Spring Greens Bibimbap

Hey, happy hump day! I'd like to be more excited about posting today, but today is phlebotomy day. Which means... some student is going to be sticking a needle in a non-existent vein in my anemic arm and sucking out a vial of my blood. Even a trained phlebotomists take a couple of tries and still leave a massive bruise. I'm just scared out of my mind, that all I will have left by the end of today is a stump where my arm is. Haha kidding... but so help me if someone does that "wriggling" motion to find the vein... [insert knife emoji]

Sorry... I didn't plan on talking about blood so early in my post, but that's all that is on my mind :P What I DO want to talk about is SPRING GREENS. Vegetables just taste so robust and vibrant, their flavors so bold and bright! So, I'm highlighting them today in a Korean bibimbap, which is a dish composed of mixed rice, greens and a hot spicy sauce (bibim = mix, bap = rice). Some bibimbaps are cold or hot, some served in stone pots, some entirely composed of vegetables or with meat and raw seafood. I grew up eating bibimbaps almost every week when it was refrigerator clean out days. We would get a bowl of hot rice, throw in just about anything from the fridge and mix it up with fried gochujang (Chili paste).

I promise that this recipe has a bit more finesse than my childhood kitchen sink bibimbaps. There are dandelion greens, spinach, radish, pea shoots and all things spring! And the secret is ALL IN THE SAUCE. Because this is somewhat of a cold/warm bibimbap, the bibim sauce is not what you will find in a typical bibimbap that people are used to in the US. But, it is very popular in Korea and especially my hometown (Busan), where we eat a lot of seafood bibimbaps. The sauce is zesty, tangy and slighty sweet and just makes this bibimbap work. You can even use it like a salad dressing!

SPRING GREENS BIBIMBAP
serves 4

Bibim sauce
1/4 small apple, grated
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar or agave
1 tsp minced garlic
2 heaping tbsp Korean chili pepper paste (gochujang)

1 bunch dandelion greens (of red and green stemmed kinds)
handful of pea shoots
handful of alfalfa sprouts
5-6 radishes
1/2 carrot
1 bunch wild spinach
3-4 bowls of cooked short grain rice (white or brown)
4 fried eggs, sunny-side up
sesame oil
sesame seeds

1. Coarsely grate apple in a small sauce bowl. Squeeze in lemon juice, add vinegar, sugar, garlic and gochujang. Mix thoroughly, wrap and let the flavors come together in the fridge (best made day before)
2. Wash and cut dandelion greens into bite sized pieces. Julienne radishes and carrot
3. For the wild spinach, blanch in boiling water for 1 min. Rinse with cold water and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Loosen and marinate with a little sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt to taste
4. In a large bowl, place desired amount of just cooked hot piping rice and top with a sunny side up egg. Arrange all the veggies around the yolk
5. Drizzle a little bit of sesame oil, dollop a few generous tablespoons of the bibim sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds. Mix and enjoy!

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Pork Belly Ssam Kimbap

Being at home is the greatest. It's funny to think that during high school and college, all I wanted to do was to be far far away from home. After living in different continents for more than 5 years, my family has upped and moved to LA and now I can be at home whenever I WANT (well... other than school days). Currently, I've been driving my mum up the wall asking her to cook this and cook that. I'm in such a frenzy when I'm at home, because I feel like I have to eat everything and do everything I can't while I'm in Richmond.

My poor mum haha. This time, I've enlisted her help to make some kimbap. I used to have the best lunches in secondary school and all my friends would coo over them. I owned this gigantic metal multi tier behemoth of a bento box, that would carry Japanese curry one day, spaghetti the next and even shrimp tempura for lunch. My "simpler" lunches consisted of different kinds of kimbap. I can't think of another woman who can whip out rolls and rolls of sushi for me and my twin AND our friends at lightning speed other than my mum.

As a kid, I wasn't very into my lunches, and always gave them away. It was more, "eat as little and as fast as I can and then playtime!". Now, I can literally eat everything and will eat anything (although I'm not sure if that's good for my waist line). I'm constantly begging my mum to make me food when I'm home :P

Anyway, if you're familiar with Korean BBQ, you'll have heard of sam gyup ssal (삼겹살 or Pork belly). And you'll have heard of taking a lettuce leaf, adding rice, barbecued meat, ssamjang (bean paste) and wrapping that up and stuffing the whole thing in your mouth. It is just glorious. If you haven't tried it, I suggest that you nab the closest Korean next to you and march down to the closest Korean BBQ restaurant! Also, have a bottle of soju while you're there ;) I think Ssam is a pretty well known concept now, since there are restaurants like Momofuku Ssam bar in NYC and Korean restaurants popping up in every corner. But, now you can make your own at home and in sushi form!

Pork Belly Ssam Kimbap
makes 4 servings

2 cups short grain rice
1 tsp sesame oil (plus more)
1 pinch salt
4 sheets sushi seaweed

1 carrot, julienned
3-4 long Korean chili peppers or jalapeños, seeded and julienned
1/2 head red leaf lettuce
8 perilla leaves
2 slabs pork belly
3 tbsp Ssam Jang aka. seasoned soy bean paste (can be bought in a Korean/Asian store or see below)

1. Cook rice according to package. Allow to cool to room temp and then season with 1 tsp sesame oil and a pinch of salt
2. Fry julienned carrots in a little bit of olive oil for about 2 minutes (still maintaining the crunch). Prepare and wash all other vegetables; jalapeños, lettuce, perilla leaves
3. Season pork belly with a little salt and pepper. Fry both sides until fully cooked. Cut into 1cm strips
4. On a sushi mat, spread a layer of seasoned rice onto sushi seaweed with wet hands. Add 2 leaves of lettuce, 2 perilla leaves, strips of pork belly, some carrots and jalapeños in a line, Spread a little ssam jang along the line too
5. Roll all the ingredients tightly away from you with the mat so that the end closest to you reaches about half way up the sheet of seaweed. Continue to roll away from you. Repeat for the other 3 rolls
6. Add sesame oil onto hands and spread thinly over the dry seaweed on the rolled sushi
7. Slice kimbap with a super sharp knife and serve (best eaten on same day)

Make your own Ssam Jang

1 tbsp doenjang

pinch of sugar

1 tsp of Korean chili powder

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp sesame oil

• If you already own doenjang (bean paste), then you can make ssamjang by mixing all the above together. 

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Roasted Winter Harvest

This blog post is going to be a little wordy since it is doubling up as a school assignment. I promise it will be good read about food scarcity, urban farms and my volunteer experience at the Shalom farms in Richmond, VA. But…if you prefer to go straight to the recipe (at the bottom), I won’t mind at all!

I decided to try my hand at farming to complete community service hours for school, since I had some experience chasing after chicken and digging manure in a small farm in Mexico (that is in itself another story!). As a food blogger and medical student, I understand the necessity of receiving proper nutrition in order to survive and stay healthy. When we think of hunger, we mostly envision bony children with bloated bellies, waiting in long lines for some mealy porridge and water. This is the kind of hunger we see on billboards, on television---the evident starvation in countries with severe food shortage that one cannot miss.

However, there is also a largely unseen kind of hunger that is very present day-to-day in the US. It exists not because we lack food or the land or the resource to produce it. In fact, the US throws away 35 million tons of food each year. It is a kind of hunger that may not present as typically skinny, but excessively obese.  The kind that is caused by food insecurity and consequences of low income and poverty. We see this in many inner city areas including those in Richmond, where low income families are unable to afford fruits and vegetables, unable to access a grocery store and unable to find fresh food among the ever-growing number of pizza, burger and fast food joints. Food insecure and low-income people also face unique challenges in adopting healthful behaviors including cycles of food deprivation and overeating, high levels of stress, limited access to health care and fewer opportunities for physical activity.

Wanting to know more about food insecurity, I began to spend my weekends at Shalom Farms, a farm with a mission to increase access to fresh produce in urban Richmond. There, I learned the importance of sustainable organic farming and eliminating wasteful resource use. I was able to get hands-on experience harvesting all kinds of gourds, peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes. I pulled out weeds from the berry patch in preparation for the next cycle of planting and even recycled rotting tomatoes to fertilize the soil. As an organization that relies on volunteers, I was grateful to be part of the experience. It felt good to know where the food was coming from, how it was being grown, and to know that it will soon be distributed to communities in need.

Minimizing inequalities to food access and stopping hunger starts with increasing healthy options, encouraging nutritious behavior and empowering communities to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I know that nutrition education that will play a large role in my career as a physician and hopefully, I will soon be counseling patients about food, diet and making healthy choices.

Thanks to Shalom farms for the invaluable learning experience! (details about the farm below). Here, I made a dish focusing on local produce and simple preparation as a reflection of my time spent at the farm.

Roasted Winter Harvest 

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 pound beets (about 3 medium) - mix of red and golden, trimmed and scrubbed
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
2 medium plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap beets tightly in parchment-lined foil. Roast on a baking sheet for about 30 mins (just par-cooked). Let cool completely and then peel and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees
3. In a 5x7" deep dish or oval gratin dish, stack sliced of potato, beet, tomato and onion so they look like collapsed dominos
4. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce
5. Sprinkle thyme over the top and drizzle about 3-4 tbsp of olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour
6. Uncover and broil just until the tops caramelize... don't burn it like I did :(
7. Let cool slightly before serving

Best eaten that day because the beets start to dye all the other vegetables around it :/

Thanks to Shalom Farms (please visit them if you're in the Richmond area!)
1033 Rock Castle Road
Goochland, VA 23063
Phone:804-266-1914
info@shalomfarms.org

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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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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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Grain Salad with Walnuts, Figs And Grapefruit + GIVEAWAY

Hello from Los Angeles! It is so hot and dry here, I love it! I've had about 2 weeks of "vacation" from Richmond to Charleston to DC to LA. It's been quite a whirlwind of traveling and eating (4 times my body weight). And, now I'm starting summer research stuff at my old lab. I've been meaning to travel around the world before med school life sucks up all my time later...but I'm really indecisive and...(insert more excuses) and sometimes I feel I might need to study :O ?!  Having all this time to do fun things other than studying is a little unusual right now. Since I just spent the past year with my butt glued to my desk chair.

Even if I'm back in LA, I just found out that my mum is not coming back from her holiday in Hong Kong and Korea until the end of this month. What?! Where was the warning? Does this mean I have to wash my own clothes..? (haha kidding, I'm a real adult :\)

I digress!! I have a giveaway sponsored by California Walnuts, where they are giving away TV personality Joanne Weir's cookbook to one of my readers. Yay! Scroll all the way to the bottom to enter (US + Canada readers only, sorry!). Here is an adaptation of her salad recipe. I substituted figs, added some agave and a new grain, Freekeh, that I just discovered. Apparently, it has a higher protein content than quinoa? I love it's texture... very chewy like barley. Anyway, this salad just represents sunny LA and is very easy to assemble the night before. Enjoy!

Whole Grain Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Figs And Grapefruit

serves 6 
adapted from Joanne Weir

Dressing
1/2 tsp finely grated grapefruit zest
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp agave syrup
salt

Salad
3/4 cup millet
3/4 cup freekeh (or any whole grain like quinoa)
1 cup walnut, halved
2 grapefruits
1/2 cup dried mission figs, cut in pieces
3 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Dressing: mix grapefruit zest, vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and let the flavors meld in the fridge
3. Place millet and freekeh in a saucepan with 2 1/4 cups water and 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-18 min (until all the moisture is absorbed). Set aside to cool
4. Lay walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and golden ~7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool
5. Using a sharp paring knife, cut tops and bottoms off the grapefruits. Cut off the peel and white pith from top to bottom and work your way around the grapefruit until it is bare naked. Cut sections out (between the membranes) and set aside on a plate
6. Squeeze the membranes into the bowl with the dressing to extract about 3 tbsp of juice. Season dressing with salt to taste
7. In a large salad bowl, toss grains with figs, toasted walnuts, parsley and grapefruit sections. Add dressing and toss together

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I received products or coupons for this post. But all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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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 Garlic Hummus

The few days after any holiday is absolutely the worst. My mind is still on holiday, but my school is not! All I want to do is lie around, eat in bed and watch trashy TV. This weekend is going to be all about catching up and maybe some procrasti-baking :P

I am a super garlic aficionado, minus the bloating and gas (what!? :X). I've tried it in all forms...roasted, fried, deep-fried, raw, boiled, barbecue-d, even fermented (black garlic anyone?). If I ever meet a vampire in an alley, I will be so ready. Unless, it's Edward Cullen...is Twilight still relevant or is that so 2013? Anyway, I had too many garlic bulbs lying around threatening to shoot green stems, so I popped them in the oven and made hummus! This totally satisfies my garlic cravings and makes me extremely kissable :D

Roasted Garlic Hummus

2 heads garlic
2 tbsp tahini
1 can of chickpeas
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp cold water
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut a little bit of the tops of the garlic bulb and put in foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly. Roast for 1 hr
2. Remove and let it cool until you can touch it
3. Blend chickpeas in a food processor into a stiff paste (I used an immersion blender)
4. Add tahini, lemon juice and salt. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into the processor. You can adjust how garlicky you want it. Blend to mix
5. Add the ice water and blend until smooth (3-4 mins)
6. Serve with olive oil and enjoy with pita chips and veggies

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Miyeok Gook {미역국} - Korean Seaweed Soup

I think my mum is tired of setting up the table and then having me take half an hour to snap photos.. haha just like my poor bf. But it's mah birthday so my way or the high way!

Anyhoo, it's a tradition to have this soup on your birthday and lots of other delicious noms. I also got money from my relatives, although my mother said I'm way too old to be receiving anything. Boo.. :(

Miyeok Gook - Korean Seaweed Soup

makes 4-6 servings

100g flank steak
5g dried seaweed (Miyeok), rehydrated in water for 1 hour
6 cups water
2 tsp youndoo (or 2 tbsp soysauce)
salt
1 tsp sesame oil (optional addition at the end)

• Boil the 6 cups of water, add some salt, put in flank steak and simmer for 1 hour 
• Keep simmering the soup, but take out the steak (should be fully cooked) and shred with 2 forks 
• Cut rehydrated seaweed into 2 inch squares, rinse under cold water
• Place seaweed and shredded steak back into the soup. Add salt and youndoo (or soysauce 2 tbsp) to taste
• Boil another 10 minutes and serve

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Asian Quinoa Salad

Only 1 more week until Thanksgiving!! No more sleep deprived state... I am going to get in all my beauty sleep, eat and hibernate for the weekend. My bed and I are going to be best friends :D

I am also going to bake and cook up a storm and maybe I'll have to wear sweatpants for a while, but it is going to be SOoo awesome. Just one more hurdle of an exam. Here's one more recipe before the fat weekend - a super fast salad to make for potlucks and just gluttonous healthy eating (oxymoron?)

Click read more button below for recipe :)

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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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Southwestern Chili

Yay to the weekend. To pumpkin patches, to corn mazes, to hayrides... I love fall. But it feels like the dead of winter here >.<  I checked the weather this morning and it said 0 Celsius. Omgee (also yes, I still use celsius because I'm civilized and I had British schooling all my life). That is the coldest it can ever get in Hong Kong (where I grew up) or LA. I'm used to either tropical or desert weather. I feel like whipping out my Uggs, but everyone would find me absolutely ridiculous. Why is everyone so opposed to Uggs? Actually, throughout high school I was so adamant about never wearing those hideous sheep clogs and swore to all my friends that I'd rather amputate my legs than be seen wearing them.  BBBuuuuutt, that was when I lived in Hong Kong. Now, if I don't wear them in the East Coast, my toes will fall off and I will probably really have to amputate my foot.

I digress... :) To battle the cold, I made something nice and warm, stick-to-your ribs chili. Delicious with some home-made cornbread.

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Shrimp Fried Rice

I know... another fried rice recipe! I just have too much left over rice in the fridge and nobody likes the taste of dried up rice. This is a super simple, super clean (what does that even mean?) dinner plan after some heavy brunching on pumpkin spice pancakes.

Which reminds me that I went to Kroger this weekend and they had RUN OUT of canned pumpkin. I was soooo looking forward to some pumpkin laden recipes this week. So heart broken :(

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