Holly writes...

My husband PJ is less than a novice cook. He's been hanging around in the kitchen a lot more trying to learn some tips and techniques.
Two nights ago I made stuffed pork chops and individual Pear tarts. PJ was trying to help and got so intimidated, he quit and went to watch TV.
Stuffed pork chops are not as hard as they seem. They are a great use for stale bread and the pork chop itself comes out nice and juicy. An intermediate cook can defiantly knock this out of the park.
The filling I make is very versatile. You can stuff any meat with it and even use it to make stuffed mushrooms!
I use stale bread breaking the loaf with a rolling pin, not to fine though, I like the bits of texture within the stuffing.

Stuffed Pork Chop Filling

4 cups stale bread (or breadcrumbs if no stale bread)
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup frozen spinach
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tablespoon dry thyme
3/4 tablespoon dry sage
Dash of nutmeg
2 sausage links, cooked and diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large ziplock bag, place stale bread inside, seal and break down to medium and small crumb. Place in a large mixing bowl. In large skillet heat oil and butter until bubbly. Add in diced onion, celery and garlic. Saute until onions become translucent. Add in sausage, frozen spinach, thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Saute until spinach is thawed and well incorporated into mixture. Add hot mixture into the bowl of stale bread, adding chicken stock and a dash of nutmeg until mixture is moist but retaining the texture of the bread chunks.


Stuffed Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
Stuffed pork chop filling
1 cup flour
1 cup chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Using a small sharp knife, slice a pocket into the pork chops, use fingers to help open pocket if necessary. DO NOT slice through the other side. Stuff chops with the filling, use a small spoon or hands to fill. Salt and pepper both sides of stuffed chops. Dust chops in flour. heat olive oil in large skillet, saute each side until seared.

Place seared chops into a medium sized baking vessel. Pour over 1 cup chicken stock, cover with foil and bake for 45min to 1 hour. Serve hot with gravy if desired.



I'm very happy with this recipe. It comes out fantastic every time I make them.


I usually serve pork with a pear dessert. I think the two flavors compliment each other very well.
Individual Rustic Pear Tarts



1 pre made pie crust
1 15oz. can of pears in syrup (usually contains 4 halves)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons Sugar
Cinnamon

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
Using a small bowl, cut out 3 circles from pie crust. Remix scraps and flatten to cut out one more circle to total 4 circles. Save scraps of pie crust. Place circles on lined cookie sheet. Thinly slice pears and place on top of crusts, leaving a half inch border. Using 1 tablespoon of sugar to each tart, sprinkle evenly over pears. Dash each tart with some cinnamon. Use the left over pie crust to dot the tops of each tart aling with dotting each tart with butter, 1 tablespoon per each tart. Fold up the borders of pie crust to the center of the tarts to create a rustic look. Bake for approx. 30-40 min. or until golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream or plain. Good hot or room temp.

Holly writes...

My father's all time favorite pie is Apple. I have NEVER attempted to make a home made apple pie before. After suffering from my near disaster Tempura Ice Cream fiasco, needing a moral boost, I gave the apple pie a try!

I employed my husband PJ to help me, since he's been wanting to learn how to cook more.
I also did not take many pictures because as it was my first try, if it came out horrid, I sure as hell would not post it.

But...SUCCESS!

Of course the pictures I did take, half the pie was already gone, so next time I make one, I will be sure to post step by step pictures!


Apple Pie

- 4 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 3/4 cups sugar (+ 2 tablespoons for topping)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (+ a dash for topping)
- 3/4 tablespoon nutmeg (+ a dash for topping)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 egg (for egg washed top)
- pinch of salt
- 2 9" pie crust (frozen, fresh or homemade)
*You may add more or less cinnamon or nutmeg as you please. I like things a little more spices, so I added a couple more dashes of each in the filling.
**I used a pre made refrigerator pie crust from Pillsbury, they come in a box of two! Very convenient and tasty as well.

Pre Heat oven to 425 degrees
Peel and core apples. Slice apples into VERY thin slices, place in a large bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and pinch of salt. Toss apples until coated evenly.
In 9" pie pan (glass or foil)place rolled out pie crust and gently ease dough into the corners of pan. Place apple mixture inside. Dot the top of apples with butter. Cover over with remaining pie crust or lattice. Fold over edges of dough and seal with either a fork or fingers for a attractive border. In small bowl, mix egg and coat top of pie crust including the edge crust. Mix sugar, dash of cinnamon and nutmeg together in small bowl. Evenly distribute atop the egg washed top crust.
Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Remove pie from oven, using aluminum foil, make a ring around the crust to cover, to keep from burning. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes.
Remove and let cool for approx. 1 hour before serving, or leave overnight. Store left overs in the refrigerator.

My father LOVED it. He said it was good if not better than any restaurant and bakery. I liked the way it came out as well. The layering of the cooked apples inside was beautiful.


Dad being silly...

NOT A RECIPE FOR THE NOVICE COOK!

Holly writes...


Our younger sister Carli was up last week from Ashville, NC where she attends college. After a few days of stuffing ourselves full of sushi and hibachi of all sorts, she asked me one night, "Hol, make me tempura ice cream."

I had never attempted tempura ice cream before, but decided to give it the 'ol college try.

For those of you who never been to a Japanese Steak House, Tempura Ice Cream is exactly what it sounds like, fried ice cream. Its ice cream covered in pound cake, battered than deep fried, served with raspberry sauce!

So as I come to actually frying the tempura ice cream...I don't know what I was thinking, but the pot I was deep frying in was slightly to small for the size of the ice cream ball. When I dunked the first one in, DISASTER! The oil boiled over the sides and for once, instead of me freaking out and screaming, I calmly removed the pot from the heat and turned off the stove. My fire alarms went off (good to know they work lol) and PJ and Carli come running from the living room.

Thank the gods for electric stoves. No major fire, just lots of smoke, and clean up was way easy. I don't want to think about what could of happened if i had a gas range :(

So after the smoked cleared (no pun intended) I guess I had enough sense to remove the ice cream from the hot oil and put it on the draining rack. Upon further inspection of the crispy ball, it actually looked like it had survived, and Carli very enthusiastically wanted me to cut it open and see if it worked.

IT ACTUALLY WORKED!

When I cut in, it held its shape, and the ice cream didn't melt and disintegrate.

It wasn't as crispy as served in the restaurants, but I'm not sure how long it sat on the draining rack as we were cleaning up my mess. But it sure did taste exactly how it is served in the restaurants, with my homemade raspberry sauce as well! I always used to make raspberry sauce when i lived back home in NJ with my parents. My father loved it over vanilla ice cream, so i used to make a batch every other week or so.

I will defiantly try this again, I have 2 more tempura ice cream balls in my freezer to play around with, needless to say, that night i was NOT going to make the rest.

This is a very time consuming recipe, mostly because you need to keep the ingredients frozen, so most of the time is spend waiting while things are in the chill box.

Raspberry Sauce:

1pt. red raspberries
6 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup water
Corn Starch for thickening using a slurry*

Boil raspberries, sugar and water together until raspberries fall apart. Strain through a fine mesh, using the back of a spoon to scrape every last bit into a container. Return strained mixture into pot and thicken with the corn starch slurry. Chill mixture in the refrigerator.


Tempura Ice Cream:

Vegetable oil for frying
1 pt vanilla ice cream (any brand)
1 loaf of butter pound cake
3 eggs
2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water
Optional - Panko bread crumbs

-Combine 1 cup flour with 1 egg, baking powder and water until a thin batter is formed. It is perfectly fine for lumps, lumps in the batter make the frying crispier!
-Cut pound cake into 1/4 inch slices
-Using a very sharp knife, divide pt. of ice cream into 4 equal parts, shape into balls. (cut right through the container with the lid still on, less messy)
-Wrap the ice cream balls in the pound cake, use cling wrap to help shape the ice cream and pound cake into a ball, make sure no ice cream is seeping out of any uncovered edges. Using the plastic wrap as a "sack" place in the freezer for approx. 1 hour or until frozen through.
-Beat remaining eggs in a bowl
-Spread remaining flour onto a plate
-Spread panko onto a plate (OPTIONAL)
-Unwrap frozen pound cake ice cream balls
-Dredge balls in flour, egg than panko, place dredged balls back into the freezer for 30 min.
-Heat vegetable oil in a very large deep cooking pot
-Remove dredged ice cream from freezer, coat in the batter
-STAND BACK using a "spider" or long handled slotted spoon to gently place the ice cream ball into the hot vegetable oil
-Let fry just until pale brown

-Remove from oil and let dry on cooling rack or paper towels

Serve immediately with raspberry sauce and powder sugar if desired.

*a slurry of corn starch is approx. 1 table spoon cornstarch to equal parts water, it is slowly combined with hot liquids to thicken

As you can see, it comes out almost exactly like in the restaurants!

Holly writes...

... as long as its Lemon Meringue

I felt very adventurous yesterday. My younger sister Carli was home from college and she requsted a good 'ol family cook out like we used to have in NJ.

So for a dessert i decided to tackle the Lemon Meringue pie, one of my fathers favorites.
After consulting PJ's grandmother for some tips (since she makes her own as well) I felt confident enough to try it!

It came out mighty fine i must say so myself - everyone loved it and it tasted great!

The finished product!

The peaks and the meringue was sooooo ooeyy and gooey and yummy!

Recipe:

Filling -
1 box lemon pie filling (jell-o or mighty fine brands)
(prepared as boxed cooking directions)
1 pre made pie crust (frozen or fresh)

Meringue -
3 eggs
(two yolks for pie filling and 3 whites for meringue)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
Seperate the eggs, yolks in one bowl, whites in another larger bowl for whipping.
Prepare lemon filling to the box specific directions. Let cool in refrigerator with plastic cling wrap directly on surface to prevent a film from forming on the top of the filling.
Prick pie crust with a fork and bake until golden. Let pie crust cool to room temp.
Turn oven down to 350 degrees.
Add the cream of tarter to the egg whites and whip adding sugar in little by little until the egg whites become shiny and form stiff peaks.
Place cool lemon filling into cooled pie crust.

Top lemon filling off with the whipped egg whites, bringing the whites to the edge of crust to seal.
Using a wisk or fork, make peaks in the meringue topping.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until top peaks become brown.
Let cool for 4 hours.
Refrigerate any left overs (though i'm sure there will be none)


I did not have a hand held mixer for the egg whites. It took me approx. 45 min. to whip up the egg whites, i wanted to whip them more but my arms just didn't want to. So i strongly suggest a hand held mixer for the meringue. The process is a half a day event basically, with a lot of cooling time between each layer, so defiantly attempt this when you have a free day. It sounds harder than it really is, its just time consuming.

But it came out lovely - tasty and picture perfect!

Lately I have been craving nothing but Korean food, and interested in nothing but Korean music, TV, everything Korean. I'm really feeling my roots :D

Its affecting my cooking...

Here is Kimchi Bokkeumbap - a spicy fried rice made with kimchi
Click here for my original post on bokkeumbap for cooking directions - http://hj-food.livejournal.com/3312.html





I also have been making kimbap once a week - i still prefer shrimp, though it not authentic, but hell, i'll use whatever ingredients i want, as long as it taste good!
Click here for my original post on kimbap and recipe/directions - http://hj-food.livejournal.com/3697.html

This week i made it with Sigumchi-namul (namul style spinach) instead of cucumbers becuase they looked less than steller in the market today.



Namul Style Spinach:

1 1/2 pounds Fresh spinach
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Cracked black pepper to taste

Blanch spinach, squeeze out as much liquid from the cooked spinach as possible. Combine with remaining ingredients, lets marinate for a few hours. Serve as a banchan or in kimbap as i have done above.


On a side note:
I'm super excited for the new season of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel. I'd have to say, I have a few chefs i admire, like Ina Garten, Anthony Bordain and the 2 Fat Ladies. Oh how I miss the 2 Fat Ladies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Fat_Ladies) I here Jen might be acquiring the DVD set as a late Christmas present. Now if only i had a region free dvd player like her...

Jen Writes:

Well Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2008 brings you good health and fortune!

This holiday season was filled with awesome food! I only have a few pics [2 to be exact] - but more food shots will be coming up as I'm going on vacation to visit Holly come Feb! We will be cooking [or going out to] dinner for our fathers 65th birthday!

My parents and youngest sister were up from NC and stayed with me for Christmas and the New Years. Christmas dinner was bangin! I made a pot roast with veggies and green beans. I made gravy with what I had, cause when I asked my mom to pick up certain things from the grocery store, she somehow didn't get what I asked for. So I made a cream of mushroom & beef stock gravy and it was out of this world! My dad wanted to eat it with a spoon! [I'm sure he could have, since it was made with cream of mushroom, lol]

Left overs I took to work in a dosirak.



New Years Eve is a bit of a tradition when it comes to food. I don't go out to any parties - every year I bring in the new year with my parents. It's just been like that for as long as I can remember. I used to go out to parties, but then I'd always feel like I wanted to go home and be with the people I cared about most....my parents...and bring in the new Year with them. So I'd always come home early from the parties and stay with them. :) Traditionally we always make finger foods and the type of food you can just snack on all night while you watch the various NYE shows on the tellie.

Jen writes:

This weekend the weather was really bad on Sunday. NJ was expecting snow, but it turned into freezing rain/sleet/hail storm and the wind gusts were up to 45mph! So needless to say, I stayed in and didn't venture out!

I didn't have much food in my apartment, the weekend is normally my grocery shopping days but Saturday I was in NYC and then Philly all day/night. So I had some couscous and decided to experiment. Holly had always told me when she has left over couscous she's press it together and brown it gently on each side. So I took her idea and added to it.

Broccoli Cheese CousCous Canape

1 cup Broccoli Cheese couscous, cooked & cooled
1 small egg beaten [I use egg beaters so I used just enough egg to bind everything together, 1 small egg might even be too much for 1 cup of couscous]
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp flour [give or take]

Coating:
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp panko crumbs

Olive oil for frying.

Directions:
Combine the couscous, egg, cheeses and flour together. Mix until well incorporated and able to form small discs that hold together well. Add more flour if the mixture is too loose. You still want the discs to be slightly sticky, so the coating will stick.

Mix the flour and pank together and bread the outside of the couscous discs. Pat the breading in so it sticks well.

Refrigerate the discs until well chilled.

Heat on medium/low heat a few tbsp of olive oil in a sautee pan. Sautee the couscous discs on each side until nice and brown. Keep warm in the oven if you decide to do a really big batch of these. Serve warm with your fav dipping sauce.

These would make a really good cocktail party dish, they could probably be topped with the dipping sauce or something else. I haven't thought about what to put on top of them too much, nor really a dipping sauce. I suppose you should keep an eye out here cause I'm sure I'll be experimenting with these!

I love Chuletas (breaded pork chops, not to be confused with the term big lips in Spanish) rubbed in some adobo, breaded than fried - YUM.

I always wanted to experiment more with pork dishes, so instead of making my usual chuletas, i came up with this dish. It was inspired defiantly by the Spanish flavors and seasonings. It was a HUGE hit with PJ, he loved them, as well as i.

They came out so tender, so flavorful, i was going "yumyum" outloud. I just can't explain to you how good they smelled and tasted.



Spanish Style Pork Chops:

4 Medium thickness boneless pork chops
1 Medium white/yellow onion (halved than sliced)
1 Medium red bell pepper (julienned)
1/2 bottle alcapparado*
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce (unseasoned)
Adobo traditional seasoning (any brand)
1 1/2 tablespoon basil
1 1/2 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

*alcapparado is a olive, pomento, caper mixture found in Spanish cuisine. If you can not find traditional bottled alcapparado, you may substitute for green sliced salad olives, jarred pimento's and capers found separately in the salad dressing isle of most every food store.



- Pour half the can of tomato sauce into baking vessel coating the bottem
- Spread half the sliced onions over tomato sauce
- Spread half the sliced bell peppers over onions
- Coat pork chops liberally with adobo, applying to both sides
- Coat pork chops with basil, oregano and cumin, applying to both sides
- Place coated chops in baking vessel with sauce, onions and bell peppers
- Evenly spread out drained alcapparado to the tops of the pork chops
- Spread the remaining onion and pepper atop
- Evenly spread remaining tomato sauce to the top of the pork chops
- Cover tightly with foil
- Place in a preheated 375 degree oven
- Cook for 2 hours (no peeking!)
- Serve with favorite kind of rice

Jen writes...

Yes yes, I know it's been a long while since I've written. I've had to listen to Holly badger me every day until I posted. So here I go!

I love pocketless pita bread - I make so many things with it. I had some left over chicken and wasnt in the mood for a chicken pita so I made a chicken pizza!




Last night I was trying to use up my big batch of rice I had made. So what else is good to make when you have older rice that's getting dried out in your fridge? Bokkeumbap! [Fried rice] This is one is Saewoo Bokkeumbap [Shrimp Fried Rice]. I also have a side of Gamja Jorim [I know I know, two refine carbs, shoot me!] and some fresh cucumber sprinkled with salt.



And I've been testing pies for a holiday contest at work. This pie is named "RNet Raspberry Gigabyte Ganache Pie". Don't ask about the name.....contest at work and all....lol. The pie [I wonder if it even classifies as a pie] is SO friggen good and easy to make. I have it sitting in my fridge right now. I have to make another Tuesday night for Wed. entry! I hope I win!

Holly writes...

I know I made a post not to long ago about kimbap, but an acquaintance of mine is leaving for Korea in a week. He and I were discussing his trip and we came upon the subject of food. Needless to say, after that conversation, I was craving kimbap. My last post on kimbap was detailed, but not detailed with photos. So today while I was assembling my ingredients I snapped a few photos.

Today I happened to make some kimbap with fried shrimps. Its not really a traditional ingredient, but I happen to love Shrimp Tempura Sushi, so I guess that is what really inspired this kimbap roll.

Fried Shrimp Kimbap

Ingredients:

Fried Shrimps (still warm)
Cucumber
Carrot
Egg (mixed and sliced long and thin)
Roasted Gim (laver, nori)
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds (toasted)



- Place one sheet of gim shiny side down on bamboo mat or cutting board
- Place two to three tablespoons of steamed rice on the gim and spread evenly using moistened fingers or spatula leaving about an inch rice free for sealing
- Place fillings at the bottom of gim (closets to you) and place fillings in a pile

- Roll the gim (or the bamboo mat - if there is one) so the filling is enclosed in the center. Roll carefully and slowly, keeping some pressure evenly on the gim (or bamboo mat)
- Brush the tops of the rolled kimbap with sesame oil
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on rolled kimbap if desired (or sprinkle on rice before adding fillings, whatever your preference)
- Slice the roll into slices, using a large, wet, sharp knife. Do not saw, but cut firmly, straight down, keeping the original round shape of the kimbap



I dipped these into some kimchi brine and I can't tell you how good it tasted. Seriously like a kimbap restaurant taste/quality, but a fraction of the cost. I really urge anyone who likes sushi to try kimbap. Its so easy to make, and cheaper than going out for sushi or kimbap for that matter.

Holly writes...

I LOVE shrimp. Anyway I can get it...ANYWAY. Since moving to North Carolina, I can get fresh shrimp from the docks literally 5 minutes from my house. Yesterday the fishers had a great haul of Colossal Carolina Shrimp...these babies were U10-12's - MASSIVE. AND for 5 bucks a lb., HOW could I pass that up. Cleaning them are a pain in the butt though, and from my aggravation I totally forget to take pictures as I prepared dinner. My husband said to me, "Holly, you usually take a picture of your food, do you not do that anymore?" I almost stirred up my bowl of shrimp scampi before he said that. Thank god he did, otherwise I would have had to wait until next time I could get Colossal Carolina Shrimp to take pictures of my shrimp scampi. Colossal Carolina Shrimp are a rarity on the docks since most of the restaurants grab them up before local shoppers can "have at them."

On to the one and only picture! See how MASSIVE they are? They are to tender, sweet, and crisp.



Shrimp Scampi:

Ingredients:

Shrimp (of any size you prefer)
4-6 cloves of garlic (minced finely)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One Lemon (zest & juice)
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley (garnish)
Cooked Pasta or White rice

- Pre heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat
- Once oil starts to "shimmer" add in the shrimp and cook until opaque
- Add in minced garlic and sauté until garlic is slightly browned
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Add in lemon zest and juice, sauté for 1 minute
- Off the heat source, swirl in pads of butter until sauce thickens slightly
- Serve over cooked pasta or white rice and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley for color

Since there are so many variations of this dish, it is very forgiving with measurements. If you like the taste of butter, by all means use more and less olive oil, visa versa too. If garlic gives you digestion problems or you simply do not like to chew on bits of garlic, try crushing a few cloves and adding it to the oil and remove before service.

Want a little spice? Add some hot pepper flakes, or a little cyan pepper for a kick! OR curry it up with a little curry powder. There are just so many ways you can vary this dish, the list is endless.

Hope you enjoy!

Holly writes:

Another comfort food I happen to adore is bokkeumbap (볶음밥) I love it with various ingredients, but usually vegetable, kimchi or shrimp bokkembap is my norm.

I usually make the bokkeumbap as a side dish to accompany a main dish, and use whatever left overs in a dosirak the next day for lunch.

Bokkeumbap:

Ingredients -

Day old steamed white rice (any variety)
Vegetables*
Meat/Protein**
Garlic (finely minced)
Egg - optional (two scrambled)
Soy Sauce
Vegetable oil

* you may use any vegetables you like, onion, carrot, broccoli, water chestnut, peas, baby corn, mushrooms, snap peas, kimchi etc. (all chopped however texture you desire)
** meat/protein varies, you may use beef, chicken, shrimp, lobster, scallops, bacon etc. (cut into small bite sized pieces)

- In large none stick skillet heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil over medium high heat
- Scramble the eggs until no longer runny, transfer to vessel for later
- Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and sauté vegetables, removing to same vessel as cooked eggs
- Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and sauté protein until cooked
- Add vegetables and eggs to the skillet w/the protein
- Add a couple tbsp. off soy sauce to pan and simmer for 30 seconds
- Add rice to the skillet
- Combine well in skillet, adding soy sauce to the mixture to acheive the color desired
- Break any clumps of rice up with back of spatula or wooden spoon
- "Fry" the mixture until no liquid remains and desired flavor is achieved

With shrimp:


With vegetables:

Holly writes:

Kimbap (김밥) is a distant "4 times removed" cousin to Japanese sushi. The main difference is that kimbap does not use seasoned rice, nor does it ever contain raw fish/seafood. Almost all ingredients are cooked, and the vegetables are prepared namul (나물) style, and take up about 80% of the filling. Kimbap is usually dipped in sesame oil or kimchi brine, not soy sauce and wasabi like Japanese sushi/sashimi.

I happen to LOVE kimbap. I can eat it all day, everyday. My favorite filling has to be bulgogi w/namul style vegetables.



Kimbap assembly is the same as regular maki style japanese sushi. A bamboo mat is sometimes used to keep the kimbap nicely rolled and tight, as kimbap rolls are larger than regular maki sushi.

Bulgogi Kimbap

Ingredients:

Left over bulgogi (I like it slightly warmed up)
Fillings*
Roasted Gim (laver, nori)
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds (toasted)

* You may use ANY type of filling for your kimbap as long as the vegetables are prepared namul style. Some popular ingredients are carrot, cucumber, spinach, zucchini, Korean ham, eggs, processed cheese, crab sticks, various cooked meats, danmuji (pickled diakon radish)canned prepared tuna, etc.

- Place one sheet of gim shiny side down on bamboo mat.
- Place two to three tablespoons of steamed rice on the gim and spread evenly using moistened fingers or spatula leaving about an inch rice free for sealing.
- Place fillings at the bottom of gim (closets to you) and fill w/desired fillings
- Roll the gim (or the bamboo mat - if there is one) so the filling is enclosed in the center. Roll carefully and slowly, keeping some pressure evenly on the gim (or bamboo mat)
- Brush the tops of the rolled kimbap with sesame oil
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on rolled kimbap if desired (or sprinkle on rice before adding fillings, whatever your preference)
- Slice the roll into slices, using a large, wet, sharp knife. Do not saw, but cut firmly, straight down, keeping the original round shape of the kimbap

Serve with a side of sesame oil or kimchi brine to dip into and enjoy!

Holly writes:

Mandu are Korean style dumplings.
In my application I fried them lightly so they are referred to as gunmandu (군만두 - translation: roasted mandu)
They are usually made with a thicker homemade style dough (similar to that of a Chinese dumpling dough) but for home application wonton wrappers are fine. (and I seriously do not have the patience to make homemade mandu dough)

(Disclaimer: please remember, I hardly ever use measurements. I cook purely on taste and repetition of making a recipe through trial and error as noted previously)

Prep Time:
1 hour or more
(depends on your knife skills, this recipe involved a lot of chopping unless using pre chopped ingredients if available)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken (white meat)
Carrots (finely diced or julienned)
Onion (grated finely)
Mushrooms (white button) finely diced
Spinach (chopped)
Water Chestnuts (diced)
Garlic (finely minced)
Ginger (grated finely)
Sugar
Rice wine vinegar
Roasted Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Fresh ground pepper
1 package of small wonton wrappers
1 egg for egg wash
Vegetable oil for skillet

In large skillet, sauté the carrot, onion, mushroom, chopped spinach, waterchestnut, garlic and ginger until the moisture has evaporated.



Let mixture cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled vegetable mixture, ground chicken, sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy souce and ground pepper. Mix well.



Begin assemblage of mandu by taking one wonton skin, moistening all the edges with the egg wash and placing about a tablespoon of the filling into the middle of the wonton wrapper. Fold and crimp edges to form a tightly sealed dumpling shape. Repeat process until desired amount of completed dumplings is achieved.



Place the mandu into a skillet with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the mandu begin to sizzle, add about 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cover immediately. (they tend to "pop" and sizzle a lot, covering pan is a must) Turn the heat down to low and allow the mandu to steam with the lid on until mixture is cooked through.



Serve immediately with favorite dipping sauce.

(here i have used the left overs in a dosirak for the next day)

Holly writes...

Well I am back, not sure about Jen though :P

I tried my hand at Homemade general tso's chicken...

It sure did look pretty, but the taste was a little off, so i will try again in the future.




The fried rice on the the other hand was tasty, but I've made rice this way so many times, so many variations, that its kind of hard to mess up.

Holly writes…

I always feel when I am out to eat “Well I can make this” or “I’m paying this amount for something I can make myself.” Plus the item is what I feel, a knock off or something I can do way better anyways. :P

This brings me to the subject of Antipasti’s. My mother and father LOVE antipasti, but I always find that the mushrooms are too vinegary or no flavor, the arrangement is just a plop of this or that, and they never are consistent.

So finally I decided to start making my own, which has become my #1 requested item for any get together or function. My parents where over for dinner the other day, so I decided to make my antipasti and my Steak Pasta.

The Steak Pasta is an adaptation to a recipe by Giada Di Laurentiis. Her version calls for a cut of meat I can not regularly afford. It also calls for red wine, I do not ever in my house have alcoholic beverages as my husband can not cosume it due to a medication he takes, and my stomach condition. I always find recipes I like on food shows and make them my own anyway, and this recipe was just calling for a Holly make over.




Marinated Mushrooms (for antipasti)

Ingredients:

2 packages of pre sliced button mushrooms (every store has)
Red wine vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dried Thyme leaves
Dried Basil leaves
Kosher salt
Cracked pepper

In sauté pan coat bottom of pan with olive oil, heat until shimmers or wisps of smoke appears. (MUST get oil nice and hot to brown mushrooms)
Add mushroom slices to pan and sauté until edges are slightly golden
Add salt and pepper to taste
Off heat, sprinkle red wine vinegar over mushrooms
Add thyme and basil to taste (do not add before as herbs may burn)
Transfer to bowl to cool
Once cooled, taste mushrooms and adjust vinegar to taste, adding as mush as desired

Prep and cooking time: approx. 30 min.

Serve these mushrooms along side your favorite Italian cheeses, and Italian meats. Adding olives and marinated artichoke hearts with a nice crusty bread really brings the entire platter together. (Unfortunately my parents do not like olives or artichokes, so that is why they are missing on this platter)



Serving this as a starter to any Italian meal is ideal. My Steak Pasta is a great pair and is one of my husband’s #1 requested dinners.




Steak Pasta

Ingredients:
1lb bottom round chuck steak cut into tiny bite size pieces
2 large carrots or handful of baby carrots sliced into rounds
1 medium white onion halved and sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
Half a bottle of A1 steak sauce (5oz bottle)

In large pot brown steak pieces
Remove and drain fat from pot and steak pieces withholding 1 tbsp of fat from steak
Add chopped carrots and onions, sauté until translucent
Add garlic to pot and sauté for 30 seconds or until garlic permeates the air
Add steak pieces back to pot
Add tomato sauce
Add steak sauce
Simmer on low covered for at least 1 hour or until steak is tender
Serve with your favorite pasta

I have let this sit on my stove for 3 hours and it still comes out fine, a crock pot is another great tool if you don’t want the stove on for more than an hour. I would however recommend still browning the meat before adding it to the crock pot to simmer.
This recipe is a great alternative to pasta with meatballs or meat sauce, and is a must for any steak lovers you know.

Jen writes:

Mmmmm, katsu!

Lately I've been on a diet, lost some weight and a few inches but tonight I was just in the mood for some really "bad" food. And what's "worse" than deep fried food?!

Oh how I love thee...Don Katsu, so crispy and crunchy!

Katsu is basically a panko breaded boneless cutlet fried to a crisp and dipped/drizzled with katsu sauce. Katsu sauce is kinda like american bbq sauce if you will.

Typically katsu is deep fried - but I like to pan fry with just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. If you fry correctly [get the oil hot enough] it won't absorb TOO much oil and remember you can absorb any by resting the finished product on paper towels.



Don Katsu

Pork cutlets [pounded thin]
Flour
Egg
Panko bread crumbs
Veg oil for cooking

1. Dust the pork cutlet with flour, shake off excess.
2. Beat egg and dip the floured cutlet into the egg.
3. Bread floured and egged cutlet with the panko bread crumbs.
4. Let the cutlet rest so the egg/panko has a chance to stick. You can even place it into the fridge at this point.
5. Heat skillet with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. The oil will be ready when you drop panko into the pan and it turns golden in about 5-8 seconds. Or, when you put the back of a wooden spoon in the oil and small bubbles appear around the handle.
6. Cook the cutlets on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
7. Cut into thick strips and server with katsu sauce.

Green Beans

Instead of serving with white rice, I decided to go "healthy" and make green beans instead.

Green Beans
Oyster Sauce
Garlic
Soy sauce
Oil

1. Just use about 1 tbsp of oil in a very hot pan
2. Put in garlic and string beans together, stir fry for a few minutes. You want the green beans to still be crunchy.
3. Add in Oyster sauce to coat and about 1 tsp. of soy sauce. Let the oyster sauce "glaze" the string beans and serve along side the katsu.

It was so tastey and really hit the spot! Don't eat this too often, for obvious reasons! lol - but when you're in the mood to be "bad" - go for it!

Holly writes…

 
Recently I have just gotten back into consuming meat again.  Most in part due to my battle with colitis, meat is a no-no.  But as my colitis becomes more manageable, I have found ways to incorporate some of the foods I thought I would never be able to eat again back into my diet if I balance my portions with some sort of starch/soluble fiber.

My beloved spicy Korean food has also been more manageable on my digestive system due to my home preparations where I can control heat and oil levels.  Which makes me all giddy inside; moving hundreds of miles away from my Korean resources has really taken a toll.  Thankfully I have been able to find easy alternatives to traditional recipes which still provide me with my cultural flavors.

Cucumbers and carrots can be found in most cuisines.  A traditional banchan (Korean side dish) usually has some sort of cucumber kimchi or salad.  I have been making my own version since my move away from home.

Tonight I happened to have an industrial sack of baby carrots also, so I decided to throw some into the mix as an extra crunch and flavor.  Also, the cucumbers I used where the “mini” variety, I could not pass up when I saw them in my local super mart.

 

Cucumber & Carrot Salad

Ingredients:

(This recipe is hard to pin down; all measurements vary depending on the amount you happen to make, taste as you go that’s what I do!)

One large English/hot house/seedless cucumber
Hand full of baby carrots
Rice wine vinegar
Granulated white sugar
Toasted sesame oil
Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)

Slice carrots and cucumbers into rounds
In a large bowl combine all ingredients
Marinate until flavors intensify

Prep time: 10 minutes + marinating (depends on your taste)

 
Marinating meat is my favorite preparation for grilling or sautéing.  If you marinate a cut of meat properly, it’s really hard to overcook it, dry it out, or make it into shoe leather.  Not having traditional Korean pear’s where I live; Jen came up with this recipe for me which emulated the flavor of bulgogi.  It tastes pretty much like the real deal.  I can’t thank her enough; I make this dish at least twice a week, saving left overs for quick stuffers in kimbap or stuff it in some onigiri.

 
Ingredients:

Rib eye steak (I happened to use flank/skirt steak this time around as it was on sale)
Soy sauce
Dash of rice wine vinegar
Granulated white sugar
Toasted sesame oil
Grated ginger
Chopped garlic
Grated white onion
(Traditional recipe calls for grated Korean pear and juice and chopped scallion)

Slice meat against the grain into very thin strips (as thin as you can get)
Add all ingredients into mixing bowl
Mix well
Marinate for at least 2 hours
In large skillet on high, sauté meat until no longer pink
Serve with steamed white rice

Prep time: 20 minutes + marinating time
Cooking time: 5-10 depending on heat source

These items have been on my “most frequented” lunch/dinner repertoire for a while now.  It’s a cheaper alternative for some Korean dishes (where in restaurants they can cost upwards of $10+) but doesn’t skimp on authentic flavors.  When I am missing my “roots,” a batch of these dishes defiantly cheer me up.  I hope they can do the same for you.

Holly writes:

For as long as I can remember, potatoes have been my all time favorite food.  Yes, even before rice and bread!  Any form of potato will suffice for me. 

After moving from my parent’s house, I moved into an area with a large Korean community and abundant Korean resources and restaurants at my doorstep.  After trying out a few of the local restaurants, Jen and I happened onto a small Korean establishment boasting “Noodle House.”  We aptly thought that they specialized in noodles, as many Korean dishes contain noodles of some sort.  Happily this particular establishment offered a wide variety of dishes, and a banchan (Korean side dish) that was semi new to us.

Gamja jorim (spicy braised potatoes) instantly sparked my interest.  “Potatoes, spicy, YUM,” I thought to myself as the savory smell quickly raced about my scent glands.  One taste of those potatoes instantly sparked a whole new love affair, as I had never come across a potato with a Korean flavor before, only heard about it through a close Korean friend.

In my quest to satisfy my Korean cravings after moving hundreds of miles away from my resources, Jen scoured the internet in hopes of finding a recipe that would come close to what our favorite restaurant served.  We knew the flavors of what made up those tasty starchy morsels, but in the one instance where we would use measurements, this HAD to be it.

She thankfully found a recipe that came very close to what was served at the restaurant.  And with a little tweaking we have created what we think is near perfect!  Only difference is the recipe we have created is served cold, while the restaurant version is consumed hot (temperature wise).

Gamja jorim:

Small peeled baby potatoes (creamy gold or red skinned are fine)
Soy sauce
4-5 cloves of smashed garlic
1 inch knob of ginger grated or finely minced
1 HUGE rounded tbls. Gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. sugar (less for a spicier flavor)
Optional: sheet of laver (nori) or dried anchovies

 
Peel potatoes and place in heavy sauce pan
Pour soy sauce until bottom of sauce pan is coated
Add water until it rises slightly below tops of potatoes
Add in all ingredients, stir to combine
Simmer on low until liquid is reduced to thick syrup like consistency and potatoes are fork tender
Remove, placing in a container to chill in refrigerator
Serve chilled with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and spring onions

Prep time: Varies due to potato size and heat source.
                  (Jen has gas, I have electric)


As potatoes are my favorite food, I am always trying to find new recipes to add to my repertoire.  There is this wonderful Latin chef named Daisy Martinez whom I adore!  On one of her episodes, she made a potato dish named “Creole Potatoes.”  I had never thought to make her recipe until I received her cook book as a holiday gift.

Tonight my husband wanted tacos; generic, non-fancied up tacos.  Which was fine by me, this would give me the chance to try out the “Creole Potato” recipe for a side dish! 

Unfortunately I did not posses any sofrito, and my local food mart did not sell the jarred or frozen brands. (my husband kindly looked while picking up some chopped meat)

Having a particular ingredient has never stopped me before…

 So I whipped up my own version of what I called “Spanish Potatoes” as a lack of what else to call them.

(ingredients first added to pan)

(finished product after reducing liquids)

 Ingredients:

Peeled baby new potatoes
One 8oz. can of tomato sauce (any brand will do)
Half a regular jar of mild salsa (any brand will do)
Handful of fresh cilantro chopped (stems and all, I have a lovely herb garden)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

 
Precook the peeled potatoes in a microwave on high for 5-7 minutes (depending on potato size)
In sauce pan which can hold potatoes in a single layer, add olive oil to coat the bottom
Slightly brown precooked potatoes
Add in salsa, simmer for 5 minutes
Add in tomato sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper
Simmer covered on low for 15-20 minutes or until liquid reduces to coat potatoes, stiring every so often
Serve immediately

Prep time: approx. 30 minutes

Imagining what the original recipe would taste like, I figure mine would rank closely to a decent knock off.  Serving it with the tacos worked out well, next time I think I will try to pair it up with some sort of beef, as meat and potatoes are best of friend.