Thursday, October 6, 2011

#13. Cajun Chicken Skewers Lunch Set

 
This is just like chicken kebab. I marinated the chicken in cajun spice. I used grilled red pepper, caramelised orange , and grilled onion on a skewer. The sides actually came from kennys. They are leftovers from the day before. We have fruit salad, potato salad by me, corn and carrots, corn muffin, and orange slices.
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#12. Pork Bulgogi

 

I always try to stick to this bento component ratio- 1carb:2protein:3fiber. The vegetable salad, like rice, is a staple in all my bentos. I only sometimes put 1 or 2 more ingredients and change the dressing.  But every now and then its good to have a little bit of everything in ur lunchbox.
This week I made a batch of fruit salad to put in my lunchbox. Fresh apples, kiwis, canned pineapple, and canned peach. I used the peach syrup to drizzle on the fruit mix. I was inspired to make this when I ordered some chicken from kennys and they gave me a side dish sampler. I usually just pack a banana or an apple but why not have a variety?
This lunchbox contains vegetable salad with honey mustard dressing, sugar snap peas, pork bulgogi, almond cluster, carrot sticks, seasoned dry seaweeds, and fruit mix.
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Dwaeji Bulgogi (돼지 불고기)



We had a samgyeopsal party one saturday and had some left over pork so I decided to make this. Instead of pork belly, you can also use pork tenderloin or sukiyaki  cut. Although the sukiyaki cut maybe too thin. I marinated this meat and cooked in to 2 batches. I  was worried that it had gone bad being in the ref for almost 5 days. Surprisingly, it could keep long, provided it was stored cleanly.

Many people don't like eating the same food the very next day or even twice a week. Well my life is eating the same thing I had for dinner the next day at lunch. As for my hubby, I only gave him this a week after he had the first batch. He doesn't like eating the same lunch he had the day before. We like to eat this wrapped in lettuce with rice and pah muchim. I actually like this much better than the plain samgyeopsal because its less greasy. Try this at home. It's good for a dinner party at home with some soju. ^.^

Meat:
Sauce:

 

Method:
  1. Mix the meat ingredients and marinade for 5 min.
  2. Prepare the sauce ingredients and mix.
  3. Combine the sauce with the pork. Put in ziplock bag and put in the ref for atleast 30 min. You can leave it overnight for a better flavor.
  4. Heat a skillet and put in the meat. Oil isn't necessary since it will cook on its own fat. Fry until pork is well cooked.

#11. Spam Lunchbox

 
I had leftover spam from making Budae Chigae (부대찌개) last night so I just used it up for my hubby's lunchbox. This is my "almost-empty-fridge-lunchbox". One of the things I like about making side dishes is that when the lazy morning comes, or you open your eyes to an empty fridge, you can still put together a decent meal.
I usually prepare side dishes on sundays or monday afternoons. They last the whole week. As long as you keep them well. I try to make 2 vegetable side dishes (besides veg salad), and 3 proteins. Here, we have spam, Soybean Sprouts , Quail eggs in soy sauce, Stir-fried Fishcake, Kimchi, tomato, and grapes. The rice is packed separately.

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#10. Yangnyeom Chicken Lunchbox



Yang nyeom chicken is simply fried chicken in sweet and spicy sauce. I usually stock up on chicken because it's easy to prepare and you could make many variations. Frying chicken at home isnt something i look forward to but in small quantities where i can use a skillet, it's ok.

The trick to a crunchy and well cooked chicken is to fry it twice. Its true that this takes time to prepare so I do the frying at night. I mix the sauce ahead of time too. Then in the morning, I'll heat the sauce and mix in the chicken. It heats up the chicken but not too hot that it'll take time to cool before packing.

In this lunchbox are yang nyeom chicken, greek salad with grapes, macaroni salad, and rice.



Yang Nyeom Chicken (양념치킨)


 
Yang Nyeom Chicken (양념치킨)

 

 
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast fillets
1 egg white
2 tbs corn starch
1 tbs cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper

 
Sauce:
1 tbs red pepper paste
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp ketchup
2 tbs corn syrup
1-2 clove garlic crushed
1/4 white onion minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sessame seeds
*2 tbs water

 
  1. Cut the chicken fillets into bite size pieces.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the chicken. Mix and set aside for 15 min.
  3. Add the sauce ingredients and mix until well combined.
  4. Let's fry. Put enough oil in a hot fry pan. Add the chicken pieces one by one. Fry each side for 2-3 min, then drain. Fry again for the 2nd time. Drain excess oil.
  5. In a sauce pan, put the sauce mixture. Stir to prevent from burning. When it starts to sizzle and bubbles start forming, add the chicken. Mix to coat well. Turn off the heat. Cool before packing.
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Friday, September 30, 2011

Cajun Chicken Skewers


It's been a while since my last post. I didn't have the time to post all my recipes but I will update this blog very soon. I had a trip to Puerto Galera in the Philippines and the food there was just  amazing. I had this very long chicken skewer with the conventional tomato and onion. The restaurant lays a spread of various meat and seafood ready for grill by the entrance. You can actually take your pick. Not only was the food fresh, but the meat was so tender. It's unlike other chicken skewers or BBQ Id had before.

I was inspired by my trip to put together a little something of my own. I made this for my hunny's lunchbox. It's size is perfect for cocktail parties, a little like finger food. I used cajun spice to marinade the chicken. Then just a little slice of caramelised orange to give that zingy taste that blends well with cajun (for me...). I put fresh cucumber and caramelised or grillled onion at the end.

Try this very simple and tasty treat.

Ingredients:
Meat:
2 chicken breast fillets
2 tbs mc cormick cajun seasoning mix
1 tbs veg oil
1tbs water

Orange slices (half an orange)
sugar
1 tbs water

cucumber
onion
red pepper
salt
olive oil

Method:
  1. Mix the marinade ingredients with chicken and set aside for 30 min.
  2. While your chicken is marinading, make the caramelised orange. Coat the orange slices in brown sugar. Put in a hot non stick fry pan. Wait until the sugar caramelises before turning over. Be careful not to burn the orange slices. Add a little water to avoid burning.
  3. Preheat the grill. Grill red pepper and onion.
  4. Grill chicken for 3-4 min on both sides or until juice is clear. Set aside for 10 min. Cut into 1" cubes.
  5. Slice cucumber about quarter inch thick. If you are using a fat cucumber, cut into 4 crosswise and remove big seeds.
  6. Assemble. Get small skewers. You can use bamboo, plastic, or metal skewers. Stick the red pepper, chicken, orange, chicken, cucumber, and onion.

You can use tomato and other kinds of sweet peppers.

Friday, September 16, 2011

#9. Chicken Miso Lunchbox


This is chicken marinated in miso. For best results, it's advisable to marinade overnight.  If you are pressed for time, you could marinade for 15 min. before grilling but it helps to poke the meat with fork to let the chicken absorbs the marinade more. I used a George Foreman Grill which eliminates excess fat when grilling (like this stuff). For the sides I have stirfried beans and broccoli, wombok in oyster sauce, potato salad, pickled radish, a tomato., and rice. ^_^

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Breakfast Burrito

I made it this morning and Im eating it as I write this blog post. ^^

It's healthy and quite filling. 1 burrito will fill you up if you're a light eater. Of course, the filling and the sauce can vary. Use fresh vegetables as much as possible.

Try this very simple recipe and let me hear about it.

Ingredients:
  • 4 medium tortillas
  • 4 slices lean bacon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 medium tomato
  • alfalfa sprouts
  • cheese
  • honey mustard

Method:
  1. Make a scrambled egg. Crack 1 egg. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until well blended. Put a little oil in a non stick fry pan. Wipe the pan with a tissue to coat with oil. When the pan is hot enough, add the egg. Stir as the bottom settles. Continue stirring until egg is cooked all through out. Set aside.
  2. Cook the bacon on a nonstick pan. Do not add anymore oil. Let it cook on its own fat. Set aside.
  3. Prepare the vegetables. Wash then peel cucumber. Cut into long strips. Wash tomato then cut and remove the seeds. Dice into tiny pieces. Wash the alfalfa sprouts and remove bad parts.
  4. Slice cheese into quarter inch thick sticks.
  5. Heat the burritos on a pan for a few seconds.
  6. Assemble the burrito. Drizzle the burrito with honey mustard sauce/dressing. Cut the bacon strips into two if too long, then lay it on the burrito. Put the rest of the filling each on top of the other or as tight as you could. Drizzle a little more honey mustard on top of the filings. Roll the burrito carefully so the fillings wont fall out.
  7. Cut diagonally .

#8. Chicken Barbecue



I had some leftover chicken from the night before so I heated it in the morning to pack in a lunchbox. For this meal set, I made chicken barbecue, tomato enchilada, and steamed broccoli. The chicken could dry out and harden though, especially if it's grilled. Then I chopped up some pineapples, a quarter apple, and rice.

Cajun Salmon

This is my first attempt cooking salmon. Maybe too safe but I've always wanted to grill a large piece of salmon fillet. Only, I live in a condo and there's no access to a grill. (I don't even have an oven here...) So for this, I used a stove top grill plate. A real grill would've enhanced the flavor though...

I like mashing potatoes... The secret to a smooth mashed potatoes is to add more milk. Here I used butter, milk and salt. I skipped the herbs since the rub is tasty enough. Then I grilled some red peppers, eggplant, and green beans.

I'm happy how the dish turned out considering what I have to work with. ^^V

Monday, September 5, 2011

#7. Chicken Nanban


It's my first time to make Chicken Nanban so I'm glad it turned out really well. It's basically fried chicken soaked in a sweet sour sauce. The down side of packing a crispy fried chicken is that it surely will get soggy by lunch time. This however, doesn't get soggy and it tastes good at room temperature so no need to heat.

Ingredients:
  • 2 chicken breast fillets
  • salt and pepper
  • cornstarch
  • egg
  • oil

Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup mirin
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 4 tbs sugar
  • 1 pc kelp
  • 1/2 tsp salt


Method:
  1. Cut the breast fillet into bite size pieces. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside
  2. Whisk 1 egg. Add a pich of salt.
  3. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Heat until it boils, stirring from time to time. Turn off the heat. Set aside.
  4. Put oil in a hot fry pan. Get a piece of chicken and dip in egg and then in cornstarch.
  5. Fry in medium high until one side is golden brown then turn over and cook the other side.
  6. Once it's cooked, put directly in the sauce and soak for a minute or until it's cooled down.
  7. Remove excess liquid before packing in your lunchbox.

#6. Japchae Bap (잡채 밥)


I made Japchae the night before so I packed some of the leftover for my hunny's lunch. When you heat food for packing, it's always best to heat it in a pan on a stove to kill bacteria growth more efficiently. Of course remember to pack your meals with clean hands and well washed containers.. 

Japchae (잡채 )


Japchae is stir fried glass noodle with plenty of vegetables. It's a lot similar to Filipino pancit gisado... I usually eat this  one with rice. It might be weird for some people because it kind of is redundant to eat noodles and rice but it actually is a good combination. The noodles is quite filling on its own so rice isnt actually necessary...

This recipe really does take a while but it's sooo worth it. :)


Ingredients:
  • 200g beef sliced thinly (breakfast steak cut works well)
  • crabsticks
  • glass noodles
  • 1 med onion sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • bunch of spinach
  • 1 cup dried black ear mushroom
  • 1 med carrot cut into matchsticks
  • 1 cup worth green onions cut into 2" long
  • soy sauce
  • sesame oil
  • canola oil (cooking oil)
  • sesame seeds
  • egg, salt and pepper
Method:
  1. Boil water and cook the noodles according to package instructions.
  2. Soak the mushrooms in warm water.When it grows, slice thinly.
  3. Wash the spinach and remove the dead parts. No need to cut it at this point.
  4. Make a thin egg omelet. Crack one egg and whisk it. Add salt and pepper. Put oil in a hot nonstick fry pan. Once the oil is hot, put in the egg.Stir a little before it settles. Spread thinly and evenly over the pan. Transfer on a plate once cooked and cool it down.
  5. Once the noodles are cooked, remove from the water. Do not throw the water because you can use it to cook your spinach.Put the noodles in a strainer to remove excess water then transfer to a large bowl or container where you can easily work with it. While hot add 1 tbs soy sauce and 1 tbs sesame oil. Mix to prevent the nooodles from sticking together.
  6. Put the spinach in the boiling water and cook for 30-40 sec. Remove from the water and rinse in cold water or running water until cool. This is called blanching or shocking. It stops the cooking process and retains the color of your veggies. Squeeze out excess water. Cut the base part and then into 2" long pieces. Add a dash of soy sauce and set aside.
  7. In the same pan where you made the omelet, add a little more oil and saute carrots for a minute. Add to the noodles. Do this same procedure for onions and green onions. add everything to the noodles.
  8. Saute beef until it changes color. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic. Add 4 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs sugar, and 2 tbs water. When the mixture boils, simmer for another minute.
  9. Add the mushrooms and bring to boil. Cook for 1 minute.
  10. Pour the mixture onto the noodles.
  11. Cut the egg into thin strips. Add to the noodles.
  12. Shred 6pcs of a 3" long crabsticks and add to the noodles.
  13. Finally throw in the spinach and mix everything by hand. Adjust the taste.
  14. Sprinkle sesame seeds and mix again.

#5. Basic Sides Lunchbox


This is my lazy morning bento. Thankfully, I had side dishes available. All I did in the morning was make the omelet. Here we have kimchi, soybean sprouts, stir-fried fishcake, egg omelet, crab stick salad, and rice. That about everything...

Monday, August 29, 2011

Shrimp Fried Rice



Ingredients:
  • 20 pcs small shrimp
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup frozen green peas
  • 1/4 white onion minced
  • 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 egg scrambled
  • salt pepper


Method:
  1. Clean the shrimp, remove the shells and the vein at the back.
  2. Put 1 tbs butter in a hot pan. Saute the shrimp and garlic until shrimp changes color.
  3. Wash the peas in hot water and drain.
  4. Add  in onion and peas and saute for 1-2 min.
  5. Add the rice.
  6. Push the mixture to the side and add 1 tbs of butter in the pan.
  7. Pour in the scrambled egg and cook til it settles at the bottom.
  8. Mix the egg with the rice. Mix well
  9. Put in soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and cook for another minute.

#4. Shrimp Fried Rice Lunchbox

This is the lunchbox I made for today. It's a shrimp fried rice. Then, I included 4 sides: cucumber muchim, soy bean sprout muchim, baby potato jorim, and carrots cut into wedges. If you notice all the sides are veggies. Two of them are fresh and the other two are boiled. This gives me license to use butter in my fried rice...^^

Algamja Jorim (알감자 조림) / Baby Potato Jorim


Another common side dish is algamja jorim (알감자 조림). It has a mild sweetness from the caramelized sauce. This is similar to gamja jorim except that it uses baby potatoes. I actually prefer this one cause i can keep the skin on, and it tastes better with it.

Ingredients:
  • 15 baby potatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 tbs soy sauce
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs cooking wine, mirin

Method:
  1. Wash the baby potatoes and scrub them clean.
  2. Put into a deep pan or wok and pour in the water.
  3. Boil on high until the water is reduced to half.
  4. Put the remaining ingredients and turn down the heat to medium. Boil for 20 min.
  5. Turn off the heat and sprinkle sesame seeds. The sauce should have caramelized.

Oi Muchim (오이 무침) Cucumber Muchim



Oi Muchim (오이 무침) is  a typical Banchan (반찬)  that usually goes well with grilled meat. It has a slightly sour flavor that subtles the grease in grilled meat.


Ingredients:

Method:
  1. Wash the cucumbers in cold water. Cut diagonally in to thin pieces.
  2. Put into a glass bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
  3. Mix by hand.

Kongnamul Muchim (콩나물 무침) / Soy bean Sprout Namul

A typical Korean meal comprises of soup, 4-5 sides (including rice) and a main dish like fish or meat. Side dishes or Banchan (반찬) are staple to every meal.

Kongnamul Muchim (콩나물 무침)  is a very common side dish. You can prepare it this way and use it in bibimbap, too.

Ingredients:

Method:
  1. Wash the soy bean sprouts in running water. remove bad parts.
  2. Put the soy bean sprouts in a pot. Add 2 cups of water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 min.
  3. Drain the soy bean sprouts and cool down a bit.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix it by hand.

Ganjang Omuk Bokkeum (간장 어묵 볶음) / Soy sauce Fish Cake Bokkeum



Ganjang Omuk Bokkeum (간장 어묵 볶음) is a common side dish served in restaurants. It has also a spicy variety.




Ingredients:

Method:
  1. Wash the fish cake in warm water to remove odor.
  2. Cut the fish cake into 4 parts crosswise. Put it in a pile and cut inti thin strips.
  3. Put oil in a hot fry pan. Add the fish cake and stir fry for 15 sec at med high.
  4. Put in the garlic and onion and saute til translucent.
  5. Add the green onions and soy sauce and stir fry for another min.
  6. Turn off the heat and add sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Sweet Valentine

I made this heart shaped chocolates for Valentine's Day. Pople might wonder why I am the one giving chocolates to my man. Well, he's from Korea and their custom is that women give men chocolates on Feb. 14. Sounds unfair? Well women have their day too. It's called White Day and it falls on Mar. 14. I don't know what's with the name. On this day, men give women candy instead of chocolates. It still sounds lame to me that women only get candies. It's not like candies could be sophisticated... I'm not really what people call touchy feely, but sometimes I like to do stuff like this for my man... (it seems to be the social convemtion) ^^

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

#3. Pasta and Salad Lunchbox


I decided to make a seafood pasta to make use of the shells I've left from last Sunday. We hardly buy shells coz I'm allergic except for green mussels. But my honey wanted SOONDUBU JJIGAE (순두부찌개) so I bought some clams, prawns and mussels. I'm using what I've left from cooking that.

Since this is made of tomatoes, it easily spoils so it's important to pack it at room temperature.

I made a quick salad using romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, carrots and a honey mustard dressing.

I also thew in 2 slices of bread toasts and a banana for dessert.

Another morning accomplished...

Seafood Marinara



I'm not a big fan of spaghetti or pasta dishes, except for lasagna, so I don't cook it very often. Today I decided to make seafood spaghetti because I have some shells and shrimp I need to use. I made a marinara sauce from fresh tomatoes. I'm allergic to shrimp so I mixed it in the sauce after I've checked the flavor. Why don't you try this at home.

Seafood Marinara

Ingredients
Marinara Sauce
  • 4 tbs olive oil
  • 5 large ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
  • 1 small carrot minced
  • 1 medium white onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 stalk celery finely chopped
  • 1/4 ts salt
  • 1/4 ts pepper

  • 250g dried pasta cooked according to package insctructions
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 12 green mussels
  • 6 prawns
  • 2 small calamari
  • 100 ml white wine
  • parsley

Method:
  • Prepare the marinara sauce ahead of time. Wash 6 large ripe tomatoes. Cut into wedges. Put 2tbs olive oil in a hot pan. Saute tomatoes for 2 min. and turn off the heat. Take out the tomato wedges and remove the skin. This should be easy now that the tomatoes are soft. Minced the tomatoes.
  • Heat a sauce pan and put 2 tbs of olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots and saute for 10 min.
  • Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper and simmer on low heat for about an hour. (Leave the pan uncovered)
  • Set aside and cool it down.

  1. Now cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  2. Clean the green mussels. Scrub the shells clean and remove the beards.
  3. Clean the calamari. remove the skin. Cut the body into rings.
  4. Peel the prawns and devein.
  5. Put 1 tbs oil in the the pan. Saute the shrimp and calamari until the shrimp turns orange.
  6. Add white wine. Cover and simmer until liquid is reduced to half.
  7. Add the marinara sauce and stir. Bring it to boil.
  8. Put the green mussels and stir. Cover and cook until the mussels open.
  9. Toss in the cooked pasta and mix well.
  10. Turn off the heat. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese.
  11. Serve with salad greens or garlic bread. ^^




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Beef Broccoli



I made this dish this morning for my hubby's lunchbox. Although instead of mixing in the broccoli, i steamed it separately so it won't get mushy.




Beef Broccoli

Ingredients:
  • 2 pcs beef breakfast steak
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs rice wine
  • 1 tbs water
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 medium broccoli
  • 1 tbs garlic
  • 3 tbs oyster sauce
  • pinch of salt
  • olive oil

Method:
  1. Marinate the beef in soy sauce, sugar, water, rice wine, and cornstarch for 30 min.
  2. Cut the broccoli into bite size florets.
  3. Heat oil in a wok. Saute brocolli until bright green. You can also steam it. Season with salt. Take out of the wok and drain excess oil.
  4. Add a little more oil. Stir-fry the beef until brown and a little crusty. Take it out of the wok.
  5. Clean the wok. Add oil and saute garlic until aromatic. Put in the beef. Add oyster sauce. and stir until well mixed.
  6. Add in the broccoli and cook for another minute. Enjoy!!! ^^

#2. Egg and Hotdogs

This is another set of lunchbox I used to bring at work. From the top left clockwise:

  • Black Beans in Sweet Soy Sauce
  • Egg Roll
  • Cocktail Hotdogs
  • Anchovy in Sweet Spicy Sauce
  • Carrots
  • Rice
As you can see, it's got all the three components of a meal - CARB, PROTEIN, and FIBER. it''s also got that beautiful color...

#1.Beef Broccoli with Steamed Corn and Tofu

My day starts with  preparing breakfast and a lunchbox for my hubby. It's such a hectic morning and i have to make 2 meals in under 45 min. How do I manage it? I prepare the ingredients the night before and cook in the morning. If it takes longer to cook, I cook it at night and refrigerate.

The common problem with making a lunch box is finding what food to pack. You want something that tastes better even cold if u don't have a microwave at work. Don't pack something too oily because it  will make the food mushy.

You might wonder what else you can pack besides fried stuff and rice. Well there are plenty. I make sure that my lunchbox consists of CARB, PROTEIN, and FIBER. Today I packed rice, beef sauteed in oyster sauce, steamed corn and broccoli, steamed tofu in my special sauce, and an apple. Why didn't I just saute the broccoli with the beef as meant to be? Because broccoli absorbs liquid  which is also why its better to steam it than to blanch it.

The components in your lunchbox should be at room temp when packing. This will reduce the risk of spoiling the food or retaining too much moist when your lunchbox sweats from the hot food inside. You should also pack it tightly. Use veggies like broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers as fillers. Also, use a foil to separate when a dish is too moist. I used to make a well groomed bento but with 2 meals under 45 min. i just can't bother making a theme out of lunch. Hey, it's not like he's a kid.

Making lunchbox maybe tedious but in the long run it's cheaper, Healthier and more convenient.

Soondubu Jjigae (순두부 찌개)

Soondubu Jjigae (순두부 찌개) is a good match with soju on a cold breezy night. The spicy soup incorporated with clam broth and the silken tofu is the perfect food to go with a drink. It's sad though that Im allergic to certain kinds of shellfish, and can't enjoy this version. You can also use beef for this recipe.

Soft Tofu Stew
Soondubu Jjigae (순두부 찌개)

Ingredients:
10 clams
3 pcs dried sea kelp
1/2 cup kimchi
1/2 cup zucchini
1 pack enoki mushroom
1/2 smalll onion
1 tsp garlic
1 tbs hot pepper powder
2 tbs oil
1 soondubu
1 tbs soy sauce
salt & pepper
1 egg

Method:
  1. Wash clams in cold water. Boil in 3 cups of water and 3 pcs of kelp.
  2. Chop up the onions and crush the garlic.
  3. Slice the zucchini.
  4. Remove the bottom part of the mushroom.
  5. Take the kelp out after boiling for 5 min. Cook the clams for another 5 min. Set aside.
  6. Preheat an earthen cooking bowl on the stove at medium.
  7. Put 2 tbs oil in a frypan. Add the red pepper powder and saute for 10 sec. Add the kimchi and onion. Saute for 2-3 min.
  8. Transfer the kimchi mixture to the earthen bowl. Add the clam broth and reserve the clam shells for later. Add the zucchini and 1 tbs soysauce and cook on high.
  9. Cut the tofu in the middle with a knife. Once it boils spoon the tofu little by little and add to the bowl. Add the mushroom. Turn down to medium as soon as it boils. Cook for 5 min.
  10. Put in the clams and green onions cook for another 5 min.
  11. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper.
  12. Crack an egg on top and turn off the heat.

Eat with rice and enjoy a drink! ^^

Honghap Tang (홍합탕)

Green Mussel soup or Honghap Tang is extremely easy to prepare. Because the dish is simple on its own, you can taste the refreshing flavor of the sea as you take a sip of its piping hot soup. Remember to buy only fresh and alive green mussels.

Green Mussel Soup
Honghap Tang (홍합탕)

Ingredients:
  • 500g green mussels
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 cup green onions
  • 1 tbs ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 tbs salt

Method:
  1. Clean the green mussels with cold water. Scrub the shells clean and pull out or cut the beard.
  2. Put in the pot and add water until its 2 inches above the green mussels. Cook on high.
  3. Peel the onions and chop it up. Peel ginger and cut it into thin matchsticks. Peel and crush garlic. Slice the tomato into wedges.
  4. Toss all of them in the pot. Boil it for 10 min.
  5. Add the green onions and cook for another 3 min.

Tip: Consume your green mussels within 24 hours of purchase. Heat only twice. Freezing and thawing multiple times loses the integrity of your shellfish. Buy only fresh and alive shellfish.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a popular beef noodle soup similar to hotpot. It's distinct for its mild sweetness. It is also healthy because it mainly consists of vegetables and tofu, which is a Japanese staple. The beef is lean and soft as well.


Sukiyaki

Ingredients:
  • 200g ribeye sukiyaki cut
  • 1/2 block tofu
  • 1 enokitake (and/or 4 shiitake)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 cup chopped chinese cabbage
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • vermicelli noodles

Broth
  • 3-4 cups water
  • 2 pcs dried kelp

Sauce
  • 50 ml soy sauce
  • 50 ml hon mirin
  • 100 ml sake
  • 2 tbs sugar

Method:
  1. Boil 3-4 cups of water with 2pcs of  dried kelp for 10 min. Set aside
  2. Combine soysauce, mirin, sake and sugar. Simmer for 5 min until the alcohol evaporates.
  3. Lay the vegetables and meat in the pan. Add the Sauce and dilute it with broth.
  4. Put the lid on and simmer until the vegetables are almost cooked. Transfer to a portable stove top.
  5. Add the noodles and wait till its cooked.
  6. Beat 1 egg for dipping sauce.

Kimbap (김밥)

Kimbap is a good lunchbox idea. It's also perfect to take on picnics. Korean convenience stores sell kimbap and along with a piping hot cup of ramyeon, it makes a good lunch.

Kimbap is from KIM, the laver sheet wrapper and BAP, the korean word for rice. There are many kinds of kimbap. Beef, tuna, and ham are the most common ones. Not only it is delicious and convenient, but also is healthy. It may take a while to master the rolling, but once you get the hang of it, it willl be a piece of cake.

The materials and ingredients could be purchased at your asian grocery stores  or the asian section in the supermarket.

Kimbap (김밥)

Ingredients:
Rice
  • 5-6 cups cooked rice (made from 3 cups of uncooked rice)
  • ½ tbs sugar
  • 1 ts salt
  • 1 tbs of vinegar  

Filling

 sesame oil and seeds

Method:
  1. Cook 3 cups of rice using a little less water. Dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar and mix it in with the rice. Mix well. Spread over a wide shallow container and cover by wet towel while cooling down to keep its moist.
  2. Prepare the fillings. Peel the carrot and cut diagonally and then into matchsticks.
  3. Peel the cucumbers and cut into 1/2 x 1/2 cm thick lenthwise. Scrape off the seeds.
  4. Beat 3 eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Put oil in a nonstick fry pan. Once hot, put 1/3 the egg mixture to coat the pan, and another 1/3 when the top starts to settle. And finallly the last of the mixture. Be careful not to bur the egg. Let it rest before slicing into 1/2 cm wide lenthwise.
  6. Add a little more oil in the pan. Saute the cucumber briefly for 10 sec. Take it out and drain excess oil. Do the same for the carrots and ham.
  7. Prepare to roll the kimbap. Get a rolling mat. Put the laver sheet on the center of the mat. Spread the rice thinly and evenly. You can easily do this by soaking your hand in cold water and  spreading the rice on the sheet. leave 1 inch gap at the top of the laver. This willl seal the kimbap well.
  8. Lay the vegetables and fillings on top of another like a pile. Lift with the side close to you and roll it over the fillings. Press to  pack the fillings tightly before rolling all the way up.
  9. Brush a little sesame oil on the laver sheet before slicing the rolls. Use a knife soaked in cold water to prevent the rice from sticking. sprinkle a little sesame seeds.

Bu-dae Chi-gae (부대찌개)



DID U KNOW that Bu-dae Chi-gae literally means army stew? During the Korean war, Koreans would salvage leftover food from the American soldiers who had an abundance of hot dogs, sausages, and spam along with other staples. They mixed it with their kimchi and make a delicious stew.

Army-base Stew
Bu-dae Chi-gae (부대찌개)

Ingredients:

Soup Base

Sauce

Method:
  1. Boil the anchovies and kelp in water.
  2. While the soup is boiling, combine the ingredients for the sauce.
  3. Take out the kelp after 5 min and then the anchovies after another 5 min.
  4. Slice the spam 1/2 cm thick and again half wide. Do the same for the tofu. Cut up the sausage diagonally about the same thickness.
  5. Slice the veggies. Cut the bottom part of the enoki. Chop up the green onions.
  6. Set aside the soup base after 10 min.
  7. Lay out the vegetables and sausage in the pan. put the sauce on top and pour the soup base.
  8. Gently stir as the mixture starts to boil. Drain the rice cake and put in the pan.
  9. Break the ramyeon noodle in half and put it in the pan. Wait until  the noodles are cooked. Serve with rice.

This makes a sumptuous meal!

Omurice



Do you have those days when you are pressed for time and just wanna whip up a quick meal? Or maybe just lazy to bother making a full set of meal. Or~ your fridge is nearly empty and all you've got is tiny chunks of meat or cold cuts about to expire and you just have to get rid of it? Well here's something you can make. Kk~


Omurice


Ingredients:
Chicken
  • 1 Chicken breast fillet (ham, luncheon meet or cold cuts)
  • 1 tsp cooking wine
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 Garlic Clove crushed
  • 1/4 Onion chopped
  • 4 Button Mushrooms sliced
  • 200g Tomato sauce
  • 1 tbs Tomato Ketchup
  • 1/2 shaved Bouillon Cube
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 30g Frozen Green Peas
  • Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
  • 280g Steamed Rice Cooked with Less Water
     
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 tsp Dairy Cream
  • Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper

Method:
  1. Marinate the chicken in cooking wine and salt & pepper. If you are using cold cuts instead, there's no need to seasson or marinate it.
  2. Prepare the other ingredients while the chicken is marinating.
  3. Put oil in the pan and saute the onion and garlic until aromatic. Toss in the mushrooms. Add the chicken and saute until it changes color.
  4. Pour in the tomato sauce and ketchup. Wash the frozen peas in hot water and drain. Put it in the pan. Add the shaved bouillon cube, then the bay leaf. Stir and cook on medium heat for 3 min.
  5. Remove the bay leaf and add the cooked rice. Mix it well with the sauce. Set aside.
  6. Crack 4 eggs in a bowl. Stir gently so as not to form bubbles. Add the cream for a fluffy texture. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Add oil in a non-stick frypan. Make sure the oil is hot enough. Pour half of the egg mixture carefully coating the entire pan. When the egg is starting to settle on the surface, put half of the rice mixture in the center of the pan. Roll the edge of the egg to cover the rice. Cover the pan with your plate and flip the pan to transfer the Omurice on it.
  8. Squeeze in some ketchup and enjoy! ^^

Ingredients


Anchovies
Mareun Myeolchi (마른멸치)


 Cooking Wine
Mirin (미린)







Soybean Paste
Dwaenjang (된장)





Fish Sauce
Aekjeot (액젓)






Hot Pepper Paste
Kochujang (고추장)
 



Hot Pepper Powder
Kochukaru (고추가루)





Corn Syrup
Mulyeot (물엿)




Bean Paste
Ssamjang (쌈장)




Sesame Oil
Chamgireum (참기름)






Sesame Seeds
Bokkeun Kkae (볶은 깨)






Soy Sauce
Kanjang (간장)



Rice Cake
Ddeok(떡)




Silken Tofu
Soondubu (순두부)





Enoki Mushroom
Enokitake





Korean Radish
Moo (무)






Kimchi (김치)





Firm Tofu
Dubu (두부)




 Seasoned Bean Curd
Yubu Chobap (유부초밥 )


Dried Kelp
Dashima (다시마) 



Laver
Kim (김) 



Dried Ear Mushroom
Mogi Peoseot (목이버섯)