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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Gochujang Peppers & Onion Penne with Chicken Sausage

I've been so tired this week and all I've been doing is whining 😅. Can't wait for this week to be over. Although, I have a 24hr call this Friday :( 

On the other hand, we've also started wedding planning! I didn't realize how much money I'll be hemorrhaging this year on my resident salary. Looking at all the costs that go into getting married has been somewhat stressful.  I wish I could get a city hall wedding, but I think my parents would disown me 😰.

Anyway, I've been making quick and easy meals at night, so I can get some snooze in before waking up at the crack of dawn. I was sent to try Al Fresco's Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage and I love how there are peppers in the sausages themselves! I threw together something quick with Korean Pantry items like Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) and more peppers and it was delicious.

They're already fully cooked, so I just browned the sides to give it a nice color, chopped it up and then added it to the pasta. The sweetness of the peppers and Italian herbs in the sausage played so well with the gochujang tomato sauce with a little bit of kick from the Korean chili powder.

Gochujang Peppers & Onion Penne with Chicken Sausage

3-4 servings

1 box penne pasta (4 servings)
1 pack Al Fresco's Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage
1 small onion
3 bell peppers (assorted colors)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 cup canned crushed tomato
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley garnish

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt and a little bit of olive oil. Cook penne in boiling water according to package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside
2. Add a little oil to a frying pan on medium heat and brown chicken sausage. Remove from heat and cut diagonally. Set aside
3. Saute in oil the onions and garlic until partially translucent, add bell peppers and cook until a little softened. Add back the sliced sausages and add the chili powder (gochugaru) and saute for 1-2 minute
4. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the frying pan and then add gochujang and crushed tomatoes. Add in the dried parlsey. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Lastly, add in the pasta until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley

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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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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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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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Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens + A Le Creuset Giveaway

My favorite food season has to be Spring, especially because it's the season of wild herbaceous Korean spring greens! They are called bom-namul (bom: spring, namul: wild plants) and are usually delightfully bitter and super nutritious. A lot of these are eaten raw and seasoned lightly with gochujang or soy based sauce, or they are added in a variety of soups and adds wonderful aromatic flavors to the dish like this stone pot rice!

Here's a little lesson to the greens I'm using in this dish. In the most left of the picture above of the bright leafy greens, is called minari (미나리) aka Korean watercress. It also looks and tastes similar to Chinese celery. It has a very crisp, fresh herby taste and is a popular side dish and ingredient in bibimbap. It's iron content is higher than spinach, calcium content more than milk and an excellent source of other minerals.

The middle of the picture you see greens that look like succulents is called dol-namul or dot-namul (돋나물). They grow on rocky soil and is really a leafy succulent that is very juicy and sweet. It has a very mild flavor so it is usually eaten raw and tossed into salads. In the small bowl at the right is a leafy vegetable called chwi-namul (취나물) that grows in the mountains and field. It has a heart-shaped serrated leaves that are sort of fuzzy and has a mild bitter and grassy flavor. If you've had perilla leaves, it's sort of like that, but more spinach mouth-feel. All these vegetables can be found in your local Korean supermarket. If not I've put some suggestions below for substitute vegetable you'll find anywhere.

I've been a long time fan of Le Creuset items and when I was given this Sakura Dutch Oven, I couldn't wait to do a spring time dish for it. I love doing rice dishes like this or pilaf in a dutch oven because the food inside the pot loses no moisture due to the heavy lid and everything gets surrounded and cooked in the steam that's created. This results in a locked in super flavorful dish and makes veggies very tender and rice extremely fluffy. This particular dutch oven I received is 4.5 qt and can make large portions enough for a family with lots of hungry children :)

I love cherry blossoms and was really sad that the weather was too cold for a really big bloom in the DC area. Although, nothing beats seeing them in Kyoto or Korea. It's absolutely beautiful there, but I'm glad I have this pot for some sakura admiring year-round!

If you'd like a Sakura Dutch Oven of your own, follow both @lecreuset and @misshangrypants on Instagram, tag two friends and comment what you'd make in this too.

Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens

makes 4-6 servings

1.5 cups pearl barley
1.5 cups short grain rice
3.5 cups konbu/dashima stock ** see steps for alternative

1.5 cups chwinamul (possible substitute - perilla leaves or swiss chard or spinach)
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp garlic, minced

8 bella mushrooms, sliced (or morels)
1 bunch minari (aka Korean watercress or dropwort; possible substitute - Chinese celery)
2 cups dolnamul (possible substitute - wild chives, ramps or fiddleheads)

Sauce
2 red chilis, sliced finely
2 stalks green onion, diced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp roasted sesame seeds

1. Wash pearl barley and rice together in a large dutch oven (or pot) and then cover well with water and soak for 2 hours
2. To prepare konbu/dashima stock, simmer two pieces of 4x4" of dashima in 4 cups of water for 10 mins. Alternatively you can use 1:1 dilution of vegetable broth and water. Drain soaked barley rice and pour 3.5 cups of made stock. Bring to boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes with lid on, then turn down heat to low for an additional 10 mins
3. Meanwhile prepare vegetables: for chwinamul, you may find this fresh in supermarkets or frozen. Don't get the dried version as that is usually made into a Korean banchan. Cut chwinamul into 1" length and blanch in hot water for 30-45s. Run under cold water to stop it cooking and squeeze all the water out. Then sauté and loosen with 1 tsp sesame oil, pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of minced garlic for 3 minutes. Alternatively you could use swiss chard in the same manner! The rest of the vegetables just need to be washed and set aside. Cut minari into 1" length as well
4.  Once cooking time has reached 20mins, open lid and add sliced mushrooms and chwinamul right on top of the rice. Cover pot with lid again and let cook on low for another 10 mins
5. Switch off heat and let barley rice sit for 5 mins, then add cut minari and dolnamul and fluff rice while mixing vegetables gently
6. Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve rice hot with sauce on the side to mix in to taste

This post was sponsored by Le Creuset. I'm teaming up with them via CoactionPR 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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Hotteok Waffles [Korean cinnamon pancake waffles]

I'm currently on a college tour with my brother and mum and it has been EVENTFUL. By that I mean extremely terrible, because being stuck in the car with a surly teen and a high-pitched tiger mum for several hours is almost as bad as being duct taped to a chair listening to nails scratching on a chalk board. I feel a little crazy since we've hit 5 different states in 5 days with me as the sole driver. The only thing that's keeping me going is eating at all the bomb places I've been wanting to go in each state! I just left Boston with a box of Flour Bakery cookies and I'm in heaven! It's also crazy snowing in Boston.

This year's spring is cold and weird, so it's time to snuggle up to something toasty and cinnamon-y, like these Korean pancakes in waffle form. I eat Hotteok, a street food found everywhere in Korea, in any weather actually. They are like cinnamon buns, but chewy and flat like a pancake with an oozing middle full of melted brown sugar and peanuts. So good and so perfect for chilly weather (or all four seasons ha!)

Hotteok Waffles

makes 10-12 square waffles

Dough
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsps instant yeast
2 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup warm milk

Filling
heaping 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps cinnamon
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp flaked almonds, coarsely chopped
2 tbsps each white and black sesame seeds
pinch of salt

1. For the dough, place all the ingredients into your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Work on a low speed until everything comes together and then turn it up a the next level for about a minute or so. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a damp cloth and leave in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 1 hour)
2. Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl
3. When the dough is ready, punch it down and place on floured surface. Divide dough into about 10 balls. While working with 1 ball, cover the rest with plastic wrap so they don't dry out
4. Flatten ball gently with your palm to get a circle the size of your palm (about 4 inches). Place 1 tbsp of filling in the middle and bring edges of dough to cover and pinch to seal. Continue doing that to all the hotteok dough.
5. Preheat your waffle iron and oil surfaces generously each time. Cook according to your waffle iron's directions and they should be nice and brown on the outside
6. Serve hot!

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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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Avocado coconut miso soba noodles

Who's kept up with their NY resolutions?? Not me >.<! I've been on a very relaxing elective for 2 weeks and I promised myself that I would actually work out erryday all day (since I come home at noon :P). I don't know what it is, but I've been sleeping like 8+ hours a day and I still feel tired haha. I have surgery starting next week, so I probably won't have time to exercise, let alone eat and drink gahh....

Since my roommate and I are on the same rotation and both end our work at noon, we've been hitting up some all you can eat Indian buffets. No exercise and gluttonous eating is a bad combo though (naan and butter chicken is soo difficult to resist :\). So, I'm trying to be more health conscious about eating and reducing my snacking. I even got a fit bit for my birthday from the BF and it's making me feel guiltier about taking the elevator or sitting on my butt all day!

Here's a totally vegan dish with healthy buckwheat soba noodles. The soup is actually very creamy from the finely mashed avocado (using the amazing smood masher from Dreamfarm), coconut milk and lots of umami from a touch of miso paste and shiitake broth. That's the water the dried shiitake is rehydrated in. I usually keep a few mushrooms in water in the fridge, because I can just add a little bit of the mushroom broth into any soup I'm making and it will add some depth to it. I even add it to some sauce bases like if I'm making spicy Korean rice cakes (tteokbokki) or steamed egg (gaeran jjim).

I made a gif!

Avocado Coconut Miso Soba Noodles

adapted from tastingtable
serves 2-3

handful dried soba noodles
1 cup mashed ripe avocado, about 1.5 avocados finely mashed
2 tsp lemon juice
4 dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated in 1 cup water
1 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 tbsp white or red miso
salt to taste (I added about 3 tsps)
pepper to taste

Toppings
1/2 firm tofu package, cubed
pinch of cornstarch
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1/2 zucchini, cut in quarters
rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, sliced
few slices of avocado
sesame seeds

1. Make toppings first: In a small nonstick pan, heat a little bit of oil in medium heat. Sprinkle cornstarch on each side of the tofu cubes. Add tofu to the hot oil, and add soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Gently turn them so that the cook on all sides until golden brown. Set aside and keep the pan hot. Toss the zucchinis in there with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Once blistered on the edges, set aside. Lastly, sauté rehydrated shiitake mushrooms with a pinch of salt as well until cooked through
2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside in a colander
3. In a small saucepan, combine shiitake water, water and coconut milk on medium heat. Using a fine mesh strainer, add the miso so that it loosens easily. Bring to a simmer
4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the mashed avocado. I used an immersion blender in the end to make it super creamy. Whisk occasionally until it thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes). Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Makes about 3-4 cups of soup
5. Pour avo broth into a bowl, fold noodles into it to coat. Garnish with sautéed tofu, zucchini and mushrooms. Sprinkle with black pepper, sesame seeds and serve

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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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Galbi Jjim - Korean Braised Short Ribs

Happy New Year! I have about 2 more hours to finish this blog before it's too late to wish anyone happy new year (on the West coast at least :P). I've been busy packing, because I'm leaving LA today :'(  I spent new year's at home with the fam, although no count downs, since my brother was having a fit about not being able to play his stupid computer games. I've been purposefully downloading large files to slow down the internet :P. Brothers! What can I say?! The last time I ever "tried" to celebrate new year's was first year of college when I went to visit my friends who were studying in London. Let's say it involved a lot of drinking and failing to get into any clubs, because it was too darn expensive. Now, I've really become an old fart. I've stopped drinking after the second year of college and realized I much prefer staying at home and lounging in my PJs. It may be boring to some people, but I'm so much more comfortable that way!

This year has been pretty fun, since I've started rotations. I've been able to meet and work with people I never knew were in my class! I've also met some amazing bloggers and a few that are also in med school. I'm excited and scared about the new year, since I have to start thinking about what I want to do in life after med school! While I'm leaning towards surgery, I don't mind obstetrics, my BF is going to be in the East coast for sure since he's from Long Island, but I've always thought I'd end up on the West coast. All these dilemmas are stressing me out and it's only the first day of the year. Argh!

Anyway, I'm leaving home in LA with a full belly of galbi Jjim. My mum used to make this a lot when we were kids, but it's been a while since I've had it, so I had my mum make it again for me. I was flitting around her in the kitchen like a fly and I'm pretty sure she wanted to swat me away with a fly swatter haha. The short ribs get super tender from the pear juice in the marinade and then cooked until it's falling off the bone. I've written my mum's recipe to a tee, so I can make it later and for you to enjoy too! It's Korean comfort food at it's best :D. Happy new year!

Galbi Jjim - Korean Braised Short Ribs

serves 4-5

5 lb beef short ribs
1 medium sized carrot
1/2 lb radish
1/4 lb lotus, sliced into 1/2" rounds

Marinade
1/2 yellow onion, finely grated
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 small asian pear, peeled and grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp cooking wine (like sake)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp black pepper

1. Cut short ribs so that there is a one bone and meat attached (like how they cut galbi in Korean BBQ). Submerge short ribs fully in cold water for 3 hours to take out the blood from the short ribs. Change the water at half time
2. Drain ribs and set aside in a colander. Mix marinade in a large pot. You can also just blend all marinade ingredients in a blender if you don't want to grate by hand. Toss the ribs in the large pot and make sure every rib is covered. Marinated for 24 hours for best taste, or at least 5 hours
3. Cut carrot and radish into 1.5" spheres. This is so there are no edges that will smush and get everywhere
4. Pour 2 cups of water into the pot with the ribs in it and cook on high heat until it boils. Then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Mix from time to time. Grease will rise to the top from the ribs, so use a fine mesh grease skimmer to take it out
5. Add lotus and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Skim grease again and mix around. Add carrot and radish and cook for another 20 minutes. There will be a little bit of sauce but not that much, just enough to generously cover the ribs. If it is still soupy, cook on high heat during the last 20 minutes

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Rabokki - Ramen + 'Tteokbokki' (Korean Rice Cakes)

Sorry for being so absent lately! I thought I was going to post a lot during the break, but I've been quite busy with the fam and went snowboarding for a few days in the mountains, so I had zero internet. I came back home a few days ago with about 100 new emails. Of course, most of them were junk mail :( . Since, I'm in LA now, all I do is go to Korean supermarkets and eat everything I see. The thing I love about Korean food is that it can be so simple, cheap and quick to eat and so UNFUSSY. I always get the spicy dishes and that warms me up! Although, in this LA weather, I could be outside in shorts and eating ice-cream :D

This recipe is pretty popular in Korean households and on the streets. You'll find every block in Seoul with a cart selling Rice cakes or "tteokbokki". Here, I've added ramen to it so tteokbokki + ramen = Rabokki. It's hot and spicy with all sorts of interesting textures from rice cakes to ramen to fish cakes, so it's also super fun to eat. A while back I made a "white" and cheesy version of rice cakes too. But, this winter I'm craving something red hot. Hope you guys have a happy new year filled with lots of delicious noms!

Rabokki - Korean Rice Cakes + Ramen

serves 3-4

1 pack ramen
120g rice cakes, used for ddeukbokki (usually in the refrigerated section ~ about 2 cups)
1 sheet fish cake
1/4 cabbage
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, diced (optional, but I like the extra heat)
1/2 stalk leek, diced (or use 1 stalk of green onions instead)
1 boiled egg, peeled

Sauce
3 cups water
3 tbsp gochuchang, Korean chili paste (or more for a spicier taste)
1 tbsp gochugaru, Korean chili pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp sugar
1/2 pack ramen msg packet
pinch of pepper

1. Slice onion into thin half moons, about 1/2inch thick. Cut cabbage the same way about 1 inch thick. Fish cake can be cut into any way you like. I like them in triangles, but you can cut it into strips. You don't have to buy the sheet kind, since they also come in spheres, oblong shapes etc... They are the same as the Japanese kind called oden. 
2. Mix the sauce ingredients into a paste (the bottom half of the ingredients except the water) and set aside
3. In a large frying pan (that has high walls), or a medium sized pot, saute onions, garlic and jalapeños until onions are slightly translucent. Add sauce paste and water. Stir and let it come to a boil. Once it boils, add the rice cakes and cook for about 5 minutes and the rice cakes should soften
4. Add cabbage and fish cake next and let simmer for a few more minutes. Break ramen in half and add to the pot. Try to push it deep into the sauce so it can cook evenly. Once the noodles have loosened some, add the diced leek or green onion and boiled egg. 
5. Simmer until noodles are al dente (or at the consistency you like). Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve. 

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Homemade matcha udon noodles

I thought making udon would be like making kalguksu (or Korean knife noodles), but it definitely required a lot more arm muscle. Maybe it's because I tried to make 4 times the amount and my biceps have atrophied from disuse :( I did have a lot of fun stomping on it though. Yas, with my feet. Don't worry, the dough was heavily wrapped in a sturdy gallon ziplock bag ;)

But, you seriously need your body weight to smoosh the dough down. If you have kids then use them, plus you'll also get them tired so they'll sleep early! Tiring out my little brother out everyday by making him fetch things used to be my strategy back in the days (not because I was lazy haha).

I separated the dough in half so I could have normal udon noodles and some matcha ones. For the matcha noodles, the flavor shines if the broth is kept simple (like the soy sauce dashi one below). I may have to up the amount of matcha though by about 1/2 to 1 tsp next time and try a cold udon version. I also prepared a miso version by diluting the broth I made below in a 1:3 ratio with water and adding miso paste to it. When you try the freshly made noodles, the texture and flavor is so so so......handmade(?), unique(?), bouncy (haha it's hard to describe), I guess all the arm grease and time that went to making this was worth it!

Matcha Udon Noodles

adapted from instructables.com
serves 4-5

Noodles (Sanuki style)
2 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more to dust)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsps salt
1.5 cups water, at room temp
1 tsp culinary grade panatea matcha (for 1/2 the dough)

Broth
5-8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups water overnight
1 5x5" piece of kelp (aka konbu or dashima)
3 cups water
10 pieces dried shrimp
10 pieces dried anchovies
1-2 tbsps soy sauce (or to taste)
1 tbsp mirin

1. Noodles: dissolve salt in the water and set aside. Mix the flours together in a large bowl. Add salt water to the flour and mix with your hands until a shaggy dough is formed. If it doesn't come together, you can add a little water each time. The dough will feel hard and crumbly, just try to knead it so it comes together.
2. Put the dough in a gallon size zipper bag and stomp on it until it is flattened. Like use your feet and stomp! I seriously tried to knead with my hands and a kitchen aid mixer, but the dough is just too hard. Once it has flattened. Take it out of the bag and separate the dough into two pieces. For one half, I kneaded in 1 tsp matcha. This will be difficult and it will looked streaky (but no worries, it will blend all together with subsequent stomping)
3. It will still be hard at this point. So with half of the dough, roll it up like a cinnamon roll and place it back in the bag to stomp and flatten. I alternated between the two halves of the dough, so that I could give the dough a rest for 10-15mins if it was too difficult to work with. You'll be stomping on this about 5-6 times until the dough is really smooth and rubbery
4. On the last flattening/stomping, pinch the edges of the dough together to make a ball, it may not come together on the bottom but as long as the top is smooth, it's okay. Wrap the dough in seran wrap tightly and place in a warm area for 2-3 hours. I preheated my oven slightly and switched it off to mimic a really hot summer.
5. While the dough rests, time to make the broth! In a large pot, place rehydrated shiitake and the water it was soaking in, kelp, 3 cups water, shrimp and anchovies. Bring to boil and let it simmer for 15 mins. Add soy sauce and mirin and adjust to taste. Fish out the shiitake to slice up and use for later and then strain your broth.
6. Now the dough should be well rested (you can test this by checking if it remains indented after you poke it)! Dust your work area with a generous amount of bread flour. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll to a rectangle that is 3mm thick. Fold the long edges in like you would fold a letter in thirds to put in an envelope.  Cut 5mm thick strips for noodles. Toss cut noodles in bread flour so they don't stick.
7. To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to boil and then place them in there for 7-8mins. Separate them with chopsticks at the start and middle of boiling because they can stick together. Drain and serve with the broth, plus toppings including green onions, naruto (Japanese fishcake), mushrooms or eggs
8. You can store the cut noodles in the fridge for 2-3 days.

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"Carbonara" Dukbokki (까르보나라 떡볶이)

The problem with being on electives is that it is far too relaxing. I know it's odd to complain about having nothing to do, but I feel like a sloth everyday. I mean today I "napped" from 1pm to 5pm. LOL, that's embarrassing... Although, I did sleep at 5am watching tv shows anddd it's now midnight and not at all tired :P. It also doesn't help that I'm in radiology and sit in a dark room all day. I think it takes a certain kind of skill not to doze off in that environment!

I've also been slacking in the kitchen (did I just complain about having zilch to do?). But, a while back I needed to finish using up leftover ingredients from Thanksgiving, like half and half, cheese and Korean rice cakes. So instead of the traditional red hot gochujang sauce, I made a white sauce, which isn't carbonara, but in Korea anything with white sauce is called carbonara (I don't know why!). It's kind of a thing to make a white version of spicy dishes in Korea. Like white jjamppong (백뽕), a normally spicy red seafood noodle dish into a mild flavorful version. Or like white kimchi (백김치), a kimchi without any chili powder. Even though I'm a huge fan of spicy food, I really enjoy the non-spicy versions too. My roommate loved this dish so much she said she would actually make it. And I should tell you my roommate only cooks (something other than ramen) less than 5 times a year. Luckily she's not too malnourished since I've been feeding her for years now haha :P.

Carbonara Dukbokki - 까르보나라 떡볶이

serves 3-4

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced spam (or a few strips of bacon)
2 cups rice cakes
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup half and half (plus 1/4 cup milk to thin out if needed)
1/2 cup broccoli florets, cooked
1/2 carrot, sliced (I used frozen veggies and just microwaved it for a minute)
1/2 cup cheddar jack, shredded
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped coarsely (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (about a tsp each)

1. In a large frying pan, sauté onions, japaleno, and garlic with some oil until semi softened/translucent on high heat. Toss in the spam until the sides turn golden and then toss in the rice cakes and stir about for 1-2mins
2. Loosen the egg yolk, milk and half and half in a small bowl. Pour this over the rice cakes. Stir to coat, cover and simmer on low-med heat for about 8-10mins.
3. Toss in broccoli and carrots and stir to coat as well. The sauce should have thickened somewhat by now. Then add the cheddar jack cheese. You can use any sharp cheese like gouda too. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Once the broccoli and carrots are heated through and the sauce is sticking well to everything, turn off heat and throw in the chopped parsley. 

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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. 

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