Marinated Eggs, by Diane

I decided to make a new version of marinated eggs because I love ramen eggs so much but have not yet stumbled upon a recipe I love (there are two others on here already!). I made this up at random with pantry ingredients, and this was the BEST combo! I loved these so much and will absolutely make them again. Yum.

Ingredients:

12 jammy eggs, cooked 9 minutes (drop in boiling water for 9 minutes then transfer to ice bath and peel)

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup ume plum vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp gochugaru

2 tsp black sesame seeds

Directions:

Cover eggs with marinade and refrigerate overnight.

Okra Kimchi, by Diane

 I love okra, and wanted a creative green veggie for the week. I came across this recipe from @korean.roots to turn okra into kimchi and it could not have been easier! This was really good, and while you can have this fresh right away I liked it the more it fermented in the fridge!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb young okra, tops and tails removed and cut into 1 inch slices

4 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 small red apple, minced

3 green onions, chopped (green parts only or can use both)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp white sugar

3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

2 tbsp black sesame seeds

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. Toss okra in salt, let rest up to 2 hours, rinse and drain 2-3 times. Okra should still be a little salty.

2. Combine okra with remaining ingredients.

3. Serve immediately or refridgerate/ferment in an airtight container.

Fresh Cabbage Kimchi, by Diane

 

I took a cooking class in Seoul, South Korea and we learned to make four types of kimchi. This was a new type for me and I was obsessed with the flavor!! Unlike fermented kimchi, it has more crunch and is tossed with just a bit of sesame oil for an unreal flavor. If you leave it in the fridge at a few days-1 week it begins to get those gut healthy probiotics from fermentation too. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 large napa cabbage

7 stalks scallions, green parts only, sliced into 1/3's

1/4 large white onion, sliced into slivers

4 cloves garlic, minced

Coarse salt

Water

3 tbsp gochujaru (Korean red chili powder- you cannot sub regular chili powder or flakes here!)

1 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 tbsp preserved shrimps

1 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp crushed sesame seeds (or 1 tbsp whole sesame seeds)

1 tbsp sesame oil (use high quality if possible)

Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage in two parts separating the leafy from the stem for each leaf. For the leafy green parts, cut into bite size pieces and set in one large bowl. For the white stems, slice into bite size pieces at a diagonal (instead of straight down, cut diagonally out to expose more of the stem to marinate), set in another bowl. 

2. For the stems, add 1/2 tbsp coarse salt and 1 tbsp water, mix well with your hands and let sit 15 min. For the leaves, add 1/2 tbsp coarse salt, mix well with your hands and let sit 15 min. 

3. While the cabbage sits, mix the seasoning ingredients together (green onion, white onion, gochujaru, fish sauce, shrimps, sugar and garlic) in a small bowl and cover in the fridge.

4. Rinse each bowl of cabbage well with running water, drain, and repeat 2-3 times to get all the salt water off. Then combine the cabbage in a strainer and let sit for one hour.

5. After the hour is up, combine cabbage and seasoning in a large bowl and mix well with your hands (do not touch your eyes or use kitchen safe gloves). Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and mix gently, coating each piece.

6. Kimchi is ready to eat, or it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Drug Eggs, by Diane

I've tried to make ramen eggs before in two other posts, but this was a slight variation on them from @alexawhatsfordinner and I thought I'd give it a go for a creative protein snack. These are called drug eggs because they are supposedly addictive, but for me they were just okay. The recipe called for the liquid to cover the eggs, and it didn't so I added more water and it's possible that was the issue because I definitely wanted them to have more flavor. 

On the plus side, I finally figured out how to make the perfect jammy eggs from this recipe so that was a win I'll take!!

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp gochugaru or red chili flakes

1 tbsp sesame seeds

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, finely diced

1 spicy red pepper or habenero, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Soft boil the eggs by bringing a large pot of water to boil then gently lowering each egg into the pot. Cook for 6-7 minutes for jammy yolks and carefully transfer to an ice bath to cool completely before peeling the eggs.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients except eggs, then add eggs and make sure they are fully covered. 

3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Serve with marinade if desired.

 

Korean Pancake Dipping Sauce, by Diane

 

This was the final part of our January Asian-inspired dinner. We had made a Korean kimchi pancake and needed a dipping sauce. This one turned out super well and was very easy to make! It would also be good for a dipping sauce for dumplings. Recipe from thefoodietakesflight.com

Ingredients:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sesame seeds

chopped scallion garnish

optional chili flakes

Directions:

Mix everything together until blended and adjust for taste!

Easy Asian Rice Cakes, by Diane

 

I've seen these posted on several accounts over the years, and decided to make them the other day as a side dish to a Korean menu I made for family friends. This was quick and easy, and really flavorful! The sauce would also pair well with regular noodles as well. 

Ingredients:

1 small pack rice cakes, frozen

2 tbsp chunky peanut butter

2 tbsp sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp chili crisp oil

2 scallions, green parts only, sliced

Directions:

1. Boil the rice cakes until completely cooked through and soft- not mushy or chewy!

2. While the rice cakes boil, mix the remaining ingredients together in a sauce and taste to adjust. 

3. Pour sauce over rice cakes and serve immediately!

Rabokki, by Diane

This was the main course for our Korean picnic as part of my cooking through the countries activity during quarantine. Rabokki is basically the equivalent of Korean carboloading, and it is seriously some delicious comfort food! It consists of ramen noodles mixed with rice cakes, fish cakes, hard boiled eggs, and a delicious savory sauce. Sounds like a strange combo but tastes great! I first had this dish at a Korean restaurant and which is now closed due to quarantine, so I knew when I got to Korea I wanted to try my hand at this dish. This came together really quickly and was very easy to make! 

My friend and I each made our own versions of Rabokki and shared at the picnic. My recipe was fish-based with a homemade dashi stock made from kelp and anchovy, while hers was more veggie-based with a bone broth base. In the end we decided that the best version occurred when we mixed both of ours together, and so I am posting a combo of our two recipes. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 small package dried kelp (about 3 leaves)

2 cups bone broth

3 green onions, white bulbs and green stems separated

2 tsp sesame oil, divided

1 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic, plus 3 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Korean chili flakes (I left this out)

1/2 tbsp tomato paste

1 package instant ramen noodles

4 sheets Korean fish cakes, sliced into bite size rectangles

20 Korean rice cakes, rinsed in cold water

6 fish balls, mixed variety

2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half

1 small onion, diced

1/2 Korean squash, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms

Toasted sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Soak the kelp in water for an hour. 

2. Marinate the rice cakes in 1 tsp sesame oil, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, marinate the mushrooms in 1tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, and salt.

3. Whisk together gochujang, sugar, 1 tsp garlic, chili flakes, and tomato paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Rinse the kelp and boil with the white onion bulbs in a medium pot with enough water to cover for 10 minutes. 

5 Discard the kelp and onion, but keep 1 cup of liquid from the pot. Set aside.

6. Add 1 tbsp oil to a large sauce pot, and add in onions and mushrooms. When they have browned, add remaining 3 tsp garlic and stir. 

7. Add squash to the pan and cook until just soft.

7. Reduce heat to medium low and whisk in sauce along with noodles, rice cakes, and fish cakes.

8. Add in bone broth and kelp water and bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Add in eggs after 5 minutes and continue cooking until all ingredients are cooked through and sauce thickens.

9. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion tops.

Korean Tofu and Spicy Ketchup, by Diane

 

This was another banchan, or small dish, from cooking through the countries Korean edition! This one was a hit, and the sauce was so outstanding it would be great on just about everything! I just so happened to have doubled the sauce on instinct and I’m glad I did (posted below with doubled measurements). I also airfried them out of convenience, but the recipe calls for pan frying in oil. Super easy and already looking forward to leftovers!

https://mykoreankitchen.com/korean-tofu-spicy-ketchup/

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu

Spray avocado oil

6 tbsp ketchup

2-3 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste) (I used 1!)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp sliced green onion

Directions:

1. Press the tofu by wrapping it in a handtowel, placing it on top of a cookie sheet, and placing another cookie sheet with a weight on top of that (I used a hand weight). Leave for an hour. This will get the water out so you can get the tofu crispy! 

2. Pat the tofu dry and fry on all sides until browned (I air-fried these at 350 for 10, then 400 until browned- another 5-10).

3. Combine ketchup through garlic and toss over tofu. Mix well and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Korean Cucumber Apple Pickle, by Diane

This was another banchan, or small dish in the cooking through the countries Korea edition. This was meant to be a palate cleanser, and it was nice and refreshing. I would decrease the amount of ginger next time, but overall good and easy to make!

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-apple-pickle-351891

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/8 inch thick 

1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 Granny Smith apple, sliced 1/8 inch think

2 cups water

1/3 cup rice or cider vinegar

1 tbsp matchstick ginger

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of Korean red pepper flakes 

Directions:

1. Toss the cucumbers with salt and let sweat for 30 minutes. Rinse and squeeze the excess liquid out of the cucumbers. 

2. Combine all ingredients and chill for one day, stirring occasionally. 

Korean Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi), by Diane

This was the second banchan, or small dish, in my Korean cooking through the countries meal. This was really nice and refreshing, and would be a great snack! Really easy to make, too, and you can adjust the spice level as needed. https://mykoreankitchen.com/cucumber-kimchi-oi-kimchi/

Ingredients:

1 lb pickling cucumbers

1 tbsp coarse sea salt

1/4 cup carrots, julienned

1/8 cup garlic chives or regular chives, diced

2 tbsp Korean chili flakes (I used one)

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp grated red apple or Asian pear

1 tbsp honey or sugar

1/2 tbsp Korean dried salted shrimps, minced

1/2 tsp fish sauce 

1/2 tsp minced ginger 

Directions:

1. Cut off cucumber ends and cut into slim quarters. Mix in a large bowl with salt and leave to sweat for 20 minutes.

2. Rinse and drain the cucumbers, then add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place in a covered glass container.

3. Keep at room temp for 12-18 hours, then refrigerate and serve chilled.

Korean Potato Salad, by Diane

 

This week in cooking through the countries was Korea- and luckily I had a pal to share all the food with!! We each made a few banchan (or small dishes) ahead of the main meal. This was the first one- it was really good! Quite easy to make and really filling, I think this could be a lunch on its own! Recipe https://seonkyounglongest.com/korean-potato-salad/ 

Ingredients:

2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into large chunks

1/2 Kirby cucumber, diced small

1/2 cup carrots, julienned and chopped

2 tbsp red onion, diced 

1/2 cup imitation crab, diced

4 hard boiled eggs, diced 

1/2 cup kewpie mayo

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook potatoes until fork tender.

2. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt on the diced cucumbers and let sit for 10 min to sweat, then rinse and squeeze excess water from them. Set aside.

3. Drain potatoes and mash slightly while still hot. 

4. Add all remaining ingredients and combine well, adjust seasonings if needed.

5. Refrigerate for 30 min before eating.

Korean Bulgogi Burgers, by Diane

This burger recipe was pretty decent! I wanted to make them because I love bulgogi and they seemed easy to throw together. I would increase the soy sauce and sesame oil next time, and I also let them marinate a bit like true bulgogi, which I’ll include below. I ate them with a kimchi mayo I whipped up and Korean Pickled Cucumbers, so good!!!


Ingredients:

For the burgers:
1.5 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp gochujang (or more depending on heat preference)
2 cloves garlic, minced


For the mayo:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup kimchi plus 2 tbsp liquid (gochujang also makes a great sub here)

2 tbsp sliced scallions


Directions:

1. Mix all the burger ingredients and form into patties and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

2. Grill the burgers until cooked to preference.

3. While the burgers cook, combine the mayo ingredients in an immersion blender until thick and smooth.

Korean Pickled Cucumbers, by Diane

These were sooooo good and easy!! I love the banchan (little small dishes) that are served at the table before a meal in Korean restaurants, and these tasted exactly like the cucumbers in banchan. They are also a delicious snack to have on a hot day like today, or a great topping for burgers like the Korean Bulgogi Burgers I made to go with them! 

Recipe from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/spicy-korean-cucumber-pickles-2216857


Ingredients:

1 lb. Kirby, English, or Hothouse cucumbers
1.5 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp gochujang
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2-3 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced


Directions:

1. Slice the cucumbers 1/2 inch thick (I used a mandolin) and sprinkle with salt. Mix well and place into a colander to release the water for 30-60 min.

2. While the cucumbers sweat, mix the remaining ingredients well. Taste to adjust ingredients to make the sauce to your preference.

3. Strain the cucumbers well in a tea towel and add to the mixture. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. These only get better through the week and retain their crunch!

Kimchi Beef Cauliflower Fried "Rice", by Diane

YUM- this was amazing!!! If you love Korean food and kimchi this is the recipe for you! I saw this on @thedefineddish's Instagram, and it was perfect for my whole 30 dinners this week. The original recipe was made with a fried runny egg on top, but I just mixed the rest of the eggs in since I was batch cooking for the week. The other corrections I made were just for flavor since I thought the cauliflower absorbed a good bit of the seasonings and the final result needed more. This recipe was cooked exactly how I cooked things when taking classes in Asia- instead of removing things from the pan as they cooked and setting them aside to add them in at the end, you instead push the cooked ingredients to a side of the pan and keep cooking. I loved the way this turned out- this one is a keeper!!


Ingredients:

1 lb. skirt or flap steak (I used chuck tender roasts bc the other cuts were pricey), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Oil of choice (I used coconut)
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 large eggs, whisked
1 cup kimchi roughly chopped (I used closer to 2 bc it needed more flavor after the cauliflower)
1 bunch scallions, chopped, green and white parts
4 cups raw riced cauliflower
2 tbsp. coconut aminos (I used 4)
1 tsp fish sauce (I used 2)

Directions:

1. Heat oil of choice in a large pan over medium high heat (you'll need a large one for when the cauliflower is added). When the oil is hot, add steak, onion, salt, pepper, and chili flakes and cook until beef is golden brown on all sides (abt 8 min).

2. Push the beef mixture aside and pour the eggs into other half of the pan so they can cook omelet style for 2 min. Chop the egg mixture and push it to the side with the beef.

3. Add the kimchi and scallions, cook with sesame oil for 2 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook just until the cauliflower is tender, about 4 min.

Jap Chae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles), by Diane

Since my new apartment is right around the block from a Whole Foods, I often stop by for an easy healthy meal (as well as some good inspiration). A few weeks back, they were having a Korean-themed hot foods buffet, and I selected a dish that looked good to me filled with cabbage and mushrooms and other stir-fried goodies in a sweet sesame soy glaze. After taking a bite, I realized sadly that the dish contained noodles (which were thin and transparent and therefore almost invisible) and so I withheld from eating it, since I try not to eat pasta. But the flavor of the sauce and the ingredients was so good that I went back to read the ingredient list to recreate it at home without the noodles, and I realized that the noodles I had been avoiding (which were exceptionally tasty in my first bite) were actually made of sweet potato flour and not wheat or other grains. I had never heard of such a thing, and when I ate them on a second try they were not only delicious but filling in a way that is satisfying rather than heavy as a normal Asian noodle dish is. They are also chewier than regular noodles which gave the dish a great texture. Long story short, I was excited to cook with this new ingredient and in a cuisine that is relatively new to me.

The great thing about this dish is that you can really customize it any way you want to. You can add meat (like Korean bulgogi!) or tofu for protein, switch up the veggies, and even change the sauce- although that's really the best part! I am posting the classic version here, which is great on it's own! My version in the photo contains broccoli, shitake mushrooms, spinach, sweet rainbow peppers, scallions, white onion, cabbage, carrots, pea pods, garlic, and eggs.

My one note to this is that mine came out significantly less tasty than the version at Whole Foods, and I believe this was because I did not have a wok. There is something about the high heat searing the veggies that gives them an incredible flavor, and mine were just cooked instead of seared. So, I would recommend a wok or using high heat and more sesame oil until the veggies get that caramelized sear on them.

Recipe from: http://www.chow.com/recipes/30269-japchae-korean-stir-fried-sweet-potato-noodles


Ingredients:

8 ounces dried Korean sweet potato noodles
4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch matchsticks
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 ounces baby spinach
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles, stir to separate them, and boil until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Using scissors, cut the noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths. With the noodles still in the colander, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and toss to coat; set aside.
2. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved; set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrots, onion, measured salt, and measured pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the spinach and, using tongs, toss to combine. Let cook until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add the reserved noodles and soy sauce mixture and toss until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately or at room temperature.