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! 

Read More

Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

The weather in NYC is messing with us. It was so hot the other day and today, when I stepped outside for coffee it was freaking freezing. I wanted to enjoy the sun and warmth since we have no windows in the resident's lounge :( I can't imagine how vitamin D deficient I am.

Let me tell you about ochazuke. It's this Japanese dish where you place rice, some salty topping and pour in hot tea. It really doesn't seem like much, but it's so soothing to eat and also easy to make. Sometimes when you're sick or want a quick meal, you can whip up this warm dish and enjoy it under blankets 😊

Here I added on top of the cooked rice, some thinly julienned leek, crab, roe and furikake. I also torched some seasoned nagaimo as a side dish.

Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

makes 1 bowl

1 cup cooked white rice
thinly julienned leek
cooked crab meat
1 tbsp roe
Handful furikake
1 cup freshly brewed green tea

1. Literally top all together in a bowl and pour hot tea over it

Read More

Seafood Soft Tofu Soup - Haemul soondubu

Every time I finish an exam I promise myself I will get soooo much sleep and hibernate for 2 days... I NEVER do! I think I get too pumped and relieved afterwards, that I feel like jumping up and down like a caffeine-crazed hamster. Because I don't get to cook or bake as much during rotations, I almost always start my studying-free weekend by wreaking havoc in the kitchen. I start pulling out all the bowls, spoons and pans. Flour is flying everywhere. My heart is pounding from the adrenaline and I can't manage to think straight. "Should I crack the eggs first? Should I mix the dry stuff first? Where are my spices?" I imagine I look like a headless chicken running in circles in the kitchen while head bopping to Korean pop music :P

Now I'm pretty mellow :P since it's about 1am here. I don't really have a post to put up, but I wanted to share something I eat on the reg. I always crave hot and spicy soups and soondubu has got to be one of my faves. I keep a huge batch of soup sauce (recipe below) in the freezer and it doesn't freeze up or become a hard block. It actually stays paste-like and all I have to do is drop a spoon in boiling water (just like making miso soup). The lighting wasn't bad that day and I snapped one picture, because I prefer my soups hot :P! Ok I'm so going to sleep now.. after I fold up two months of laundry I piled up on my bed :'(

Seafood Soft Tofu Soup - Haemul soondubu

serves 2-3

8oz clams
4oz medium shrimps
1 bunch green onion
1 pack (110oz) soft tofu
1 egg

2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Korean Chili powder (gochugaru)
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Heat pot with 2 tbsp oil on high heat, and add the gochugaru, minced garlic and soysauce. Fry that up and it should resemble a paste. 
2. Add 1/2 cup water (not too much okay?).
3. Add in the clams and shrimp. Wait until the water starts boiling... Sometimes, I just use whatever frozen seafood I have in the fridge. For example, the soondubu I made for the pictures actually has bits of frozen octopus and squid. I always vary my soup with whatever I have on hand.
4. Then add in the packet of soft tofu. 
5. Taste and if needed, you can add a pinch of salt. Let that boil for 5 mins.
6. Add a pinch of pepper, crack in an egg and add 1 tsp sesame oil. And you're good to go!

Soondubu is extremely variable. I also like to add in here 1/2 a small onion diced and 1/2 a zucchini at step 2 and let it simmer until they are soft (before you go onto step 3). You can also make it vegetarian/vegan by not adding the seafood and add in diced potatoes too. 

Read More