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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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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Mini Scotch Egg Hand Pies

I'm currently packing my bags to go back home to LA (yay)! I'm bringing one suitcase filled with MILDLY cold weather clothes and two empty suitcases. Lol, why the empty suitcases?? Because, my mum usually takes one week out of her schedule to make me a ton of my favorite foods and keeps them frozen, so I can bring it back to Richmond. YAS, she is the best. And, I can seriously fill 2 suitcases no problem. In fact, I'm usually stuck at the check in counter with my mum bringing stuff back home because my suitcases are too heavy -_- Sometimes, the frozen rice cakes and soondae (Korean blood sausages) I bring has to be hand carried. I always have to get my carry ons personally checked by TSA security and I get weird weird looks when they hold up my vacuum sealed sausages.

Haha. I also have no shortage of embarrassing stories in the airport. There was this one time I bought a gigantic Costco pack of lady supplies and I just took it out of the box package since it was bulky and put it in the zipper front compartment of my suitcase. So, I land in Richmond and I just happen to be on a plane with a bunch of military men. I'm waiting for my suitcase at the baggage carousel with my bf, when we spot it. Somehow while my bf picked up my suitcase, the zipper got stuck on the rotating band so he yanked on it... At least 20 pieces of lady supplies came flying out of the bag and landed on the military men's combat boots and on the carousel!! I was in so much shock it took me a minute to register what had happened and then I scrambled to pick up all the fallen stuff and had to chase some that was rotating away. I literally wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury myself in it. AND I couldn't just walk away since I had to wait for my other suitcases UNGH. An old lady next to me even patted my shoulder and said that it happens to the best of us. (SERIOUSLY?? I don't think that ever happens to anyone)

I blame it all on my bf! Haha, retelling this story really makes me cringe inside again :(  Anyway, getting back to this recipe... I've always wanted to make scotch eggs, but I still have this fear of deep frying things and getting splattered by grease. I'm just clumsy like that! So, I made a hand pie version of it. They are so cute since I've made them with quail eggs and then wrapped them up in puff pastry. They would make great appetizers for your Christmas holiday dinners! Also, they make great airplane food and I'll be bringing them on the plane. I hope my neighbor doesn't mind the flaky pastry falling all over him... :P

Mini Scotch Egg Hand Pies

adapted from bbc.co.uk
makes 6 mini pies

6 quail eggs (plus 1 extra if you think you'll bust one!)

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage meat

1/4 onion, finely diced

6 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated

pinch of salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp dijon mustard

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

flour for dusting

1 chicken egg (for egg wash)

1. First, soft boil the quail eggs: bring small pan of water to boil. Add quail eggs gently and cook for 3 mins. Then place in ice water for about 5 mins. Peel eggs carefully as they will be soft inside. Place in fridge (I did this step the night before)
2. Preheat oven to 400F and take out your puff pastry sheet to thaw out. Mix (using your hands) sausage, chopped onion, parmesan and chopped parsley together until well blended. Season with a pinch of salt and a lot of pepper
3. Open the thawed sheet of pastry onto a floured surface. Roll into 12x12" square. On one side, divide into 4 strips (two that are 2.5" wide and 2 that are 3.5" wide).  And then divide the other side by 3. So you have 2.5x4" and 3.5x4" rectangles. Roll the smaller rectangles a little wider so they are more like 3x4".
4. Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on the smaller rectangles. Then pat down a small spoonful of the sausage mixture over the mustard, leaving a 1/2-1cm border around the edges. Blot quail eggs with kitchen paper to get off the moisture and place in the center of the sausage. Cover eggs with a thin layer of sausage 
5. Beat a chicken egg and brush along the borders of the pastry bottoms. Lay the larger 3.5x3" pastry over the filling. You may have to roll it a little bigger to get it to cover the filling. Use a fork to press the borders together firmly to seal
6. Transfer the unbaked pies onto a lined baking tray. Brush the pies with the beaten egg and cut small slits on top for steam to escape. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool a few minutes before gobbling.

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Spicy Tomato Soup

You know those days when you think your day at work is going to be extremely short and you don't pack lunch or bring that many snacks...and suddenly you're there until way past dinner time. Today was just one of those days!! And, hypoglycemia people, makes you act like a crazy person. It's actually one of the most common cause of altered mental status in the ED, so we're required to check blood glucose levels on every altered patient that comes in.  I started from hungry this afternoon, which quickly escalated to hangry, and then to almost borderline crazy.

That really got me wishing I had packed some hot soup in my bag before I left home! I also started using the stairs more, so I can get more steps on my fitbit. I'm in a "who-climbs-more-steps" challenge with my friend, and I am seriously losing super badly. And, he keeps sending me those taunts via the fitbit app (Rude >:O haha)! This soup is super easy to make and the spice warms up your belly in no time! Serve it with toasty grilled cheese, and you will be one less of a hangry lady person.

Spicy Tomato Soup

adapted from epicurious.com
serves 3-4

1 jalapeño, coarsely diced (seeds included for spiciness)
1 thai bird's eye chili, diced (or substitute with another jalapeño)
1 medium white onion, coarsely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 can chicken or veggie broth
28 oz diced tomato (Italian)
1-2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream

1. In a sizable pot, heat up 1 tbsp olive oil and saute onions, chili peppers and garlic until onions are somewhat translucent (about 3-5mins)
2. Drain 1/2 of the diced tomato liquid and then add it to the pot. Add chicken broth. Let that simmer for 35-45mins. Add cumin and Salt and pepper to taste
3. Use an immersion blender or work in batches in a blender, blend all until smooth
4. Let simmer for another 5-10mins. Taste and season again if needed
5. Serve with sour cream and grilled cheese of course!

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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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Tomato Watermelon Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette

It's that lazy Sunday where I don't really feel like doing anything but eat frozen chocolate covered bananas in bed. I've had a week filled with cooking and baking disasters. I just kept burning everything I made. Like my batch of green tea macarons :( So labor intensive and then gone to waste by 5 minutes of extra time in the oven. Ughhh macarons!! So when it came to the day of my bf's birthday two days ago, I was super super hesitant to cook dinner. But, I did it anyway...because "best gf". you know? Ha

Anyway, I wanted to make sausage and biscuits, because he loves that gloopy stuff. Baking the biscuits was a disaster. My first batch well... I might as well have made hockey pucks. I know when I have a bad week, I just need to stay out of the kitchen! Luckily, this salad turned out pretty decently. And I say lucky, because I spent a few hours cleaning the mess I made in the kitchen after dinner :(

Tomato Watermelon Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette

serves 3-4

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Tri-color Banchan - Korean Side Dishes

It's hard to believe that another academic year has passed and I'm now no longer a newbie to med school. I drink black coffee, stare at a screen all day and the only exercise I get is walking to the kitchen to open the refrigerator door...which is quite often, because who knows what's in there the next minute?!

I know I complain about being in school all the time and whine about this and that. But, it's actually pretty nice to be back in the groove and to see all my friends. I like being on a schedule and sometimes studying isn't too bad. Haha kidding... We just had a tricky cardiovascular exam and I'm delirious from the lack of sleep.

This year I'm trying to fit in some exercising and to pack my lunch every day. This starts with making Korean banchan (small dishes). I keep an assortment in my fridge and pack different kinds with quinoa, salad or rice daily. Nom time!

Korean Banchan - 삼색나물

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Pea Shoots and Kabocha Summer Roll

I got the itis so bad. My mum's here and she's been making all this delicious food, I'm about to pop. But I feel so blessed and blissful... maybe like the blissful feeling before I'm going to explode. Okay, definitely took that too far. Anyway, I feel too lazy to write this post. Sorry! I also left this short paragraph with an awful joke. Apoloooggiieeessss

Here is a vegan Vietnamese-like summer roll  I made before my mum came. Had to feed myself with all the leftover veggies :P

Pea Shoots and Kabocha Summer Roll

makes 15-20 rolls

20 sheets of rice paper
1/2 medium cucumber
1 medium apple
2-3 cups of pea shoots
1 small kabocha squash
few leaves of kale
cilantro

Peanut dipping sauce
1/2 cup peanut sauce
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp agave
2 tsp hoisin
2 tsp soysauce
1/4 cup water

1. Using a vegetable peeler, roughly peel kabocha and cut into large wedges.  Place in big pot in a single layer with about 1 cm of water. Steam kabocha for 10-15 mins until soft
2. Cut cucumber, and apple into 2 inch matchstick pieces (You can squeeze from lemon over the apple to prevent browning). Wash kale and pea shoots. When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut large wedges into smaller ones
3. Heat water in a large pot until it is about to simmer and then switch off. Working one roll at a time. Place rice paper sheets into the water until soft and lay it open on a plate
4. Add all the veggies and fruit you want on top. Although don't add too much or it'll burst. Fold the bottom end over your filling and then tuck the sides in before you continue rolling all the way. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries!
5. For the dipping sauce, just mix everything together. Go easy on the soysauce because hoisin is already salty. Add 1 tsp each time and adjust to taste. You can always add water or lemon or more sweetness to dilute the saltiness if you go overboard (like me!)

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Sweet Red Bean Soup [단팥죽 - Dan Pat Jook]

How can it only be Wednesday! Getting over hump day is like pulling teeth. Also, we are currently learning about the gastrointestinal tract and nothing can be more exciting than learning about bowel movements for 2 months *roll eyes*. This exam next week is going to absolutely awful. I definitely don't have enough hours in the day to study. And I'm now a 2 cups of coffee a day drinker. From zero to TWO cups a D-A-I-Y-E (sorry, Zoolander reference)

How much do you like to hear people whine? Can't stand it myself... lol :P I haven't had time to bake lately, other than more cream puffs (different filling than last time) and yeasted donuts last week. Recipes soon to come! Today, I'm sharing a traditional Korean soup/porridge that is made of red bean. I cannot get enough of red bean. I just love it on everything...shaved ice, in steamed buns, by spoonfuls :)  I will sing you that red bean song all day. I will!!

Sweet Red (Adzuki) Bean Soup - 단팥죽

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Roasted medley: Tomato, Mushroom, Garlic and Feta

Holy Moly, I'm freezing my buns off! I'm a live-on-the-equator kind of girl and the tropics is in my blood (does Hong Kong count?). In Richmond, it's like the North Pole decided to migrate here. I've been looking like a stuffed penguin everyday or the abominable snowman. Either way, highly attractive...

Luckily, my utility bill is included in my rent. My roommate and I have been blasting the central heating until we're almost sweating in our t-shirt and shorts. And I've been taking hot showers until I look like a prune :P Also, lots of oven usage. Roasted wintery dishes FTW!! This dish is super delish with some crusty bread or even pita chips (especially those crack-like Stacy's Pita Chips)

Roasted Tomato, Garlic, and Feta

makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients
1 small onion, sliced into thin wedges
5-6 cloves garlic, halved
3-4 slabs (5oz) of feta cheese
10 on the vine tomatoes (slighty larger than a cherry tomato)
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
balsamic vinegar

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Place sliced onion on a greased roasting pan and drizzle olive oil over them. Roast for 15 mins.
• Place feta cheese and garlic sliced on top of the onions, crack some pepper and toss over the chopped rosemary and thyme. Then place vine tomatoes and mushrooms, drizzle a little olive oil all over.
• Put back in the oven for another 40-50mins. Serve with splashes of balsamic vinegar. Salt if needed (otherwise feta is salty enough)

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Hummus

One more exam until thanksgiving! So excited for the holidays, not so excited about the $$$ tickets to fly back to LA. Which is why I will spend thanksgiving in Richmond staring at pictures of cats. Although, I will be able to commiserate with my roommate and other desolate Cali people and have a friendsgiving away from home. Yay!

Anyhoo, I finally coughed up the money to buy tahini. I don't get why it's so expensive and why it's such an essential ingredient in hummus! Gad, it imparts such a deep and yummy flavor. I tried making hummus without it and just threw in some sesame oil. Needless to say, it wasn't the same :(

This recipe adds olive oil only when you're ready to serve it. Which apparently is the way to make it and it is super super smooth. Enjoy~

Click read more button below for recipe :)

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Roasted Beets + Spiced Chickpea salad

Hooray! Free few hours after an exam before I have to study again...booo... :( I feel a little delirious from no sleep, but so happy to blog! Also, I just ate a lot of brisket and maybe a half a rack of ribs, and I am hitting serious food coma right now. Thought I might put up a recipe I made last week before I go to sl..zzzZZZZZzzzz

Roasted Beets + Spiced Chickpea salad

Adapted from 'love and lemons' blog
Serves 3-4

Ingredients
4-5 medium sized beets
1 can chickpeas
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
I threw 2 thai chilis for some extra heat
salt and pepper

handfuls of arugula
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
crumbled feta
Red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
olive oil
yogurt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash beets and wrap in foil. Roast for 40-50 minutes or until fork can pierce through easily. Let it cool and slice it up!
2. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet. Add the the chickpeas, garlic powder,chili flakes and italian herbs. Cook until chickpeas are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Assemble your salad. Place beets and spiced chickpeas on a bed of arugula. Crumble with feta cheese, drizzle olive oil and red wine vinegar. Garnish with parsley and yogurt. Finally, crack some fresh pepper.

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Roasted Eggplant + Quinoa w/ Yogurt

So darn bored in class... sitting in the back and flipping through my favorite cookbook of the month, "Jerusalem" by Ottolenghi. Gawd, I love cookbooks with pretty pictures. I own all their other cookbooks too (Plenty, The Cookbook). My mouth is watering, even though I already had a fat sandwich. Is it weird that I love to gawk at food?

Anyhoo, just wanted to share a super simple and quick recipe. Roasted vegetables for fall!! This vegetarian recipe will convert any eggplant hater. Fo' reals.

Click read more button below for recipe :)

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