Sunday, May 4, 2008

김치볶음밥 (Kimchi Fried Rice)


This dish is the one that anybody can easily make. It requires little effort to make but the end result is a tasty meal. I like to make this food when I am at my house alone. The rice mixed with hot sauce, meat, and kimchi give it a spicy, meaty and tangy taste. Also a suggestion of mine is to slightly overcook the rice to have a more crunchy tasting dish.

Recipe Ingredients
(Yield: 2 Servings)
  • 2 cup of cooked rice
  • 1/2 cup of kimchi with liquid (pickled fermented vegetables)
  • 50g of minced pork or ground beef
  • 2 roots of green onion
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 egg
  • Vegetable or olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Cooking Directions

  1. Cook rice as directed in a rice cooker or in a pot.
  2. Chop kimchi into small pieces. Save kimchi liquid to add to rice, if desired.
  3. Dice and mince green onions, onions, and garlic.
  4. Season the minced pork or beef with soy sauce, minced garlic and powdered pepper.
  5. Saute the pork (or other substitutes) with vegetable or olive oil in frying pan.
  6. When the pork is cooked, add chopped onions, kimchi and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Add minced garlic and green onion. Cook a little more and turn off the heat.
  8. Add cooked rice and mix all ingredients well.
  9. Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil and re-heat again.
  10. Add salt and pepper to meet taste.
  11. Cook egg sunny side up (or scrambled).
  12. Put rice on a dish and place a fried egg sunny side up on top.

Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
· 1 banana
· 6 strawberries
· 1 kiwi
· 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
· 3/4 cup pineapple and orange juice blend
Directions
1. Put banana, strawberries, kiwi, vanilla frozen yogurt, and pineapple and orange juice blend in a blender
2. Blend until smooth.
Review:
This kiwi strawberry smoothie is one of my favorites. The hint taste of kiwi adds a unique flavor to the strawberry smoothie. Make sure to add the frozen yogurt to add texture to the smoothie. This is a perfect drink for the summer season.

Soon Tofu



INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Oil
2 tablespoons
Garlic minced 2 tablespoons
Korean pepper powder
1 tablespoon



Beef stock
4 cups
Cabbage kimchi shredded 1 cup
Soy sauce
1 tablespoon
Soft tofu cut into 1" cubes 4 cups (2 pounds)
Clams chopped, with juice 1 cup



Scallions chopped 3-4
Sesame oil
1 tablespoon

METHOD

Basic Steps: Sauté → Simmer → Garnish
  1. Heat the oil over medium flame in a clay hotpot or large saucepan. Add the garlic and pepper powder and saute until garlic just starts to brown.
  2. Add the beef stock, kimchee and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until the kimchee softens.
  3. Gently stir in the tofu and clams with their juice. Adjust seasoning with soy sauce and Korean pepper. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle with scallions and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve piping hot in bowls with steamed rice.
Review:

This traditional Korean dish is a delicious way to eat the nutritional food, Tofu. This soup can come in non-spicy, mild, and spicy flavors. Also, the clams can be substituted with other meats or taken out for all the vegetarians out there. Lastly, I recommend adding a raw egg to the soup when its boiling to give it some extra flavor.

Baby Back Ribs


INGREDIENTS
· 2 pounds pork baby back ribs
· 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
Directions

1. Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum large enough to enclose each piece of the ribs.
2. Spray each foil with vegetable oil.
3. Brush the ribs with the barbeque sauce.
4. Place each rib with its own piece of foil.
5. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
7. Bake ribs in tightly wrapped foil at 300 degrees for 2 ½ hours.
8. Remove from oil and more sauce to desired taste.
9. Makes 4 servings

Review

Having Baby Back Ribs during the summer is a necessity, not a choice. These baby back ribs are best smothered with Barbeque sauce. I recommend using the Bullseye Barbeque sauce. Honestly, baby back ribs are not complicated to prepare. So simple that even college students can make them! College students can take a break from the old macaroni and cheese dinner and have this mouth watering dish instead. It does however require your time to make.

Pat-Bing-Soo


This Korean summer favorite is something that I enjoy very much as it cools you down during a hot summer day. I learned how to make it while I was working part-time at a local Boba cafe in Garden Grove. It has a cool icy taste which is complimented by a variety of optional ingredients.


1 large bowl of ice cubes, and a working electric ice shaver
1 can mixed fruit cocktail
1 ripe kiwi, sliced
Other fruit (optional)
1 pouch red bean paste (found in Asian markets)
1 package mochi (rice cake) pieces (also found in Asian markets)
1 pint green tea or vanilla ice cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1. Shave ice into a large container, using the electric ice shaver on the finest setting possible (on ours, it's "smoothie"). Put a small amount into individual serving bowls, so they are half full (aren't I the optimist?).

2. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the ice.

3. Proceed to arrange the fruit on top of the ice, covering one half. Put a small amount of red bean paste next to this, and then a small pile of mochi pieces and one scoop of ice cream.

4. Finish with another small drizzle of sweetened condensed milk over the top.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Delicious Baked Apples


Looking for a healthy dessert? This one will have you baking nightly. This recipe is warm, delicious and even--healthy. I hate to give it away but its always a favorite in my family.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.



  1. Start with 4 Granny Smith Apples. Peel and core them.

  2. Place them in a 12"x12" glass baking dish.

  3. Drop in 1 tbsp. of brown sugar and cinnamon each into the center of the apples.

  4. Pour apple juice in the bottom of the baking dish. Just pour in about 1/2".

  5. Bake! 35-40 minutes.

  6. SCOOP one large spoonful of low fat vanilla bean ice cream into the center of each apple and serve warm!

This recipe is easy, delicious, and always a favorite!!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Marinade...


So, I just cooked and ate a delicious dinner in which I marinated four thick chicken breast fillets for 48 hours! I marinated them in teriyaki sauce, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning. Delicious. Then, baked them for about 15 minutes at 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a delicious marinade for Orange Beef or Orange Chicken, which is one of my favorite marinades. . .


Orange Beef Marinade


Ingredients
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Grated Orange Peel (zest)
1 cup Orange Juice
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 lb Beef, Pork Or Lamb
DirectionsFor Beef, Pork, or LambServings : 4Preparation Time : 6 HoursDirections:Combine marinade ingredients in a glass or metal bowl.Pour over beef, pork or lamb.Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.Prepare and heat the grill.Cook meat to desired doneness.