Follow Me on Pinterest!

Anyone who has a Pinterest account will back me up when i say its an addiction. However its also a GREAT way to explore the world of food, recipes, diy and much more. I dont know about you but when i was younger I had scrap books and cork boards in my room with all those things I wished for. In my adulthood i moved from cork boards to sticky notes...that i tended to loose, for all of those things I wanted to remember. Pinterest combines all of the above in a photographic wonderland of tips, wishes and information. Click above and follow my food boards on Pinterest!

Ojingeo Bokkeum - Spicy Stir Fried Squid

Ojingeo Bokkeum - Spicy Stir Fried Squid

 

Ingredients

1 tbs Soy Sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce 1 teaspoon rice wine 2 tbs gochujang (red chile paste) 1 tsp sugar 6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled 1/2 tsp black pepper 1.5 inches fresh ginger, peeled water as needed
2		small whole squid
4		green or spring onion
2		large hot green peppers (Jalapeno or  green chili)
1	tbs	olive or vegetable cooking oil
1	tbs	toasted sesame oil How to: Put ginger, garlic, rice wine, and soy sauce into blender, then blend into smooth paste (add water if needed to blend). Mix blended paste and all other sauce ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for fifteen minutes. Thin with water as needed to make a thin paste Clean the squid if it hasn't already been cleaned and slice into thin 2 inch sections. (i actually bought mine per-shredded in the frozen section of my Asian market) Cut peppers and green onions into thin 2 inch lengths. Preheat a large stir fry pan over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add cooking oil then add in the following order, about 30 to 45 seconds apart. Squid, green onion, peppers, stir fry 30 seconds. Sauce and pepper, stir fry 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add sesame oil, toss and serve garnished with sesame seed. I served this over rice with a side of diakon radish salad and a bit extra soy sauce.

A healthier Mu Shoo (pancake free)

A healthier Mu Shoo (pancake free)

8 tbs Hoisin Sauce
2 Cups assorted vegetables cut into sticks (i used carrots and zucchini, bell pepper and snap peas)
2 cups shredded cabbage (you can use coleslaw mix if you dont want to shred your own)
10 oz pre pressed firm tofu
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1 tbs garlic
1 tbs shoyu

In a large pan dry fry the tofu until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve the bean sprouts and cabbage add garlic and vegetables to the hot pan and  stir fry for about 5 minutes, then add in the cabbage, stir fry until just wilted. Add in mung beans, tofu, shoyu and hoisin sauce. Simmer for another 2 minutes then serve.

Goma Shabu w/ Sesame Dressing

Warm spring evenings make me want salad but like most days, after working hard, i am to tired to really want to do much.  So i adapted a classic Shabu Shabu recipe to suit my needs, easy, fresh, and tasty. The dressing is the best part... Gotta love it.

Goma Shabu Sesame Dressing

• 6 tablespoons tahini paste
• 1.5 tsp hon-dashi in 1 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 -2 garlic clove , minced 
• 2 tsp corn starch 

Mix all ingredients. Microwave for 1 minute to help it thicken, then refrigerate to cool. 

Use the sauce for dipping shabu shabu.

The Meat

1 lb thin sliced beef (i used eye roast), cut while partially frozen

Sliced carrots 1 cup

Leeks 1 cup

Snap Peas 1 cup

Red and green pepper, 1 cup

Kombu- 1-2 large pieces

garlic 3 cloves

3 cups beef broth

Shabu Shabu is traditionally served as a hot pot, cooked table side like a fondu. I cheated out of lazyness. I threw a few pieces of Kombu into some beef stock with 3 garlic cloves and let it simmer. I brought it to a boil and then submerged the thinly sliced beef in batches for 10-15 seconds each batch. I did the same with the carrots and tougher vegetables. Then served both raw and blanched veggies with the meat and sauce on the side to dip in. Not the traditional way, but it was still very yummy.

Under the Weather

You know I find writing mildly cathartic, some days it’s a good way to pour out the frustrations of life, other days its a way to share the joys, and still on others it allows one to give voice to emotion. It’s a path that doesn’t always go in any specific direction, but is always fun to travel. Today I think it is a bit of everything.

Frustration in that I am a weight loss yo-yo. I am going mildly nuts trying to get over the 50lb mark. I need only 1 lb loss to get there and it just doesn’t want to move. That’s not exactly true...it moves, just all over my body. I now fit in a size 16 pants (down from a 26 when i first started) but my rotten bra is to small. Just what I need....bigger boobs. So that one lb just moved locations and didn’t vacate...i am sure being sick and spending 2 weeks on the couch didn’t help this but it is what it is.

Its finally a joyful day because its the first day in 2 weeks where I actually feel good. Mild sniffles and cough left from being ill but that’s about all. Love that. Now here is hoping I stay germ free. I work in a germ warfare factory (elementary school) so you never know what will come about.  Since I have been feeling under the weather lately, this is a normal occurrence since I work in a school. Small children in confined spaces = germs...lots of them. The sicker I am, the more I want soup and crackers. So far this week i have made kimchi Soup, Potato Soup and had canned noodle soup. Now i am taking my first trip into the world of congee/jook or rice porridge. Its the Asian version of the dish everyone's mom makes the best but is a bit different from household to household.  The base of the jook is very simple, rice, water, ginger, broth....what changes are the proteins. Some recipes call for it cooked with a slice of pook belly for flavor, others use diced chicken or shrimp or turkey. The toppings vary by personal taste. Fish sauce, sesame oil, scallions or a bit of oyster sauce. One even uses plums. I took a bit of everything I liked and put in into this recipe.  Its not traditional this way but its damn good and simple to make. Not to mention you get the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with a nice hot bowl of comfort food.

On that note, being sick and not being able to swallow anything but soup lent itself to a few rather wonderful discoveries. New recipes. I am addicted to sites like www.foodgawker.com or www.pinterest.com. I love to try new things and I love to cook. And one can only do so much chicken noodle soup in a month before it gets old. So being the "google" diva that I am I looked into other cultures versions of the proverbial chicken noodle soup. I found two recipes that have made a permanent home in my kitchen. Jook/Congee which is the Asian version of chicken noodle soup and also the world’s simplest thing to make, and Kimchi Soup.

I love Asian food, mostly because its flavorful, I love to cook things I can't get in a restaurant around here (this is most things unfortunately...its hell living in a back woods version of a heehaw rerun) and i like the challenge of taking things that would normally be off limits because of point quantity and making them just as good but healthy. Juk/Congee is simple. 8 cups of vegetable broth, 1.5 cups of short grain rice, 1tbs ginger, 2tbs garlic, 4 oz diced chicken,4. oz diced raw shrimp. Throw it all in a crock pot for 4 hours and serve with some green onion, Shoyu and sriracha. Add a bit more water if its to thick. Its essentially a rice porridge that makes 8 cups at 1 cup per serving. At 5 points per serving, its warm, filling and one of those foods that makes you feel like the worlds going to be ok.

The other was more a desperate attempt on my part to clear my sinuses and revive my taste buds. Its also has a bunch of harder to find ingredients such as Han-dashi, Kombu and Kimchi. If you like spicy, flavor explosions, this soup will do it. What’s nice is I was able to add or subtract what I wanted in it depending on my mood. The broth is basic. Han-dashi, ginger, garlic, Kombu and a cup of diced kimchi with juices in water or vegetable broth. Simple. Then you can add ramen noodles, or hardboiled egg, steak, fresh thin sliced vegetables or pretty much whatever you think would be good in it, or if you had limited ability to swallow as I did, just some crackers and the broth is fine. The points vary depending on the condiments you add. But the broth itself is essentially free.

Unfortunately soups were not all I ate and we wont discuss some of the bad dietary choices that occurred, I blame it on the fever. However, discoveries are a good thing.

 

JOOK

1.5 cups rice
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 oz diced chicken
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced ginger
6-8 whole unpeeled shrimp
 1/2 cup scallions
1  1/4 " slice pork belly

Optional:
Fish sauce
Sesame oil
oyster sauce
sriracha
fresh cilantro or parsley.

In a crock pot add the rinsed  rice, all of the liquid garlic, ginger and chicken. Add pork belly. Peel the and take the head off of the shrimp and set aside.  De-vein the shrimp and chop into small pieces.  Add the shrimp meat to the broth. put the shrimp shells/heads in cheese cloth and make a pouch. Add pouch to broth. Cook for 2 hours then remove the cheese cloth pouch and pork belly.  Cook for another two hours. Add more water if the jook becomes to thick. It should be thick but you dont want it so thick your spoon stands in it.  Top with scallion and serve.  Or add a touch of the optional seasonings . I personally enjoy a touch of oyster sauce.

I have been rather lapse in my posts. This one should bring me up to date with anything interesting. I have moved on to a lettuce wrap kick. If it can go on lettuce I have been wrapping it in it. Lettuce wrap taco's, sriracha beef wraps...you name it. This was tonight's dinner. it definitely goes on the "will make again list" It was originally a pork recipe but I decided to use shaved chicken instead, just to cut out a few calories and fat. It was tasty. Made a great wrap with a little bit of kimchi, rice and a tomato or two thrown in for texture.

Korean Spicy Chicken Bulgogi

Ingredients

	2 Tbsp soy sauce
	3 Tbsp minced garlic
	1 Tbsp sake
	1 Tbsp honey
	1 Tbsp sesame seeds
	1 cup(s) (chopped) uncooked onion(s)
	1/2 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s)
	1/4 cup(s) Thai Kitchen Roasted red chili paste
	1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
	1 1/2 Tbsp ginger root
	3/4 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
	1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)   (I got the chipped kind they use for chicken cheese steaks at my local butcher shop)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together gochujang, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, sake, sesame oil, honey and sesame seeds. Add thinly sliced chicken and using your hands, make sure each piece is evenly coated. Add onions and scallions and mix well. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Heat a heavy fry pan over medium high heat.Cook the meat mixture and serve with Romain lettuce, kimchi, rice, tomato and a bit of soy.

 

Tofu and Chicken Patties

So I mentioned my addiction to pinterest.com, an addiction i fully blame on my future sister in law.  I was digging through the site when i cam upon a very similar recipe. The how to is the same, just the ingredients changed a bit because of what i had available. But with skepticism in my heart and an empty stomach I made these. They seemed a lot more labor intensive than they were. I served them with spicy Korean Bulgolgi sauce to dip them in.  I also managed to make a double batch because i figured once they were steamed I could toss the extra rolls in the freezer and just pull out and pan fry for a later meal when I didn't feel like cooking. After eating these my skepticism took flight, they were so go i had one thought pop into my mind....."i could get my dad to eat these"....my father abhors all things tofu and regards it as a non food item, kind of like spam or lettuce. This theory has yet to be proven but the next time something in my house breaks and I have to call in the Daddy repair service I am sneaking these on the menu!

Tofu and Chicken Patties

Ingredients

	3/4 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s)
	8 oz firm tofu
	2 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s)
	2 tsp minced garlic
	1 Tbsp soy sauce
	20 spray(s) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Butter spray
	1/4 cup(s) white rice flour
	1 small jalapeño pepper(s)
	1 cup(s) fresh spinach
	1 fl oz mirin
	1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
	1 Tbsp garlic chili paste
	1 tsp hoisin sauce
	2 Tbsp minced garlic
	1/4 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s)
	1 medium green pepper(s), diced
	1 item(s) egg white(s)

Instructions

• Chop chicken breast finely with knife. put in a mixing bowl. Smash tofu with side of your knife. Place in a cotton cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible, and add to the bowl with chicken. Add the the rest of mixing ingredients in the bowl and mix them very well with hand. Spray 2 pieces of foil with butter spray. Place half of chicken mixture on each foil making log shape, about 2" in diameter. Tightly cover the mixture with foil and pinch each ends to secure. Place the logs on the steamer in a shallow pan. Pour a little water and cover with a lid. Steam the logs over medium heat for about 10 minutes. (I used my rice cooker to steam them) Take the foil off and cut each log into 1/2" thick slices. It will yield about 13-16 slices on each log. Coat each slices with flour and then egg. Fry them in a little butter spray on nonstick pan on medium heat until golden brown. Yields 30 mini patties with 1 1/2" diameter makes 5 servings of 6 each. or you can bake them on a cookie sheet at 410 for 15 minutes. Both methods work but the dry fry method gets them crispy on the outside. 

I served these with a side of rice, Chayote Squash tossed with sesame oil and rice wine vinegar with sesame seeds.  Quick blanched asparagus tossed with Spicy Korean BBQ sauce and some kimchi.

Yakiniku Lamb

Yakiniku Lamb

Every once in a while tofu just doesn't cut it. I managed to get my hands on some lam chops at an extremely reasonable price (otherwise my cheap self would have never bought them), then came the question of what to do with them. I dont cook lamb often enough to have a go-to recipe for it. Matter of fact, I have probably only ever cooked it 3 or 4 times in my life. It wasn't a family favorite as far as meats growing up.  So i did what any good cook would do...i googled recipes, and found nothing I liked. But thanks to my recent addiction to pinterest.com I did find a recipe for Yakiniku Beef. It looked good and I figured what the hell it cant be bad on lamb. Boy was I right. This melted in your mouth and it was very, very hard to not over eat.

Ingredients

	1/2 pound(s) cooked lamb chop(s)
	1 tsp dark sesame oil   1/2 tbs sesame seeds.
	1 tsp ginger root
	1 tsp minced garlic
	1/2 cup(s) sake
	4 fl oz mirin
	1/2 cup(s) soy sauce
	1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
	1 tsp honey
	1 tsp chili sauce
	1 serving(s) Hon Dashi, 1/2 tsp
	2 serving(s) squash and baby carrots

Instructions

•  first fry the ginger and garlic in 1 tsp sesame oil for 1 minute. Add the Sake and Mirin and cook for another 1 minute (high heat) Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a further 2-4 minutes until the sauce is of a thick consistency. Check the flavor and add any more sugar/honey/salt as needed. Season your lamb with salt and pepper and fry on a skillet. Once the lamb is done remove from the heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes.  Add the lamb then pour over the yakiniku sauce and allow to cook and reduce for a further 2 minutes with the vegetables. If you are not using a sizzling platter then simple cook the vegetables in a wok or frying pan and add the beef to that. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, serve and enjoy. 

I served this with purple rice, scallion and pork dumplings and a side of my homemade kimchi. Yum. and i am not exaggerating on the yum. Also you would think it was a high point weight watchers meal but not really. The lamb itself was only 7 points for 2 chops. Not bad. If this is dieting then I can spend my life eating this way.

Tofu Taco's

In my quest to loose weight ( 45lbs lost to date). I have taken up Tofu. I used to think tofu was the nasty stuff that vegetarians ate because they couldn't have the good stuff like bacon. But it turns out Tofu is a great thing. Lots of different ways to prepare it. It can be crispy or soft, fried, baked or used in a soup. I made salad dressing, pudding and meatloaf. All of it good!...ok there was that ONE recipe that was only so/so.  I made it with all the Asian flare and flavors i could find. Then i decided...tacos. Turns out its the perfect pairing. Crispy cooked tofu, marinated in taco seasoning (i cheat and use the Ortega brand taco seasoning)

TOFU TACO'S

Ingredients

	3 Tbsp Ortega Taco seasoning
	1/2 cup(s) fat free salsa
	1 cup(s) fresh tomato(es)
	1 cup(s) lettuce
	1 small uncooked onion(s)
	1/2 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt
	10 oz extra firm tofu 10 medium Tortilla Wraps cut in half.

Instructions

• Spray a cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray. cut tofu into small cubes.  Mix 1/4 cup water with taco seasoning and marinade the tofu in a ziploc bag for 20 minutes or longer. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes at 410, turn over the tofu and cook for another 10 minutes. 
• Chop all of the vegetables.  Serve with  plain fat free yogurt (instead of sour cream)

CHEESE CAKE BITES

 I have been experimenting with my home made cream cheese. Today's experiment CHEESE CAKE BITES! only 2 weight watchers points each. Not a bad snack for 1 minutes of work.       





        1 cup(s) plain fat-free yogurt, drained to cream cheese texture   (see cream   
        cheese recipe posted earlier)
    1/2 cup(s) sugar  
    3 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar  
    1 Tbsp vanilla extract  
      1 item(s) egg white(s)  
    24 item(s) wonton wrapper(s)  
    1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour  
    1/2 cup(s) mini chocolate chips  
    6 spray(s) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Butter spray  
Instructions

    in a bowl mix everything but the wonton wrappers . in a mini cupacake pan place each of the 24 wonton wrappers in the slots. Place one tbs of the mixture into each wonton wrapper. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until light brown.

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu

 This was just to delicious.

I am almost to the 50lb loss mark. I cant weight! :) Unfortunately I have been hovering at the 2lbs to go mark for weeks now. I am not sure what to do to get it gone. Unfortunately the obvious answer is excersize. But having been ridiculously ill latley anything that involves heavy breathing is out at the moment. Its a hazard of working with small children, they are germ warfare on the hoof. However I did discovered something that helped me get over my 40 lb hurdle. Tofu!!! I had at first thought that tofu was some bland nasty thing that vegetarians came up with to torture themselves. But after experimentation and a bit of trial and error i have fount that its not. I tried itin the past...and disliked it, I found that the reason I disliked it was its texture. i cooked it like it was scrambled eggs...i detest scrambled eggs, not for their flavor but their texture. I cant swallow them. So i did a bit of research. Turns out you can pretty much do anything you want to tofu, you can fry it in oil, dry fry it, bake it, broil it, grill it, mash it, boil it, or eat it steamed or cold....It also tastes like whatever you want. The added benefit is a block of extra firm tofu (14oz) is about 14 points. After you press it is even less points per oz. I explored traditional Asian dishes at first because I discovered that tofu was not always the main protien, often it was mixed with pork or chicken. It made it a bit less daunting to mix it with the familiar. I then moved from Asian to meatloaf, yes meatloaf. Half meat, half tofu cuts down the points dramatically. And you cant tell its in there, just ask my father. On second thought, dont ask, he still haven't figured out we have been feeding him tofu for months. My mother hasn't gotten brave enough to try feeding him unmixed tofu, but she has used it in casseroles and meatloaf's, stuffed pepper and anything she uses ground meat for.

I have learned a few tips in my trial and error cooking of the stuff:

1. Marinade your tofu whenever you can its like a sponge and will soak all the flavor up.
2. You dont need oil to fry tofu crispy, just a non stick pan.
3. If you put it in a blender it will liquify (dont do this unless you are making pudding.)
4. Always add extra spices when cooking with tofu. Its bland and needs it.
5. 1 block of tofu will make 3-4 portions. It doesn't look it but it will.
6. It doesn't freeze well.

I have used it in stir frys. Made tofu Parmesan, tofu tacos, miso soup, tofu chips and even tofu bonmi sandwiches. Very few of the recipes I have tried end up tasteless. My issue with some has been textural. But i have found that even if the recipe doesn't call for the tofu to be crispy, you can still crisp it up and make it taste just as good.

Also, and this was a big factor for me. Tofu is cheap. 2.99 per 14 oz block. a 4 portion meal complete with protein, starch and veg is often less than 7.00 total where a pound of boneless skinless chicken breast is often 4-5 dollars depending on the time of day. Thats really cheap for a meal. Because of this I have added tofu into my menu at least 2-3 times per week and cut my food cost.. Weather mixed with another protien or by itself it lowers point values, cost and my waist line measurements.

The moral of the story folks is: Don't be frightened of tofu. Its not just for vegetarians.

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu
Serves 2-3
1 Block Tofu, extra firm, 14 oz
Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs Lime Juice
1/2 tsp Siracha
1 tbs fermented chili paste (Gochujang^{) (wegmans has it)}
1 Clove Garlic, pressed, optional
1/4 tsp Salt
½ tbs fish sauce
Directions
Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved.
Drain and press tofu and cut it into small triangles.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. In order to properly “dry fry” the tofu, you’ll need a pan the tofu won’t stick to even without any oil.
Spread the tofu out in one layer in the pan. Using a spatula, press the tofu. The liquid will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will begin to turn golden. The more water that evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be, so be gentle at first to prevent the tofu from breaking up. After several minutes, flip the tofu over and press the other side. After about 10 minutes of dry frying, you can turn off the heat and set the tofu aside for finishing later, or proceed to adding the sauce.  To finish the tofu, bring the pan back up to temperature if it’s not already very hot. You want to heat the pan and the tofu over high heat, making sure the tofu is hot all the way through. Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. If it isn’t bubbling up and forming a glaze, turn the heat back on high and cook until the glaze is.. well.. glaze-y.

Muchim

Chayote the other white vegetable.  I love this squash. Its cheap (5 for  2.00) but it doesn't have a ton of flavor. I have baked them like a potato and eaten them with butter and sour cream, they are great raw (mild apple flavor), chopped them into stir fry's and now....

 

Korean Spicy Chayote Squash Muchim

 

i found the recipe here at Little Corner of Mine's  website but adjusted it a bit with the addition of the chili paste and agave nectar. Sooo tasty!!!!  

 

Ingredients:

1 chayote squash, seeded and thinly sliced

1/8 tsp. iodized salt

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. mirin

2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

2 clove of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped scallion (the green part)

1/2 tbs agave nectar
2 tsp fermented chili paste

Method:

Put all ingredients in a bowl.  Stir to mix well. Serve!