Korean American Mommy

Chinese Poached Chicken with Ginger & Scallion Oil

2012-07-27T10:46:00.000-04:00

I like chicken. My family likes chicken. And I'm always in search of making an economical, easy and tasty meal for my weekday dinners. I often buy an organic whole chicken from Wholefoods for about $10. Seriously, $10 for an organic chicken is such an amazing deal! And not to mention, flavorful, juicy and tender.

I love ordering this dish when we eat out. And I especially love the ginger & scallion oil. I've always wondered how this dish was prepared and assumed it was time consuming and difficult. Well folks, I was wrong. In fact, this dish is relatively simple and quick. Technique is important here so please follow the directions carefully.

The poached chicken is super moist and the stock created during the process is great for an asian style soup. I made extra ginger scallion oil so I could use it for other dishes. In fact, it's great on oatmeal topped with a couple of fried eggs. Believe me, it was divine. It's also great on veggies, steamed salmon or other fish and plain old steamed rice. And this awesome website is where I found this amazing recipe.

While we were eating dinner, I tried something different with my lil princess. Normally, I place one type food at a time on her highchair and she picks it up with her cute little fingers and into her mouth it goes. This time, I placed the chicken and steamed carrots on her tray to see which she prefers. And she went for the chicken first, then the carrots. I'm thankful she likes my cooking and is such a good lil eater. It also appears that she favors asian food over others, for now at least.

On a side note, anyone see the Disney Pixar animation movie, Monsters, Inc.? I saw this movie when it was released a while back prior to having kids. I fell in love with the character "Boo". You know, the cute little girl with pigtails, big eyes and cute baby gibberish. I especially love the scene where Sully takes Boo to the bathroom and while she's doing her business, she's singing a song. So cute! Anywho, I now have my very own, real life "Boo" and I couldn't ask for a more perfect baby girl. I wonder what a third baby will be like, gasp?!

My love, as the first born son completely stole my heart. But my lil princess, she melts my heart. True, unconditional love. Okay, I'll stop gushing over my kids. On with the recipe...

Printed Recipe

Ingredients

Poached Chicken

1 Whole Organic Chicken

1 Large Knob of Ginger, Sliced

5 Cloves of Garlic

3 Teaspoon Salt

Water for Poaching

4 Cups Ice Water

Sesame Oil

Salt

Directions

1. Prepare your chicken by rubbing 2 teaspoons of salt allover. Give that bird a nice exfoliation. Then rinse under cold water. Allow the chicken to drain its access water on a rack.

2. In a large stock pot, bring about 3-4 quarts of water, 2 teaspoons of salt, sliced ginger and garlic to a boil over high heat. Carefully submerge the chicken, breast side up and add more water to completely cover the chicken and bring to a boil once more and cover with lid. Turn off heat and allow the chicken to soak in all of the delicious, juicy goodness for 20 minutes. Use a timer folks!

3. DING! Take the lid off your pot and bring to a boil for an additional 4 minutes. Remove succulent chicken from the pot and place in a colander. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of thigh and if it reads 170º, slowly pour the ice water over the chicken to cool. If not, place chicken back into stock pot and allow to simmer for a few more minutes). Slather that bird with a bit of sesame oil and chop away.

Ginger Scallion Oil

3 Tablespoon of Peanut Oil

3 Tablespoons Scallion

3 Tablespoon Minced Ginger

1-1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions

1. Place scallions, ginger and salt in a large enough saucepan (I used a small corning ware saucepan). In another saucepan heat the peanut oil over high heat but do not allow it to smoke. Carefully pour the oil over the scallion & ginger mixture and stir. The oil may spatter so please be careful. On low heat allow to heat up for a minute to release more flavor. Add more salt to taste. Store in a glass container and refrigerate for future use.

NOTE: Believe it or not I used a very sharp Wüsthof Classic 7" Santaku knife to chop my chicken restaurant style. I cut the chicken in half. Cut the thigh and leg then the breast. Place knife over the chicken breast take other hand quickly and firmly hit the knife so that it cuts through clean through the bone. It was a proud moment. My chicken had been expertly handled by an amateur.

Serve your chicken either warm or at room temperature. I had left overs the next morning and it was great cold too. I love this recipe and this dish will be a staple in our house. the entire family loved it. Enjoy!

Korean Cold Soy Bean Noodle Soup

2012-07-05T17:12:00.000-04:00

Soy beans. I love them and I hate them. It's a love hate relationship.

I love them because they're delicious, healthy and economical. I hate them because they're a real pain the arse to remove the skins. Seriously, I felt like I was removing those pesky skins all day. As soon as I thought I had won the battle, I'd see more that needed to be peeled or scooped out...well, now that I've got that out of the way, let me tell you about this dish. Even through my laborious peeling session with the soy beans, I really do adore this cold noodle soup. I love the nutty taste, the simplicity in ingredients and its nutritional value. It's also very filling.

On a hot summer day, the cold broth is perfect. And mind you the broth is not a runny, water like broth. But a thicker consistency, almost like baked potato soup. On occasion, my mom would make this for us and I've always enjoyed it. And if you have a Vitamix, well, the task becomes significantly easier and faster because the Vitamix is a beast of a machine and it liquifies anything.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Cups Soy Beans, Soaked over night ( I soaked more for soy bean milk too)

Cucumbers, Julienned

Salt to taste

4-5 Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds

Water

Korean Ja Jang Myun (자장면) Noodles

Directions

1. Wash your soy beans and soak over night in a large bowl with about 6 cups of water. These suckers soak up a whole lot of water and they double in size so use a large bowl or pot for soaking. Grab a handful of the soaked beans and rub them together with your hands as if you're washing your hands to peel the skins off. You can also use one hand and rub the beans together too. I did a combination of both and it was time consuming. This is the hardest part of the process. It's okay if they break apart. I pretty much abused my beans while de-skinning them. I not only had halved beans but I also had tiny bits of beans. Wash the beans in water and try to get the skins to drain out or pick them out with your hands. You will never get all the skins off your beans or out of your bowl, so do you best. Removing the skins helps with flavor.

Below is a photo of the soy beans before soaking, after soaking and those pesky skins.

2. Place the soy beans in a pot, covered with water and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. Drain beans and place them in your Vitamix along with the sesame seeds. Pour in 4 cups of water and close lid. Turn your beast of a machine on to variable 1 then slowly turn to variable 10 then to high. Allow your Vitamix to do its thing for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the frothy foamy part with a large spoon. You can use a standard blender as well on high until smooth and creamy.

3. Boil water, cook noodles for about 3-4 minutes. Place noodles in colander, wash with cold running water and allow to drain or follow directions according to the package instructions. Have the noodles prepared ahead of time. Place desired amount of noodles in a large bowl, add the soy bean soup, julienned cucumbers, sprinkle with sesame seeds and add several ice cubes to dilute the soup a bit and to make it cold and refreshing. Salt to taste.

*NOTE: You can store your soaked beans covered in cold water with a lid in your fridge. Be sure to periodically re-wash and change the water if you're not using them within a couple of days. I wouldn't let it sit too long.

I also made the Chinese style soy bean milk. The only difference in preparation is that you blend 1 cup of soy beans in its raw state with about 4 cups of hot boiled water (add more water to desired consistency). Blend in Vitamix for 2-3 minutes, set on variable 1 then slowly turn to variable 10 then to high. Skim the frothy foam layer, then simmer in a pot for 20 minutes. You can add your choice of sweetner. Hot soy milk is very soothing and quite delicious in my opinion. And because there is no straining, this version is very filling, you could drink it as a meal, seriously. Homemade soy milk not only tastes great but is also high in nutritional value without added additives or commercial processing.

If you're using a standard blender for the soy bean milk, you'll need to strain the milk through a fine sieve or a cheese cloth. Serve hot or cold. Either way, it's delicious.

I am so pleased that my first homemade soy bean experience was successful. I feel more confident and will be making these more often. Enjoy!

Almond Graham Cracker Brittle

2012-07-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

She said it was "beach brittle" I said, "I want more!"

Recently we returned from our first beach vacation as a family of four. During our week long stay, we found a local bakery that made homemade everything. Homemade muffins, cookies and these amazing almond, graham cracker brittle. The lady who owns the bakery cooks and bakes in her small kitchen while she takes orders for breakfast and lunch. Her kitchen is literally in the same space as her counter where her register and neatly packaged homemade goodies are sold. You can smell delicious caramel on the burner and freshly baked muffins every morning.

When I first bit into these buttery delightful treats, I knew I had to make these at home. Who can resist anything that's smothered in butter and brown sugar! My love said,"mommy these are so good, taste it but don't eat it all!" Silly boy. By the way, this is my love and my lil princess. Yep, a glimpse into the future of how my lil princess will dominate her older brother. Such cuteness.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup Salted Butter plus 3 additional tablespoons of butter, because I like my brittle on the softer side then hard

1 Cup Sliced Almonds or Pecans, Peanuts, Walnuts, Cashews, a mixture, or your favorite nut

Graham Crackers

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350º. Cover your baking sheet with some aluminum foil so that it hangs over the edges of the pan for easy cleanup and spray with a non-stick baking spray. Arrange your graham crackers to fit the entire baking sheet.

2. In a large saucepan (large enough to fit the caramel mixture and almonds) melt the butter on medium/high heat and add the brown sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves and the consistency turns into caramel. Warning, it will smell lovely and you'll want to drink it.

3. Lower the heat to medium/low stir in almonds and cook for a minute stirring constantly, turn off heat and evenly spread the mixture onto the graham crackers. When you're licking the spoon be careful, it's hot, but yummy. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely then break apart. Or be brave like me and break a piece off after cooling off a bit and eat it while warm. Oh and don't forget to lick the saucepan clean!

Store in air tight container or eat it all in one sitting. Yummy.

This treat is so simple and so delicious. Not great for your waistline but hey, everyone needs a little treat here and there. You're gonna want to make these. Like, right now. Enjoy!

Steamed Tilapia with Ginger and Scallions

2012-06-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

Well hello folks! Yes, I'm alive and well. And I hope all of you are doing well.

I have literally been velcro'd to my sweet lil princess. Co-sleeping, starting solids and still nursing on demand has kept me quite busy. My love has been such a patient big brother. It's not easy when the attention has shifted a bit to accommodate his sister.

Since my last post (and boy was that long ago) we have discovered that my lil princess is a fish lover. I introduced her to salmon and she absolutely loves it. And to no surprise at all, she is a lil foodie in training. She loves trying new foods which makes is so much easier for me. She literally grabs my face and tries to eat my mouth whenever she wants to try whatever it is that I am eating. Lets just say she's definitely my child! The perfect addition to our family. And the cutest thing ever! Don't you think? I'm so in love...

Trying freshly picked strawberries at 7 months! Boy did she have fun.

Now, this tilapia dish is one of my loves favorites. And my lil princess likes it too. It's one of those dishes we always order when we eat Chinese. Light, flavorful and healthy too. I've made this dish at home several times without using a recipe, trying to get it to taste just right. And failed miserably.

So I did a little research and realized my technique was all wrong and I missed a couple key ingredients. I also wanted to make this dish quick and easy to eat. So, I opted for tilapia fillets from Wholefoods. Since I'll be feeding this to my kids, I wanted it to be tender and hassle free. You could use a whole fish if you prefer, but why? Skinless, boneless fish is the way to go in my book. Folks this takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and cook and you're very welcome.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

4 Tilapia Fillets

2-3 Scallions, Julienned

Knob of ginger, Sliced into thin strips

2-3 Tbsp Rice Wine

2-3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp of Water, I used the water from the steamed fish

2 Tbsp Peanut Oil

Tiny drizzle of sesame oil

Dash of White Pepper

Directions

1. Prepare your choice of steamer and bring water to a boil. I used a metal steamer basket and placed it in a large enough corning ware dish with lid. Meanwhile, rinse the fish and dry with paper towel then coat fish with a tablespoon of the rice wine, you can drizzle more to coat. Place the sliced ginger on top of fillets and place on steamer basket when water starts to boil. Steam for 6-10 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Place steamed fish on your serving dish and set aside.

2. In a saucepan or small frying pan heat the 2 tablespoon of peanut oil, 2 tablespoon of rice wine, 2-3 tablespoon of soy sauce, and I used about 1 tablespoon of the water from the steamed fish (you can use plain water as well), and a tiny drizzle of sesame oil and a dash of white pepper and bring to boil (prepare this while fish is almost done steaming). Pour sauce over scallions and fish and serve with rice and your choice of vegetable.

If you've ever wanted to make that delicious Chinese fish dish, give this a try. I'm just so happy I finally made this at home with success. My Chinese hubby agrees. And until next time, enjoy!

Rudolph Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

2011-12-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

My love for Rudolph continues this Christmas. I couldn't go without sharing a Christmas treat with you all so I made these adorable rudolph sugar cookies, for my loves pre-school class of course. I got the idea from this blogger. Last year I made these. And who wouldn't want a cute and delicious treat during snack time, I sure would!

You can use you favorite sugar cookie recipe. And I must confess, I've never been a huge sugar cookie fan. But now I am. I found these delicious cream cheese sugar cookies here. The cream cheese and almond extract really make these cookies delicious. In fact, when I picked my love up from school, he said,"Mommy my friend said he wants you to make these again but I told him we make different cookies for different parties (with a proud look on his face)."

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Softened Butter
3 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg Yolk
2-1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
Red Colored M&M's
Chocolate Frosting Gel
Vanilla Frosting Gel

Directions
1. In your mixer or a bowl combine the sugar, butter and cream cheese, salt extracts and yolk and blend well.

2. Stir in flour until blended well. Chill dough for 2 hours or until ready to use. Preheat oven to 375º.

3. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough, one third at a time to 1/8 thickness. You have to really put some muscle into rolling chilled dough out but once you get it going its butter. Cut into desired cookie shapes. I used a biscuit cutter to make smaller cookies. Place one inch apart and bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden around edges. Cool completely.

For Decorating. Draw out the antlers with the chocolate gel. Squeeze out a small dot of the vanilla gel for the nose and place the red M&M's on top and allow to dry. Simple enough, right.

We had leftover dough so we made some Christmas cookie cutter shapes as well. Which my love is demonstrating below...

These didn't last long in our house. And it probably won't in your home either. Wishing all of you a very merry Holiday Season! Now get baking....

Introducing my lil princess...

2011-11-30T10:26:00.003-05:00

Wow. Its been too long since I've been in this space. I missed it. I can't promise regular postings like I've done in the past, but I assure you I will pop in and out just to say hello and share what I've been up to.

Since my last post, I've been quite busy. You see, my lil princess is finally here! Thats my love holding his baby sister. He looks so proud and happy, doesn't he? She made her appearance on October 15, 2011 at 1:50 AM with a full head of hair and weighing in at a whopping 8 pounds 11 ounces and 20.75 inches tall. I grow big babies I say. My love was 8 pounds at 38 weeks. Quite big for asian babies.

It was an easy delivery, except for the fact that I hadn't eaten anything but breakfast that day and my doctor advised me to head to the hospital right away. I was 40 weeks to date, my amniotic fluid was low and I was a mere 3cm dilated.

I arrived at the hospital around noon and was famished by that time. And because of my low amniotic fluid, I was induced through pitocin or oxytocin. So by the time I was fully dilated and ready to push, I was starving and low on energy. Oh, and I didn't ask for my epidural until I was 7cm dilated. BIG mistake! I was in so much pain, especially from the pressure, that even with the epidural I was so uncomfortable. The pitocin worked so quickly. Once I reached 6cm it felt like an eternity for the epidural to be properly administered and working.

With my love, I was in so much pain at 3cm and asked for the epidural right away. Its amazing how each pregnancy and delivery can be so different. The one thing that remained the same though, was that I delivered both of my babies healthy and recovered pretty quickly. Thank you LORD.

Lil princess at 3 weeks

I am truly blessed. I mean, look at her, she's perfect! I couldn't ask for anything more. Well, except more sleep, quick weight loss...and maybe a third??? Can't believe I just said that. We shall see.

My love has been adjusting well to his baby sister. He wants to hold her and give her kisses. He loves helping with her bath and sometimes he'll be a good big brother and run to me if she spit up a bit in her swing or if he see's her moving. Whenever he see's her move during her nap or in the car seat he yells,"MOVEMENT, mommy!" And of course he heard the hubs and I say that so naturally he'll mimic us.

There were times, during the first couple of weeks, we'd would ask him to keep his voice down, and he'd speak loudly. And when we'd asked him to keep his distance because he was a little under the weather, he would cough on her. You have to giggle at his reactions because he was an only child for a bit and he is after all only 4.

Today is my loves 4th birthday and my lil princess is 6 weeks young. I am truly grateful for my children, my health and my family, friends and neighbors. I love being a mom, even with all its challenges. Its the most rewarding job in the world and one of the most difficult ones too.

Oh have I mentioned that I love babies feet. I like to kiss and nibble on them. And smell them too. Only downfall, you have to stop when your kids notice that you love their feet because they start to copy your behavior...on your feet. I say from experience. And we all know that our feet are not as, shall I say cute...

I promise I'll try and post more often. But I feel that my time right now is dedicated to my children. When my princess is napping I love spending time with my love and I know he enjoys our one on one time together. I know you understand.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and wishing you all a even better Christmas. Until next time...

Tonkatsu

2011-08-15T20:46:00.002-04:00

Tonkatsu is a popular pork cutlet dish in Japan. Its so simple and its one of my favorite comfort foods. While most tonkatsu is made with pork loin, I found that pork tenderloin is more tender and flavorful and needs to be butterflied if you're going for the cutlet style tonkatsu. While I've had this dish at Korean restaurants, the best tonkatsu I've had was at a Japanese restaurant where they use pork tenderloin, and instead of cutlets they were medallions of pork and it was super tender. You can also make the katsu (means cutlet) with chicken, fish and I'd say even beef.

This dish is generally served with rice sometimes miso soup and usually with a side of thinly sliced cabbage, sort of a slaw if you will. Most Korean restaurants serve it with, wait for it...a mayo and ketchup dressing...gasp. Its quite tasty I must say and I like it. There is also a Japanese worcestershire sauce served with the tonkatsu. I like to put my sauce on the side for dipping rather than directly on the tonkatsu.

I made this dish twice in one week. I had to. My growing baby girl in utero was pleading for it. While the hubs and I had the pork katsu, I made my love a cod katsu and he loved it. I highly recommend using the Sushi Chef Japanese panko bread flakes if you can find it. I've used other brands in the past and it just wasn't the same. Also, I used peanut oil for pan frying which is the best oil for this dish. You could prepare the katsu ahead of time, refrigerate then pan fry. They're super crispy.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Tonkatsu
1lb Pork Tenderloin (Butterflied to make cutlets) Or Chicken, Fish or Beef
1-1/2 Cups Sushi Chef Pank Bread Flakes
1 Egg, Whisked
3/4 - 1 Cup Flour
Kosher Salt & Peper
1/4 - 1/2 Cup of Peanut Oil
Store Bought Tonkatsu Sauce

Directions
1. A) Butterfly your pork tenderloin to the thickness you prefer, I like mine on the thick side. If you're using other meats such as chicken or beef use a meat tenderizer to pound the meat to desired thickness. This will also make your meat more tender. Salt & pepper to taste.

2. Prepare three separate bowls. One with the panko bread flakes, one with flour and the other with a whisked egg. B) Evenly dredge your meat in the flour. C) Then dip in the egg and D) coat with the panko bread flakes. Press the panko gently onto the meat on each side and coat evenly.

3. Heat a pan with peanut oil on medium high for several minutes. When the pan and oil is heated, place the katsu and allow to fry until golden and flip. If your piece of meat is on the thicker side, place a lid on after you have fried both sides of the katsu for a minute of so flipping in between. Serve immediately.

Mayo & Ketchup Cabbage & Cucumber Side

1/2 Red or White Cabbage, Thinly Sliced

1 Small Cucumber, Julienned

1-3 Tbsp Mayo (give or take depending on how creamy you like it, taste as you go)

1-3 Ketchup (give or take, taste as you go)

Salt to Taste

Sprinkle of Scallions on top

Directions

1. Thinly slice your cabbage and julienne the cucumber. Add mayo/ketchup mixture, salt and mix well. Sprinkle chopped scallions on top and serve with the katsu and rice.

You can make this meal in less than 30 minutes. And you can choose your favorite meat. Serve with your choice of rice, cabbage and cucumber side and even miso soup. I promise you'll really enjoy this meal!

CInnamon Rolls

2011-08-07T21:33:00.001-04:00

You know you want one. Maybe even two. Slathered with the most buttery, sugary, cream cheesy icing. Who could resist? And these are even better a couple days later. Just stick 'em in the microwave and the flavor is even more intense.

I have cravings for buttery sugary treats these days. But I was told to lower my carb intake due to a very close diagnosis of gestational diabetes. I just passed the three hour glucose test. Whew. But I do treat myself. I mean seriously, what's a pregnant mama to do when the growing baby inside of me is requesting a bit of sweetness to my diet. So I compromise. I treat myself on the weekends. Fair enough, right? Okay, I lied. I cheat sometimes during the week but I keep in under control with very small portions.

You all have tasted Cinnabons, right? Well I wanted to find a recipe that was very close to those as possible. I found that this recipe tasted a bit dry right out of the oven. But after a few days later, they were closer to the heavenly, oh so tasty Cinnabon's. Now, you can bake the rolls in a baking pan as I did or place them in a round or rectangular cake pan. I thought for the purposes of photos, placing them separately so they do not touch, would yield prettier rolls. Now some did lose its shape but most of them came out very nice.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Recipe Courtesy of Todd WIlbur
The Dough
1-1/4 Ounce Package Dry Yeast
1 Cup Warm Milk
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Margarine (I used my friend Mr. Butter)
1 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
4 Cups Flour

Filling
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2-1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/3 Cup Softened Margarine (Yet again, I used Mr. Butter)

Directions
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl enough to fit the flour.

2. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs, flour and mix well.

3. Knead the dough into a large ball, get dirty and use your hands dusted lightly with flour.

4. Put the dough in a bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising make the filing.

5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approximately 21 inches long by 16 inches wide. Preheat oven to 400º degrees.

6. Melt the butter and combine the brown sugar & cinnamon and mix well (my love is demonstrating below). The recipe states to spread the butter out then sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top, but that just seemed like extra work to me so I just combined the ingredients and spread it out onto the rolled out dough.

7. Carefully lift one end and using your finger tips and palms, roll the dough to the other end.

8. Cut the dough into 1-3/4 or whatever size you prefer, and place on your baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Make your frosting while the rolls are baking.

Icing
8 Tbsp Margarine (You know it, I used Butter)
1-1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Cream Cheese (I added more, probably closer to 1/2 cup of cream cheese but taste as you go)
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 Tsp Salt

Directions
1. Combine the ingredients above and beat in your electric mixer until fluffy. And generously spread on your warm rolls straight out of the oven or use as a dip to your liking.

And tada! You have deliciously, buttery, cinnamon-y Cinnamon Rolls! And of course a demonstration of how my love eats his cinnamon roll...

Make a funny face (a must according to a toddler).
Then get serious.
And of course take a lick of the icing.
Finally take a bite. Icing side first. Always.
And don't forget to chew then swallow (=

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

2011-07-25T23:03:00.003-04:00

This dish was good. REALLY good. And I must say, it was hard to photograph. But I assure you, it tastes so much better than it appears.

So...in case you haven't noticed, I've been really lazy about cooking and baking dishes that are worth blogging about. With my love taking swim lessons three days a week, an hour a week of e.nopi education class and a few play dates thrown in here and there, i'm usually not in the mood to cook anything fancy unless I plan ahead. So, I need to get my pregnant butt in gear.

Oh, have I mentioned that i've entered my third trimester recently? Yep. And I also cut all my hair off and I'm geared up and ready to meet the little princess.

28 Weeks!

Yes, I am HUGE. At our pool recently a friends daughter asked me,"how many babies do you have in your tummy?' I replied,"how many do you think?" She responded by pointing to the left side of my belly and saying,"One." And then pointing to the right side,"Two." LOL kids, I love their honesty in their observations even if they're wrong. All I could do was laugh.

Tonight, I wanted to make something I've bookmarked quite a while ago. Ina Garten's Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. It was fantastic. I'll be making this dish again. And of course my favorite sous chef was prepping the thyme leaves. He even brought over his apron.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris

3 Heads of Garlic. about 40 cloves (my lazy butt bought the already peeled garlic to save time)

2 - 3.5 lbs Chickens, Cut into eighths (I asked the butcher to cut the chicken for me)

Kosher salt

Ground Pepper

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp Olive oil

3 Tbsp Cognac

1-1/2 Cups Dry White Wine (I bought chardonnay and I should have added a bit more as my sauce was thicker than I wanted. The sauce should be thinner in consistency.)

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves

2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

2 Tbsp Heavy Cream

Directions

1. If you bought heads of garlic, separate the cloves of garlic and drop into a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Drain and peel, set aside. Or be lazy like moi and buy the already peeled garlic!

2. Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and season liberally with salt & pepper.

3. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot of a dutch oven over medium/high heat. Saute chicken in batches skin side down first, until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side using thongs. Transfer the chicken pieces on a plate.

4. Add all the garlic cloves to the pot. Lower heat to medium and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning ofter until browned. Then add 2 tablespoon of the Cognac and the entire 1-1/2 cup of wine, return to a boil and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Return the chicken to the pot and the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with a aluminum foil.

6. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in pot. Raise heat, add the tablespoon of cognac and the heavy cream and boil for 3 minutes. Add more wine if need be.

7. Add salt & pepper to taste. Pour the sauce and garlic over the chicken and enjoy! I paired this with lightly buttered brown rice and Ina Garten's French String Beans.

And not only is my love my sous chef, he's also the dish washer! He enjoys sticking out his tongue when I photograph him. And yes, I have a mirror right above my sink. It helps me to see what my lil man is doing beyond my kitchen.

I tell ya, I love when he helps. But I have to put on my "Patience Hat." What is that you ask? Its a reminder that he will make a mess, but he LOVES to help. So lets not fret over the little things when your toddler is a curious, growing person who enjoys being with you. Remember to praise and give lots of hugs too! Enjoy!

French String Beans

2011-07-25T23:01:00.002-04:00

This side dish is fresh, light and super easy to make. It goes well with just about any protein. You can prep this side while you're cooking your main dish. It wasn't one of my loves favorite vegetable dishes but the hubs and I devoured our serving which was served with the Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Recipe Courtesy of Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris
1 Pound french string beans, both end cut
Kosher salt
1 Red onion, diced large
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced large (I used a whole pepper)
1/2 Yellow bell pepper, diced large (I used a whole pepper)
Olive oil
Black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 425º. Cut both ends of your green beans. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the string beans for about 2 minutes. Drain and immerse in ice water, cool and drain and set aside.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Chop the onion, and peppers and toss in a large bowl with the olive oil and generously sprinkle salt & pepper. Place the mixture on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula from time to time.

3. Heat up a pan on medium/high heat and saute the string beans with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Arrange on platter and spoon the roasted peppers and onions over the string beans and serve.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

2011-06-01T10:30:00.010-04:00

Hey Ya'll! Did you miss me? I sure missed all of you. It's been a long time since I posted my last recipe or anything for that matter. But I know you all understand. I had a scare with bleeding several weeks back. It's amazing the things that can go wrong during a pregnancy...

Friday afternoon, I was preparing to make a cake when I felt a gush of water at the grocery store. At first, I thought nothing of it until I got home to see blood. I went to the emergency room and prepared myself for the worst. I told myself I already have a wonderful son who I adore and that I would have other opportunities to conceive again. If I made myself understand the reality of the situation, there was less room for disappointment.

When the on call doctor at the ER did a quick sonogram, I saw my baby moving around and the heartbeat was normal. At that moment, I burst into tears and I lost it. But in a good way. My strong exterior demeanor (which was all a front) was taken over by the tremendous amount of emotions in my heart. Relieved, silly me asks,"So doc, whats the gender, can you tell?" Later, after a thorough ultrasound, my OBGYN diagnosed me with placenta previa and was told to be on bed rest. And if the bleeding continued it would lead to miscarriage. Another jab to the gut! I was ordered to see a high risk specialist on Monday. And the waiting game continued.

By Monday, the bleeding had stopped (thank the lord) and when I met with my high risk specialist, he informed me my membrane had detached which had caused the bleeding and that it was not placenta previa. I was told to stay off my feet, no heavy lifting, and no traveling etc.

To make a long story short, my last visit with the high risk specialist was positive and the area where the membrane had detached had been absorbed and everything was on it's way to normality. I was told to take it easy and no heavy lifting. Which means I still can't hold my love. But I do give him lots of hugs and he sits on my lap instead. It's hard when your baby wants to be lifted and held.

Now i'm well into my second trimester and I'm feeling great. And I found out that we're having a GIRL! We feel very blessed. And my love couldn't be happier. He gives me kisses on my growing belly and says,"I love you baby." The hubs I think was hoping for another boy because he asks nervously,"How do I interact with a baby girl?' I turned to him and said,"No need to worry babe, she'll tell you what to do." teehee.

Me at 20 weeks.

And now onto these simple yet mouth watering peanut butter & oatmeal cookies. I didn't want to get all elaborate and make something difficult so I went with my cravings at the moment. Peanut butter cookies! And what better way then to add oatmeal to the equation. These guys are really good. In this recipe part of the rolled oats are ground fine in a food processor. I've never done this before but I'm loving the texture of these cookies.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious
1-1/2 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
2 Large Eggs

Directions
1. In a food processor pulse 1 cup of the rolled oats until ground fine. In a large bowl stir together the oats, remaining 1/2 cup whole oats, flour, baking powder & soda, and salt.

2. In another bowl or in your electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light & fluffy. Add the vanilla, peanut butter then add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and gradually add the flour mixture.

3. Place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before baking or up to 1 week.

But if you're anything like me and impatient to get these little guys in your tummy, preheat your oven to 325º and make 12 golf ball sized cookie doughs and place in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes or so until they feel a bit firm. Place on your cookie sheet about an inch apart and bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden.

And as always enjoy!

Avocado, Coconut & Lime Bundt Cake

2011-04-01T10:55:00.004-04:00

I've been neglecting my blog lately. It wasn't intentional though. A couple of days ago marked the last day of my first trimester. Yes, we're expecting our second bundle of joy this fall! It hasn't been an easy first trimester compared to when I was pregnant with my love. I've had strong food aversions (especially garlic and Korean food, gasp!), scent aversions, crazy dreams, nausea, fatigue...shall I go on?

It wasn't like this with my first. I had no symptoms at all, except for the fact that I ate a whole lot. And I mean a LOT. I'm feeling better but not 100%. And with allergy season upon us, boy has it been miserable. Okay, enough of my pity story. That's why I haven't been in the kitchen lately. Except to cook simple meals that doesn't smell up the entire house.

So today, I wanted to share with you this healthy (well somewhat) and moist avocado cake. Made with sour cream and avocados, this cake has not a lick of butter (but it would have been even better with some butter of course). I wanted to see how avocados would do as a replacement for butter. I substituted unsweetened coconut flakes for sweetened and used 1/2 cup less sugar to lower the sweetness factor since the amazing lime glaze was smothered on it.

As we all know avocados are an amazing fruit that is low in saturated fat and has over 20 essential nutrients. This rich and creamy fruit is one of my favorites. Avocados also pair nicely with pink grapefruit like in this Avocado and Pink Grapefruit Salad.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Recipe Courtesy of The Amazing Avocado with Modifications
2 Avocados, Peeled & Mashed
3 cups White Sugar ( I used 2-1/2 cups)
5 Eggs
1-1/2 tsp Vanila Extract
2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Zest of 1 Lime (reserve a tsp for the glaze)
1 Cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes (I used unsweetened)

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350º and spray your bundt pan thoroughly with baking spray. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

2. In a large bowl or stand alone mixer, cream together the avocado and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, lime juice, sour cream, lime zest and coconut flakes.

3. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes then invert onto plate.

Lime Glaze
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
3 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
Reserved lime zest

Combine the above ingredients and drizzle over the warm cake. Sprinkle with coconut if you wish.

I was a bit worried when I poured the batter into the bundt pan, because the batter appeared a bit thick than I would have liked. But, the cake same out moist, a bit dense and pretty tasty considering I replaced my favorite ingredient, butter. The lime glaze was fantastic. Tart and flavorful, it added the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. I licked every drop of the glaze. SOOO good. And don't you just love the color the avocado yielded. Hope you'll try it. Enjoy!

Doctor

2011-03-15T07:37:00.000-04:00

Today my love had his first dentist appointment. I was such a proud mama. He showed no signs of fear. He sat through the cleaning, flossing and the checkup without a glitch. The funny part of the whole experience was when he said out loud,"I'm going to be a doctor." The dental hygienist said to him,"you can be partners with the Dentist when you grow up." He turns to her and says,"NO, i'm going to be a Doctor."

Chicken Dak Gae Jang (닭개장)

2011-02-16T13:20:00.006-05:00

Yook Gae Jang is a spicy beef broth with vegetables soup. Usually made with beef and vegetables this delicious and hearty soup can be found at your local Korean restaurant. I chose to make this soup with the leftover baked chicken I had from earlier in the week.

I can eat this soup everyday. Seriously. It's super simple, spicy and perfect for my palate these days. I actually like the chicken version of this soup. Its quite refreshing and soothing. It only takes about 45 minutes to make and you'll love the results. You can control the spiciness of the soup to your liking.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Leftover Baked Chicken (my chicken had about half of the breast meat and some dark meat left)
1-2 Medium Carrot, chopped
1 Onion, cut in quarters
1 Celery Stalk, cut into 4 equal pieces
4-5 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes (add to your liking)
1-1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic
4-5 Scallions, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1-1/2 tbsp Grape Seed Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1-2 Eggs, whisked

Directions
1. Place your leftover baked chicken in a large enough pot and cover with water. Add the carrots, celery and onions and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Discard the celery (as it will be too soft) and pour broth through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pot.

2. Chop the chicken meat and toss with the carrot and onion and set aside in a separate bowl.

3. Heat up a clean pot on high, add the grapes seed oil, garlic and saute. Add the chicken meat and veggie mixture, scallions and red pepper flakes and saute until combined. Pour the broth over the mixture and allow to come to a boil. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the whisked egg, stir gently and turn off heat.

Serve hot with rice. I ate this for breakfast and lunch. Add a fried egg and double wammy. Enjoy!

Rice Krispy Heart Pops

2011-02-13T20:51:00.006-05:00

Rice Krispy Heart Pops for my love...

I've had strong aversions to sweets lately. The smell alone makes me well, a bit nauseous. But what would Valentine's day be without a chocolaty treat? And because my son is having a Valentine's day party at his pre-school, I had to endure the lovely aroma of chocolate and butter which normally I adore.

I was originally going to make cake pops, but decided I wanted to make something simpler. Rice krispy treats are a classic and is enjoyed by many. Dip it in chocolate and bam, you have chocolaty, buttery, rice krispy goodness. I was tempted to use Nutella but remembered that one of my son's classmates has a peanut allergy. So I opted for chocolate.

I made original rice krispies dipped in milk chocolate and I also made chocolate rice krispies and decided to keep those plain. The hardest part is dipping the heart pops in chocolate and trying to smooth out the surface. Other than that, they're fairly simple to make. And no baking is necessary.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Package of Mini Marshmallows
8.5 Cups of Rice Krispie Cereal (use Cocoa Rice Krispie Cereal for the chocolate version)
24 White Sticks about 5 inches long
*I made a batch of regular rice krispie treats and a batch of chocolate rice krispie treats

Directions
1. Heat up a large pan and melt the butter over medium/low heat. Add the marshmallows and melt completely. Combine the rice krispie cereal to the marshmallow/butter mixture and mix thoroughly.

2. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment or wax paper and place the rice krispie mixture and spread out evenly. Press down firmly and evenly. Allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

3. Grease a heart cookie cutter and press down evenly on the rice krispie mold and remove the heart shaped rice krispie treat. Take your stick and carefully pierce the bottom of the heart shaped rice krispie and stop when you have about 2.5 inches of stick remaining. Press firmly on a flat surface with your palms on each sides of the heart to secure the stick. Also, press the sides as well.

Make your chocolate ganache...
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Package of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
*Heat your heavy cream on medium-high and bring to a boil (or microwave for 1 minute). Pour the hot heavy cream on top of the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Dip the heart into the chocolate sauce and using a butter knife smooth out the surface also removing access chocolate. Place on a lined baking sheet and allow the hearts to set in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.

I also made plain chocolate rice krispie heart pops.

Wrap in plastic bags found at crafts stores and tie with a bow. Simple, pretty and easy to eat. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Korean Soft Tofu Soup (순두부찌개)

2011-02-08T17:52:00.004-05:00

I received an email a couple weeks back from one of my readers requesting the Korean soon tofu jigae. So here it is Doreen, this is for you. Thanks for being so patient.

This soup appears more spicy than it actually is. It's up to you as to how spicy you really want it. I love this soup. It's healthy, hearty and perfect for the cold winter days we've been having. This soup is usually available at Korean restaurants and sometimes, if you're lucky, some restaurants specialize in just soon tofu soups. And this is where you'll find the most variety. Believe it or not, my love ate an entire bowl with some rice. He said,"this is good soup mommy." I love that kid.

Made with an anchovy, kelp and shiitake mushroom broth, soon tofu can be vegetarian or the addition of beef can also be made, which makes for a more flavorful soup. I added short rib beef which has a higher fat content and adds more flavor to the soup. You can however use any beef you have available.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Anchovy, Kelp, Shiitake Broth
4 Cups Water
1/4 Cup Dried Anchovies, head and guts removed
Kelp
2-3 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
*This will yield about 2-1/2 cups of broth

Soon Tofu Soup
1 tbsp Grape Seed Oil
1/2 Cup Chopped Beef
1-1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 Cup Diced Onions
2 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes (add more if you want a spicier soup)
1 Cup Frozen or Fresh Seafood (shrimps, mussels, squid)
1/2 Cup Sliced Zucchini, cut into quarters
Shiitake Mushrooms from the broth chopped
2-3 Scallions, chopped
1 Korean Pepper, sliced
1 Package of Soft Soon Tofu
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the anchovies, kelp and shiitake mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 20 minutes. Pour the soup through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.

2. Heat up a medium pot and add the grape seed oil and then the beef and saute. Add the minced garlic and onions and saute until beef appears cooked through. Then add the red pepper flakes and saute to combine.

3. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the seafood, zucchini and shiitake mushrooms. Then add the soft tofu using a spoon to scoop the tofu out from the packaging. Top with the sliced peppers and scallions and simmer for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add the egg and allow to cook through a bit. Leaving the yolk runny which will cook a bit more in the soup.

Serve hot with rice. This is a meal in it of itself. I hope you'll try it. Enjoy!

Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs

2011-02-03T07:22:00.006-05:00

I have two wonderful items to share with you today. One, I have another giveaway from CSN worth $40! You can purchase anything from Modern Duvet Covers, Kitchen Items and much more. So take a look. And unfortunately, this giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only. Sorry, I don't make the rules. I will announce the winner on February 16th at 10AM EST. All you need to do is leave me a comment, continue to follow me in my culinary journey's as a stay at home mommy and share my blog with others.

The second piece of information I wanted to share, before I get into these fall off the bones baby back ribs recipe, is this awesome blog I came across on the web Lighting with Lowel Ego. For those of you who enjoy photography and videography, then this piece of advice I'm about to share is a godsend. So listen up and take note...

Can you tell that the first and last photos in this post were taken around 7PM in the evening? Yes folks, I purchased the Lowell Ego Digital Imaging Light per Gary's suggestion. And let me tell you, I LOVE it! I only purchased one and it really does a fantastic job. A great investment I must say. I had to share this wonderful piece of information with you. I believe Jaden author of Steamy Kitchen actually uses the Ego lighting system as well and even wrote a comment on his site several years back. The site has not been updated in a while but the information on there is never out dated. I hope you find it useful as much as I do. Don't worry you can thank me later.

Moving right along...

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, a dry rub? Believe me, when you try this, you'll be instantly hooked. It's the perfect balance of sweet, savory with subtle hints of spices. The hardest part of this recipe is actually going to your grocers to purchase your baby back ribs. And waiting the 2-1/2 hour roast time. Seriously. It took me less than 5 minutes to prepare the ribs. I used the Tyler Florence Brown Sugar Pork Rub, which is fantastic! Simple enough. Right?

So get on it and try some. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients
Baby Back Ribs
Tyler Florence, Brown Sugar Rub
Hungry Tummy

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 250º.

2. Liberally coat the dry rub on both sides of the ribs.

3. Roast for 2-1/2 hours.

Serve and devour. Can you tell my boys loved it! yum. yum. yum. But for the next couple of minutes (thanks to the hubs) my son would ask me to take photos of him with the rib in his cute little mouth. NOTE TO SELF: Sometimes silly games during dinner time is not such a good thing.

This is by far one of the easiest dish I've made. Hope you'll try it. Enjoy!

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies with Fresh Cranberries

2011-02-01T06:57:00.002-05:00

These are the best brownies I've ever tasted. They're ultra rich, moist and the tartness from the fresh cranberries are to die for. And of course I adore brown butter, it adds a wonderfully rich nutty aroma. And the peanut butter swirl, it's the perfect addition. The combination of flavors work really well here.

This was my first home made brownie and I'm so happy with the results. And these decadent treats are super simple to make. I promise. Folks will think you slaved in the kitchen all day once they take a bite.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Adapted from bon appétit
1-1/4 Sticks Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
3/4 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Ghriradelli Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Ghriradelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Large Eggs, chilled
1/2 Cup All Purpose Unbleached Flour
1 Cup Fresh Cranberries (I had some frozen) you could use dried cranberries too
Non Stick Spray

Peanut Butter Swirl Mixture
1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
3 tbsp Butter, Melted
2 tbsp Agave Syrup

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325º Line a 8x8x2 baking sheet with aluminum foil leaving about 2 inch overhang. Coat evenly with non stick spray.

Look at the expert whisking skills, Good job love!

2. Combine the cocoa powder, sugar, salt and mix to combine in a measuring cup or bowl.

3. Melt the butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes to make your brown butter. The butter will simmer and foam up a bit, remember to stir occasionally. Then the butter will turn clear and golden bits will form. Turn heat off. Pour the butter into the cocoa mixture, add the bittersweet chocolate chips and 2 teaspoon of water and stir to blend. If the chocolate chips have not melted completely, place the batter in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Add the eggs one at a time beating vigorously each time. Add the flour and stir to combine and beat vigorously for about 60 strokes or until batter appears glossy and thick. Stir in freshly chopped cranberries. I used my mini processor to chop the cranberries.

4. Pour the brownie batter into your aluminum lined baking pan. And prepare your peanut butter swirl mixture by melting the butter and adding the peanut butter and agave syrup. Mix well.

5. Place dollops of the peanut butter mixture to your brownie batter.

6. Take a knife and gently swirl the peanut butter mixture to the brownie batter. I need to work on this technique.

7. Place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out pretty much clean with a few crumbs attached. Completely cool and cut into desired size.

Indugle with a cup of coffee, milk or your favorite tea. I bet these would be great for Super Bowl Sunday or any day really. Enjoy!

San Francisco

2011-01-28T14:50:00.006-05:00

Just some photos and brief description of our trip to San Francisco last November...

This is where we stayed. Ghriradelli Square. Where we had free continental breakfast and wine in the afternoons!

My friend who lives in San Francisco gave these awesome cards for my love. 52 Adventures in San Francisco, A Childs View...

And you can't visit San Francisco without experiencing the trolley...

We had no idea that the trolley had to be turned around manually using manpower...

And while we were waiting for the trolley, my love was able to pet the local police woman's horsey...

Lunch at Scoma's recommended by our hotel's concierge. We wanted something nearby. I of course had a beer, and the dungeness crab open sandwich platter. The hubs had the linguini in clam sauce which was amazing!

Me being the cheesy tourist of course had to check out Alcatraz. My baby said,"Appletraz?"

My love enjoyed the Ferry ride...

Now that's what I call quality. But then again in prison, food is a privilege.

Inside the prison gift shop was a former Alcatraz Inmate, Dana Coon. I actually snapped a photo of him while I was walking by. But I should have asked for a photo with him (gasp).

My friends took us to a Vietnamese dungeness crab joint called PPQ Dungeness Island where we stuffed our faces with green papaya salad, garlic and salt & pepper dungeness crabs, green beans, sizzling beef, garlic noodles and crab fried rice. Gosh i'm hungry...

For dessert, my friends took us to Bi-Rite Creamery where I had the salted caramel ice cream. Wow was it good. And my love of course had chocolate ice cream. The lavender honey flavor my friend ordered was a bit fragrant and not my cup of tea.

This was on our way to Muir Woods and Sausalito...

First stop, Muir Woods. Where the red wood trees' are over 1000 years old.

And I learned that maple leaves are wonderful sources of vitamins to pregnant deer and the park advised us to leave them there...

The park was serene and quiet except for the chirping birds. We were told to keep quiet to preserve the beauty and silence of Muir Woods.

Then of course, my carefree toddler decided to skip to the sounds of his own music... la la la

I had to stop to take a shot of this single maple leaf. I find beauty in the most simplest things...

And this shot is one of my faves...

Off to Sausalito for lunch...

We arrived and decided to have lunch at The Spinnaker. The hubs had a seafood appetizer and seafood paella. While I had the clam chowder and seabass with truffle oil and my love had a fish platter.

After lunch we walked around and found this beautiful fountain. And my love decided to practice his tai-chi (kidding) but it sure looks like it though.

Waiting for our ferry to head back to the hotel.

On our ferry ride back. How cute is my baby!

My friends decided to take us to wine country on the last day of our trip. We had lunch at The Grove where I had a BLT and french onion soup with the most refreshing cup of lemonade. The hubs had a pastrami sandwich and my love had the mac and cheese.

We stopped here to take some photos before hitting the road to beautiful wine country. It was absolutely stunning.

I'm not a wine connoisseur by any means, so we stopped by a couple of wineries on our way to Ad Hoc for dinner. We sampled and bought a few bottles of wine from Cline and Peju. Cline by the way is a free wine tasting winery.

We finally arrived at Thomas Keller's, Ad Hoc for dinner. Ad Hoc has their own garden where they make fresh salads and such for their guests.

Down the street is Thomas Keller's French Laundry restaurant but we weren't able to get in as the reservations are out six months. And Bouchon was closed by the time we were there.

Finally, dinner time! Ad Hoc's menu is a prefixed dinner for $50 per person. We had mixed lettuces as a starter, then grilled short ribs, buttered noodles, bone marrow with a fig and mustard jam, delish! Followed by goat cheese, hazelnuts and oranges. For dessert we had homemade apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

I hear the fried chicken dinner is fabulous and I hope to one day return to try it.

The perfect ending to our wonderful trip to San Francisco!

Mini Sesame Seed Balls

2011-01-26T18:32:00.008-05:00

Happy Lunar New Year! And because my son is half Chinese I felt the need to make these Sesame Seed Balls (mini of course) to celebrate his Chinese heritage. These lil guys are filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds then fried. And while I was preparing to make these heavenly treats, my love pulled up his usual chair and said,"I want to help you!"

Today's post is two fold. One, to celebrate my son's Chinese heritage and two, to support Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner's Make Time for Change campaign to inspire families to cook together! When he's able to help, I love cooking & baking with my son and he's always ready to ~~make a huge mess~~ get his hands dirty.

This is where you all can join in on the fun. Please click here and join Frigidaire's Kids' Cooking Academy to get kid friendly recipes, how to video's and tips. And when you join, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children. You'll also be entered for a chance to win the daily prize, a kids' apron set, and the grand prize, a new Double Oven Range from Frigidaire.
So let's get started, shall we.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Adapted from Asian Dumplings
1-1/2 Cups Sweet Rice Flour, I used Mochiko brand
3/4 Cup, Just Boiled Water
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
Your Choice of Pre-made Red Bean Paste or other filling of your choice
Sesame Seeds
Peanut Oil for Frying

Make the dough...

Directions
1. Boil your water and pour it over the dark brown sugar in a measuring cup and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

2. Place your sweet rice flour in a bowl and create a well in the middle.

3. Pour the brown sugar and water mixture into the well.

4. Mix well to form into a dough. If too sticky add a bit more flour. If a bit dry add a bit more water and knead until smooth.

Make your sesame balls...

Directions
1. Form pieces of the dough into balls. I made mine a little over an inch in diameter.

2. Use a thick chopstick or other utensil to make a hole in the middle of the ball.

3. Be sure to create a big enough hole by taking your chopstick and creating circular movements to create a nice pocket.

4. Take back of a small spoon and scoop some red bean paste into the middle but not to the top. Then pinch to close and smooth out. Heat up your oil on medium heat at this time.

That's my love helping with forming the dough. He did the best that he could with his cute little three year old hands.

Time to apply the sesame seeds...

Directions
1. Place some water in a bowl. In another bowl place your sesame seeds.

2. Place the ball in the water bath, then roll in the sesame seeds. Please keep in mind that the sesame seeds will stick to you like glue so try keeping one hand dry to roll the balls into the sesame bowl. Press evenly to coat the ball.

Place the sesame balls in the fryer for two minutes or until golden.

Gently remove from oil, place on a paper towel plate and serve! These are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I always order these at dim sum.

My love not only helped me....he first took his whisk and did an awesome job whisking the cloudy sweet rice water bath. Then when I stated it was time to clean up he resisted me at first. And while I was cleaning up, he decided to dump the bowl of water on the counter, lovely. But this is to be expected. He is after all, a toddler.

Happy Lunar New Year!

And be sure to check out Make Time for Change to participate in Frigidaire's campaign to inspire families to cook together. Enjoy.

Around the World - KOREA

2011-01-24T09:37:00.006-05:00

Welcome to my second Around the World feature showcasing South Korea. If you're new to this blog, thanks for taking an interest. I hope I'm able to share with you my passion for food through photography, recipes and my silly writing.

Along the way I'll be collaborating with fellow bloggers to showcase different cuisines from around the world. My first stop was India where I was introduced to new ingredients, recipes and techniques by my fellow Indian foodie friends, and where I made my first butter chicken. It was a learning experience and a visual potluck of mouth watering Indian dishes.

And since we're in Asia, I couldn't go without featuring Korea. I am Korean after all. So now, let's get started on our Korean Cuisine Feature! I hope you'll enjoy it.

Korean Cuisine is full of healthy vegetables, hearty soups, soy beans, grains, noodles and a variety of fish and meats. Don't get me wrong, Korea also has their share of baked goodies, ice cream and street foods that are instantly addictive.

The most commonly used ingredients in Korean Cuisine are:

- Fermented Korean red pepper paste called Gochujang (고추장)
- Red chili pepper flakes (고추가루)
- Fermented soy bean paste dwenjaeng (된장)
- Sesame oil (참기름)
- Soy sauce (간장)
- Garlic (마늘)
- Ginger (생강)

Today, I have collaborated with three talented food bloggers to showcase several Korean dishes. Some are Korean New Year dishes and some are warm hearty soups to comfort you during the winter months. We have also included a popular Korean street food snack as well as some Korean side dishes called bahn chan (반찬).

All of the photos and write ups have been executed by each blogger. Please click the title of each dish to be linked back to the bloggers site for the full recipe and details. I hope you find this feature informative, entertaining and most importantly hungry for Korean Cuisine!

Gungjung Tteokbokki

The best known tteokbokki is braised in a spicy red sauce. This is the type you will find everywhere on the streets of Korea. The chewy rice cake in spicy gochujang sauce instantly became popular as an affordable comfort snack. Over time, the dish has continued to evolve.

The recipe I have here is the traditional version of tteokbokki, called gungjung tteokbokki. Gungjung means "royal court" in Korean. And this version dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). As the name suggests, it was part of the royal cuisine and regarded as a high class dish and inspired by the flavors of japchae which is a stir fried starch noodles with vegetable. This version is simple to make and can be served as a snack, appetizer or light meal.

Steamed Egg Custard

This is one of my favorite side dishes. A simple steamed egg custard topped with scallions and sesame seeds. There are many variations to this dish. You can add meats and vegetables or your favorite ingredient. You can totally get creative with this one.

The addition of water makes this egg dish, smooth and creamy. Almost like a silken tofu texture. Once you try this you'll be an instant fan and so will kids of any age.

SooJaebi with Radish Kimchee Salad

Soojaebi is a simple dumpling soup, a perfect food for the cold winter night. It started as humble food of post war Korean in the 50th, but has been evolved into a dish of its own and became a quick comfort food to most Koreans. I made with chicken but clams or shrimps are very good choices as well.

In desperation of feeding my munchkins more vegetables, I added three different vegetable puree/juice into the dumpling dough. It is not only delicious and healthy but also fun to make with kids.

Just like any other Korean soups, it is best served with Kimchee. Try with radish kimchee salad! Its quick to make and, of course, you will see the recipe in my post.

Baek (White) Kimchi

This particular style of Kimchi originates from the northern part of Korea where less salt and red chili peppers are used. Baek Kimchi is very refreshing and contains more broth than your regular red chili pepper Kimchi. The broth is refreshing and tangy when fermented properly.

Baek Kimchi can be served as a side dish and is fantastic with Korean BBQ meats. Kimchi is a staple amongst all Koreans and is always served at every meal along with a variety of side dishes. Kimchi comes in many different forms with different ingredients and techniques. And every family has their own favorite. Do you have a favorite Kimchi recipe?

Sam Gae Tang, Korean Cornish Hen Soup

You can't go wrong with this hearty and healthy Cornish Hen soup. It's basically your Korean Chicken Soup. Typically eaten during the summer months to replace nutrients lost due to Korea's hot and humid temperatures. I personally enjoy it all year round and especially during the wintery cold months.

You could use a chicken in place of the hen if you prefer. It is then stuffed with Korean sweet rice, jujube's, garlic, chestnuts and ginseng and cooked for about an hour. The meat literally falls of the bones. The rice and soup is so delicious. A bowl of Sam Gae Tang is the perfect comfort food thats both nutritious and satisfying.

YakGwa, Fried Honey, Sesame Oil & Whole Wheat Cookie

YakGwa is a Korean traditional cookie made of whole wheat flour, sweet honey and sesame oil then deep fried. I love these little treats. Literally translated to Medicinal Confectionary due to the use of honey and sesame oil. Not sure how medicinal it is when it's been deep fried for 15 minutes on low heat? hmm.

Every Korean child has eaten one of these. They have a distinctive, sort of gooey, biscuit like texture to them. These are typically eaten during holidays and celebrations. I hope you try them. If not homemade, store bought ones will do just fine.

Sikhye, Sweet Rice Drink

Sikhye is a traditional Korean sweet rice drink and typically served after each meal. This mixture is thought to help with digestion, which I may need after all the hoddeok I'm gonna eat.
Made simply with malt, sugar and rice, sikhye has a very subtle and clean flavor that is a great finish after a big meal.

You can find malt powder in any Korean market and will need a rice cooker to make this. If you don't have one you can also use a slow cooker and cook the rice on a stove top separately.

Hoddeok

One of my favorite Korean treats, hoddeok, is a lesser known street snack that is very popular in Korea especially in the cold winters. Hoddeok is sort of a yeasty pancake that is filled with a variety of filling such as sugar, cinnamon and nuts and pressed on a hot oily griddle until flat and crunchy on the outside and perfectly gooey on the inside. Sometimes and if you're lucky, a bit of the sugar oozes out, creating a crisp and sticky doily of caramelized heaven. To.Die.For.

Hungry yet? I hope you enjoyed this feature on Korean Cuisine.

Until my next Around the World Feature...

Korean Baek (White) Kimchi (백김치)

2011-01-24T09:32:00.022-05:00

Kimchi is a Korean staple that is always present at every meal. Kimchi to Korean's is like milk in cereal, coffee in the mornings or ketchup with fries. Depending on each families preference, there are many techniques and variations in ingredients used when preparing Kimchi. This is true for other Korean dishes as well. Just as everyone has a preference for what the think is good, I believe food such as Kimchi is a personal preference just like fashion and photography.

I chose to make Baek Kimchi which means white Kimchi, White, because the red chili pepper is not used. Baek Kimchi originates from the northern part of Korean, where less red chili pepper and salt is used and where there is more water content in the kimchi.

Kimchi is not only made with Napa cabbage but also with daikon's, red or white cabbage, cucumbers, scallions and even Chines bok choy. Any vegetable you think would pari nicely with the flavor of Kimchi is a definite must try. There are also variations of Kimchi that requires no fermentation.

Most of you are aware of the spicy red chili pepper kimchi. However, Baek is perfect for folks who can't handle spicy foods and is milder in flavor. It also takes a bit more time and effort to make Baek Kimchi but you won't be disappointed.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Baek Kimchi (백김치)

1 Medium Napa Cabbage, Cut into quarters if smaller in half

1/2 Korean Radish/Daikon, Peeled and cut into thin strips

3/4 Large Korean Pear, Peeled and cut into strips (optional)

1/2 Onion, Pureed

8 Large Garlic Cloves, Sliced 4 thin and mince the remaining 4

1 Chestnut Size Ginger, Halved and sliced thin

2-3 Red Chillies, Deseeded and sliced into thin strips

2-3 Green Chillies, Deseeded and sliced into thin strips

2-3 Dried Korean Dates/Jujubes, Deseeded and sliced into thin strips (optional)

2 Scallions, Sliced into 1-1/2 inch strips

3 tbsp Korean Fermented Shrimps (새우젓)

2 tsp Sugare

3/4 Cup Sea Salt

About 8 cups Salted Water with 1/2 cup salt dissolved

Pine Nuts, Optional

Kimchi Salting

1. Half or quarter your napa cabbage. Start by cutting at the base of the cabbage and stop when you reach the leafy part, then pull apart the cabbage in half. (I absentmindedly cut the cabbage through with my knife, oops)

2. Rinse the cabbage under cold water making sure to rinse under each leaf of the cabbage, gently shale the access water off.

3. Sprinkle about 3/4 cups of salt evenly over the cabbage making sure to sprinkle in between each leaf. Leave cabbage cut side up and pour salted water just covering the cabbage.

4. Allow to sit at room temperature for 5-8 hours or until the cabbage softens. (make the filling and broth as this time).

5. After sitting at room temperature, wash the cabbage making sure to rinse well. Yo're ready to add the filling.

Kimchi Filling

1. Peel and cut the Korean radish/daikon, into thin strips.

2. Deseed the dried dates/jujube's and slice into thin strips.

3. Deseed the red chillies and cut into thin strips.

4. Deseed the green chillies and cut into think strips.

5. Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl, add the 4 minced garlic, sugar, and a dash of salt and mix well.

6. Place the stuffing mixture in between the leaves starting with the bottom leaf and work your way up. Repeat until you have used up all the filling.

Kimchi Broth

1. Puree half of an onion.

2. Peel and slice your Korean pear into thin strips same as your Korean radish/daikon.

3. Cut your scallion into 1-1/2 inch strips.

4. Peel, cut in half and slice the ginger into thin pieces. Take four garlic cloves and slice thin.

5. Mince your Korean fermented shrimp.

6. Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl and add about 8 cups of water, mix well. Pour the broth over the cabbage, completely covering the cabbage with the broth. Store in an airtight glass container and allow to ferment a couple of days or more then refrigerate. Cut and sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

The fermented quality of this Kimchi is refreshing and Korean's often use the broth as a base for a cold noodle soup or the simply enjoy it as a side dish with their meals. It's also fantastic with Korean BBQ meats.

My first attempt at Kimchi. It turned out quite nice. Crispy, sour cabbagey goodness loaded with a ton of fiber. I hope you'll make make your own Kimchi. If not, you'll find a variety of Kimchi at your local Korean grocers. Enjoy!

Korean YakGwa, Fried Honey Cookie (약과)

2011-01-24T09:29:00.010-05:00

YakGwa (약과) is a traditional Korean dessert literally translated to medicinal confectionary due to the use of honey and sesame oil. Made predominantly of wheat flour and sesame oil, this cookie or biscuit is then deep fried. Then it receives a luxurious honey and cinnamon bath, soaking for 5-6 hours.

I'm going to be completely honest here. These are just, ok. I was expecting the same taste and texture of the store bought yakgwa's. You know when you're expecting something to taste a certain way and it doesn't, you get a bit disappointed. They're worth trying though. Who knows you may love it.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
Adapted from koreataste.org
Sesame Oil Flour
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Sesame Oil

Honey Cookie Seasoning
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Rice Wine, refined
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Ginger Juice, shred a large knob of ginger and then squeeze the juice out into a bowl or 2 tsp Ground Ginger
Dash of White Pepper, Optional
1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder
4 Cups Peanut Oil
Pine Nuts

Honey Syrup
1 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Water
1/4-1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder

Directions
1. Sieve the wheat flour & baking powder combo over a bowl two times.

2. Combine the honey, sesame oil, rice wine, salt, ginger juice, white pepper and cinnamon and mix well.

3. Pour the honey mixture over the sesame oil flour mixing and kneading lightly to form into a ball.

4. Roll out dough using a cookie cutter, I used my linzer cookie cutter to cut my cookies. Heat your oil to 85º-90ºC then place all of the cookies in the oil and fry for 15 minutes. When the dough floats raise your temperature to high, flip the cookies over and fry for an additional 5 minutes until brownish in color.

5. Allow the oil to drain for 8 minutes on a strainer and soak in the honey/cinnamon mixture for 5-6 hours. Allow the honey to drip in a strainer for about 2 hours. Garnish with pine nuts.

These treats are served on certain holidays or celebrations and can be found at your local Korean grocers. Enjoy!

Korean Cornish Hen Soup with Ginseng (삼계탕)

2011-01-24T09:29:00.007-05:00

This is one of my favorite Korean chicken soups. I always love the tender cornish hen meat that literally falls off the bones. And the chewy sweet rice, oh my, so flavorful with hints of ginseng and dates or also known as jujube's. This soup is considered medicinal and typically eaten during the summer months. Who knew? I always enjoy this soup during the wintery cold months. The things I've learned while blogging. It amazes me how little I really know.

South Korea is on the southern portion of the Korean peninsula and is known for it's notorious humid temperatures and to replace nutrients lost during those hot months, this soup is sought out. This warm, hearty and healthy broth is basically your "Korean" chicken soup. Comforting on a cold day but for best medicinal benefits, enjoy this soup during the months with the hottest of temperatures.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Korean Cornish Hen Soup

1 Cornish Hen

2 ozs Korean Sweet Rice, washed and soaked in cold water for about 30 minutes

1-2 Korean Dried Dates

1 Large Garlic Clove

1 Small Thinly Sliced Piece of Ginger, Optional

1 Fresh or Dried Ginseng Root (if using dried soak for at least 2 hours or until soft)

1-2 Fresh or Dried Chestnut (if dried soak until the chestnuts softens at least 30 minutes), Optional

2 Scallions, sliced thin

Salt & Pepper to taste

* all items listed above can be found at your local Korean/Asian grocers

Directions

1. Rinse and remove innards from your cornish hen. Stuff the hen with the soaked sweet rice, chestnut, ginseng, along with the garlic clove, ginger and dates. Pull the excess skin and tuck under the hen and place in a medium pot or a Korean Clay Pot. Pour water covering the entire hen. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, medium/low and cook for about 1 hour.

Add scallions and salt & pepper to taste. Discard the ginseng and enjoy!

Korean Steamed Egg Custard (계란찜)

2011-01-24T09:29:00.006-05:00

Steamed egg custard. One of my favorite side dishes. Whenever Korean restaurants serve this, I get super excited, and I'm usually the first one to dig in. It's a childhood favorite.

It's simple and quite tasty. You can add whatever you like to this egg custard. Chopped meats, peppers, whatever you think would go nicely. You can also leave it plain or sprinkle a bit of chili pepper powder.

Printable Recipe
Ingredients
3 Eggs
1/2 Scallion, chopped
2/3 cup Water
Sesame Seeds
Salt

Directions
1. Whisk the eggs and add the water & salt and mix well. Pour egg mixture into heat proof bowl and place the bowl in a large pot filled with water. Making sure the water level is no more than 3/4 up the heat proof bowl.

2. Steam the egg custard covered for 15 minutes on medium heat. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and steam for an additional 5-7 minutes.

3. Alternatively, you can microwave this egg custard. It doesn't turn out as pretty but tastes just as good. Pour the egg mixture in a heat proof dish and place the dish in a larger bowl. This is so that your microwave remains clean as the water and egg will overflow. Microwave for about 1 minute 35 seconds on high heat. Check to see that the egg has solidified.

Serve hot. Enjoy!