Kkakdugi (Radish Kimchi)

After my more than fruitful experiment into the world of kimchi I decided to branch out and try
radish Kimchi. I have to admit, its delicious, not as spicy as I thought it would be and the radish has a cooling effect. In all truth, this rarely gets to the fermentation process. We mix and eat it just as it is, its that tasty! It makes a great side dish when you want something thats simple, but not your standard salad.  If you are going to eat it the day you mix it and prefer a sweet hot flavor you can add a tbs or two of agave nectar to the ingredient list. It gives it a whole other dimension.

I found a few recipes for this most are very similar so i took a bit from everyone and put it together to make my own version.

1. 2 lbs peeled, cubed diakon radish
2. Rinse in cold water and pat dry.
3. Put into a large bowl.
   
4. Add 1 tbs coarse salt (i used Hawaiian sea salt because it is what i had around)
5.  2 tbs sugar
6. 1 tbs rice flour, and mix well.
   
7. Add 2 tbs minced garlic
8. 1 tbs minced ginger
9. 1/2 cup chopped green onions
10. 1/8 cup fish sauce
11. 1/8 cup soy sauce, 
12. 1/2 tbs siracha
13. 1.5 tbs hot pepper flakes
14. 1 tbs paprika

Mix well and place in sealed containers.  Refrigerate and eat immediately or leave out for a day or two to begin the fermentation process and then enjoy. When it starts to ferment you will see little bubbles on top and the smell will be stronger with a sour note.

Pomegrnte & Chilli Tofu

I made this recipe tonight and OMG it was incredible. This is not one of my recipes, it came from mongoliankitchen.com's website.  This is a great go to website. Lots of Pictures and great detailed explanations. Lots of great recipe's.

I did have to make a few changes. I could not find the pomegranate molasses. So I bought a bottle of Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice, threw it in a sauce pan and reduced it down.  It was incredible. I also used rice flour instead of corn flour and changed up the veggies a bit and used gochuang (Korean fermented chili paste) instead of chili puree.
But it was still incredible. I am having visions of the sauce on short ribs or chicken.  I made it over Imperial Rice with Salted Plum. lol Like normal my pictures look nothing like the ones on the actual website but it was still incredible.

Pomegranate & Chilli Tofu Recipe

"http://mongoliankitchen.com/pomegranate-chilli-tofu/#comment-4650"

Ingredients
For the Fried Tofu

• Tofu, drained, cut into thin strips and patted dry
• Corn Flour
• 2 tsp Thai 7 Spice mix
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

For the Sauce

• 2  tsp vegetable oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced, or garlic puree
• Equal amount of chopped fresh ginger or puréed ginger
• 1 tbsp chilli puree or diced chillies (vary according to how hot you like it)
• Mirin or Rice Wine (or white wine) 1/2 cup (optional)
• 2 tbsp pomegranate Molasses
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

For the Vegetables

• 2 medium onion
• 1 medium yellow pepper
• 1 medium red pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• An equal amount of ginger, finely chopped

Remember, make this how you like it. If you prefer lots of vegetables, add lots of vegetables. You can even make do without the tofu altogether.
Method:
Prepare the Tofu.

• The most important thing to do is dry the tofu well. It is full of liquid and you are going to be frying it in hot oil. So it is essential to dry really well.
• In an open bowl, mix the cornflour, thai 7 spice, paprika.
• Add the tofu pieces and coat well
• Fry the tofu on a medium-high heat for around 2-3 minutes and set aside. Do not fry too many pieces together, instead work in batches depending on the size of your pan/wok.
• Drain on kitchen roll and set aside

Prepare the Sauce

• In a wok, add your vegetable oil then add the ginger and garlic, fry for 1 minute (careful not to let the garlic burn)
• Add your mirin and allow to boil on a high heat for 1-2 minutes to burn off the alcohol
• Add the remainder of your sauce ingredients, mix well and allow to cook and thicken for 2-3 minutes
• Pour out into a bowl and set aside

Prepare the vegetables

• In the same wok you made the sauce in (the left over sauce on the wok adds to the flavor of the vegetables) add a little oil and add your ginger and garlic. Fry for 1 minute
• Add all your vegetables and cook until caramelized , about 5 minutes. (Tip..adding a spoonful of the sauce helps the vegetables get extra flavor and caramelize)

Complete the dish

• Once the vegetables are cooked, add the fried tofu pieces to them to warm through.
• Then add the sauce and mix well.
• Add your coriander and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish
• Serve with your choice of boiled rice.

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Imperial Rice w/ Salted Plum

1 Cup Sweet Rice
1/4 Cup Imperial Black Rice
1/8 Cup minced Salted Plum
1 tbs rice wine vinager
2 1/2 cups water

Throw it all in the rice cooker and cook.

Grown Up Ramen

Do it Yourself Grown Up Ramen

Warning: addictive but spicy...

 

looks pretty good too..

Drama Fever.com has a few new drama's I have been into lately. Two of which  revolve around food. Flower Boy Ramen Shop and Kimchi Family.  Both shows are as addictive as their culinary name sake. Watching makes you want to try the food.

I am not a fan of pre-packaged ramen noodles, you know the kind where you get the flavor packet of unidentifiable spices and the brick of noodles all neatly shrink wrapped in colorful packaging. Maybe it was because I ate so many as a kid, or because this was the standard "I am too poor to eat much else" food in college or because  I have eaten one too many packets in my youth only to look closely at the floating "pepper" and discover it had legs.

However, last week I was given a case of kimchi ramen from a store I like to shop at as a promotional freebie. It was sealed, then shrink wrapped, then wrapped in yet more outer packaging. So I figured the pepper probably was leg-less.  It looked nothing like the ramen on the drama I was watching but hey it was free...I tried it.  It was not bad and there were no extra bits of protein swimming around.  It was a bit salty and the vegetable flakes were unidentifiable, chewy and cut in uniform squares. Since I have never seen a square carrot I could only guess at what the vegetables were.  It was a bit of a turn off. Then I read the label. When we are young, label reading was not an issue. I almost had a heart attack reading this label. I was actually surprise that amount of sodium had not already put me at risk for heart issues.  Then there were the numerous unidentifiable ingredients on the label. No, not the Asian ingredients....the chemical ones.  What were these things? Why are they in my soup! I thought to myself...I can make this so much better and know exactly what I am eating. So I did. I decided I could make tasty ramen type soup from scratch and cut out all the preservatives and unknown ingredients.

Turns out this was very simple to make and has become one of my staple go to soups. 

Ingredients:

1 Package ramen style noodles (I found them in the Asian isle at Wegmans)
4 hard boiled egg (or soy pickled eggs)
4 oz steak sliced thin (I used leftover)
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup sliced zucchini
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tbs Hon-Dashi Instant Dashi (Bonito Stock: This is the Asian version of Soup bullion that is made from Tuna. No not the canned albacore with Charlie Tuna waving at you, but the actual good stuff. You can find a jar of it at Wegmans or whole foods or your local Asian market)
1 tbs soy sauce
1" slice ginger
1 tsp sriracha, optional Hot Sauce
1 tbs garlic paste
1/2 cup minced kimchi with liquid.(optional)
1tbs Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste found in Asian foods section of grocery store, optional)
Serves 4.


In a large pot boil vegetable broth, Hon-Dashi Instant Dashi (Bonito Stock), garlic and ginger for about 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer. Add in sriracha, gochujang, kimchi and soy sauce. Let simmer 5 minutes, remove ginger and add in noodles.  Season steak to taste with salt and pepper and cook to medium rare (it will cook more once put into the hot broth) Slice the steak thin. Slice the hard boiled egg (pickled eggs are good here to), chop the green onion and thinly slice or shave zucchini.  Put the noodles and broth into bowls. Top with eggs, steak, green onion and zucchini. Serve hot.

Kim Who? Kim Chi

So anyone who knows me well knows that i have a tendency to stick to something i like until i get sick of it or move on to that "next" interesting thing. I will listen to a band i like exclusively for  months (my best friend once threw out my Highlander Sound Track because she was so sick of hearing it), I will read only one author until i run out of books they have written and in that vein I have been on an all out Asian food kick for about a month now.

So whats a girl on an Asian diet to do....well when life gives you cabbage, make Kimchi.

I have had Kimchi before..the nasty stuff you buy at Wegmans that tastes like overly fermented, fizzy mush.  I grew up listening to my Grandfathers horror stories about the smell of Kimchi and how when he was in Korea he could not stand the stuff.  You would thing that the those would both be good enough reason for me to be incurious about it. Not the case. I made my own. I have to tell you, Its GOOOOOD!!!!!

I adjusted the recipe I found on Tigress in a Pickle's Website.

http://tigressinapickle.blogspot.com/2009/07/kimchi.html  (i suggest going to her website...she has step by step pictures)

Kimchi

Ingredients
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tbs gouchujang (fermented chili paste)
6 cups water
2 pounds chinese, savoy, or nappa cabbage, chopped into 2 inch squares
6 scallions cut into 2 inch lengths & slivered
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons korean pepper flakes, or 1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 cup shredded Korean or diakon radish
1 cup shredded carrot





2 tbs fish sauce
1/4 cup salted shrimp
1 teaspoon sugar (i use raw)
2 quart jar
zip-lock food grade plastic bag


(to make the vegetarian version omit the fish sauce and the shrimp they are optional)
 

first night-

1. dissolve 3 tablespoons of sea salt in water, chop cabbage and place in large crock or bowl. pour brine over cabbage and place a plate inside of bowl to weight down cabbage. i place a bowl of salt water on top of plate, you can use a large can of food, jar of pickles, etc...
2. let stand for 12 hours overnight.

next morning-

1. drain the cabbage and save the brine.
2. chop scallions, ginger and garlic, shred carrots, combine with cabbage.
3. add sugar, last teaspoon of salt, fish sauce, shrimp, chili paste and pepper/paprika to vegetables and mix well. 
4. pack into 2 quart jars, and i mean pack it. i use a wide mouth funnel and then pack it down with the end of a spoon.
5. once all the vegetables are in, pour in the brine to cover. you should have quite a bit left over.
6. pour some of the brine into the plastic zip lock bag and zip. push the filled bag into the neck of the jar. this serves the purpose of weighting it down. putting brine in the bag rather than water ensures that if the bag happens to break you still have the proper water/salt ratio in the mixture. i find a rubber band used on the bag comes in handy for balancing the filled bag in the jar. i also like to place the jar inside a bowl to catch any brine that may leak. this can happen as everything starts to settle and the bag sinks lower into the jar.
you will most likely have some brine left over, pour this into a container and save, you may need to use some to cover as things progress.
7. let this sit at room temperature for 4-7 days. ideally this should be no higher than 68 degrees.
8. after 4 days check to see if it has soured enough to your taste. I find that a solid week is needed for a real kimchi taste. when done, take the brine filled bag out. if the kimchi is not quite covered, pour a bit more brine in to cover.
9. cap jar and place in fridge where kimchi will last perfectly for up to a year. (not that it ever lasts that long.)

Its a simple, easy to follow recipe and it turned out well.


I took my Kimch experiment one step further and Made:

Kimchi and Sweet Potato pancakes 

These were absolutely delicious. The sweet potato mixed with the salted heat of the kimchi makes for an absolute treat! It helps that they are easy and quick to make.

Ingredients
1 or 2  large sweet potatoes
1 cup kimchi (chopped up into pieces)
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup water or kimchi liquid
 Oil to shallow fry


Method 
Peel the sweet potatoes, grate into thin strings.
Take the kimchi out of the container. Do not squeeze out the juice, cut kimchi into small pieces (best to use scissors).
In a large mixing bowl, put in kimchi, flour, potato string .
Add enough water to combine all the ingredients together. Mix quickly until just combined.
Add oil in a hot frying pan so you have about 1cm of oil. When the oil is hot, spoon ¼ cup pre pancake shaped mixture into frying pan . Cook on both sides until golden brown.

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Kimchi bokkeumbap

(kimchi fried rice)

  

This is another simple, quick and tasty dish. Add meat if you want it to be a main dish, leave it without for a side. I made it with just the veggies.

Ingredients:

1 cup short-grain cooked rice (day-old is best)
1/2 cup cabbage kimchi, chopped (remove the brine)
1 large red chilli pepper (If you like less heat just a red pepper will do in a pinch)
1 stalk green onion
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbs Gochujang (chili paste)

1 tbp sesame oil
1tbs  garlic, minced
1 tbs light soy sauce or to taste

Method:

Firstly, heat up your pan until almost smoking.  Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil.  Turn heat to low.  Add garlic, kimchi and Gochujang.  Stir fry about 30 seconds.  Add sesame oil and add in the rice and start stir-frying.  Turn heat to high.  Continue stir-frying for about 3 minutes to get everything mixed in well.  Add kimchi and the sliced chilli pepper and fry again.  Season with the light soy sauce to taste, remove from heat and spoon into bowl.  Garnish with some green onions and sesame seeds.   

Sprouting a love

I love to cook. I love to eat. I love bean sprouts. What i dont love is the inability in norther Pa to find fresh bean sprouts that dont cost an arm and a leg. Well I found the cure to my sprout pains. I grew my own. Its extreemly simple. I am not sure why i didn't do it before.

Bean Sprouts

All you need are large glass canning jars, small squares of cloth, rubber bands, water and 1/4 cup of beans or lentils. I chose organic lentals. 1 bag at wegmans costs 2.50$ (bean sprouts cost 3.49 this is already cheaper) 

add 1/4 cup of the lentils/beans to the jar and fill the jar with water. Let set for 24 hours. Drain off  the water thoroughly and cover the top of the jar with cloth and secure with a rubber band.  Rinse the bean/lentils twice a day. I did once in the morning when i cleaned up breakfast and once around dinner clean up time. Do this for 5 days. And miraculously sprouts will appear.  I like lentil sprouts. I eat them raw, or cooked. If your sprouts are a bit pale in color put them in the windowsill for a day or two. Once they are about 1/2 inch long they are ready to eat.

Its interesting to note that there are about 8 jar's worth of sprout making lentils per 2.50$ bag.  soooo much cheaper than buying sprouts.

Cold and Sick = Hot Cocoa

There are two times I like hot chocolate, when I am sick or on the first snow day of the year....Today i am sick.
I have in my possession the most incredible hot chocolate recipe. It cures all ills and makes frigged days nice and toasty.

Aztec Hot Chocolate

5 cups of water
1 dehydrated red chili pepper ( poke a hole or two in it for more heat)
7 Tbs Baking Cocoa
2 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract

Put the cinnamon sticks and chili pepper in the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and whisk in sugar. Then Whisk chocolate in one tablespoon at a time to prevent clumping.  Add vanilla and simmer for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Serve.

Tofu?

The Asian experiment continues with tofu and a sojourn to China. I was looking for tofu recipes and found a few ways to cook it that I actually am eager to try. I like tofu.... theoretically. It takes on the taste of whatever you put it in.....its the texture that to date I have had a difficult time with.  Normally when i have tried to cook it in the past it has ended up looking like a gray version of scrambled eggs...i dislike scrambled eggs.  But today I have overcome. I found that frying the tofu gives it a crispy texture and cutting into small cubes that are really only one small bite helps as well.

MaPo  Tofu

This is a pretty cool dish with a bit of history, not to mention very tasty. I did not make it as spicy as the recipe called for but it had enough heat for me. The website I found the recipe on also held a story about how the dish came to be. The story goes "that there was an old woman whose face was scared.
Because that she lived the life of an outcast. One stormy night, a wealthy businessman stopped at her home to seek shelter from the rain. Delighted at having a guest, she raided her meager pantry to put together a dish made with tofu and pork. The traveler was so amazed by her delicious creation that he sent more travelers her way." http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/mapo-tofu/

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 4 green onions white part only, minced
• 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, roughly chopped (black bean paste will also work)
• 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, black seeds removed then ground (optional)
• 6 ounces ground pork
• 2 teaspoons doubanjiang (chili bean paste)
• 14 ounce block of silken tofu, drained and cut into 3/4” cubes
• green part of green onions minced for garnish

Directions

1. Add the chicken stock, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.
2. Heat a wok or large frying pan until very hot. Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and stir-fry with a spatula until fragrant. Add the black beans and Sichuan pepper and continue stir-frying.
3. Add the ground pork and use the spatula to break it up into small grains (you don’t want clumps of meat). When the pork is cooked, add the doubanjiang and stir to distribute. Add the tofu, and toss to mix (if you stir it, the tofu will lose its shape).
4. Give the stock mixture a good stir to incorporate anything that may have settled, and then pour it over the pork and tofu. Toss to coat, then boil until the sauce thickens.
5. Garnished with the green parts of the green onions, then serve with hot rice.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Miso Soup

Ingredients:

• 8 Cups Water
• 2 tsp. Hondashi (Japanese Bonito Fish Soup base)
• 1 Block of Soft (Silken) Tofu (14 oz. container), cubed
• 6 Tbsp. Miso Paste (choose your favorite brand - I like the ones that have dashi added in it)
• ½ Cup of Wakame (Dried seaweed)

Optional:

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

• Add water and hondashi to medium size pot and bring to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the tofu,  and wakame to the soup base. 
• Next add the  paste to the soup base by dissolving it Tbsp by Tbsp.  I would highly recommend tasting as you go since the flavors and potency of the miso paste vary greatly from brand to brand.  Don’t worry if the soup base seems to turn cloudy and separates as it cools, as this is normal.
• Serve as is or with rice.  Garnish with green onions if you like.

 http://kitchenrunway.com/miso-soup/

Chocolate Chili Tofu Pudding

Ingredients

	1/4 cup(s) sugar
	6 packet(s) Sweet 'N Low Granulated Sugar Substitute
	2 tsp vanilla extract
	5 tsp CHATFIELD'S Cocoa powder
	1 Tbsp water
	1/2 tsp chopped red hot chili peppers
	14 oz low-fat tofu

Instructions

Put it all in the blender and blend on high until smooth. Makes 6- 2.5oz servings.

Seaweed Crisps

So i fell in love with crispy seaweed. But there is a problem. Its hard to find and one small potato chip bag size is about 2.50$ .  So i scoured the internet for ways to make my own. I found two recipies that I have slightly modified to my own liking.

Baked Seaweed Snacks

10 sheets of nori
1 tbs salt
1 tbs water
1 tsp wasabi paste
1/2 tsp hondashi
Sesame Oil

Set the oven to 275 degrees. Slice the nori into 1.5" strips. Lay out flat on a baking pan. In a bowl combine water, wasabi paste and hondashi.  With a kitchen brush, brush a light amount of the wasabi mixture over each strip. Place in oven for 6-10 minutes (you will know its done when it starts to curl a bit. Watch closely burnt nori isn't the tastiest.). Brush with a very very very minimal amount of oil and sprinkle with a tiny amount of salt. Serve.

Fried Seaweed Snacks

10 sheets of nori
1 tbs salt
2 tsp wasabi powder
Sesame Oil- 1 tbs
Peanut Oil- 1/2  cup

in a shallow pan heat the peanut oil and sesame oil.  Cut the nori into 1.5" strips.  Place a few strips at a time into the hot oil. It takes less than a minute to fry each strip. They will shrivel up a bit, then flip them over and make sure both sides are cooked. Remove onto paper towels to drain. While still a bit damp with oil sprinkle wasabi powder and salt on each strip.

Miso Glazed Fluke

I have officially lost 40 lbs!!!! Yay me....now for the next 40. My healthy eating experiment has left me looking into a variety of  different foods. I have essentially stopped cooking out of boxes, cans and bags and have been cooking from scratch as much as possible. If I can make it my self. I do. I have also found that not only does my food taste better but I control exactly what I eat and can substitute healthy for unhealthy choices without sacrificing any flavor.

I am currently experimenting in Asia at the moment.

Miso Glazed Fluke

Ingredients

	4 fillet(s) flounder fillet(s)
	1 Tbsp miso
	1/2 Tbsp sugar
	2 Tbsp Green onion and soy sauce
	1 tsp ginger root
	1 tsp garlic clove(s)
	1 fl oz mirin

Instructions

Reserve the Fluke and preheat the oven to broil (this can also be done on the grill, but as we know I am not allowed to use the grill due to an unfortunate explosive issue years ago). Slit the fish 4-5 times and stuff with thin slices of garlic and ginger root.  Mix all other ingredients in a blender and pour over the fish, let it marinate for 20 min.  Broil on high 6 minutes each side. Serve with sprinkle of green onion. I remove the skin from the fish as I am not a fish skin fan. But it can be left on.

My Asian experiment took me to Korea today. I made Japchae. I will defiantly make this again. Its simple but delicious. It was not difficult to make despite the list of ingredients but i did leave out the mushrooms....not a huge shroom fan. I threw lotus root into mine instead.

Japchae

Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 oz beef (flank steak of meat with less fat content)
• 8 shiitake mushrooms or Chinese black mushrooms, or both (fresh or dried but soaked)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seed
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 2 carrots, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, cut thinly
• 1 bundle spinach (l/3 lb)
• 2 eggs
• 1 12 oz dried vermicelli noodles made from sweet potato powder (dangmyeon 당면)
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp chopped green onion
• salt and black pepper to taste

Recipe Steps:

• Soak the mushrooms for a few hours if you're using dried mushrooms. Squeeze out water from soaked mushrooms – cut off stems and cut into thin strips.
• Cut beef into thin strips. Marinate beef and mushroom strips with soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame seed, and sesame oil. Sprinkle with pinch of ground pepper and set aside. After about 10-15 min, stir fry beef and mushrooms in vegetable oil with pinch of salt and pepper.
• In a separate pan, cook carrots and onion lightly with some oil and set aside.
• Rinse spinach well. Blanch spinach in boiling water for about 2 min and then rinse in cold water. Squeeze excess water out, and season lightly with salt and sesame seed oil.
• Whisk eggs, then add a pinch of salt. Fry into a thin layer. Let cool and cut into long, thin strips.
• Soak noodles in cold water, and cut once in the middle. Cook in boiling water for about 3-4 min or until noodles become soft. Rinse in cold water and drain.
• Stir fry carrots and onions individually using dash of salt. Remove from the pan. Stir fry noodles in the same pan lightly with some vegetable oil with sprinkle of salt.
• Ok ... finally you can mix everything together. First, season the noodle using a splash of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper, then taste. Now add all the vegetable ingredients and egg strips. Taste again and add salt and sugar to your liking.
• Put in a large plate, and sprinkle with some sesame seeds and green onion as a final touch. Can be served hot or cold -- actually it tastes kind of different in a good way when it is slightly cool.

I borrowed this recipe from:
http://asiansupper.com/recipe/japchae-korean-glass-noodles 

Experimental Asian

My parents and I went to my favorite Asian market. The Assi Market is a huge shopping center outside of Landsdale Pa the size of a super walmart. Its great. I was able to nab some great finds. Lotus root, Forbidden Rice, crispy seaweed, salted seaweed and a wide variety of fish! Gotta love it. Todays menu reflects my finds.
I put some of my recipes into weight watchers online so some have their point values listed.

Forbidden Rice & Seaweed salad Course: main meals PointsPlus® Value:    2 Servings:  6 Preparation Time:  20 m Ingredients 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar    2 tsp fresh lemon juice    1 tsp sugar    1/2 tsp ginger root    1 1/2 tsp soy sauce    3 tsp dark sesame oil      1 1/2 cup(s) salted seaweed stems     1/4 cup(s) carrot(s)      1/4 cup(s) English cucumber    1/8 tsp black pepper    1 item(s) sun-dried hot chile pepper(s)    1 serving(s) Black Rice    Instructions Cook rice as directed, soak the salted seaweed for 2-3 hours to remove the salt. Drain and pat dry. Grate the ginger and slice the scallions and pepper into thin rings, cut cucumber, and carrots into think sticks. Toss vegetables and rice with remaining ingredients. serve. makes 6 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Radish Salad Course: main meals PointsPlus® Value:    2 Servings:  3 Preparation Time:  5 min Cooking Time:  0 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy Ingredients   1 medium oriental radish(es), shredded and patted dry      1/8 cup(s) scallion(s)      1/2 Tbsp chopped red hot chili peppers, sliced thin    1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil    1/2 tsp table salt    1 tsp sugar    Instructions shred the radish and toss with oil, sugar, chopped pepper, salt and scallions serve _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ Korean Short Ribs Ingredients 2 pound(s) Beef, short ribs, trimmed, raw    6 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)      1 medium pear(s), skinned and diced      1/4 cup(s) scallion(s)    4 Tbsp soy sauce    3 Tbsp hoisin sauce    2 Tbsp sugar    1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil    1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar    1 1/2 tsp ginger root    1 tsp black pepper    Instructions In a large resealable plastic bag, combine ribs with garlic, pear, green onions, soy sauce, sugar, hoisin, sesame oil, rice wine, sesame seeds, fresh ginger, and ground black pepper. Seal, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Brush oil over grill pan. Place beef on pan. Cook, turning to brown evenly, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until done. _____________________________________________________ Lotus Root and Bock Choy Ingredients   2 cup(s) bok choy      1 root(s) raw lotus root    2 Tbsp soy sauce    1 tbs Gochujang    1 Tsp miso    1 Tsp fresh lemon juice    Instructions mix sauces and pour over chopped lotus and Bok Choy. Stir fry until crisp but cooked.

Can It!

So i have decided that I want to preserve enough vegetables to last through the winter...mainly because I am poor as hell these days and I just prefer fresh to processed anything! So Since the flooding has had me home bound for the last 5 days I have made homemade pasta sauce, salsa, corn relish, pickled hot peppers, hot pepper jelly, marinated peppers and onions and assorted pickles of the cucumber variety.  I have also processed and frozen, squash, green beans, fresh corn, and a variety of other produce.  But the marinated peppers and onions turned out awesome!

Marinated Peppers and Onions

6 cups green bell peppers, chopped
3 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped/seeded yellow squash (mostly for a bit of color)
1 tbs horseradish
2 tbs pickling spice ground.
1 tbs Italian seasoning
2.5 cups apple cider vinegar
1.5 cups sugar

Put all of the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until onions begin to become translucent.  Pack into hot canning jars. Water bath for 20 minutes.   These are delicious, they taste like they have been marinated  and are just a wonderful accompaniment to burgers or mixed in with fresh cooked corn.

Garden Love

My best friend gave me a ton of veggies from her garden, since mine was flattened by a fallen tree thanks to Hurricane Irene so I have spent the day making wonderful pickles, spring rolls, relishes and for dinner:
Swiss Chard Parmesan

Ingredients

	1 pound(s) Swiss chard, roughly chopped
	1 cup(s) canned diced tomatoes
	1 tsp garlic powder
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp black pepper
	1 tsp minced onion
	1/4 cup(s) white wine
	1/4 cup(s) reduced fat parmesan cheese

Instructions

Reserve parmesan, Place all other ingredients into a pan and cook until swiss chard begins to wilt. Remove from heat, drain, toss with parmesan cheese and serve.

Steak and Shirataki Tofu Noodles w/ a spicy Peanut sauce

Ok so i have been watching one to many Korean drama's on netflix, subtitles and all.  That combined with the wonderful Thai food I had at the filling station in Benton...yes I said Thia food in Benton, they don't have a stop light but they have an authentic off the boat Thai chef...put me in the mood for Asian inspired food.

Steak and Shirataki Tofu Noodles w/ a spicy Peanut sauce

Ingredients

	8 oz cooked trimmed beef eye round steak or roast, cut into 2 4oz steaks
	1 pound(s) House Foods Tofu shirataki angel hair shaped noodle substitute
	1/2 cup(s) green snap beans
	1/2 cup(s) carrot(s), sliced thin
	1/2 cup(s) green pepper(s), sliced
	1 Tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter
	1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
	1/4 cup(s) soy sauce
	1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
	1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
	1 Can Bamboo Shoots
	1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce    2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions 

Sprinkle
the steaks with the garlic salt and set aside.
Set a pan over medium heat and allow to get hot.
Mix the peanut butter, sesame oil, sriracha, lemon, rice wine and soy sauce and place in the microwave for 25 seconds. Wisk together.
Spray coat the hot pan. Put the steaks into the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Add noodles, veggies to pan and let cook for 3 minutes. Add peanut-butter sauce to noodle mixture and cover. Let cook for another 5-8 minutes or until veggies are par cooked.
Slice the steaks into 1/8" strips and separate into 3 portions.
Place noodles into 3 bowls with meat over top, serve

Scallops and Veggies

Scallops and Veggies over Rice

 This is a simple meal thats only 10 weight watchers points.

Ingredients

	1 pound(s) scallops
	1 cup(s) cooked asparagus
	1 cup(s) frozen sliced summer squash
	2 clove(s) garlic clove(s) (medium)
	1/8 cup(s) Spanish onion
	1 cup(s) plum tomatoes, diced
	1/2 cup(s)  Merlot
	1 tsp Italian seasoning
	1 serving(s) Nutrasalt Seasoned salt, tsp.
	3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
	1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
	3 cup(s) cooked white rice

Instructions

chop the vegetables and cook with scallops and all other ingredients, in a pan over medium heat, Covered for 10 -15 minutes or until scallops are cooked and veggies are cooked but still crisp. Serve over rice.
Cook rice according to packaging. 1 cup rice per serving.

Wasabi Almonds

This are my favorite snack to bring on vacation, aside from homemade beef jerky of course (see my beef jerky section), but normally i purchase the Archer Farms brand from target, but with the prices steadily rising i wanted to make my own. So these were definitely on my "to try" list. Not only do you get more for your money, but they taste like the Archer Farms version and are so worth the small amount of time to make. So instead of a yearly treat, they have become a staple.

 

Wasabi Almonds

Ingredients:

Serves: 16,

Yield:3 cups apprx

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 lb natural almonds (brown skin on)
• 4 tablespoons wasabi powder
• 1 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with Release Foil or lightly greased foil or lightly greased parchment paper.
3. Whisk the egg white and water together until foamy.
4. Add almonds and toss to coat.
5. Place almonds in a sieve to allow excess egg white to drain off toss lightly as you are draining them.
6. Stir together the wasabi, cornstarch & salt in a large bowl or zip lock plastic bag.
7.  Add almonds and toss to coat.
8. Spread the almonds on the baking sheet single layer and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Stir gently lower heat to 200°F and continue baking for a further 20 minutes.
10. Let cool completely.
11. Serve now or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/wasabi-almonds-150444#ixzz1TAqg1Cb5

Cooking, Cooking

Dinner tonight was a mixed bag of ethnic fusion. I made this wonderfull chicken recipe that I got off of weight watchers...it was great. And because I needed to give it a try, I made a polish dish that roughly translated means potato and barley dumplings. I have to admit I was skeptical about the dumplings....but they were really really good. and filling.

Ginger and Teriyaki Chicken

Course: main meals PointsPlus™ Value:    4 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  20 min Cooking Time:  35 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Our ginger-flavored broth does double duty in this recipe: It's a cooking liquid for the chicken and a tangy base for the dressing.

Ingredients

	1 Tbsp ginger root, freshly grated
	1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
	1 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
	1 pound(s) Chicken, breast, raw, without skin & bone
	1 stalk(s) celery, rib, chopped (medium)
	1 small sweet red pepper(s), chopped
	1 medium scallion(s), finely chopped (green part only)
	1/4 cup(s) teriyaki sauce
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	16 piece(s) lettuce, use tender, inner Romaine leaves

Instructions

• Combine ginger, garlic and broth in a large skillet; bring to a simmer. Add chicken in one layer; return to a simmer. Cover and simmer, turning chicken over after 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken sit in broth for 5 minutes.
  
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of cooked broth; discard remainder. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a medium bowl; add celery, red pepper and scallion.
  
• In a cup, combine teriyaki sauce, reserved broth and black pepper; stir well. Pour over chicken mixture and toss to combine.
  
• To serve, arrange 4 lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken mixture into each leaf. Pick up each leaf and eat with your hands. Yields 4 filled leaves per serving. 

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PYZY Z KASZA JECZMIENNA or Potato Barley Dumplings

Ingredients

	1/2 cup(s) uncooked barley
	3 cup(s) uncooked potato(es), grated
	4 Tbsp table salt
	1 Tbsp garlic powder
	2 Tbsp dried parsley
	1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
	10 cup(s) water
	1 large egg(s)

Instructions

  Soak the cracked barley in 3 cups of water over night. Shred the potatoes on a grater and mix with the potatoes. Using cheese cloth or a clean towel. Remove the remaining moisture from the potatoes and barley.
add in garlic and parsley , flour , egg and 1 tsp. salt. Roll into walnut sized balled between floured hands.
Bring remaining water and salt to a gentle boil. Drop dumplings into boiling salted water and boil about 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.Variations are served with pasta sauce or fried onions and diced bacon (not included in recipe.) Or stuff with ground beef.makes about 50 dumplings. Serving size 5 dumplings

Traditionally these are served with diced crisp bacon and tossed in the bacon drippings before serving. 

Note: I found that flouring my hands was not quite enough to make these into balls.  So I used a plate and put a handful of flour on it and dropped spoon fulls of the mixture onto the flour. it made it easier to flip the dumplings over and then pick them up and roll them into balls. 

its hot and I am broke

it seems the hotter the summer gets the more money I spend that I hadn't planned on spending. Money for a new wall, gutters, tree removal.....yay. So that means going out for ice cream is out. But i have fruit and I have ice!

Fruited Water Ice

1 apple – Cored

1 Pear – Cored

1 banana – peeled

1 kiwi- peeled

½ cup pineapple-fresh

½ cup cantaloupe – fresh

2 sweet’n’low packets

3 cups of ice

blender

This works with any fruit combo. I make it a lot as a snack or when I have leftover fresh fruit salad. Put it all in the blender (I don’t even peel the apples or pears) Pulse until it’s the consistency of water ice.  Add more ice if needed. This makes quite a bit, so if it isn’t all going to be eaten. Pour the remaining blended mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze. When you want more pop the “ice cubes” into the blender again and eat.

Ice Cream…without all that nasty stuff

2 cups frozen fruit of choice (I like mixed berries)

Make sure its frozen without added sugar

½ to ¾ cup of soy or almond milk, unsweetened.

Blender

Add all ingredients to blender and pulse until smooth. Eat.

Black Bean Burgers with Blue Cheese Mayo

I was flipping through the channels one day and came across Sandra Lee making black bean burgers. The idea intrigued me. I decided to give it a try but I could not find her recipe. So i made up my own. After about 3-4 tries (none of which were bad) i settled on this. Its very good and even my ex. who was a strict carnivore loved them.  

Ingredients

3 oz Crumbled Blue Cheese
	3 clove(s) garlic clove(s), MINCED
	1 cup(s) onion(s), MINCED
	2 Tsp black pepper,   Salt to taste
	1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
	6 tbs Burgundy  Steak Rub, or your favorite smoky rub.
	1 egg
	6 slice(s) tomato(es)
	6 tsp   mayonnaise
	12 oz dill gherkins
	1 cup(s) lettuce
	16 oz canned black beans
	3/4 cup(s) dried Italian style bread crumbs

Instructions

With clean hands crush and mash the beans leaving half crushed and half whole for texture. Reserve the Blue Cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, mayo and pickles.  Add all other ingredients and mix gently. If the mixture is to wet add a bit more bread crumbs.  This usually makes about 8-10 patties (i like to freeze the leftovers) Bake or grilled until cooked through (usually about 18-20 minutes on a medium heat grill)
place tomato, lettuce and pickles and put on each burger. Mix the Blue cheese with the Mayo. Spread mayo and blue cheese mixture on buns or use as a dipping sauce.

(i have also made this with 4 pieces of crumbled cooked bacon mixed into the beans)