Let's talk Miso, Noodles and Buns!

So I'm still going through some recipes, and seeing what I should put up next, if anyone has any preferences for me to consider just let me know. ;)

In the mean time I thought I would post a little more on Miso paste and share some other oriental bits as well.
There is a little Chinese store I love called Little China Town, the owner is a lovely woman who also owns a restaurant, she is very sweet and even offers to bring dishes from the restaurant to the store if you would like anything. How amazing is she? :D
Anyway, that is where I get a lot of my Asian ingredients. The Miso paste I used in my Chicken noodle miso soup recipe is this packet here...

Miso is a live food just like yoghurt, this is why you don't want to boil it in your soups because at boiling point you will kill all the live cultures that make miso so healthy for you, it also impairs the taste! However the plus is that miso can keep for a very long time in your refrigerator. For this packet I cut the tip open for squeezing out the paste. If you get a packet like this I recommend just covering it with cling film / plastic wrap and storing it like that. It will be perfectly fine for months!! If you haven't used it by then that is! :p They also sell it in larger plastic containers and glass jars which are even better!

I know miso can be confusing to anyone who hasn't tried it or cooked with it before, so this is my advice! Try the lighter miso paste first and see how you like the taste and then try the darker varieties and see how you like them. Miso ranges from Shiromiso ('white miso' yellow to light brown) to Akamiso ('red miso' which can be a reddish brown, dark brown and almost black in some cases). This is because miso paste is made from fermented soy beans, the lighter the paste the less fermented they are and thus the more subtle the taste. See what suits your own tastes. It can be a bit much for a very western pallet, but personally I like them all.

The noodles I used are these. . .

If you see these in the store I highly recommend them, they are divine! The bag is resealable as well which is also handy. Of course any egg noodles are good but still worth a mention. :)

Now I've yet to find a good recipe for Azuki (red bean paste) filled Steamed buns, but  I loove these!

A pretty guilt free treat. And to be honest as long as I can get hold of these I don't think I'll ever really need a recipe of my own! They are super quick and easy to make as well. You just take them out of the freezer, put them in your bamboo steamer (or any other type of steamer, though the bamboo is nicer in my opinion) and steam for about 10 minutes. That is it!! Definitely a huge fav!

They are great with some tea, or whatever you fancy really. Of course there are other great brands but these are my regulars that I personally love.
Maybe if I do find a good recipe I'll make these myself from scratch it would be interesting to see how that turns out. :)

Thats all I'm posting for now but I promise I will get some more recipes up soon.