Monday, May 9, 2011

Beer Bread



Beer Bread Recipe.  Easiest bread recipe ever!
No cooking experience needed.  Sweet flavor with just a hint of beer and butter.

Ingredients
3 cups of self rising flour
1/2 cup of sugar (you can use up to 2 cups if you want it super sweet)
1 can of 12 oz beer (Budweiser is always good, pale lager)
1/4 cup of melted butter

Sift flour into bowl,
add sugar and mix.
Gradually add beer, mix.
Add butter, mix.
The dough will be sticky and wet.
You can oil the loaf pan but since there already butter in the dough its not necessary.
pour the dough in to the loaf pan.  Put in to pre-heated 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let it cool for 30 minutes. 
Slice and eat.  Great for breakfast toast or accompaniment to any meal.


*Its very important to use self rising flour.
Here's the video on how to, or you can watch it on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYDEvqyLCGM


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Maangchi's Soon dubu jjigae. ( Soft Tofu Stew )

This dish is hard to explain.  It's a seafood stew with beef.  But the star of this dish is soft silken tofu called Soon Dubu.  So delicious!
This recipe is from Youtube megastar Maangchi.
Here is the full recipe with video.  I've made this recipe twice.
It's delicious and I highly recommend it.

* I made one change.  Instead of shrimp I used clams. 

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Jjajangmyun (blackbean noodles)

Jjajangmyeon is a Korean version of Chinese dish.  It's a very common dish served everywhere in Korea.  It's cheap, fast, easy and delicious.

My version is left-over veggies from the fridge and pantry.  This dish has no meat, but traditionally it always has small strips of pork. You can add any type of vegetables.   Potatoes, frozen peas, broccoli and etc.  I personally like it with lots of raw veggies on top.  The crunch adds really nice texture and freshness to the dish.


Recipe:
Noodles– I used Soba noodles 'cause that's all I had.  Any kind is fine–even spaghetti works.
Enough for 2 servings.

Vegetables

1/4 diced red peppers
1/2 julienned red peppers
1 small cucumber julienned
1 small carrot julienned
1/2 small onion diced
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 scallion diced
1 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

sauce

5 Tbsp of Jjajangmyun sauce (click here to find out where to get it)
1 cup of water
1 tbsp of corn starch
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of canola oil

Directions:
In a large skillet or frying pan heat oil:
Saute all the vegetables that are diced.  About 7 to 8 minutes till soft. ( Julienned vegetable will be added raw when the dish is done) 
Also add red pepper flakes.  (optional)
combine water and cornstarch together, make sure all the cornstarch is dissolved.
Add Jjajangmyun sauce to vegetables, 
Stir in water/cornstarch mixture and stir.
Bring to simmer and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
The sauce should be gravy consistency and shiny.

Meanwhile boil noodles until done.
Move to plate or bowl, top it off with generous amount sauce and garnish with lots of raw fresh julienned vegetables and scallion.

Its delicious with kimchi of course!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Kimchi Fried Rice!!!!!



The ultimate Korean comfort food.  My mom and my grandma used to make this for me after school.
Every Koreans have their own version.  Some use butter, some add some leftover meat, some even use lunch meat,  (Spam is always good)  additional vegetable and etc.  This is very basic version.  Add to it whatever turns you on.


Recipe

1 cup of kimchi with some of the juice.  ( I use Kitchen shears to cut kimchi in to small bite size)
11/2 cup of left over rice.
1 fried egg
1 scallion chopped
1 tbsp of canola oil.  (I prefer canola over olive oil.  less flavor.  Most Korean dishes are finished off with drizzle of sesame oil which has a very strong flavor and aroma.
Splash of soy sauce.  (Its like salt, add to taste.)
drizzle of sesame oil.
Directions

On a non stick frying pan heat canola oil.
Add kimchi and let it fry till kimchi is toasted looking.
About 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir well and cooked thru.  6 to 8 minutes.
Add splash of soy sauce and drizzle of sesame oil.
Garnish with scallion move to plate or bowl.
Finish off with 1 fried egg on top.

Its great with miso soup on the side.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Chickpea salad wrap/taco

This is a truly tasty, healthy, and guilt free dish.
Very easy to make.  Make a big batch and have it as a snack, wraps or as a side dish to your meal.
I used a low carb whole wheat tortilla's from Trader Joe's.  I lightly sauteed the tortilla with olive oil
and added the chickpea salad.
















Ingredients.

Main star of this dish is the chickpeas.  After that you can add any kind of
veggies you desire.

Here is the list for mine.  I use these veggies because they don't get too soggy
after couple of days in the fridge.

1 can of chick peas (Garbanzo beans)  rinsed.
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes (Cherry tomatoes are ideal)
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
1/4 of small red onion chopped
1 chopped garlic clove

Dressing.
1 lemon squeezed
Splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 inch of ginger grated.
1/2 tsp of sugar or honey
Olive oil  (For traditional dressing its 3 parts oil and 1 part vinegar.  I use less oil and add a splash of water)
Salt and pepper to taste.

*Of course use any kind of dressing you like.
Feta cheese is a great topping for this salad.