but I took out the seed and fried it like zucchini. Her grandson told me about Amazon grow Oyster Mushroom kits and now I have a 5 kids . I thank you again for sharing budget recipes. God bless you and your family 🙏
Hi Theresa 😁 I'm glad you like the recipes in this video. It's my pleasure to share them with you. 👩🍳 That is so awesome that your sweet little neighbor is teaching you about these varieties of asian veggies. I wish I had a neighbor like that. I'll have to check out those mushroom kits. Thanks for sharing.
I loved this so much! I love shopping at ethnic grocery stores and trying new ingredients - maybe like “bang for your buck” where you discuss sauces etc that take budget food and pantry staples to a new level. I vote for miso! But fermented black bean paste is SO savory. A little goes a long way and it’s so good with everything!
To help cutting the squash and to keep your cutting board from slipping put damp paper towel or towel under the board. I will help with stability so you don't cut yourself
All of the recipes looked so good!! I don't know alot about Asian cooking, actually very little, but I always learn something from your videos! Thanks & have a great week!!!
meanwhile I was cracking up 😂 You were probably anxious I was going to cut myself though. So sorry about that 😊 I've never encountered such a hard squash. Ended up being delicious though.
Hi! I just stumbled across your channel and thought I’d offer some tips for you that might be helpful when making food like this again in the future. 1. As mentioned in some other comments rather than baking your squash- you can steam it in your microwave instead. You could also chop it up into smaller pieces and remove the skin and then boil it. You can then add the boiled squash directly into your blender and blend until smooth. I also recommend adding some sort of dairy (or vegan friendly substitute) to the soup. Cream would help balance it out and also help with the texture. 2. The reason your noodles took so long to cook was because you didn’t soak them. Noodles like that are thick in starch and need to be soaked to help ease in cooking. I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos and subscribing to your channel :)
Hi Erica 😁 The kabocha squash was a shocker because it was so much harder than butternut or acorn, which I use frequently. I will definitely microwave next time. 😂 I have some of the large mung bean vermicelli left over. I'll try soaking them in advance of cooking them next time. Thanks for the helpful tips. 👍Welcome to my channel 😁👩🍳
On the Portuguese soup you definitely need more broth. It’s a mostly broth soup. Also, the eggs are usually poached right in the broth. A hard Portuguese, French, or Italian bread are the best for this soup. Hope you enjoyed it, and do make more broth next time you make it. 👏🏻
I love your videos! You can cook kabocha squash and some other squash in your instant pot. You don't need to peel it or cut it at all. Wash the squash. Put 1 cup of water and the trivet in the instant pot, then the squash. Seal the lid, close the valve, and set to pressure cook. 10 minutes for a larger kabocha squash, 8 minutes for a smaller red kuri or a chunk of hubbard squash. Once cooking is done, release pressure. Remove the squash and let cool until easily handled. Pull the peel off of the squash. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Mash or puree squash to serve as a side dish, or to use in your favorite soup, pie, or dessert bar recipe in place of canned pumpkin. Enjoy
@Jo supermom. Thank you! 👍👍👍👍👍. I have an Instant Pot. Thank you very much for this advice. I don’t buy squash because of how hard they are to cut up before you can cook them. I’m assuming this would work for the hard squash best so acorn or something like that? Anybody who has tips on cutting up a spaghetti squash I would love them because I’ve almost cut my hand badly trying to cut those up too. I can’t use the microwave method because my microwave is ancient and not that powerful. No judging please it actually has a dial. 🤣😁. A friend gifted it to me when she was cleaning out her mom’s assisted living apartment. I have found that I don’t like the taste of microwave food so I’ve never bothered to upgrade it.
@@BrowneyedGirlmjd You can cook just about any kind of squash in your instant pot as long as it fits. You can also bake them in an oven as long as you poke holes in the skin like a potato. I have even cooked some in a bbq grill before. Don't be afraid to experiment with them.
@@ArdentMichelle You can also cook squash in the oven or BBQ grill with the skin on, just poke some holes in the skin and put it on a pan. Most squash you can use a potato peeler on to take the skin off. If you just want to make it easier to cut in half use the peeler on one strip around where you want to cut and then cut it where you removed the skin. :)
Put the heel of bread or a moistned paper towel in with your brown sugar and it will soften it. They also sell terra cotta discs that you soak in water for 20 minutes and then keep in the jar of the brown sugar.
Love Asian food. Total comfort food in my world. 😋 Have my favorite go to's and haven't been quite this adventurous as you but will give it a try. Thanks for the creative ideas.
Soften your brown sugar easily in the microwave. Put some in a bowl, cover with a wrung-out wet paper towel, and heat in 10 second bursts. Works like a charm!
I grew up in Southern California and spent time in Korea. I get to see two of my favorite things. California sunshine and HMart! Thank you for another great video.
tip: cook your squash first, then cut it in half--much easier that way...easy cooking tip for sqush: put in a slow cooker whole and cook on medium for three hours--gets very soft...best thing I learned this year--no mess with squash any more...dts/usa
Hi Michelle! I enjoy your videos a lot and I'm glad that you incorporated some Korean foods :) For the gochujang paste, it's not a sauce and is more dense. I would say if you can get your hands on it, get some gochugaru which is red chili pepper flakes/powder. It makes dubu jorim more tasty! I'll need to try some of these veggies out, though! Hope for another video like this!! :) Thank you!
Hi Kim. 😁 I didn't have the gochugaru so I was improvising with the gochujang. I looked at some red chili powder at H Mart but decided not to buy it because I wasn't sure it was the right thing. Can you suggest a name brand or any other tips to make sure I purchase the right thing?
love your challenges you always have great variety to explore. Safety tip wet a towel or paper towel and place it under your cutting board to keep it from slipping. makes cutting easier and safer :)
Another fabulous video. Everything looks delicious as always! Coincidentally I was at H-Mart today shopping for ingredients for bibimbap! I love Korean food!!!
I would find the noodle section to. Would love to go-to one of those stores. 🙂 😁Yummy, the pudding looked so good. Love Jasmine rice. Never have done frozen rice before. Meals looked yummy. Never seen those kind of noodles.
That all looked so good! I've started baking my tofu in the oven too recently, and I don't think I'll go back. It's so easy to cook a bunch of tofu at once, and it always comes out great.
Agreed...I've started making a bit up in advance so that it's ready for a quick toss in the stir fry. This way it's nice and chewy without needing to be fried.
Thank you for an interesting program tonight. My husband is only a meat & potato person. So for me this was a real treat. Also for the Custard Toast, was there a recipe or directions ? I saw you do things, but will watch it agaain to catch what I missed.
I added a couple teaspoons of vanilla yogurt to an egg and whisked it then poured over the toast, topped it with strawberries and blackberries. Some people do plain yogurt and then add a little honey to sweeten. Bake until custard is set. Hope this helps. 😊
I love Gai Lan, simply stir fry it with a splash of water at the end. First tried at an authentic Chinese restaurant and now addicted. Personally, I found it needs to be eaten right away. I didn't care for it day after or for meal prep.
Yup. Korean glass noodles are supposed to be chewy. Some recipes recommend soaking noodles for 5-10 minutes and then boiling them. But they are enjoyed as a chewy noodle experience. Unusual.
You need a damp paper towel or kitchen towel under your cutting boards. Helps stabilize. I use a rubber mallet to hammer my knife through or use a cleaver if you have one for squash. Kills my hands, lol
Yes I do need to start doing that with the paper towel. We just purchased a better knife, although I do think a cleaver is the way to go 😂 At least I got a good laugh out of trying to cut that thing! 👩🍳
I love your channel. I’m watching it from the England, U.K. You are giving me so many ideas to cook on low budget. In U.K. I get reduced fruits and veg for £0.10/$0.15 per tray or punnet( after 7pm in supermarket) normally I get tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach. And sometimes I don’t know what to make with them. I will try cooking more with beans, lentils, pearl barley. Thanks for inspiration.
I always cut kabocha squash around the 'equator' . I find it is so much easier to bake squash and puree the flesh. And apparently you can eat the skins too.
I live in a community in Arkansas that is surrounded by rice fields. Our area makes a living on rice and ducks. The rice farming industry in the US is very much alive and well.
For budgets like this, you'd be served VERY VERY well by having a small garden outside. Your climate, in particular, works very well for overwintering things. If you are selective about the varieties you grow, they basically require zero maintenance and almost no space. Rosemary and thyme are so easy to grow. Anything where you eat the leaves of the plant is going to be the most economical to grow. Lettuce in the winter. Kale all year long. Hardy, perennial herbs. Malabar spinach. Seriously, grow kale. It's impossible to kill and it is so hardy in both cold and warm seasons. It just keeps growing and growing and growing. Where people go wrong is they try to plant everything and way over do it. Plant selectively...even on a sunny balcony, and you will multiply your options. Now, I'm not saying making videos about this because they might have less broad appeal, but an occasional feature...and it's great for your own budget.
I would love to be able to garden, but unfortunately I can only do so indoors. ☹️ I don't have a yard or a balcony. I agree though.....growing your own is the way to go if possible. I grew a delightful little herb garden in my bedroom last year. 🌱
We do not like Asian food at all BUT we are going to revisit it because of your ideas. Thank you for always presenting something that inspires and is easily adapted for quick and easy meals.
Thanks Lyla. Asian food incorporates a LOT of different cultures and types of food so I bet there are at least some foods that you might like. Thanks for watching my video and for the comment😁
Thank you so much for taking us to the store with you!! That was so cool!! We don’t have anything like this in my whole state so it was really neat to see!!
I bought a kambucha squash at H Mart a couple of weeks ago and had the same result, I felt it was just a little old. Squash come out end of summer early fall so we are eating last years.
A few seconds in the microwave does wonders for brown sugar. Everything looks so good to eat. I enjoyed the laughter while cutting the squash. 😆 Thank you for sharing.
Hi Linda 😁 Well hoisin sauce is very flavor and sweet with no heat and a definite must have condiment. Gochujang is very spicy. The one I purchased at H Mart even though it said mild, was still a little too hot. I liked the Bibigo gochujang sauce better. It was not as hot. If you don't like heat you won't like this..but if you do..it's worth trying. My son once used the Bibigo brand and mixed it with cream to make a delicious kung pan spaghetti. It was amazing! Have a great week 😁
Such a fun video Michelle! I live in Los Angeles not far from Koreatown and the markets are so beautiful and there are so many incredible choices ! I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater and I see so many things that I’ve never had..
I love the Asian grocery store! So many different veggies! Please try the lotus root when you can. I would buy some dried mushrooms, I think you would get a bigger bang for your buck!
I can't remember where, but I've tried lotus root once but never cooked with it. I need to pick that up next time and play around with it. Agreed, dried mushrooms would be a better value. I want to try a good homemade ramen at some point and they would be perfect in that. 😁 Thanks for tuning in again this week.
I cook Yu Choy and Shanghai tip pretty much the same way. I stir fry in high heat and only add salt and little sugar. I sometimes cut them up and add to soup too. Funny enough, I am fro Shanghai and we don’t call Shanghai tip Shanghai tip there. :)
Glad you are enjoying my content. 😁 Hope you like the eggplant stir fry as much as I do-and also hope you can get your hands on the Chinese variety. It is so much better. 🍆
Awesome that U came up with some gluten free recipes .I am a Celiac and can only have gluten free for life .I also eat Kosher and cant have any processed foods . I only buy organic as well but buy when they are on sale or on clearance . And I also go to the discounted meat section at the grocery store where I live .And 1 of the stores where I live now carry Chickpea spaghetti and I have got to try that 1.
That chickpea spaghetti sounds interesting. It must be really hard to budget when buying only organic. That's tough. 💰 Hopefully I will have many more gluten free recipes. Currently working on one actually....stay tuned for my next video
I definitely can do that. I used to do so much Mexican that people were starting to comment "she must really like Mexican food". 😂 Uhh...yeah.... Actually planning lots more. Thanks for the comment.
Just so you know Thai Basil will grow like a weed in a pot. If you have any Sunny location just throw some seeds in a pot and it will grow like crazy, as a matter of fact it will be pretty hard to kill as long as you keep it watered it'll be fine
So happy to see these ideas! Squash is a tough one but I see other RUclipsrs poke it & microwave or steam it a bit ~ I roast it in oven in chunks or strips and it’s sooo good as side or in salads. Your soup looked yum😋 🙌👏👏
Thank you Patricia 😁 🥰I roast butternut and acorn squash quite a bit but this was completely different texture wise. The flavor was super condensed as well, so it did make a very flavorful soup. Have a great week 😁
Hi Patricia, Can you give me a fast how-to with the roundish squash-es? I can sort of cook yellow crook neck, summer squash. But, the one time I tried to cook acorn (sort of round?Oh, acorn shaped, green) squash it just did not even cook. I tried to cook it in the oven. Thank you.
If you know how to make shrimp toast, please do a video of it. Had some years ago and still love it. Also, I assume everyone makes French Toast (or Lost Bread, in parts of Louisiana. Pain Perdue?). Make your egg bath, dip the bread in (or soak a bit) and fry. Serve plain, with cinnamon, powdered sugar, etc. The very old recipe is to add a lot of sugar to the batter. I like it plain. Maybe with a little syrup. Also, maybe you could do a "tutorial" on tofu? Want to try it, but fearful it just won't work. lol.
I've never made shrimp toast. 🤔 I don't eat shrimp but I would still make it on my channel if I thought my viewers might enjoy it. I've never heard French toast being called lost bread. I'll have to google that. I love that. Yes Ann you should definitely try tofu. 👍 I'll do a tutorial soon. It's such a cheap protein source and is really delicious with a good sauce. 😁👩🍳
Haha! I am loving the background music you chose for the squash soup. Inspirational! Let's not give up on the poor little kabocha squash! I am impressed that you even cut that thing open. Impressive! :D
I am not. But I wish I was, because then I would have some relatives to show me the ropes. There is so much to learn in Asian cooking. Thanks for the complement and for watching my video 😁👩🍳
Sorry to hear that. ☹️ They are so much fun. 👩🍳 There is a Hispanic market that I also have on my list. I love exploring the area and finding new places to shop.
Hi Michelle, some people microwave the squash a bit to soften it for easier cutting. It's quite the workout is'nt it! Lol! Love love your videos!!!! 👍You rock!
That Korean radish I think is also called dikon, its good cut into chunks and boiled in water flavored with fish sauce or soy sauce. I am fond of an Asian sauce called Bulldog sauce it would be great on your tofu.
I baked the Korean radish and also ate it raw but it never made it into my video! I intended to make a great curry with it but I ran out of time. I had a difficult 2 weeks. Thanks for the tip. I will pick this sauce up the next time I'm there and give it a try. I love tips on Asian food. 😁
Thank you for such a great channel and wonderful content. I love Asian food and have a fairly substantial Asian pantry so I can make almost all of these recipes. For anybody close to an Asian market if you can buy your groceries there you will be surprised at the a substantial amount of money you’ll be able to see you.
I haven’t even got a chance to watch this yet and I’m so happy… I know it’s kind of motherly but when I don’t see it one of your posts for a couple weeks I start Wondering if you’re doing OK!!!
Awe..thanks Wendie. I made your Tik Tok Recipe. 😁 Thanks for that. I've just been distracted with everything that's going on right now...plus I think I'm about to get laid off at work. Worried but also kind of excited to maybe go full time at RUclips.
@@ArdentMichelle getting laid off is never fun. But I think if you have the opportunity I think you can do it !!!I I helped a friend promote his RUclips channel during Covid and I would be happy to send you some of the tips that I did ! It helped!
Did you know that rice is also grown in Australia? Several years ago we were driving from Adelaide to Sydney (that's 24 hours straight drive) and saw the rice fields.
That Korean chili paste that you found looks to be the same brand that the Aaron and Claire RUclips channel uses. Great channel for simple, tasty, low cost Korean recipes.
Are you talking about the one I bought at HMart or the one from Amazon? I liked the one at H Mart but I thought the one from Amazon was even better. My son used it with a heavy cream and made this incredible Kung Pao spaghetti with it once. I need to recreate it sometime. It was so good. I'll have to check out Aaron and Claire. Thanks for the tip.
I think I mentioned this to you already but if you haven't seen it yet if you use the heel of a slice of bread and just leave it in the container of your brown sugar that keeps it from getting hard. At least that is what Martha Stewart, claims.
Michelle, if your brown sugar is hard, you can put the heel of the bread in it & it will soften the brown sugar over time. I keep mine in a heavy lidded jar, never in the box. 🙂🍞
You always do such an amazing job on these. Hands down the tastiest and most diverse budget series - thank you for continuing these!
I agree! I was watching something called the quaint housewife and she was making scrambled eggs with 2 tablespoons of canned salmon and chopped kale ! I just can’t get my head around how that would ever taste..,
Thanks so much! 😁🥰
You are hands-down my favorite budget food RUclipsr! Your meals are creative and super inexpensive without compromising on FLAVOR, which is something that I think a lot of folks making budget food on RUclips overlook. 😂 They're also really easy to make vegan! 💚
Thank you so much Erica 😁🥰 I appreciate this complement so much! Glad you are enjoying my content. Hope you are having a great holiday weekend!
I'm a speech & swallowing therapist so it is refreshing to hear someone openly discuss Dysphagia. I will start referring patients to view your site.
Thanks Amanda. 😁 I get a lot of requests from viewers so I try to help out when I can.
I don't actually cook, but i love your videos, your voice always soothes me when I am anxious.
Awe..that makes me happy 😁 You don't have to cook...I'll cook for you. 😂
Finally someone showing how hard it really is to cut through a squash!. I microwave them 5 min on high, otherwise I cannot get through the outside. I have 2 pretty bad cuts recently and although I don't like to cook veggies in the microwave, I do soften squashes now!
Thanks for the tip Nancy. This is such a great channel, I always learn great tips from Michelle & other subs. 🙂👍
That's a tip I will use 👍
I use a bread knife. Works good, then peeler.
Thai basil and all basil is really easy to grow in your window. Very inexpensive seeds, and they grow well in very little soil in a window container. Just make sure you do feed them plant food, some people think all plants need is dirt and water. Plant food is extremely cheap and should last you years once u buy it 😊
I grew regular basil last year with my indoor lamp 🌱 I would love to try my hand with the Thai basil.
I been waiting for weeks for ur video. I've missed ur weekly videos. Thank u so much for sharing
Sorry to keep you waiting. I think I'm about to get laid off at my job so you might be seeing my videos much more frequently. 😁👩🍳 Kind of scary but exciting also. Thanks for watching 🥰
@@ArdentMichelle May end up being a blessing in disguise. Good luck to you
So am I the only one that hits the like button before the video begins ? Great job ! Thanks for the frozen rice tip !🤓
You're the best! 😁🥰
No Bernadine you're not. Always know I am going to enjoy the video and learn something new, like freezing the rice idea. 🙂
@@patpeters6331 agreed
Hi Michelle, I love this Gluten Free recipes. I live down the street from a 80 yr old Chinese lady, she is very sweet and generous. I have learned about Purple Okra, Yardlong green beans , squash ( looks like a cucumber that has a strange red seed in the middle ) she boils it then adds sugar for a dessert but I took out the seed and fried it like zucchini. Her grandson told me about Amazon grow Oyster Mushroom kits and now I have a 5 kids . I thank you again for sharing budget recipes. God bless you and your family 🙏
Hi Theresa 😁 I'm glad you like the recipes in this video. It's my pleasure to share them with you. 👩🍳 That is so awesome that your sweet little neighbor is teaching you about these varieties of asian veggies. I wish I had a neighbor like that. I'll have to check out those mushroom kits. Thanks for sharing.
Just found you this week and have binged watch almost all. Excited to see upload. Thank you. Wishing you a better week!
Awe..thanks so much and welcome to my channel 😁 Happy to have you here. 🥰
I loved this so much! I love shopping at ethnic grocery stores and trying new ingredients - maybe like “bang for your buck” where you discuss sauces etc that take budget food and pantry staples to a new level.
I vote for miso! But fermented black bean paste is SO savory. A little goes a long way and it’s so good with everything!
Hi Joanna 😁 Glad you like this video. Yum...I haven't tried the fermented black bean paste.
To help cutting the squash and to keep your cutting board from slipping put damp paper towel or towel under the board. I will help with stability so you don't cut yourself
Thanks for the tip 👍
Great video! Tons of recipe ideas... this 20-ish budget limit is my favourite.
You're welcome 😁 Glad you liked this video.
All of the recipes looked so good!! I don't know alot about Asian cooking, actually very little, but I always learn something from your videos! Thanks & have a great week!!!
Thank you so much 😁Hope I'm enticing you to try more Asian recipes 😊
Your voice is so calming. I appreciate the video. Thanks!
I'm glad you think so 😁🥰 Thanks for watching!
I was getting so anxious watching you cut the squash. :) What a fun menu!
meanwhile I was cracking up 😂 You were probably anxious I was going to cut myself though. So sorry about that 😊 I've never encountered such a hard squash. Ended up being delicious though.
Yu Choy is Chinese mustard leaves. Great in fried rice , soups or stir fries
Thank you for letting me know. 😁 I'll pick it up next time for my stir fry!
I really loved this Asian focused video!! I'm gonna try that eggplant dish! Thanks!
Yay! 😁 Glad you like this video. Hope you enjoy the eggplant as much as I did!
Hi! I just stumbled across your channel and thought I’d offer some tips for you that might be helpful when making food like this again in the future. 1. As mentioned in some other comments rather than baking your squash- you can steam it in your microwave instead. You could also chop it up into smaller pieces and remove the skin and then boil it. You can then add the boiled squash directly into your blender and blend until smooth. I also recommend adding some sort of dairy (or vegan friendly substitute) to the soup. Cream would help balance it out and also help with the texture.
2. The reason your noodles took so long to cook was because you didn’t soak them. Noodles like that are thick in starch and need to be soaked to help ease in cooking.
I’m looking forward to watching more of your videos and subscribing to your channel :)
Hi Erica 😁 The kabocha squash was a shocker because it was so much harder than butternut or acorn, which I use frequently. I will definitely microwave next time. 😂
I have some of the large mung bean vermicelli left over. I'll try soaking them in advance of cooking them next time. Thanks for the helpful tips. 👍Welcome to my channel 😁👩🍳
Those overnight oats look so delicious! What a creative and simple idea that can be an easily prepared breakfast for the next day
Glad you liked this recipe. 😁
On the Portuguese soup you definitely need more broth. It’s a mostly broth soup. Also, the eggs are usually poached right in the broth. A hard Portuguese, French, or Italian bread are the best for this soup. Hope you enjoyed it, and do make more broth next time you make it. 👏🏻
Thanks for the tips! 👍 Will do!
I love your videos! You can cook kabocha squash and some other squash in your instant pot. You don't need to peel it or cut it at all. Wash the squash.
Put 1 cup of water and the trivet in the instant pot, then the squash.
Seal the lid, close the valve, and set to pressure cook. 10 minutes for a larger kabocha squash, 8 minutes for a smaller red kuri or a chunk of hubbard squash.
Once cooking is done, release pressure. Remove the squash and let cool until easily handled.
Pull the peel off of the squash.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
Mash or puree squash to serve as a side dish, or to use in your favorite soup, pie, or dessert bar recipe in place of canned pumpkin. Enjoy
I don't have an instant pot but thanks for this comment for other viewers. Great advice 👍
@Jo supermom. Thank you! 👍👍👍👍👍. I have an Instant Pot. Thank you very much for this advice. I don’t buy squash because of how hard they are to cut up before you can cook them. I’m assuming this would work for the hard squash best so acorn or something like that? Anybody who has tips on cutting up a spaghetti squash I would love them because I’ve almost cut my hand badly trying to cut those up too.
I can’t use the microwave method because my microwave is ancient and not that powerful. No judging please it actually has a dial. 🤣😁. A friend gifted it to me when she was cleaning out her mom’s assisted living apartment. I have found that I don’t like the taste of microwave food so I’ve never bothered to upgrade it.
@@BrowneyedGirlmjd You can cook just about any kind of squash in your instant pot as long as it fits. You can also bake them in an oven as long as you poke holes in the skin like a potato. I have even cooked some in a bbq grill before. Don't be afraid to experiment with them.
@@josupermom2042 Thank you! Spaghetti squash is my absolute favourite. I have been avoiding it as it was a pain to cut open. Now I won’t have to. .
@@ArdentMichelle You can also cook squash in the oven or BBQ grill with the skin on, just poke some holes in the skin and put it on a pan. Most squash you can use a potato peeler on to take the skin off. If you just want to make it easier to cut in half use the peeler on one strip around where you want to cut and then cut it where you removed the skin. :)
Put the heel of bread or a moistned paper towel in with your brown sugar and it will soften it. They also sell terra cotta discs that you soak in water for 20 minutes and then keep in the jar of the brown sugar.
Yes that helps too!♡
Thanks for the tip Candace. I have no idea why it wasn't in a jar. This is indefensible 😂 haha.
As a native California girl, I can tell you that we grow a LOT of rice. The fields smell so good in the summer.
What??? I want to smell the rice growing. Time to take a drive up north. 😁 That would be so much fun. Where were you at?
@@ArdentMichelle The best place is on Highway 113 between Knights Landing and Gridley in the summer.
Fabulous! Could you please do more cooking with tofu. The price of meat is causing me to look for all types of protein. Thank you
I would love to 😁
Southern Illinois also grows rice.
I didn't know that. It's so cool that we grow rice in the US
Love Asian food. Total comfort food in my world. 😋 Have my favorite go to's and haven't been quite this adventurous as you but will give it a try. Thanks for the creative ideas.
Glad you like this type of food also 😁
Soften your brown sugar easily in the microwave. Put some in a bowl, cover with a wrung-out wet paper towel, and heat in 10 second bursts. Works like a charm!
Thank you for the tip 👍
Great tip
I grew up in Southern California and spent time in Korea. I get to see two of my favorite things. California sunshine and HMart! Thank you for another great video.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed. 😁 🌴Thank you for watching 👩🍳
I really do enjoy your videos. Please keep making them!
tip: cook your squash first, then cut it in half--much easier that way...easy cooking tip for sqush: put in a slow cooker whole and cook on medium for three hours--gets very soft...best thing I learned this year--no mess with squash any more...dts/usa
Great tip 👍 I'll try this.
Wood Ear is great in soups and stir fries
YAY!! So excited for a new video!!
Sorry to keep you waiting......👩🍳 Thanks for watching and commenting😁
Time well spent when watching your videos!
Awe...thanks Dani 😁🥰
I use the wood ear mushrooms in my hot and sour soup. They are so yummy that even my grandbabies love them.
That sounds delicious! I would love to try that combo! 😋👩🍳 Fall can't get here fast enough!
Hi Michelle! I enjoy your videos a lot and I'm glad that you incorporated some Korean foods :) For the gochujang paste, it's not a sauce and is more dense. I would say if you can get your hands on it, get some gochugaru which is red chili pepper flakes/powder. It makes dubu jorim more tasty! I'll need to try some of these veggies out, though! Hope for another video like this!! :) Thank you!
Hi Kim. 😁 I didn't have the gochugaru so I was improvising with the gochujang. I looked at some red chili powder at H Mart but decided not to buy it because I wasn't sure it was the right thing. Can you suggest a name brand or any other tips to make sure I purchase the right thing?
Thanks for your simple recipes
My pleasure 😊. Thank YOU for watching!
Thanks for sharing Asian food. I love it.
Thanks so much 😁👩🍳 I'm glad you liked it.
love your challenges you always have great variety to explore. Safety tip wet a towel or paper towel and place it under your cutting board to keep it from slipping. makes cutting easier and safer :)
Thanks for the tip. 👍I need it with that squash 😂
Another fabulous video. Everything looks delicious as always! Coincidentally I was at H-Mart today shopping for ingredients for bibimbap! I love Korean food!!!
I love that place. 💜 It's like an adventure every time I go.
wowwwww these look so good!
Glad you think so 😁
Cut a couple slits in the kabocha squash and microwave for 3 minutes. It makes cutting into it so much easier!
Will try that next time. Thanks for the tip😁
I would find the noodle section to. Would love to go-to one of those stores. 🙂 😁Yummy, the pudding looked so good. Love Jasmine rice. Never have done frozen rice before. Meals looked yummy. Never seen those kind of noodles.
I love exploring and trying new foods. Its always an adventure 😁
That all looked so good! I've started baking my tofu in the oven too recently, and I don't think I'll go back. It's so easy to cook a bunch of tofu at once, and it always comes out great.
Agreed...I've started making a bit up in advance so that it's ready for a quick toss in the stir fry. This way it's nice and chewy without needing to be fried.
Great video, love the recipes. I will try the eggplant tofu stir fry ❤
Hope you enjoy 😁
Thank you for an interesting program tonight. My husband is only a meat & potato person. So for me this was a real treat. Also for the Custard Toast, was there a recipe or directions ? I saw you do things, but will watch it agaain to catch what I missed.
I added a couple teaspoons of vanilla yogurt to an egg and whisked it then poured over the toast, topped it with strawberries and blackberries. Some people do plain yogurt and then add a little honey to sweeten. Bake until custard is set. Hope this helps. 😊
You can boil the squash for 5 minutes to make the peel soft to cut
great tip 👍
I love Gai Lan, simply stir fry it with a splash of water at the end. First tried at an authentic Chinese restaurant and now addicted. Personally, I found it needs to be eaten right away. I didn't care for it day after or for meal prep.
Thanks for commenting on this. 😁 I love it too, and I'm excited to try the other veggies that are all new to me.
Yup. Korean glass noodles are supposed to be chewy. Some recipes recommend soaking noodles for 5-10 minutes and then boiling them. But they are enjoyed as a chewy noodle experience. Unusual.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with me. 😁 I love exploring but I don't always know about the food that I'm purchasing.
@@ArdentMichelle Keep experimenting. It's half the fun! ☺
You need a damp paper towel or kitchen towel under your cutting boards. Helps stabilize. I use a rubber mallet to hammer my knife through or use a cleaver if you have one for squash. Kills my hands, lol
Yes I do need to start doing that with the paper towel. We just purchased a better knife, although I do think a cleaver is the way to go 😂 At least I got a good laugh out of trying to cut that thing! 👩🍳
I love your channel. I’m watching it from the England, U.K. You are giving me so many ideas to cook on low budget. In U.K. I get reduced fruits and veg for £0.10/$0.15 per tray or punnet( after 7pm in supermarket) normally I get tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach. And sometimes I don’t know what to make with them. I will try cooking more with beans, lentils, pearl barley. Thanks for inspiration.
You are so welcome 😁 Glad my channel has been helpful for you. I've heard that energy prices are through the roof there. ☹️ Hoping they go down soon.
Ethnic markets are the best!
Yes!!!! 👍😁
Also great job on the recipes!
Thanks so much! 😊
I always cut kabocha squash around the 'equator' . I find it is so much easier to bake squash and puree the flesh. And apparently you can eat the skins too.
I didn't realize that you could eat the skins. Good to know. Thanks for the tip. 😁
I live in a community in Arkansas that is surrounded by rice fields. Our area makes a living on rice and ducks. The rice farming industry in the US is very much alive and well.
We should all know where our food comes from 😂 I'm so glad we make it in the US.
I live near Arkadelphia.
@@821Farm cool I'm on the other side of the state.
For budgets like this, you'd be served VERY VERY well by having a small garden outside. Your climate, in particular, works very well for overwintering things. If you are selective about the varieties you grow, they basically require zero maintenance and almost no space. Rosemary and thyme are so easy to grow. Anything where you eat the leaves of the plant is going to be the most economical to grow. Lettuce in the winter. Kale all year long. Hardy, perennial herbs. Malabar spinach. Seriously, grow kale. It's impossible to kill and it is so hardy in both cold and warm seasons. It just keeps growing and growing and growing. Where people go wrong is they try to plant everything and way over do it. Plant selectively...even on a sunny balcony, and you will multiply your options. Now, I'm not saying making videos about this because they might have less broad appeal, but an occasional feature...and it's great for your own budget.
I would love to be able to garden, but unfortunately I can only do so indoors. ☹️ I don't have a yard or a balcony. I agree though.....growing your own is the way to go if possible. I grew a delightful little herb garden in my bedroom last year. 🌱
We do not like Asian food at all BUT we are going to revisit it because of your ideas. Thank you for always presenting something that inspires and is easily adapted for quick and easy meals.
Thanks Lyla. Asian food incorporates a LOT of different cultures and types of food so I bet there are at least some foods that you might like. Thanks for watching my video and for the comment😁
Loved this!! 🙌❤️
Thank you!! 😁🥰
Thank you so much for taking us to the store with you!! That was so cool!! We don’t have anything like this in my whole state so it was really neat to see!!
Thank you so much 😁 I'm glad you enjoyed it. What state are you in?
I bought a kambucha squash at H Mart a couple of weeks ago and had the same result, I felt it was just a little old. Squash come out end of summer early fall so we are eating last years.
Interesting 🤔 wasn't sure if it was old or they are just hard as a rock. 😂
You make the most beautiful food! I really look forward to your videos!
Thank you so much 🤗
A few seconds in the microwave does wonders for brown sugar.
Everything looks so good to eat. I enjoyed the laughter while cutting the squash. 😆 Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome 😁 Glad you liked this one.
My favorite gochujang is Garlic Gochujang by Mother in Laws. It’s more expensive but a little goes a long way and it’s so delicious
I'll have to try that one. 👍
And that squash is the reason I own a very heavy sharp cleaver, lol.
Whenever my brown sugar gets hard I just grate it .
That's a clever idea for hard brown sugar. 😂 Very nice. At least I got a laugh out of that crazy squash.
So glad you're back, AM! How would you compare the taste of gochujang sauce vs. that of hoison sauce? Thank you, and have a great week!
Hi Linda 😁 Well hoisin sauce is very flavor and sweet with no heat and a definite must have condiment. Gochujang is very spicy. The one I purchased at H Mart even though it said mild, was still a little too hot. I liked the Bibigo gochujang sauce better. It was not as hot. If you don't like heat you won't like this..but if you do..it's worth trying. My son once used the Bibigo brand and mixed it with cream to make a delicious kung pan spaghetti. It was amazing! Have a great week 😁
Such a fun video Michelle! I live in Los Angeles not far from Koreatown and the markets are so beautiful and there are so many incredible choices ! I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater and I see so many things that I’ve never had..
Oh how fun. 😁That must be amazing!
I am definitely going to try these. I am in the process of changing my life style to a plant based one.
Yay! Hopefully you will find lots of recipes on my channel that you want to try! 😁
I’m SO excited to see a new video! 🤩🥳😍 I’m going to make your SINGAPORE NOODLES this week! 😋🤩🥰
Thank you 🥰
I love the Asian grocery store! So many different veggies! Please try the lotus root when you can. I would buy some dried mushrooms, I think you would get a bigger bang for your buck!
I can't remember where, but I've tried lotus root once but never cooked with it. I need to pick that up next time and play around with it. Agreed, dried mushrooms would be a better value. I want to try a good homemade ramen at some point and they would be perfect in that. 😁 Thanks for tuning in again this week.
@@ArdentMichelle love your content!
You can try microwaving brown sugar to soften it.
Will do 😁Thanks for the tip!
Hard squash I put in the microwave a bit so I can get the knife blade thru without cutting myself.
Keep the videos coming love them
Thank you so much 😁
It was a very good video...a more of a look into the Asian Markets out there! :) Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
Glad you liked my video..especially since I had so much difficulty completing it. 😂
Hi fellow Minnesotan 👋😊
I cook Yu Choy and Shanghai tip pretty much the same way. I stir fry in high heat and only add salt and little sugar. I sometimes cut them up and add to soup too. Funny enough, I am fro
Shanghai and we don’t call Shanghai tip Shanghai tip there. :)
Thanks for sharing this info. 👍 I will try these and use your cooking method. That's funny about the Shanghai tip. 😂
I love your videos! I'm going to try using more tofu and I'm going to re-watch a few things. The Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry is a must try!
Glad you are enjoying my content. 😁 Hope you like the eggplant stir fry as much as I do-and also hope you can get your hands on the Chinese variety. It is so much better. 🍆
Awesome that U came up with some gluten free recipes .I am a Celiac and can only have gluten free for life .I also eat Kosher and cant have any processed foods . I only buy organic as well but buy when they are on sale or on clearance . And I also go to the discounted meat section at the grocery store where I live .And 1 of the stores where I live now carry Chickpea spaghetti and I have got to try that 1.
That chickpea spaghetti sounds interesting. It must be really hard to budget when buying only organic. That's tough. 💰 Hopefully I will have many more gluten free recipes. Currently working on one actually....stay tuned for my next video
@@ArdentMichelle , Thanks I will .Have a blessed week .
How about a Mexican week meal plan on a budget! That would be awesome!!
I definitely can do that. I used to do so much Mexican that people were starting to comment "she must really like Mexican food". 😂 Uhh...yeah.... Actually planning lots more. Thanks for the comment.
Everything look amazing, rice goes with anything and very cheap and inexpensive, I never try tofu, I will give them a chance.😋great videos.
Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy the tofu. 😁
You did a great job ~ have a good week!
Thank you 😁🥰 You too 😁
Just so you know Thai Basil will grow like a weed in a pot. If you have any Sunny location just throw some seeds in a pot and it will grow like crazy, as a matter of fact it will be pretty hard to kill as long as you keep it watered it'll be fine
I need to order some seeds. I looked for some locally and didn't see any Thai basil. I would love to grow some 😊🌱
Taro is great sliced thinly into spring rolls
Hmmm 🤔 I'm not sure I've tried taro yet. I'll have to pick some up because it's almost spring roll season in my house. 😂
always awesome! Thank you!
Thank you so much 😁🥰
So happy to see these ideas! Squash is a tough one but I see other RUclipsrs poke it & microwave or steam it a bit ~ I roast it in oven in chunks or strips and it’s sooo good as side or in salads. Your soup looked yum😋 🙌👏👏
Thank you Patricia 😁 🥰I roast butternut and acorn squash quite a bit but this was completely different texture wise. The flavor was super condensed as well, so it did make a very flavorful soup. Have a great week 😁
Hi Patricia, Can you give me a fast how-to with the roundish squash-es? I can sort of cook yellow crook neck, summer squash. But, the one time I tried to cook acorn (sort of round?Oh, acorn shaped, green) squash it just did not even cook. I tried to cook it in the oven. Thank you.
If you know how to make shrimp toast, please do a video of it. Had some years ago and still love it. Also, I assume everyone makes French Toast (or Lost Bread, in parts of Louisiana. Pain Perdue?). Make your egg bath, dip the bread in (or soak a bit) and fry. Serve plain, with cinnamon, powdered sugar, etc. The very old recipe is to add a lot of sugar to the batter. I like it plain. Maybe with a little syrup. Also, maybe you could do a "tutorial" on tofu? Want to try it, but fearful it just won't work. lol.
I've never made shrimp toast. 🤔 I don't eat shrimp but I would still make it on my channel if I thought my viewers might enjoy it. I've never heard French toast being called lost bread. I'll have to google that. I love that. Yes Ann you should definitely try tofu. 👍 I'll do a tutorial soon. It's such a cheap protein source and is really delicious with a good sauce. 😁👩🍳
microwave squash a little before cutting helps a lot
Thanks for the tip. I'll try that.
Haha! I am loving the background music you chose for the squash soup. Inspirational! Let's not give up on the poor little kabocha squash! I am impressed that you even cut that thing open. Impressive! :D
It was quite an adventure😁 Who knew food could provide so much entertainment? 😂
I've never thought about cooking my fruit for overnight oats, but it makes so much sense! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome. 😁 I love those strawberries over vanilla yogurt too. I could probably eat them on anything and be happy 😂 Thanks for watching.
Are you part Asian Michelle? Your cooking videos always have a fancy Asian flair to them. Beautiful video
I am not. But I wish I was, because then I would have some relatives to show me the ropes. There is so much to learn in Asian cooking. Thanks for the complement and for watching my video 😁👩🍳
That market looks AMAZING! I don’t have an Asian market near me. 😟😔😭😩
Sorry to hear that. ☹️ They are so much fun. 👩🍳 There is a Hispanic market that I also have on my list. I love exploring the area and finding new places to shop.
Same. We drive 2 hours to go to a tiny one. Nothing like this one
Amazing meals!!!
Thank you 😁
I love that kabocha squash. It makes amazing tempura. I sympathized with you trying to cut it. Only thing that works for me is the meat cleaver.
😂 at least it gave me a good laugh.. Yum. I love the idea of using it in tempura. 😋👩🍳
Hi Michelle, some people microwave the squash a bit to soften it for easier cutting. It's quite the workout is'nt it! Lol! Love love your videos!!!! 👍You rock!
Thanks for the tip! 👍 I will definitely try that the next time I use that squash 😂
That Korean radish I think is also called dikon, its good cut into chunks and boiled in water flavored with fish sauce or soy sauce. I am fond of an Asian sauce called Bulldog sauce it would be great on your tofu.
I baked the Korean radish and also ate it raw but it never made it into my video! I intended to make a great curry with it but I ran out of time. I had a difficult 2 weeks. Thanks for the tip. I will pick this sauce up the next time I'm there and give it a try. I love tips on Asian food. 😁
Thank you for such a great channel and wonderful content. I love Asian food and have a fairly substantial Asian pantry so I can make almost all of these recipes. For anybody close to an Asian market if you can buy your groceries there you will be surprised at the a substantial amount of money you’ll be able to see you.
You're welcome 😁 so true about the savings 💰
I haven’t even got a chance to watch this yet and I’m so happy… I know it’s kind of motherly but when I don’t see it one of your posts for a couple weeks I start Wondering if you’re doing OK!!!
Awe..thanks Wendie. I made your Tik Tok Recipe. 😁 Thanks for that. I've just been distracted with everything that's going on right now...plus I think I'm about to get laid off at work. Worried but also kind of excited to maybe go full time at RUclips.
@@ArdentMichelle getting laid off is never fun. But I think if you have the opportunity I think you can do it !!!I I helped a friend promote his RUclips channel during Covid and I would be happy to send you some of the tips that I did ! It helped!
Did you know that rice is also grown in Australia? Several years ago we were driving from Adelaide to Sydney (that's 24 hours straight drive) and saw the rice fields.
No I didn't. 🤔 My perceptions were entirely wrong about the type of climate required for rice growing 😂
That Korean chili paste that you found looks to be the same brand that the Aaron and Claire RUclips channel uses. Great channel for simple, tasty, low cost Korean recipes.
Are you talking about the one I bought at HMart or the one from Amazon? I liked the one at H Mart but I thought the one from Amazon was even better. My son used it with a heavy cream and made this incredible Kung Pao spaghetti with it once. I need to recreate it sometime. It was so good. I'll have to check out Aaron and Claire. Thanks for the tip.
@@ArdentMichelle Sorry, yes the one from H Mart.
Kung Pao spaghetti sounds yummy
@@ArdentMichelle omg please recreate that spaghetti!
You should look at Future Neighbor for Korean recipes. Another good one.
I think I mentioned this to you already but if you haven't seen it yet if you use the heel of a slice of bread and just leave it in the container of your brown sugar that keeps it from getting hard.
At least that is what Martha Stewart, claims.
Martha is correct. I have been doing that for years. Lol Wonder if that's where I first learned about it. 🍞🙂
Yep. You both gave me this great advice. The bread is already in my bad of brown sugar 😂
Thank you for sharing ☺️
My pleasure 😊
Could you use pumpkin in place of the squash?
Hi Rachel 😁I don't see why not. I'm sure it will be delicious! Let me know how it goes!
Michelle, if your brown sugar is hard, you can put the heel of the bread in it & it will soften the brown sugar over time. I keep mine in a heavy lidded jar, never in the box. 🙂🍞
I will try this. 😁Not sure why I haven't thought to put it in jars. That will surely help. Thanks Pat!
I do that too. It works like magic. I even do this if cookies have gotten too hard.
@@anniequinn Wow, didn't know about the cookies. I usually just dunk them in my coffee or tea. Thanks for the tip. 🍪
Ahaha I just used my rolling pin to soften my package. It worked .. I got lucky the bag didn’t break 🙂
I just take a good paper towel, dampen and then put that over an air right container of brown sugar and place lid over the towel. Leave overnight