One pan Seafood Rosé Pasta

I hope everyone is doing well in this pandemic. It's been so crazy being in the middle of the storm in NYC. The sheer number of patients and death has been overwhelming. We've had makeshift Covid ICUs, floors and tents outside the hospital and even in Central Park. As an overworked resident, we've all been feeling a lot of anxiety and stress. On the bright side, the curve has flattened and we are on the DOWNtrend! Yay. And I got a bunch of Tfal cookware to use :)

I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while so here's a simple pantry pasta recipe!

I used my bag of frozen seafood, which I always keep on hand in case I want to make Korean seafood Jeon/pancake or pasta. You can definitely substitute the seafood with any kind of protein! This came together so quickly and easily, which is a godsend when you work long shifts.

Also, can we talk about this cookware?!! The non-stick is amazing and everything just slides off my pans. Even the wash up afterwards is a breeze.

One Pan Seafood Rosé Pasta

serves 3-4 people

5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup assorted seafood
2 tbsp white wine
1 cup tomato purée (you can also use a can of diced tomatoes and purée in a blender)

3/4 lb dry linguine pasta (about 3 servings of a regular box)
2.5 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

1. In a frying pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and allow to heat on medium fire. Fry minced garlic until fragrant and barely brown
2. Toss in seafood, then white wine and stir until heated through. I used frozen seafood that was thawed in warm water and drained.
3. Add in 1 cup tomato purée and allow to simmer. Add 2 pinches of salt and pepper. Once bubbling, set aside in a bowl.
4. You can use the same frying pan without cleaning it and add the dry pasta and water on high heat. Stir frequently, bending the pasta in the water when it becomes pliable to prevent the tips of the pasta burning. Lower to medium heat when the pasta is all soft and cook for 8 minutes total. Add in a pinch of salt. Stir frequently
5. Check the pasta if al dente and to your consistency preference. There should be some starchy water left in the pan. Add back in the seafood tomato sauce and then the heavy cream. Toss in the parmesan cheese and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley.
6. Stir around until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve while hot! 

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Creamy Kimchi Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage

There's been a lull in the SICU and in the general floors lately due to the nurse's strike in NYC that's supposed to happen next week. I love the nurses for what they do, but it's definitely going to be a difficult time in the hospital when we have travelling nurses, who don't really know how to manage surgical patients. I'm already dreading the day and stocking up on ice cream and chocolate...

Also, now that it is my last week on ICU, I'm making a batch of easy lunch meals, because I won't have a lot of time to cook 😔. Here's, creamy kimchi pasta that I made lighter and without the use of heavy cream. The sweetness of the apples in the chicken sausage goes well with kimchi! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Creamy Kimchi Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage

serves 4

8 oz penne pasta
3 chicken apple sausage, diced bites-sized (Johnsonville brand)
1 cup kimchi, diced bite-sized
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup kimchi juice
4 tbsp cream cheese (I used neufchâtel, low fat)
1 cup milk (I used 1%, and it was still creamy)
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili pepper)
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper
1 bunch chives

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside
2. In a large pan, brown chicken apple sausage in a little bit of olive oil and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in same pan on medium flame, fry kimchi, onions and garlic until onions are slightly translucent (about 2-3 mins)
3. Add to pan, chicken stock and kimchi juice and bring to boil. Then turn down heat to simmer for 3 mins. Add cream cheese (cut into cubes) and stir until melted
4. Add dried parsley, cooked sausage and pasta. Then pour in milk and stir. Stir in parmesan and mozzarella until the sauce is thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add more milk.
5. Serve immediately with chives

This post was sponsored by Johnsonville. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

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Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

I'm stuck in the SICU again for 5 weeks, where our hours are 24hrs on/24hrs off. The hours blows, but I do get a day of sunlight and time to do normal human things like making doctor's appointments and going to the bank. The weather has been a snowy this week and luckily I went grocery shopping, because I am definitely not walking out in the mush!

Here's a sandwich I made on my off day! Lots of gouda cheese, prosciutto and avocado. The sautéed kimchi brings the acidity to help cut the greasiness. So good :)

Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
1 clove garlic
1 pat of butter
3 slices of gouda cheese
1/4 cup kimchi, coarsely chopped
1 slice prosciutto
1/2 avocado, sliced lengthwise

1. Rub garlic onto bread, or you can mince it and spread it on. Spread butter and toast to your liking
2. Heat small pan with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil. Saute kimchi until slightly soft for 2-3 mins 
3. Add on gouda to a slice of bread and allow to toast lightly as well to make it nice and soft
4. Place on a plate to assemble sandwich. Add the warm kimchi on top of gouda, which will also help melt it
5. Tear prosciutto to lay over kimchi and place avocado and bread on top. 

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Quinoa Stuffed Jack O' Lantern Peppers

Time to get ready for Halloween!! I have so many memories of halloween, because all throughout college, my friends and I would dress up and go trick or treating. We were by far the oldest group of people asking for candy OoPs. Don't mean to steal candy from the kids! The neighborhoods near Rice University was the best though. So many ginormous houses that gave out FULL SIZED candy bars.

Now I don't even remember when the last time I dressed up for Halloween. Maybe in medical school during my peds rotation? I think I scared the kids more though. Oh well... This recipe is super adaptable. You can pretty much stuff the peppers with anything you enjoy like brown or white rice, spaghetti etc... I think it would make for a very cool kid's project. Or a poor man's pumpkin carving :P

It definitely makes less mess than pumpkin carving and doesn't take up space, since you'll eat it all up!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers [Halloween Edition]

makes 4 Jack O' Lantern bell peppers

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/s tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup frozen vegetables (assorted)
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
pinch of dried parlsey, for garnish (optional)

4 medium yellow or orange bell peppers

1. Cooking the filling. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, until softened. Add Italian seasoning and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in quinoa, 1 tsp salt and frozen vegetables, about 1 min. Add 2 cups of water. Let boil and then turn down heat to allow simmer for 15-25mins. Fluff quinoa when fully cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed
2. Prepare the peppers. While the filling cooks, preheat oven to 375F. Use a tiny knife and cut the tops off the bell peppers to make lid. Remove seeds inside and season with salt and pepper. Cut out tiny Jack O' Lantern faces. Place peppers into a baking dish in one layer, set aside
3. Stuff prepared peppers with quinoa. Sprinkle cheese over peppers. Place the lids on top of the cheese or between peppers. Pour about 3/4 cup between the peppers into the baking dish
4. Cover w/ aluminium foil and bake until peppers are softened, but not mushy. About 30-45mins.

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Roast Duck and Kimchi Pizza + A Kuvée Wine System, Le Creuset Giveaway

Happy National Wine Day! I'm currently in Taiwan eating my weight in street food and delicious-ness. I can't believe how cheap food is here. Like a piece of spicy chicken fried steak the size of my face is two bucks!! I'm leaving tomorrow and I'll probably have to be fork-lifted onto the plane :P

But let's talk wine! Especially the new Kuvée wine system I was given to try. It's this super cool, high-tech tube that's shaped like a wine bottle and you can buy their specially packaged wine to slide into the tube. AND THEN IT LIGHTS UP AND CONNECTS TO WIFI. You have to check our their video, because I'm so bad at explaining things.

My mum was pretty ecstatic when she saw it because she loves trying wines and inviting family over for dinner. Their bottle system keeps the wine longer than usual so you can open multiple bottles at a time. You can read about the wine on the touch screen, rate and order another bottle all from the fancy electronic tube. How neat is that? It's such a conversation starter.

I mentioned it to my friend who was really interested in trying it, because she likes to have a glass of wine for dinner, but not necessarily finish the whole bottle. It was interesting reading the pairing notes and for this particular pinot noir, it said it paired well with roast meats. Hence, this roast duck pizza and fried kimchi. It works so well together! As a cook, I found this feature pretty cool and it gave me new ideas for meals and pairings.

I'm giving a chance for you guys to win the Kuvée Wine System along with a Le Creuset Wine Cooler bag and 50% of 4 bottles of wine! Say what! Just head on over to my Instagram or the Instapost for instructions!

Roast Duck and Kimchi Pizza

makes 2 medium pan pizzas

Pizza Dough (adapted from serious eats)
3.5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1.5 cups water, room temp

Toppings
napa kimchi (fist sized amount)
sesame oil
basil based pesto
roast duck
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more
handful of grated parmesan cheese
dash of ground black pepper
fresh basil

1. For dough: 
• combine flour, salt, yeast and 2 tbsps olive oil in a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Add water to mixer gradually on medium speed until the dough comes together. Increase speed to medium-high for about 5-10 mins until dough is stretchy and smooth
• Gather dough into a ball and allow to rise in a oiled bowl for about an hour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap to avoid dough drying out
• After first rise, separate dough into 2-4 balls, cover with wrap again and allow to rise for another hour
• Gently push and stretch dough to desired size in greased baking sheet
2. Meanwhile, cut kimchi into bite sized pieces and sauté on medium heat until wilted, but not so much that it loses it's crunch. Drizzle in about 2 tsp of sesame oil
3. I used roast duck slices that I bought in the grocery store and lightly fried/roasted them until the fat was rendered on the skin
4. Once everything is prepared, adjust oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 450F
5. Spread pizza with a generous amount of basil pesto leaving an inch of border. Oil border with olive oil
6. Top with mozzarella cheese and then place sautéed kimchi and roast duck on top
7. Bake for about 15-20mins or until cheese has melted and crust looks golden. Once out, top with parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper and basil leaves

This post was sponsored by Kuvée. I'm teaming up with them to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

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Croque Madame Waffles

Another weekend, another week of not doing anything. Ah, I'm about to tear my hair out of boredom. Although, I guess I have been going to the gym more often and hiking around California with my mum. We went to Death Valley a few days ago and now I have this wicked capri leggings tan! I can't wait for residency to start even though I know intern year is going to be hell. Not doing anything makes me so restless, it's driving people around me crazy too 😝

So here's to a last few good weekends for brunching leisurely. And of course, that means waffles! I've been wanting some extra cheesy carb-y brunch foods and transformed croque madame into it's waffle form.  This fulfills all kinds of munchies and cravings! It's got rich béchamel, sharp cheese, ham and just enough dijon to cut a little of all the fattiness, but leave you wanting more. Oh, and we can't forget that runny egg :)

Croque Madame Waffles

makes 8-10 waffle sandwiches

Waffles
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1.5 c milk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Béchamel
1 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shredded gruyere (plus extra for top)
2 tsp black pepper (optional addition of nutmeg)

Dijon mustard
Canadian ham (fried slightly until edges are brown)
Fried eggs

1. For béchamel: in a small pot, melt butter on low heat. Once melted, dump in the flour and whisk on low for 3 mins. Add milk while whisking and let it simmer for 5 mins. Occasionally whisk to prevent bottom burning. The sauce should thicken and have thick bubbles popping off the surface. Take off heat and whisk in gruyere, salt and a dash of black pepper and nutmeg
2. For waffles: Whisk dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar) in a large bowl. Mix in a small bowl, vanilla, eggs, milk and butter. Whisk dry and wet together until batter is just fully mixed. Small clumps of flour are okay! Make waffles according to your waffle machine
3. Assembly: Place waffles down on a baking tray and generously spread béchamel sauce over them. Sprinkle with gruyere, lay down Canadian ham, spread mustard and top with another waffle. Spread béchamel over the top waffle as well and more cheese (because why not?). Broil on low until the cheese has crusted on top. 
4. Serve with a runny fried egg on top!

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Animal Style Waffles

One of the first things to do when I get to LA is to have an In 'n' Out burger... and eat Korean BBQ. I think I can say yes to both :D Yes, I'm in LA, but I'm going to be chained to my desk studying here :( So this is my last post until next month! Here's an In 'n' out animal style rendition of waffles.

You have a crispy pressed tater tots waffle base, topped with American cheese, caramelized onions and that signature sauce (which is probably just thousand island dressing haha). Aaaaand a poached egg over it of course!

See you guys in a month!!

Animal Style Waffles

makes 1 waffle

12-15 tater tots, defrosted
1/2 small onion
1-2 slices of American cheese
1 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp mayo
1 egg

1. Very thinly slice yellow onion into half moons. Heat a small frying pan with a little oil. Toss onions on low heat and let it sit for a while. It takes A LOT of patience for it to become limp and caramelized. Stir occasionally for about 30 minutes (or longer...who's counting?)
2. Bring to boil some water in a small pot to poach your egg in. Poach it and take it out with a slotted spoon and lay it on a piece of kitchen towel. Set aside
3. Now, heat up your waffle iron. Line up defrosted tater tots side by side onto the gaps in the iron and press down. It'll take longer than usual...but make sure it's nice and golden brown when you take it out
4. Top immediately with slices of american cheese so that it can melt on top. Add the caramelized onions and then mix ketchup and mayo together in a small bowl and drizzle that on top
5. Place the poached egg over it and season with pepper. 

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Curry Masala Fondue and Garlic Naan

I'm about to start my last rotation next week! Woop di dooh! I just finished my family rotation out in the boonies of Virginia. I'll say that was interesting... There were patients that came in and was like "I fell on an electric fence, woke up and came here - No Big Deal". Another person came in with a leg half open and was like "I filled it with sawdust when I cut it with my chainsaw to stop the bleeding". Like what?!

Since I'm leaning towards the surgery side, I didn't think I was going to enjoy the rotation that much, but I really did in the end. There's something about the long-term patient care aspect, where you could potentially care for your patient from cradle to the grave, that appealed to me. But, I dunnooo.... I still really enjoy cutting and sewing stuff :P

Anyway, I had an Indian friend who left me with all her spices when she moved. SCORE! Seriously, every time I open my pantry door, it smells like India. And then I receive this fondue pot from Swissmar, and I was like yeaaaa Curry fondue! I usually find cheese fondues really heavy with one flavor profile, but adding all the spices really made in multi-dimensional in flavvahhh! It kind of resembled a cheesy chicken tikka masala (but without the chicken). And with some homemade fluffy garlic naan and roasted vegetables, it'll be a party!

Apparently, fondues are making a come back... so it's time to dust up your old pot and put it to use. Or get this heavy duty cast iron one! I love that it's cast iron because it heats the cheese sauce more evenly and not just under the flame. I was able to cook the sauce directly in the pot and then transfer it onto the set. No pouring cheese over myself by accident! The inside is also enamel coated, so you don't have to worry about seasoning it or avoiding acidic foods and it's very easy to clean. It's a classy no fuss multi-purpose pot!

Hope you guys enjoy the recipe! AAaaand, have an awesome weekend full of fun and of course...lots of cheese :)

Curry Masala Fondue

serves 4-6

2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk + 1 cup
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
3 dried red chilies
1 tsp black peppercorn (or 2 tsp black pepper)
1 bay leaf
2 cups cheese (cheddar, parmesan)

Roasted cauliflower and red potatoes

1. In the fondue pot, melt butter and add garlic and stir until fragrant. Whisk in flour and milk until it becomes a paste. Dilute tomato paste in water and whisk that in too
2. Add in spices (turmeric, paprika, cumin, chilies, pepper and bay leaf). Whisk occasionally until it becomes somewhat thickened. You could honestly mix in any kind of curry spices together and it will taste good! Thin with the extra cup of milk 
3. Add in a mix of cheese. I liked cheddar to give it some sharpness. I think adding mozzarella could work just to get the stringiness. I used a mix of cheddar and parmesan (mostly because I can't afford expensive cheese :P)
4. Now fondue is ready for dipping! I roasted some cauliflower and diced red potatoes drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with simply salt and pepper!

Garlic Naan   makes 9

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp greek yogurt
1 egg
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3.5 cups flour
4 tsp garlic, minced
ghee for frying

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water for 10 mins until frothy and bubbly
2. In your mixer bowl, stir sugar, yogurt, egg, salt, baking soda and flour together. Add yeast mister and knead 10-15 mins until smooth
3. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for an 1 hour in a warm place until about double it's size
4. Punch down the dough to release gas (my fave part hehe). Knead in garlic evenly, but don't over knead! Pinch into 9 pieces and roll into balls, cover with wrap or a towel and rest 30 mins
5. Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat. Roll out with a roller and kind of spread it pretty thin with your hands (like shaping pizza). Brush ghee on one side and place that side onto hot cast iron pan. Cover with lid and fry for 1-2 mins. Spreading it real thin allows you to get all those awesome bubbles in your naan!

I developed this recipe for Swissmar; all opinions expressed are my own. They also have a wide range of fondue pots (think meat!) and other cool kitchen stuff :) Thank you for the support!

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Kimchi Chili Cheese Tots

After completing my surgery rotation, I've been trying to clear out the fridge of all kinds of stuff that have been sitting in there for too long. I have a gallon sized bucket of kimchi, an assortment of all kinds of shredded cheese and a family size pack of tots in the freezer. There's just this appeal to buying bulk and making the most of my costco membership even if I'm only cooking for one! Blame it on my Asian-ness and for my love of coupons. I'm not like the coupon lady you see on TV, but I'm pretty close :P!

Kimchi reaches a point where it's pretty much too sour to eat, but perfect to cook with. Frying the kimchi also helps mellow out the sourness and spicyness, and goes well with heavier items like cheese and sour cream. So, I've made a rendition of my favorite comfort food, chili cheese tots! And added kimchi and more spice with gochugaru (Korean chili powder). It's a lot of flavors, but they really work well together.

I would serve it in a skillet so you can put easily put it back in the oven to make the cheese all bubbly and gooey. I used Revol's mini ramekins that look like they are cast iron pans, but are actually porcelain. I baked the tots in them and put them back under the broiler to melt the cheese. I love the look of cast iron without getting carpal tunnel from lifting them! They're also pretty cute and perfect size for serving appetizers. I can't wait to show you guys my next dessert post using these coming up next week!

Kimchi Chili Cheese Tots

serves 3-4 people

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup kimchi, diced (aged)
1 jalapeño, diced
1 16oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp ketchup
salt and pepper
1 16oz can chick peas
1 bag tots
2 stalks green onions, diced
Toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, cilantro, sour cream

1. In a medium stockpot over medium high-heat, add some vegetable oil and diced onion. Stir continuously and add garlic, kimchi and jalapeños
2. Saute until the onion beings to turn translucent and add the can of diced tomatoes. To the chili, add gochugaru, bay leaf and ketchup. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened (about 15-20 minutes)
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F and bake frozen tots until hot and crispy on the outside (according to package instructions)
4. Add chick peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Stir in chopped up cilantro and diced green onions
5. Ladle a generous helping of chili over the cooked tots and sprinkle with lots of cheese. Place in oven again until cheese is melted and bubbling
6. Sprinkle any desired toppings like bacon bits, sour cream and garnish with cilantro, jalapeño slices and green onions

I developed this recipe for Revol; all opinions expressed are my own. I love their beautiful and creative kitchen bakeware, serve ware and cooking tools :) Thank you for the support!

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Mango Chai Tiramisu

I'm on my surgery rotation right now, so I don't have much to update you on about my life. Mostly because it's really boring and consists of waking up at the crack of dawn and standing in the OR all day. Although, I'm on cardiothoracic surgery right now and I get to poke and jab at beating hearts. I even shocked one today right in the chest :O! Speaking of hearts...it's almost V-day! I don't usually do anything, because it's a pain in the butt to eat with other lovey-dovey couples (who should really get a room) and prices at restaurants are ridiculously expensive. I'm planning on spending Vday ordering wings and pizza!!

Anyway, I wanted to put this recipe up since I've been getting questions about the recipe after I posted a photo on instagram. I know it's been months since I said I was going to upload this post, but at least I did it!!

Mango Chai Tiramisu

makes a 8x8" tiramisu cake

20-22 lady finger biscuits
1 tbsp chai spice mix (like this one if you want to DIY)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry milk powder
1 cup hot water

4 oz mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups mango, diced
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp meyer lemon jam (or use some lemon juice)

1. Make sure you have enough biscuits for 2 layers for a 8x8" square pan. Line the biscuits in the pan so they fit tightly on the bottom. Cut any pieces so that it fits to make a flat layer. Set aside the biscuits
2. In a shallow bowl, mix chai spices, sugar, milk powder and hot water together. Let cool (This will smell ridiculously spicy but it tones down over night)
3. In a mixing bowl, whip mascarpone cheese, cinnamon, ginger and powdered sugar together until fluffy. Place in a large bowl and then whip up heavy cream until soft peaks form and then whip in vanilla extract. Carefully fold mascarpone mix to the whipped cream until no streaks remain
4. In a blender, blend cubed mango, sugar and lemon jam together
5. Assembly: Dunk lady finger biscuits into the chai for about 7 seconds top and bottom. Lay them down like you had previously planned. Once they are in a nice layer, add 1/2 the mascarpone mix and flatten into a neat layer with a offset spatula. Next, spread all the mango over the mascarpone
6. Dunk lady finger biscuits again to make the second layer. Cover with the rest of the mascarpone. Tent pan with foil while taking care not to touch the surface and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (but best overnight)
7. Serve chilled with cubed mango and chai spice sprinkled on top!

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Cheddar Jalapeños Waffle Corndogs

Growing up in Hong Kong, I was never exposed to American "football" and football to me was "soccer". I also only had British schooling up until college, so I played a lot of British sports like squash, cricket, rugby and netball. Netball is this all girls game played in skirts and it's like basketball without dribbling. I'm not even sure why it's a sport! It's more of an excuse to watch girls jump around in skirts... :\ I was also highly uncoordinated in my teens and was never into sports back then. It all changed when I went off to college and decided to lose my freshman 15 (lol, more like 20). Now, I love running, playing tennis, and in fact, I was in my women's college rugby team for 2 years!

I wish I understood American football though. People around me are so pumped about game day, whereas, I'm more pumped about game day eats! This waffle corndog creation is from my love of waffles, mini corn dogs and all food on sticks! They are super easy to make and easy to eat too. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Also...who's playing this weekend?

Cheddar Jalapeños Waffle Corndogs 

makes 8-10 waffle corndogs

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
2 jalapeños, seeded and coarsely diced
5 hot dog
butter

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl: from cornmeal to salt. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, veggie oil and egg. Mix dry and wet ingredients together 
2. Fold in shredded cheese and jalapeños. Cut your hot dogs in half length-wise and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Poke a skewer into the cut dogs. Unless you have a pretty deep set waffle iron (but I couldn't fit mine in)
3. Heat up your waffle iron and when it's ready, lather butter on the iron surface. Place two dogs in each iron square. My square waffle iron has 4x4 raised parts, so I placed the dogs in the trough between the 1st and 2nd and the 3rd and 4th, with the skewers sticking outside
4. Scoop the cornbread batter so that it generously covers the dogs. Close iron and cook until lightly brown and crispy outside. It will take longer than your usual waffles
5. Cut waffle in half and serve with ketchup and dijon mustard!

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Creamy Kimchi and Sausage Pasta

I'm back in Richmond!! When I first landed here, I was pretty surprised that LA had been colder and rainier than Richmond :\. I was all prepared with my down jacket, scarves and wooly hat...but when I got off the plane, I was sweating and huffing and puffing when I got to the baggage carousel haha. I actually wished it was colder so I could put some of my winter clothes to use! I totally take that back now though! I have to walk to school fairly early in the morning and it has been bitingly cold to the BONE. Like -7 celsius (still can't get used to Fahrenheit)!! As someone who has lived at the equator most of her life and now in sunny southern California, I can't get used to this freezing weather! I feel like the Michelin tire white puffy man everyday.

I'm glad my mum has packed a suitcase full of food for me before I left, yay! I can seriously say I don't have to go food shopping for a few months :D. Unless, I have to buy eggs, which I do...because eggs are life :P. I put this kimchi pasta up on instagram a few days ago and got a lot of demands for the recipe. Yes, I did make it last year...and it is finally up now :]. At that time, I really needed to get rid of my kimchi before I left for 2 weeks...but, I didn't expect it to be so good! The sausage and herbiness really goes well with the sharp bites of kimchi and parmesan. This dish is best enjoyed with friends and a hearty appetite!

Creamy Kimchi and Sausage Pasta

serves 4-5

1/2 lb bow tie pasta
1/2 large medium onion, sliced thinly into half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
1/2 lb sausage, sweet Italian
1 cup napa kimchi (slightly aged/sour), chopped into 1" squares
1.5 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp white wine
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (or 2 tbsp dried parsley)
salt and pepper

1. Boil pasta according to directions on the box, but about 2 mins before al dente or your desired texture. Rinse with cold water and set aside
2. Heat large frying pan with some oil and sauté onions, garlic and jalapeño until onions are slightly translucent. Place sausage in and break it up into bitable bits with your spatula. Add in the kimchi when the sausage isn't too pink on the outside. Heavily add pepper and a little bit of salt.
3. After adding the kimchi and frying it around for about 2-3 mins, pour in the heavy cream and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the white wine and then the pasta. Stir to coat. The sauce should thicken in a few minutes. Gently fold over pasta once in a while until all the pasta has warmed up and is to the texture you like, sprinkle in the parsley and parmesan cheese. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
4. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan and serve hot.

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Bulgogi Chili Pizza with gochujang tomato sauce + Giveaway

Cheese and Korean food has always been such a norm, that I forget how new and interesting it can be to others. Or how gross it can sound haha. I grew up microwaving slices of American cheese over my rice, and eating kimchi with all kinds of non-Korean food. Typically, you'll find kimchi in Italian restaurants in Korea, because we have this need to cut out the "greasy" taste with something more sharp and pickled.

My fave kimchi combos are obviously with cheese, but also with sweet potatoes (I'm telling you this is very common!), Japanese curry and pasta. Don't look at me all weird... you'll never know what it tastes like until you've tried it!

I love following what Asians eat, because they come up with the craziest combos. I recently came across the menu at the Costco chain in Korean, and they sold bulgogi pizza. I was like what?! Why don't we have that at our Costco?! Although, our pizza here is pretty decent, extremely large and let's not forget the $1 churros (woo!).

I thought I'd call it a day and throw some bulgogi on pizza dough, but I decided to experiment by adding gochuchang (Korean Chili paste) to the tomato sauce. It gives the pizza base a mild spicy and pungent (in a good way!) flavor that pairs so well with the other ingredients. And of course, I threw in a gazillion slices of chili peppers on top :D

I've partnered up with Kitchen IQ for this post, and tried using their V-Etched Container Grater. I love the fact that they have so many different blades so you can shred cheese, grate vegetables and slice up chilies. It also has a storage container, so I had all these left over pizza ingredients that I used up the next day in an omelette.

I'm happy to be giving away one on my instagram! All you have to do is...

1. Follow both @misshangrypants and @kitchen_IQ on instagram
2. Like and tag a friend!

Giveaway ends in a week. U.S. reader only

How easy is that? Now, go make this pizza and eat it with kimchi!

Bulgogi Chili Pizza
serves 4 

1 no-knead pizza dough

Your favorite bulgogi recipe - click for details

1 lb rib eye, sliced thinly
1 asian pear
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves garlic
5 tbsp soysauce
3 tbsp mirin or cooking wine
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp pepper

1 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 can (14oz) diced tomato, drained
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean Chili paste)

2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 green Korean chili, sliced thinly
1 red Korean chili, sliced thinly
1/2 onion, sliced
pepper
green onions (optional)

1. Make the no-knead pizza dough or pre-made or you favorite recipe
2. Fry about half of the bulgogi, since you won't be using all of it. Cut bulgogi into smaller bite sized pieces. Set aside
3. In a blender, add tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Take about 1.5 cups and blend that with 1-2 tbsp gochujang. Save the rest of the paste/tomatoes for another time!
4. Once you have your pizza dough ready and all shaped up. Preheat oven to 400F
5. Spread a thin layer of gochujang tomato sauce as a base. Sprinkle some mozzarella, arrange bulgogi pieces chilis and onion. Top with more mozzarella. Crack some fresh black pepper over it.
6. Slide it into the oven. Depending on your pizza size, watch the pizza until the edges brown and the cheese is bubbly. I made 2 small/med pizzas and that took about 15-20mins each
7. Serve with shredded green onions (optional) and kimchi! (not optional haha)

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Homemade Hot Ramen Cheetos

I was introduced to hot Cheetos in College... yea, it's a little late, but I lived in a home where fruits were desserts and rice cakes studded with beans and nuts were snacks. I think it was my roommate and now best friend that always had a bag of hot Cheetos (con limón) glued to her hand and her fingers permanently covered in fluorescent orange cheese powder. She was always panting and guzzling water too, since she kinda of sucks at eating spicy food (lol, she's going to kill me). I had to try for myself and find out why she was going through all that trouble to eat them.

My first bite I had a revelation. I'd never tasted something so cheesy, but spicy at the same time. So crispy, salty and with just the right amount of heat and lingering perfume of lime. I was like, OMG I've been living such a deprived childhood!! I was so addicted to the stuff, you'd see me eating out of the bag with a pair of chopsticks all around campus (way before reddit made it mainstream). I think I ate so much hot Cheetos that my poop even turned orange/red.

I guess I got sick of it after a while, because it's been quite a long time since I've had some Cheetos! So, I've decided to go and make some myself and add something equally as addicting...Ramen! Or more like the MSG in ramen. Don't tell me you've never licked your fingers after you opened the MSG packet to make instant ramen!

As kids, it was really popular to get a bag of instant ramen, pour in the MSG, smash up the noodles, shake the bag and just eat it dry. It must be a really Asian thing, because I've never seen anyone do it here. This is my version with hot Cheetos! I'd eat these homemade cheese puffs with anything actually. They are soo good. And then you toss it into a bag and shake it up with some hot ramen spice, and it is out of this world. Literally, you will be licking your fingers (mostly because you will have salt all over them :P)

Homemade Hot Ramen Cheetos
adapted from Classic Snacks Made From Scratch 
makes 3 dozen

Cheese Puffs
1/2 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup flour
2 tsp cornmeal
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/4 cup Kraft macaroni cheese powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp milk (or water, I used a mix of both)

MSG cheese coating
1 MSG packets from an instant ramen bag (I used Shin Ramen)
1 tbsp Kraft macaroni cheese powder
1/2 tsp cornstarch

1. Cheese curls: In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter with garlic powder for 1-2 mins. Add in flour, cornmeal, parmesan cheese and Kraft cheese powder. Stir at low speed, add veg oil and add enough milk/water until a slightly firm dough forms. Knead into a disc with your hands, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
3. Break off small pieces of the chilled dough and pinch into skinny cheetos looking logs (skinnier than in my photos. I made them too thick). Place onto baking sheets (can be close because they don't puff or spread much)
4. Bake for 14-18 mins or until you see some brown color. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely
5. In a large ziplock bag, add ramen MSG packet, cheese powder and cornstarch. Shake to mix
6. Add cooled naked cheetos to the ziplock bag and shake gently to coat evenly

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Basic Gougères

My friends and I are starting a new thing where we have potlucks based on a specific country. So a few weeks ago, we had a Brazilian potluck and I had full intention of making Pão de Queijo. Watch me go to a Brazilian churrascaria and chow down a basket full of cheesy chewy puffs of dough. They are soo delicious, so fluffy and even better hot out of the oven.

But... Why does my post say gougères then?! Because, I didn't have the right flour!! I was so devastated, but I thought screw it, I need to make something in 2 hours or I will show up empty handed. And my friends will beat me (haha kidding). I started making the dough with olive oil (typically for pão de queijo) and normal flour, which reminded me of making cream puffs. And I thought, GOUGÈRES! They are like the French version of pão. Don't ask me who came up with cheesy breads first... I just like to eat them :P.

Anyway, instead of using butter, I used mostly olive oil and they turned out wonderfully. And I saved the day (sort of :\). These are like crack on a plate, covered in cheese. Do make them!!

Parmesan Gougères

adapted from foodandwine.com
makes 35-40
1 cup whole milk
a little less than 1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1-1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/2 tbsp pepper

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