Kimchi Fried Rice with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

Woo. I'm starting vacation after this 24 hour call! Although we've been wanting to travel far far away, we're unfortunately stuck close to New York. We were planning to visit my parents this week in LA, but California has been doing poorly with COVID so we've had to cancel our flight. Also unfortunately, our hospital policy on travel is super strict for residents :(  We're at least going to the Pocono Mountains for a much needed relaxed visit!

I wanted to post this classic Korean home meal, which I've made time and time again. This time with Alfresco Chicken Sausage! I don't usually put protein, but because these dinner sausages are already cooked, it is such a breeze to slice and put it in. There are so many flavors! I used roasted garlic, which has a sweetness to it that works very well with Kimchi. I definitely want to try the Spicy jalapeño sausage next time for some extra heat!

 Kimchi Fried Rice with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

serves 4-6

1 stalk green onion, finely chop
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 Alfresco Chicken Sausages, sliced
2 cups ripe napa kimchi, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp kimchi juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Korean chili pepper powder
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

3 cups cooked rice, cooled
3 tsp sesame oil
sesame seeds
roasted seaweed (optional)
fried eggs

1. In a large frying pan, heat cooking oil on medium flame and stir fry green onion (just the white/light green part) and the sliced sausages
2. Once the sausage is browned, add the kimchi plus a some juice, gochujang, soy sauce and sugar and pepper powder. Stir-fry over low heat until kimchi is slightly soft
3. Add cooled/cold rice and break it up to thoroughly to incorporate the kimchi sauce. You can add more kimchi juice if it seems a little dry
4. Mix in the green part of the spring onions and drizzle in sesame oil
5. Place in a bowl. Garnish with fried egg, sesame seeds and crushed seaweed flakes!

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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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Kimchichurri Hasselback Potatoes

Happy St Patrick's Day! I guess it was yesterday, but I wasn't able to post this until today. I'm on another 24 hour shift in the hospital, but was so thankful that my St Paddy's weekend wasn't crazily filled with belligerent drinkers hurting themselves! So in true Irish fashion, I made some potatoes and topped it with something green.

I love a buttered potato and it's actually very common to eat potatoes or sweet potatoes with kimchi in Korea. We say that potatoes and kimchi are friends, like PB & J are! I decided to adapt the classic Argentine chimichurri sauce with kimchi instead and used cilantro because I thought it might go together better than parsley. And so you have kimchi + chimichurri = KIMCHICHURRI!!

I've now got a jar of this delicious tangy fresh kimchichurri in the fridge and will top everything with it this week 😋

Kimchichurri Hasselback Potatoes

6 small yukon potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pat butter
sea salt, black pepper
roasted sesame seeds

Kimchichurri
2 stalks green onion
1 bunch cilantro (or 1 cup firmly packed leaves, thick stems trimmed)
1/3 cup napa cabbage kimchi
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp kimchi juice
1/2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
1 tbsp light sesame oil
1/3 cup olive oil
salt

1. Prepare potatoes. Wash, remove eyes and soak in cold water for 10 mins. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Put potato on chopping board, flat side down. Cut in 5 mm intervals almost all the way through
3. Arrange potatoes in a baking tray. Rub butter on top of each potato, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and fresh black pepper. Bake for about 40 mins or until the tops are crispy and the flesh is soft
4. While potatoes are baking, get out your food processor. Add green onion, cilantro leaves and kimchi. Pulse to achieve coarse/finely chopped texture. Otherwise, I did this all buy hand (because my food processor was already in use with other things :P). Plus, I like a more chopped chunky texture for chimichurri
5. Stir in the minced garlic, kimchi juice, gochugaru, sesame and olive oil. Salt to taste
6. Top kimchichurri over baked hasselback potatoes and serve. Chimichurri can be kept for a week in a tightly closed jar. It tastes even better as it ages!

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Kimchi Chive dumplings

Kimchi Chive Dumplings

The first post of the year! Wow, I didn't realize I posted so long ago... 😬But life and the inservice training exam got in the way. Still awaiting results with sweaty palms and sleepless nights.

On a happier note, I went home to LA last week to visit friends and family for lunar new year. It's a little late, but I'm finally posting the recipe for my mum's kimchi chive dumplings that we make every year as tradition. I wish everyone a very prosperous year!!! Otherwise, I'm back in New York, doing normal general surgery residency stuff... basically slaving away (hahaha 😪)

A gif I made on how to fold the dumplings into pigs. But you can watch the step by step process for the entire recipe on my saved stories on instagram (@misshangrypants)

Kimchi Chive Dumplings

makes about 20 dumplings

Dumpling wrapper/skin
1.5 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water

Filling
1 lb ground beef or pork
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tspsalt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil

1 lb ground beef or pork
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil

12oz bean spouts (basically 2 sandwich ziploc bags full)
bundle of chives (handful)
6 stalks spring onion
10oz extra firm tofu
1/2 head of old kimchi (cabbage kind)
1 tbsp coarsely ground sesame seeds
1 egg


Dumpling skin

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, starch and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour hot water. Mix carefully with a spatula until dough comes together
2. Use your hands and knead in the bowl until they are no dry bits in the mixing bowel
3. Knead dough for about 4 minutes until smooth. Shape until a ball and cover with plastic wrap and rest on kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes

Prepare the filling

1. Meanwhile, let's prepare the filling! Marinate the beef with garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil. Mix and set aside.
2. Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Drain and rinse under cold water. Chop into bite sized (1 inch) pieces. Place into a cheese cloth and SQUEEZE. Add that to the marinated meat.
3. Finely dice the chives and spring onions and also add to filling. Re-using the cheese cloth, break up tofu and squeeze/crumble into bits. Squeeze until it is just moist/relatively dry. Also add to filling.
4. For the kimchi, use sourish aged kimchi. Finely dice, and also squeeze out some juice using a cheese cloth. You can leave some of the juice in the diced kimchi (not as much arm strength as the tofu or bean sprouts). Add to filling with the sesame seeds, egg for binding and mix well.

Make dumplings

1. Divide the rested dough in half and shape into 7 inch long logs. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces (like you're cutting cookies) and you'll get about 20 pieces from both logs. While working with each piece of dough, cover dough with damp towel to prevent drying out.
2. Flour surface that you are working on. Flatten dough with palm/table and using your fingers, spread into a 3" circle. 
3. Put 1 tbsp filling into middle and pleat edges. Watch the gif above to see how to make pig shapes for lunar new year. Otherwise, there are a lot of ways to pleat dumplings on the interwebs.
4. Prepare steamer and steam dumplings for about 8-10mins, or until cooked through. Serve hot, because the skin can harder when cold. You can serve with dipping sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil

Watch the step by step on my saved stories on instagram (@misshangrypants)

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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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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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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 Stuffed Baked Potatoes

I'm currently on-call for Neurology and it's pretty quiet right now, so I'm taking a little bit of time to write a post before I hit the sack (look at this dedication :P). Actually, I think another patient is coming in... so I guess I'm not going to sleep :'(

I'll have to be quick! This is a super duper easy recipe. Mostly, because it doesn't take much to dress up potatoes. Just some butter and you're good to go. Here, I just added bulgogi, kimchi and cheese!

I'm kinda obsessed with that 3 combo ingredient, because they just go so well together. I made a pizza out of them not too long ago as well! The bulgogi lends some sweetness, the kimchi cuts the greasy cheesiness and then topped off with some cooling sour-cream. It's an even quicker meal if you microwave your spuds. Got to go now! I have so many thanksgiving recipes lined up, but I just wish I had time to post them!!!

Bulgogi Stuffed Baked Potatoes

makes 4 servings

1/2 pound marinated bulgogi
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 large russet potatoes
4 pats of salted butter
1-2 cup cheddar jack, shredded
Toppings: sour cream, chopped kimchi, roasted sesame seeds, chopped green onions
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub potatoes and poke holes all over it with a fork. Bake for 1.5 hrs
2. Saute thinly sliced onions until semi translucent. Add marinated bulgogi and saute until fully cooked
3. Once potatoes are able to be pierced easily, carefully split them and add a pat of salted butter
4. Set broiler on high. Add cooked bulgogi and onion in between and cover generously with cheese
5. Once cheese is melted, throw on all kinds of toppings. 

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Bulgogi Kimchi-jeon Waffle Sandwich - 불고기 김치전 와플 샌드위치

While growing up, my mum, being the ultimate Korean tiger mum, tells me before any exam that that exam was going to be the most important exam of my life. In primary school, my mum said my 6th grade scholastic exam was probably going to be life-defining. Then, I hit secondary school and she said my GCSEs (some British exam) were going to be life-changing. And before I went off to college, she said my IB diploma exam was going to be a matter of life and death...  Now, I'm in med school and in the midst of studying for what is probably the most important exam of my life. Haha lol, I think I'm turning into mum.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that my upcoming exam is going to suck up a lot of time, so I will be taking blogging hiatus. I guess I could have started with that, so you didn't have to read all the junk above. #Sorrynotsorry, also #notsorryforthehastag!  I will be keeping my instagram alive though, because I am severely insta-obsessed. Only some mind-blowing, turn-water-into-wine miracle of an exam can stop me from instagramming.  Come find me there! (Did I put enough links? :P)

But for now, I leave you with this behemoth of a sandwich... until next time!

Bulgogi Kimchi-jeon Waffle Sandwich - 불고기 김치전 와플 샌드위치 

makes 2 waffle sandwiches

1.5 cup Korean pancake/jeon flour mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup kimchi, chopped into bits

3 tbsp kimchi juice
1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

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

2 fried eggs

handful of baby kale and chard

1. In a large bowl, mix together Korean pancake flour and water. Add and mix in chopped kimchi, green onions, kimchi juice and oil
2. Preheat your waffle iron, grease with a little veg oil and make waffles like you would normally do. Cook your bulgogi and fry your eggs in the meantime.
3. To assemble: place 1 waffle down on a plate. Stack bulgogi, kale and a fried egg. Top with another kimchi waffle and eat it while it's hot

Note: If preparing a batch, you can easily double the waffle batter. ****Cool on wired racks because condensation at the bottom will make the waffle go soggy!!

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Kimchi Fried Rice Waffles

This is a quick post before I get back to studying! We are currently learning about how the kidney functions and these organs cannot get anymore interesting...uh naahhtt. The only thing I've learned so far is that I have a drinking problem. As in I drink too much water (please... what else would I drink?). And if you see blood in your pee, it's time you paid a visit to your doctor!

Yay, I'm finally posting about something other than sweets and desserts today! I just have a wicked sweet tooth and probably a lot of cavities :(. I can happily eat ice-cream for dinner, I dream of eating donuts while I'm eating my salad and you'll probably find a muffin stuffed in my bra on any given day.

Soo anyway, I decided to waffle my rice one day, because I think I saw it on my instagram or something. But, waffling makes the rice super crispy on the outside, like that burnt rice you find on the bottom of a hot stone pot (called noo-roong-ji 누룽지). Yum, it's so chewy and fragrant! I just got a waffle maker so I'm excited to use it. Although, my mum is probably going to kill me for buying another kitchen appliance... eek!

Waffle Kimchi Fried rice

makes 2 large waffles

1 cup kimchi chopped into bits (use cabbage kimchi centers and not the leaves)
1/4 cup kimchi juice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 small onion, chopped finely

1/2 jalapeño, chopped finely

1-2 tbsp gochujang/Korean chili paste (according to taste)

3 tsp sesame oil

2-3 cups day-old rice, cold
sesame seed, dried nori, green onion (optional)
fried egg

1. Fry garlic until fragrant, add onions and jalapeño and let it sweat a little (~2 mins)
2. Add kimchi and saute until softened (2-3 mins). Add gochujang and mix until homogenous
3. Add cold rice and break it up thoroughly. Drizzle in kimchi juice
4. Saute and toss frequently for 5 mins. Adding sesame oil and a handful of chopped green onion at the last minute (you want your rice to be a little more dry than usual - for waffling)
5. Let it cool or stick it in the fridge for a while (skipping this step is fine but waffles are more to fall apart)
6. Preheat waffle machine. I don't have fancy one so it is all 1 heat setting. Stuff the machine with more kimchi fried rice waffle "batter" than usual. You will squish it all down and the outside will crisp up. I kept it in my waffle maker for 3-4 minutes.
7. Enjoy with a fried egg on top! 

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Cute Kimchi Fried Rice Bento

Hello from Los Angeles! Now that I'm back home, I feel extremely lazy. It took every ounce of effort to put up this blog post. But, this one is so cute I just had to do it. I made these for the bf before I left Richmond. I think he was studying or something, so I made him lunch. Gosh, best gf ever :P

I'm just soaking up all the sun before I go back to school. It is soo sunny and beautiful in LA. I can walk outside in my t-shirt and shorts and eat strawberries the size of my palm. Le sigh... definitely don't have very long until I'm back to the freezing weather :(

"Octopus" Dogs on Kimchi Fried Rice

makes 10
serves 3-4

Kimchi Fried rice
1 medium carrot, chopped finely
1/4 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup old kimchi, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup kimchi juice
1-2 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang) - depending on spice level or optional
2 tsp sesame seed oil
2 cups cooked cold rice

ball park hotdogs
1 slice American cheese
black sesame seeds
ketchup
mayonnaise

1. Kimchi fried rice balls: In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Fry garlic until fragrant, add onions, kimchi and carrots. Fry until the kimchi is soft (about 3-5 mins). 
2. Stir in the chili paste (optional) and then break up the rice into the frying pan. Stir around until the rice is heated through (about 3-5 mins). Add the sesame oil and stir. Set aside and let it cool.
3. Octopus: Cut 2" long pieces from the ends of the hot dogs, then make 1" deep slits at the cut ends (make a slit pattern like an asterisk*)
4. In a small pot, bring water to boil. Drop the cut dogs in for about 30secs or until their "legs" curl. Dry on kitchen towels with them standing up.
5. Using a circle punch, cut out small circles from the cheese to make "eyes". Press a sesame seed into it. Stick eyes onto the octopus dogs using a little mayo
6. Assemble: to roll the fried rice into balls, get some plastic wrap, drop 3-4 tbsp of rice onto it and wrap and mold a ball with your palms. Repeat until no more rice
7. Squeeze some mayo and ketchup on the fried rice balls. Take a toothpick and poke through the legs of the octopus dogs. Stick that onto the tops of the fried rice balls and you're done!

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Bulgogi Kimchi Fried Rice (불고기 김치볶음밥)

Sometimes life give you lemons, sometimes life gives you kimchi... and it is stinking up your fridge so much, you make kimchi fried rice!! I mean, that's a common occurrence right?

I can't believe I'm starting a new blog. But I wasn't a fan of my old one, and I feel this is more ME. Oh my gahd - my friends are going to start laughing at what I write in here, so I'm going to stop blabbing. I'm hoping to keep cooking throughout school and keep myself less hangry for my friends and boyfriend's sake ;)  I make this fried rice whenever my kimchi starts to smell like someone died in the kitchen. Enjoy!

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