Miss Hangrypants

Kimchi Fried Rice with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 02:20:00 +0000

Woo. I'm starting vacation after this 24 hour call! Although we've been wanting to travel far far away, we're unfortunately stuck close to New York. We were planning to visit my parents this week in LA, but California has been doing poorly with COVID so we've had to cancel our flight. Also unfortunately, our hospital policy on travel is super strict for residents :( We're at least going to the Pocono Mountains for a much needed relaxed visit!

I wanted to post this classic Korean home meal, which I've made time and time again. This time with Alfresco Chicken Sausage! I don't usually put protein, but because these dinner sausages are already cooked, it is such a breeze to slice and put it in. There are so many flavors! I used roasted garlic, which has a sweetness to it that works very well with Kimchi. I definitely want to try the Spicy jalapeño sausage next time for some extra heat!

Kimchi Fried Rice with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

serves 4-6

1 stalk green onion, finely chop
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 Alfresco Chicken Sausages, sliced
2 cups ripe napa kimchi, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp kimchi juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Korean chili pepper powder
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

3 cups cooked rice, cooled
3 tsp sesame oil
sesame seeds
roasted seaweed (optional)
fried eggs

In a large frying pan, heat cooking oil on medium flame and stir fry green onion (just the white/light green part) and the sliced sausages
Once the sausage is browned, add the kimchi plus a some juice, gochujang, soy sauce and sugar and pepper powder. Stir-fry over low heat until kimchi is slightly soft
Add cooled/cold rice and break it up to thoroughly to incorporate the kimchi sauce. You can add more kimchi juice if it seems a little dry
Mix in the green part of the spring onions and drizzle in sesame oil
Place in a bowl. Garnish with fried egg, sesame seeds and crushed seaweed flakes!

Dalgona Coffee Custard Meringue Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 11:58:00 +0000

Finally posting my tart recipe! I submitted this to our department cookbook competition and won. Yay! I became so obsessed with the tiktok craze dalgona coffee and had to experiment putting it into desserts. I'm still making dalgona coffee at work!

Dalgona Coffee Custard Meringue Tart

makes one 8-9" tart

Shortbread base
1 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp finely ground instant coffee
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Coffee Custard + Meringue
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
2/3 cup half and half
2 tsp instant coffee or espresso
2/3 cup brewed strong coffee
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, in cubes
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
4 tbsp granulated sugar

Dalgona coffee whip
2 tbsp instant coffee
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp hot water

Shortbread crust:

Butter 8-9" tart pan. In a large food processor, pulse together flour, instant coffee, salt and powdered sugar to mix.
Scatter cold butter and pulse continuously until dough comes together into large clumps. The mixture does became very loose and sandy before dough starts to clump together
Dump dough clumps into your tart pan and using your fingertips, press dough up the sides of the pan thinly (especially in corners where it tends to get thick) and spread to cover the bottom too. Use the back of your spoon to smooth the surface
Using a fork, pierce bottom of the crust several times. Cover and place in freezer for 15 mins or in the fridge overnight to chill
Preheat oven to 425F and bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Allow to cool completely

Coffee Custard + meringue:

Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, mix together sugar, flour, salt, instant coffee and stir in half/half and hot coffee. Cook until slightly thickened while whisking constantly (about 3-5mins)
In a small bowl with the egg yolks, add a few tbsps of the hot coffee mixture to temper the eggs and quickly stir to prevent curdling/cooking. Then add the egg yolks to the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until well incorporated
Pour/spread into your cooked tart crust and bake in oven for 10 mins
For the meringue: using an electric whisk/mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar and then beat sugar in 1 tbsp at a time until meringue is stiff and shiny. Spread or pipe over the baked tart filling (ok if warm)
You can use a kitchen torch to scorch meringue or place in oven also at 375F for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden. Allow baked tart to cool to room temp and then into the fridge to firm up for an hour

Dalgona coffee whip:

This is to be made before serving as it can deflate throughout the day due to the water content. You can also eliminate the water and whisk only instant coffee + 1 tbsp sugar to half the meringue batter and bake at step 6 above.
If making before serving with water: In a medium bowel, stir hot water with instant coffee and sugar. Using an electric whisk, beat until light tan/brown, stiff and can hold it's peak. Pipe in between meringue on tart

One pan Seafood Rosé Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 08 May 2020 12:41:00 +0000

I hope everyone is doing well in this pandemic. It's been so crazy being in the middle of the storm in NYC. The sheer number of patients and death has been overwhelming. We've had makeshift Covid ICUs, floors and tents outside the hospital and even in Central Park. As an overworked resident, we've all been feeling a lot of anxiety and stress. On the bright side, the curve has flattened and we are on the DOWNtrend! Yay. And I got a bunch of Tfal cookware to use :)

I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while so here's a simple pantry pasta recipe!

I used my bag of frozen seafood, which I always keep on hand in case I want to make Korean seafood Jeon/pancake or pasta. You can definitely substitute the seafood with any kind of protein! This came together so quickly and easily, which is a godsend when you work long shifts.

Also, can we talk about this cookware?!! The non-stick is amazing and everything just slides off my pans. Even the wash up afterwards is a breeze.

One Pan Seafood Rosé Pasta

serves 3-4 people

5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup assorted seafood
2 tbsp white wine
1 cup tomato purée (you can also use a can of diced tomatoes and purée in a blender)

3/4 lb dry linguine pasta (about 3 servings of a regular box)
2.5 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

In a frying pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil and allow to heat on medium fire. Fry minced garlic until fragrant and barely brown
Toss in seafood, then white wine and stir until heated through. I used frozen seafood that was thawed in warm water and drained.
Add in 1 cup tomato purée and allow to simmer. Add 2 pinches of salt and pepper. Once bubbling, set aside in a bowl.
You can use the same frying pan without cleaning it and add the dry pasta and water on high heat. Stir frequently, bending the pasta in the water when it becomes pliable to prevent the tips of the pasta burning. Lower to medium heat when the pasta is all soft and cook for 8 minutes total. Add in a pinch of salt. Stir frequently
Check the pasta if al dente and to your consistency preference. There should be some starchy water left in the pan. Add back in the seafood tomato sauce and then the heavy cream. Toss in the parmesan cheese and season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Stir around until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve while hot!

Gochujang Peppers & Onion Penne with Chicken Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 02:29:00 +0000

I've been so tired this week and all I've been doing is whining 😅. Can't wait for this week to be over. Although, I have a 24hr call this Friday :(

On the other hand, we've also started wedding planning! I didn't realize how much money I'll be hemorrhaging this year on my resident salary. Looking at all the costs that go into getting married has been somewhat stressful. I wish I could get a city hall wedding, but I think my parents would disown me 😰.

Anyway, I've been making quick and easy meals at night, so I can get some snooze in before waking up at the crack of dawn. I was sent to try Al Fresco's Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage and I love how there are peppers in the sausages themselves! I threw together something quick with Korean Pantry items like Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste) and more peppers and it was delicious.

They're already fully cooked, so I just browned the sides to give it a nice color, chopped it up and then added it to the pasta. The sweetness of the peppers and Italian herbs in the sausage played so well with the gochujang tomato sauce with a little bit of kick from the Korean chili powder.

Gochujang Peppers & Onion Penne with Chicken Sausage

3-4 servings

1 box penne pasta (4 servings)
1 pack Al Fresco's Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage
1 small onion
3 bell peppers (assorted colors)
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 cup canned crushed tomato
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley garnish

Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt and a little bit of olive oil. Cook penne in boiling water according to package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside
Add a little oil to a frying pan on medium heat and brown chicken sausage. Remove from heat and cut diagonally. Set aside
Saute in oil the onions and garlic until partially translucent, add bell peppers and cook until a little softened. Add back the sliced sausages and add the chili powder (gochugaru) and saute for 1-2 minute
Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the frying pan and then add gochujang and crushed tomatoes. Add in the dried parlsey. Allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, add in the pasta until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley

Parmesan French Toast with Garlic Balsamic Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 01:27:00 +0000

I decided to make a special brunch for my fiancé this weekend. Yes, the bf is now a fiancé as he popped the question last week 😲. Well... it was a long time coming since we've been together for 8 years now. But the proposal and effort was cute, even if he fuddled so much that I essentially knew what was going on and what he was trying to do! :) Anyway, he's more of a savory dish person but also loves french toast. I made this french toast that has a delicious parmesan crispiness on the outside with sautéed mushrooms. And then it's even more elevated after I added a poached egg for richness! SO GOOD. It will definitely be part of the weekly rotation!

Parmesan French Toast with Garlic Balsamic Mushrooms

Serves 4

Parmesan French Toast
2 eggs
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (Original Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)
1/4 cup half & half
4 slices challah or aloha bread (I bought from Trader Joe's)
pinch of salt and pepper

Whisk egg, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, half & half and pepper in a shallow dish. Soak both sides of your bread well
Heat up frying pan at low-medium heat with 1/2 tbsp of butter and fry french toast until golden brown on both sides

Garlic Balsamic mushrooms
10oz mushrooms (I used a mix of oyster and white mushrooms)

1/4 diced onion

1/2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp soy sauce

salt & pepper

Heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan on medium fire. Sweat onions, garlic and then add in mushrooms. Sauté until softened (about 2 mins)
Stir in balsamic vinegar, soysauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper
Garnish mushrooms over french toast with chopped spring onion and a drizzle of balsamic!

Rainbow Fruit Galette

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:33:00 +0000

Heyooo. Finally back to posting on the blog, now that I have some down time on SICU. I made this large galette for the last week of Pride month. I did think about making a pie, but pies are so time consuming! The only time consuming thing here was slicing fruit and loving the rustic look.

I enjoyed making this because the fruits are so bright and colorful and remained so after baking. Basically you're baking one pie, but with 5 different flavors! What a deal! You can tailor the recipe as you like and use different fruits depending of the season. I felt like these were choices that worked and made for a yummy jammy tart pie.

Rainbow Fruit Galette

makes 1 large 13x10" galette

1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water

1 cup ea. fruits, sliced (strawberries, peach, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries)
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
lemon zest

2 tbsp raw sugar
1 eggwash

For the crust, I used Ina Garten's pie recipe, which is equal to make 2x9" pies. So if you have a favorite pie crust recipe, please feel free to adapt: In a food processor, pulse butter with flour, sugar, salt and vegetable shortening until pea sized. Drizzle in ice water until dough clumps together. Turn out onto clean surface and roll into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 mins
Meanwhile for each sliced fruit, place in a small bowl for each and mix in sugars, lemon juice and a little bit of zest. Allow to macerate for a few mins.
Preheat oven to 375F. I rolled out my dough into a rectangle the size of a half sheet pan (~18x13"). Drain each sliced fruit and arrange in a line leaving 1" borders. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of white sugar on top.
Fold galette edge over fruit. Eggwash the folded edge and cover with raw sugar.
Bake for 1 hour or until crust is golden brown and fruit juices bubbling. Allow to cool for 1 hour so that the juices have time to become jammy

Creamy Kimchi Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:36:00 +0000

There's been a lull in the SICU and in the general floors lately due to the nurse's strike in NYC that's supposed to happen next week. I love the nurses for what they do, but it's definitely going to be a difficult time in the hospital when we have travelling nurses, who don't really know how to manage surgical patients. I'm already dreading the day and stocking up on ice cream and chocolate...

Also, now that it is my last week on ICU, I'm making a batch of easy lunch meals, because I won't have a lot of time to cook 😔. Here's, creamy kimchi pasta that I made lighter and without the use of heavy cream. The sweetness of the apples in the chicken sausage goes well with kimchi! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Creamy Kimchi Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage

serves 4

8 oz penne pasta
3 chicken apple sausage, diced bites-sized (Johnsonville brand)
1 cup kimchi, diced bite-sized
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup kimchi juice
4 tbsp cream cheese (I used neufchâtel, low fat)
1 cup milk (I used 1%, and it was still creamy)
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili pepper)
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper
1 bunch chives

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside
In a large pan, brown chicken apple sausage in a little bit of olive oil and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in same pan on medium flame, fry kimchi, onions and garlic until onions are slightly translucent (about 2-3 mins)
Add to pan, chicken stock and kimchi juice and bring to boil. Then turn down heat to simmer for 3 mins. Add cream cheese (cut into cubes) and stir until melted
Add dried parsley, cooked sausage and pasta. Then pour in milk and stir. Stir in parmesan and mozzarella until the sauce is thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add more milk.
Serve immediately with chives

This post was sponsored by Johnsonville. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

Kimchichurri Hasselback Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 19:21:00 +0000

Happy St Patrick's Day! I guess it was yesterday, but I wasn't able to post this until today. I'm on another 24 hour shift in the hospital, but was so thankful that my St Paddy's weekend wasn't crazily filled with belligerent drinkers hurting themselves! So in true Irish fashion, I made some potatoes and topped it with something green.

I love a buttered potato and it's actually very common to eat potatoes or sweet potatoes with kimchi in Korea. We say that potatoes and kimchi are friends, like PB & J are! I decided to adapt the classic Argentine chimichurri sauce with kimchi instead and used cilantro because I thought it might go together better than parsley. And so you have kimchi + chimichurri = KIMCHICHURRI!!

I've now got a jar of this delicious tangy fresh kimchichurri in the fridge and will top everything with it this week 😋

Kimchichurri Hasselback Potatoes

6 small yukon potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pat butter
sea salt, black pepper
roasted sesame seeds

Kimchichurri
2 stalks green onion
1 bunch cilantro (or 1 cup firmly packed leaves, thick stems trimmed)
1/3 cup napa cabbage kimchi
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp kimchi juice
1/2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder)
1 tbsp light sesame oil
1/3 cup olive oil
salt

Prepare potatoes. Wash, remove eyes and soak in cold water for 10 mins. Preheat oven to 425F
Put potato on chopping board, flat side down. Cut in 5 mm intervals almost all the way through
Arrange potatoes in a baking tray. Rub butter on top of each potato, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and fresh black pepper. Bake for about 40 mins or until the tops are crispy and the flesh is soft
While potatoes are baking, get out your food processor. Add green onion, cilantro leaves and kimchi. Pulse to achieve coarse/finely chopped texture. Otherwise, I did this all buy hand (because my food processor was already in use with other things :P). Plus, I like a more chopped chunky texture for chimichurri
Stir in the minced garlic, kimchi juice, gochugaru, sesame and olive oil. Salt to taste
Top kimchichurri over baked hasselback potatoes and serve. Chimichurri can be kept for a week in a tightly closed jar. It tastes even better as it ages!

Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 21:04:00 +0000

One of my favorite desserts is pudding. I grew up eating custards and egg puddings from Japanese convenience stores, so I love eating anything with that silky creamy texture. So here's a creation of mine making boba milk tea into puddings!

This is best served within 24 hours because boba tends to become a little stiff.

Honey Milk Tea Pudding with Boba

makes 4 small pudding cups

1 3/4 cup whole milk

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp honey

3 Lipton black tea bags

1 package (1 tbsp) gelatin

1/2 cup dried boba/tapioca balls

3 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

To make boba: In a medium pot, boil 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup brown sugar. When it boils, add the boba and let simmer in medium heat for 3 mins (it should float). Switch heat off and let sit for another few minutes while you prepare pudding
In a small pot, mix milk, sugar, honey and gelatin. Add tea bags and heat until milk is bubbling at edges and everything is dissolved. Squeeze and remove tea bags. Allow to cool for a minutes
Strain milk tea pudding mixture and pour equally into small pudding cups. Add 1 tbsp of prepared boba. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours
Serve with a dollop of honey and remaining boba balls

Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 22:55:00 +0000

I'm stuck in the SICU again for 5 weeks, where our hours are 24hrs on/24hrs off. The hours blows, but I do get a day of sunlight and time to do normal human things like making doctor's appointments and going to the bank. The weather has been a snowy this week and luckily I went grocery shopping, because I am definitely not walking out in the mush!

Here's a sandwich I made on my off day! Lots of gouda cheese, prosciutto and avocado. The sautéed kimchi brings the acidity to help cut the greasiness. So good :)

Gouda Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich with Avo and Prosciutto

makes 1 sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread
1 clove garlic
1 pat of butter
3 slices of gouda cheese
1/4 cup kimchi, coarsely chopped
1 slice prosciutto
1/2 avocado, sliced lengthwise

Rub garlic onto bread, or you can mince it and spread it on. Spread butter and toast to your liking
Heat small pan with 1/2 tbsp sesame oil. Saute kimchi until slightly soft for 2-3 mins
Add on gouda to a slice of bread and allow to toast lightly as well to make it nice and soft
Place on a plate to assemble sandwich. Add the warm kimchi on top of gouda, which will also help melt it
Tear prosciutto to lay over kimchi and place avocado and bread on top.

Kimchi Chive dumplings

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 18:28:00 +0000

Kimchi Chive Dumplings

The first post of the year! Wow, I didn't realize I posted so long ago... 😬But life and the inservice training exam got in the way. Still awaiting results with sweaty palms and sleepless nights.

On a happier note, I went home to LA last week to visit friends and family for lunar new year. It's a little late, but I'm finally posting the recipe for my mum's kimchi chive dumplings that we make every year as tradition. I wish everyone a very prosperous year!!! Otherwise, I'm back in New York, doing normal general surgery residency stuff... basically slaving away (hahaha 😪)

A gif I made on how to fold the dumplings into pigs. But you can watch the step by step process for the entire recipe on my saved stories on instagram (@misshangrypants)

Kimchi Chive Dumplings

makes about 20 dumplings

Dumpling wrapper/skin
1.5 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water

Filling
1 lb ground beef or pork
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tspsalt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil

1 lb ground beef or pork
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil

12oz bean spouts (basically 2 sandwich ziploc bags full)
bundle of chives (handful)
6 stalks spring onion
10oz extra firm tofu
1/2 head of old kimchi (cabbage kind)
1 tbsp coarsely ground sesame seeds
1 egg

Dumpling skin

In a large bowl, combine flour, starch and salt. Make a well in the middle and pour hot water. Mix carefully with a spatula until dough comes together
Use your hands and knead in the bowl until they are no dry bits in the mixing bowel
Knead dough for about 4 minutes until smooth. Shape until a ball and cover with plastic wrap and rest on kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes

Prepare the filling

Meanwhile, let's prepare the filling! Marinate the beef with garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil. Mix and set aside.
Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Drain and rinse under cold water. Chop into bite sized (1 inch) pieces. Place into a cheese cloth and SQUEEZE. Add that to the marinated meat.
Finely dice the chives and spring onions and also add to filling. Re-using the cheese cloth, break up tofu and squeeze/crumble into bits. Squeeze until it is just moist/relatively dry. Also add to filling.
For the kimchi, use sourish aged kimchi. Finely dice, and also squeeze out some juice using a cheese cloth. You can leave some of the juice in the diced kimchi (not as much arm strength as the tofu or bean sprouts). Add to filling with the sesame seeds, egg for binding and mix well.

Make dumplings

Divide the rested dough in half and shape into 7 inch long logs. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces (like you're cutting cookies) and you'll get about 20 pieces from both logs. While working with each piece of dough, cover dough with damp towel to prevent drying out.
Flour surface that you are working on. Flatten dough with palm/table and using your fingers, spread into a 3" circle.
Put 1 tbsp filling into middle and pleat edges. Watch the gif above to see how to make pig shapes for lunar new year. Otherwise, there are a lot of ways to pleat dumplings on the interwebs.
Prepare steamer and steam dumplings for about 8-10mins, or until cooked through. Serve hot, because the skin can harder when cold. You can serve with dipping sauce: 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil

Watch the step by step on my saved stories on instagram (@misshangrypants)

Quinoa Stuffed Jack O' Lantern Peppers

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 17:57:00 +0000

Time to get ready for Halloween!! I have so many memories of halloween, because all throughout college, my friends and I would dress up and go trick or treating. We were by far the oldest group of people asking for candy OoPs. Don't mean to steal candy from the kids! The neighborhoods near Rice University was the best though. So many ginormous houses that gave out FULL SIZED candy bars.

Now I don't even remember when the last time I dressed up for Halloween. Maybe in medical school during my peds rotation? I think I scared the kids more though. Oh well... This recipe is super adaptable. You can pretty much stuff the peppers with anything you enjoy like brown or white rice, spaghetti etc... I think it would make for a very cool kid's project. Or a poor man's pumpkin carving :P

It definitely makes less mess than pumpkin carving and doesn't take up space, since you'll eat it all up!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers [Halloween Edition]

makes 4 Jack O' Lantern bell peppers

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/s tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup frozen vegetables (assorted)
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
pinch of dried parlsey, for garnish (optional)

4 medium yellow or orange bell peppers

Cooking the filling. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, until softened. Add Italian seasoning and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in quinoa, 1 tsp salt and frozen vegetables, about 1 min. Add 2 cups of water. Let boil and then turn down heat to allow simmer for 15-25mins. Fluff quinoa when fully cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed
Prepare the peppers. While the filling cooks, preheat oven to 375F. Use a tiny knife and cut the tops off the bell peppers to make lid. Remove seeds inside and season with salt and pepper. Cut out tiny Jack O' Lantern faces. Place peppers into a baking dish in one layer, set aside
Stuff prepared peppers with quinoa. Sprinkle cheese over peppers. Place the lids on top of the cheese or between peppers. Pour about 3/4 cup between the peppers into the baking dish
Cover w/ aluminium foil and bake until peppers are softened, but not mushy. About 30-45mins.

Apple Pie Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 03:58:00 +0000

I went apple picking upstate with the bf's fam two weeks ago and hauled a bag of apples home. I've been eating one daily and now have BECOME SICK OF APPLES. Soooo, I decided to make apple pie filling and put it in a cheesecake! After moving to New York, I can't and won't stop eating cheesecakes. It did give new life to plain apples and they were tolerable again :P

The apples that we could only pick were the Shizuka variety, since we went late and everyone already picked all the fuji and honeycrisp apples. It was like a plague of locusts just swept through the apple trees. But it worked out for me because shizuka apples are sweet, slightly tart, firm and perfect for baking or cooking. Since we had to pay an entrance fee to enter the grounds, you bet your butt I ate a lot of apples to get my money's worth! I couldn't look at another apple for days. Except I'm stuck in the SICU for 5 weeks and my food tray always includes an apple :(

I wanted to make a lighter cheesecake and incorporated a lot of yogurt. It still tastes very much like a rich cheesecake, but so much better for my muffin tops ;)

Apple Pie Cheesecake

makes one 9" cake

Apple pie filling
2 large apples peeled and diced, use firm slightly tart apples like pink lady
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water

On low medium heat, melt butter and spices. Add 1 tbsp water, diced apples and sugar
Stir often and cook for about 6-8 mins until apples are slightly soft
Make the cornstarch slurry by adding water and cornstarch together until no lumps. Drizzle into apple filling
Cook for additional 3-5 minutes to thicken and until it bubble. Set aside to cool

Yogurt Cheesecake

Your favorite pie crust recipe (I use Ina Garten because she is a Food Goddess!)
2 8oz cream cheese
1 3/4 cup whole milk Siggi (I used) or greek yogurt
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400F. No need to roll out the pie dough. Just press into a 9" springform pan and up the sides a little. Poke holes with fork. Blind bake pie crust for 15 mins
Reduce oven temp to 325F. In a mixer or large bowel beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in yogurt, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice
Beat in 1 egg at a time, making sure not to over beat as it can introduce bubbles
Cover springform pan sides with foil and place in larger pan to make a water bath. Pour room temp water into the bath until half way up cheesecake pan
Bake for 50-60 mins until middle is just set. Crack oven door open and cool in oven for 1 hour. Let cool completely at room temp afterwards
Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight to set
Make the top pretty with dried apple slices and pie crust leaves!

Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 15:42:00 +0000

YO YO YO, is it pumpkin time again?! I love pumpkin spiced latte (#PSL) like a basic white girl and I'm always super excited for the fall. Mostly because I can eat cans and cans of pumpkin and hide all the carb loading I'm doing all winter under a heavy jacket. I'm posting something I made two years ago, that I never got the chance post! I don't ever have an excuse for not posting often other than surgical residency life/ lack of sleep getting in the way. I just finished my transplant rotation and I kid you not... I've only slept 6 hours in the past 4 days. Even though the surgeries and patients are amazing, the lifestyle is just not :\ And I pity the fellows, who must really be into suffering haha.

Anyhoo, back to pumpkin cake! This makes for a very moist cake due to the pumpkin puree and the cream cheese frosting with a hint of maple syrup really tops it off. The brittle adds some crunch and savory flavor. The brittle will melt into the frosting, so just stick it into the slices of cake or lay on top right before serving.

Pumpkin Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Pepita Brittle

makes a 8x8" cake

Pumpkin Cake
1-2/3 cup flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/4 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1.5 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used lighter flavor olive oil)
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated

Maple cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
6 tbsp butter, room temp

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare pan with parchment paper and butter. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour to pumpkin puree). In a smaller bowl, mix oil, sugar, salt (I know these are dry too :P) and egg yolks in a smaller bowl.
Whisk up egg whites until it is foamy and slightly bubbly. I added a tbsp of sugar to help it going
Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Fold in egg whites until no whites remains (some streaking is fine!)
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50mins or until a knife stuck in the middle just comes out clean (little moisture is fine!). It'll keep cooking outside so don't leave it in too long. Let it cool for 10 mins until taking it out to cool completely
For the frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in brown sugar and maple syrup until the brown sugar isn't grainy in it. Then beat in powdered sugar.
Spread on frosting to cooled cake. Serve immediately, or you can keep it in the fridge and let it sit on the counter for at least an hour before serving.

Pepita seed brittle

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp butter, room temp

Prepare a pan with a silicone mat or that pan has to be real buttered up
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, vanilla extract and then water. Bring to boil and cook WITHOUT stirring until lightly amber
Stir in pumpkin seeds and once medium/dark amber, pour onto prepared baking sheet
Cool completely and then break into pieces

Matcha Strawberry Black Sesame Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:03:00 +0000

Aaand I'm back after a long break from blogging! Residency has a way of getting into... life :/ I just finished my pediatric surgery rotation and on transplant now. So between organ harvesting and transplanting, I found myself with some extra time!

I met a lot of awesome people during my peds surg rotation, so I baked a batch of these cookies for them. I've been itching to make something with freeze dried strawberries, since I bought a pack and didn't know what to do with them. So on a whim, I thought matcha, strawberries and black sesame would go so well together. The cookies have a more cake like texture in the middle from the extra yolk and a fruity and nutty taste. They were quickly gobbled up by the residents!

Matcha Strawberry Black Sesame Cookies

Makes ~30 cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp matcha powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup freeze dried strawberries, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp black sesame

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, matcha powder, baking soda and salt
In a medium bowl, melt butter and then beat in sugar (brown and white), vanilla, egg + egg yolk
Mix dry and wet ingredients until everything is just incorporated
Fold in freeze dried strawberries and black sesame. Use a heaping teaspoon and place dough on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. The cookies don't spread much
Bake until edges are just golden brown. Cool on rack for at least 10 minutes

Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 16:43:00 +0000

The weather in NYC is messing with us. It was so hot the other day and today, when I stepped outside for coffee it was freaking freezing. I wanted to enjoy the sun and warmth since we have no windows in the resident's lounge :( I can't imagine how vitamin D deficient I am.

Let me tell you about ochazuke. It's this Japanese dish where you place rice, some salty topping and pour in hot tea. It really doesn't seem like much, but it's so soothing to eat and also easy to make. Sometimes when you're sick or want a quick meal, you can whip up this warm dish and enjoy it under blankets 😊

Here I added on top of the cooked rice, some thinly julienned leek, crab, roe and furikake. I also torched some seasoned nagaimo as a side dish.

Crab Green Tea Ochazuke - 녹차 오차즈케

makes 1 bowl

1 cup cooked white rice
thinly julienned leek
cooked crab meat
1 tbsp roe
Handful furikake
1 cup freshly brewed green tea

Literally top all together in a bowl and pour hot tea over it

Surgical Brownie Conversation Heart Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 21:42:00 +0000

Woot! I'm back after a few months of slaving away and studying for the in-training exam. I wish I had more time to bake, but I'll take what I can get! I'm writing this post on my last 27hr call on SICU and I thought I would go ahead and bake ahead for Valentine's day. So I made these brownie conversation heart cookies with some funny surgical pick up lines.

My fave has probably got to be "You look post call", which I've been pretty much looking like daily :(. I don't usually wear anything than skin care on my face, which I thought was okay, but the nurses have been telling me I look sick today 😰😰... so I guess not??

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed these as much as I enjoyed making them! Happy Valentine's Day!

Surgical Brownie Conversation Heart Cookies

makes 15 three inch cookies and many small ones

1 stick butter, at room temp
3/4 cup white sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp light corn syrup
coloring of choice

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer. On low speed, add egg and vanilla
Place all dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the mixer and mix on medium speed until well incorporated. Scrape down sides with a spatula if needed
Wrap the cookie batter in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or 15 minutes in the freezer. I left mine in the fridge overnight
Preheat oven to 375F. Let dough rest on the counter for 5-10mins. Roll out dough between baking paper or silicon mat for easy lifting. Otherwise, sprinkle a mix of flour and cocoa powder to prevent sticking while rolling. Roll to about 1/4" thick
Cut out shapes and place on a pan prepared with a baking mat or paper. Bake for about 8-10 mins and let it rest on the pan for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack
Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk frosting ingredients together. Place into a small piping bag and decorate cookies. Leave to dry for at least 2 hours

Mini Okonomiyaki

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 01:31:00 +0000

Today, I overheard a man at Whole Foods saying he would like to see Tom Brady on his back. And that's when I realized it was the Superbowl tomorrow ... especially after I saw a pack of Korean BBQ wings and sweet chili wings at 1/2 the price! I'm a sucker for wings and a good sale 😏.

I thought I might make mini versions of the popular Japanese savory pancake, okonomiyaki. I haven't made these in a while, but it's so simple to make and only requiring very few ingredients. It would be great for potlucks and for bringing to the Superbowl viewing party if you're into that 😗

Although you do need a few key things like Okonomiyaki or Tonkatsu sauce, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and sweet mayonnaise. But all these things can be found in your local Asian store!

Mini Okonomiyaki

makes 10 four inch pancakes

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup water
2 cups cabbage, finely diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 slices turkey bacon, sliced thinly

1 stalk green onion, chopped
kewpie mayonnaise
okonomi sauce
katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add beaten 2 large eggs and 3/4 cup water and stir to make a batter that has the consistency of a thick pancake batter
Chop cabbage finely and dice onion. Toss into batter and coat well
Heat frying pan on low-medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Add a few slices of turkey bacon to the pan and scoop 1/4 cup of okonomiyaki batter on top
Cover and fry until golden brown (about 2 mins) and flip to do the same on the other side
Spread okonomiyaki sauce while hot and squeeze mayonnaise in a zigzag pattern, then sprinkle bonito flakes and chopped green onions for garnish
Serve hot

Matcha Cinnamon Apple Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 26 Oct 2017 06:13:00 +0000

Whoa! It's been way too long since I updated the blog. Honestly when residency started, I thought I would never come back to it because on the little free time I had off I just wanted to veg on the couch or sleep. I'm now on night float so I've been able to make things during the day and werk, werk, werk all night.

I'm also updating just in time too for my favorite season! I love, love sweater weather and all things cinnamon and pumpkin spiced. For my comeback, I've made these matcha cinnamon apple scones that were adapted from King Arthur Flour.

Unfortunately the weather was rainy and dark, so these pictures aren't the best :(

Matcha Apple Scones

makes 16 mini scones

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp matcha (I used panatea culinary grade matcha)
1 stick cold butter (cut into pieces)
1/2 cup finely diced apple
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup apple sauce

turbinado sugar to top
Icing sugar mixed with a little milk

In a large mixing bowel, mix flour, sugar, salt, matcha, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut cold butter into dry mix until crumbly. You'll have some larger chunks of butter but that's okay!
In a small bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and apple sauce. Add wet to dry ingredients, toss in chopped apple and stir until just moistened
Line pan with silpat or parchment paper. Flour surface and your hands. Divide dough, which is pretty goopy) in half and pat each half into a 6" circle about 3/4" thick
Brush each circle with milk and top with turbinado sugar. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and pull them apart from each other just a bit so there is some space
Place scones uncovered into freezer for 30 minutes. This is important for best texture and rise!
Preheat oven to 425F. Bake scones 20-24 mins or until edges are slightly golden brown
Cool briefly on pan before transferring onto rack.
I mixed some powdered sugar with a little milk to glaze on top

This post was sponsored by panatea matcha. I was provided products to use, but all opinions are my own.

Roast Duck and Kimchi Pizza + A Kuvée Wine System, Le Creuset Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:23:00 +0000

Happy National Wine Day! I'm currently in Taiwan eating my weight in street food and delicious-ness. I can't believe how cheap food is here. Like a piece of spicy chicken fried steak the size of my face is two bucks!! I'm leaving tomorrow and I'll probably have to be fork-lifted onto the plane :P

But let's talk wine! Especially the new Kuvée wine system I was given to try. It's this super cool, high-tech tube that's shaped like a wine bottle and you can buy their specially packaged wine to slide into the tube. AND THEN IT LIGHTS UP AND CONNECTS TO WIFI. You have to check our their video, because I'm so bad at explaining things.

My mum was pretty ecstatic when she saw it because she loves trying wines and inviting family over for dinner. Their bottle system keeps the wine longer than usual so you can open multiple bottles at a time. You can read about the wine on the touch screen, rate and order another bottle all from the fancy electronic tube. How neat is that? It's such a conversation starter.

I mentioned it to my friend who was really interested in trying it, because she likes to have a glass of wine for dinner, but not necessarily finish the whole bottle. It was interesting reading the pairing notes and for this particular pinot noir, it said it paired well with roast meats. Hence, this roast duck pizza and fried kimchi. It works so well together! As a cook, I found this feature pretty cool and it gave me new ideas for meals and pairings.

I'm giving a chance for you guys to win the Kuvée Wine System along with a Le Creuset Wine Cooler bag and 50% of 4 bottles of wine! Say what! Just head on over to my Instagram or the Instapost for instructions!

Roast Duck and Kimchi Pizza

makes 2 medium pan pizzas

Pizza Dough (adapted from serious eats)
3.5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1.5 cups water, room temp

Toppings
napa kimchi (fist sized amount)
sesame oil
basil based pesto
roast duck
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, plus more
handful of grated parmesan cheese
dash of ground black pepper
fresh basil

For dough:

combine flour, salt, yeast and 2 tbsps olive oil in a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Add water to mixer gradually on medium speed until the dough comes together. Increase speed to medium-high for about 5-10 mins until dough is stretchy and smooth
Gather dough into a ball and allow to rise in a oiled bowl for about an hour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap to avoid dough drying out
After first rise, separate dough into 2-4 balls, cover with wrap again and allow to rise for another hour
Gently push and stretch dough to desired size in greased baking sheet

Meanwhile, cut kimchi into bite sized pieces and sauté on medium heat until wilted, but not so much that it loses it's crunch. Drizzle in about 2 tsp of sesame oil
I used roast duck slices that I bought in the grocery store and lightly fried/roasted them until the fat was rendered on the skin
Once everything is prepared, adjust oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 450F
Spread pizza with a generous amount of basil pesto leaving an inch of border. Oil border with olive oil
Top with mozzarella cheese and then place sautéed kimchi and roast duck on top
Bake for about 15-20mins or until cheese has melted and crust looks golden. Once out, top with parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper and basil leaves

This post was sponsored by Kuvée. I'm teaming up with them to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

Matcha Linzer Cookies with Lemon Curd

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 11 May 2017 06:04:00 +0000

It's time to shower a little love to all the mums out there! My mum knows I love to bake, so whenever I come home to LA she makes me bake so much bread I sometimes feel like an overworked baker 😓. And that doesn't include all the sweet treats I make for her Sunday church meetings!

But, I love watching my mum ooh and aah over the things I make and the hard work totally pays off. Besides, whenever I'm home I have sooooOoo many demanding requests for home cooked foods. I guess I shouldn't really complain about a tray or two of cookies 😜. I love these cookies because they're not too sweet due to the matcha powder and the zing of lemon curd just brightens them up! My whole family gobbled them up in no time.

Matcha Linzer Cookies with Lemon Curd

adapted from allrecipes.com
makes 20-30 cookies

Cookies
10 tbsp butter, unsalted, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 3/4 cups almond flour
3/4 tbsp matcha powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Curd
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, unsalted
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

For the lemon curd: Whisk all ingredients in a small pot and heat on medium - medium low flame. Continue to whisk until it has thickened considerably and will stick to your whisk (about 5-10 mins). It will cool even further when placed in the fridge, so no worries. Cover layer with plastic wrap once off the heat and let cool. Place in fridge once at room temperature.
For cookies:

Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in standup mixer. Add flour, almond flour, matcha and vanilla. Stir until all ingredients just becomes into a stiff dough
Split dough in half and roll to 1/8 inch thick on floured surface between wax paper. Place into refrigerator for at least 2 hours or place in freezer for 15 mins
Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
With a 2 inch linzer cookier cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Knead leftover scraps of dough into a ball and roll out again on floured surface. If the dough becomes too soft, you can always place in freezer. The dough can be quite sticky and difficult to handle so freeze often!
These don't spread in the oven so you can place them a little less than 1 inch together. Refrigerate any trays of cookies while working on remaining dough
Bake cookies until lightly brown on the edges, 9-12 mins. Let cool in tray until they stiffen for 5 mins and then cool completely on wire rack

Assembly: spread a coating of lemon curd on each cookie round and press two together to make a sandwich

Croque Madame Waffles

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 08:07:00 +0000

Another weekend, another week of not doing anything. Ah, I'm about to tear my hair out of boredom. Although, I guess I have been going to the gym more often and hiking around California with my mum. We went to Death Valley a few days ago and now I have this wicked capri leggings tan! I can't wait for residency to start even though I know intern year is going to be hell. Not doing anything makes me so restless, it's driving people around me crazy too 😝

So here's to a last few good weekends for brunching leisurely. And of course, that means waffles! I've been wanting some extra cheesy carb-y brunch foods and transformed croque madame into it's waffle form. This fulfills all kinds of munchies and cravings! It's got rich béchamel, sharp cheese, ham and just enough dijon to cut a little of all the fattiness, but leave you wanting more. Oh, and we can't forget that runny egg :)

Croque Madame Waffles

makes 8-10 waffle sandwiches

Waffles
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1.5 c milk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Béchamel
1 tbsp butter
1.5 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shredded gruyere (plus extra for top)
2 tsp black pepper (optional addition of nutmeg)

Dijon mustard
Canadian ham (fried slightly until edges are brown)
Fried eggs

For béchamel: in a small pot, melt butter on low heat. Once melted, dump in the flour and whisk on low for 3 mins. Add milk while whisking and let it simmer for 5 mins. Occasionally whisk to prevent bottom burning. The sauce should thicken and have thick bubbles popping off the surface. Take off heat and whisk in gruyere, salt and a dash of black pepper and nutmeg
For waffles: Whisk dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder, sugar) in a large bowl. Mix in a small bowl, vanilla, eggs, milk and butter. Whisk dry and wet together until batter is just fully mixed. Small clumps of flour are okay! Make waffles according to your waffle machine
Assembly: Place waffles down on a baking tray and generously spread béchamel sauce over them. Sprinkle with gruyere, lay down Canadian ham, spread mustard and top with another waffle. Spread béchamel over the top waffle as well and more cheese (because why not?). Broil on low until the cheese has crusted on top.
Serve with a runny fried egg on top!

Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens + A Le Creuset Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 18:37:00 +0000

My favorite food season has to be Spring, especially because it's the season of wild herbaceous Korean spring greens! They are called bom-namul (bom: spring, namul: wild plants) and are usually delightfully bitter and super nutritious. A lot of these are eaten raw and seasoned lightly with gochujang or soy based sauce, or they are added in a variety of soups and adds wonderful aromatic flavors to the dish like this stone pot rice!

Here's a little lesson to the greens I'm using in this dish. In the most left of the picture above of the bright leafy greens, is called minari (미나리) aka Korean watercress. It also looks and tastes similar to Chinese celery. It has a very crisp, fresh herby taste and is a popular side dish and ingredient in bibimbap. It's iron content is higher than spinach, calcium content more than milk and an excellent source of other minerals.

The middle of the picture you see greens that look like succulents is called dol-namul or dot-namul (돋나물). They grow on rocky soil and is really a leafy succulent that is very juicy and sweet. It has a very mild flavor so it is usually eaten raw and tossed into salads. In the small bowl at the right is a leafy vegetable called chwi-namul (취나물) that grows in the mountains and field. It has a heart-shaped serrated leaves that are sort of fuzzy and has a mild bitter and grassy flavor. If you've had perilla leaves, it's sort of like that, but more spinach mouth-feel. All these vegetables can be found in your local Korean supermarket. If not I've put some suggestions below for substitute vegetable you'll find anywhere.

I've been a long time fan of Le Creuset items and when I was given this Sakura Dutch Oven, I couldn't wait to do a spring time dish for it. I love doing rice dishes like this or pilaf in a dutch oven because the food inside the pot loses no moisture due to the heavy lid and everything gets surrounded and cooked in the steam that's created. This results in a locked in super flavorful dish and makes veggies very tender and rice extremely fluffy. This particular dutch oven I received is 4.5 qt and can make large portions enough for a family with lots of hungry children :)

I love cherry blossoms and was really sad that the weather was too cold for a really big bloom in the DC area. Although, nothing beats seeing them in Kyoto or Korea. It's absolutely beautiful there, but I'm glad I have this pot for some sakura admiring year-round!

If you'd like a Sakura Dutch Oven of your own, follow both @lecreuset and @misshangrypants on Instagram, tag two friends and comment what you'd make in this too.

Pearl Barley with Korean Spring Greens

makes 4-6 servings

1.5 cups pearl barley
1.5 cups short grain rice
3.5 cups konbu/dashima stock ** see steps for alternative

1.5 cups chwinamul (possible substitute - perilla leaves or swiss chard or spinach)
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp garlic, minced

8 bella mushrooms, sliced (or morels)
1 bunch minari (aka Korean watercress or dropwort; possible substitute - Chinese celery)
2 cups dolnamul (possible substitute - wild chives, ramps or fiddleheads)

Sauce
2 red chilis, sliced finely
2 stalks green onion, diced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
5 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Wash pearl barley and rice together in a large dutch oven (or pot) and then cover well with water and soak for 2 hours
To prepare konbu/dashima stock, simmer two pieces of 4x4" of dashima in 4 cups of water for 10 mins. Alternatively you can use 1:1 dilution of vegetable broth and water. Drain soaked barley rice and pour 3.5 cups of made stock. Bring to boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes with lid on, then turn down heat to low for an additional 10 mins
Meanwhile prepare vegetables: for chwinamul, you may find this fresh in supermarkets or frozen. Don't get the dried version as that is usually made into a Korean banchan. Cut chwinamul into 1" length and blanch in hot water for 30-45s. Run under cold water to stop it cooking and squeeze all the water out. Then sauté and loosen with 1 tsp sesame oil, pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp of minced garlic for 3 minutes. Alternatively you could use swiss chard in the same manner! The rest of the vegetables just need to be washed and set aside. Cut minari into 1" length as well
Once cooking time has reached 20mins, open lid and add sliced mushrooms and chwinamul right on top of the rice. Cover pot with lid again and let cook on low for another 10 mins
Switch off heat and let barley rice sit for 5 mins, then add cut minari and dolnamul and fluff rice while mixing vegetables gently
Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve rice hot with sauce on the side to mix in to taste

This post was sponsored by Le Creuset. I'm teaming up with them via CoactionPR to create awesome recipes. I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are completely my own and not endorsed. Thank you for supporting products that keep this blog running!

Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 04:41:00 +0000

I'm back in LA for a bit and it is hot hot hot! My face has become several shades darker just from driving around 😱. Alsoooo, I finally got me a studio in Manhattan! Luckily it's subsidized by the hospital, or I'd be living out of a cardboard box at the rate some of these apartments go! Can't believe I'm going to be a New Yorker and living in the city!

Anyway, keeping up with the Easter theme, I made some coconut macaroon nests before on the blog, but I saw this on TastyJapan's Instagram and thought it was a brilliant Easter nest idea too. The nest part is made of baked ramen so it's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Then I topped it with delicious ramen toppings, like soy marinated eggs and corn. You can put whatever you like on top and make it vegetarian too!

Soy Eggs in Miso Ramen Nest

makes 5-6 "nests"

Soy Marinated Eggs
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Ramen Nest
1 pack fresh ramen
2 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp miso (loosened in 1 tbsp water)
3 tsp soy sauce
1 egg white
pepper

Toppings
corn
naruto (Japanese fish cake with the pink swirl)
ham
green onions, diced

To make soft boiled eggs, place 3 medium eggs in a small pot and put just enough water to cover the top. Bring to a boil on high heat and from the time it starts really boiling, time 3.5 minutes. Once time is up, pour out the hot water and immediately run eggs in cold water or place in ice bath
To make soy eggs: place all marinade ingredients in a small sandwich ziplock bag and mix well. Place peeled eggs in marinade, let air out before sealing and refrigerate overnight. Turn the bag once or twice to coat eggs evenly
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease 5-6 muffin cups. Cook ramen according to package. Season with sesame oil, miso, soy sauce and pepper. Stir egg whites to coat ramen noodles.
Distribute ramen into cupcake pan or 5-6 muffin cups and make a well in the center for the ingredients to be placed afterwards. Bake for 15-20 mins. Let rest for a minute.
Cut marinaded eggs in half and place in center of ramen nest. Place other ramen ingredients and serve warm!

Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Hangrypants) — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:47:00 +0000

It's almost Easter and I've been admiring all the pretty egg, coconut and bunny pictures on Instagram! I don't really do too much during Easter other than follow my mum to church, but what I can't miss is eating hot cross buns! I was given this Silpat pretzel mat and since I was going to make bread anyway, I thought why not put the same stuff in pretzels?! So I've added all the nice things, like sugar, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and cranberries into these pretzels.

Also how awesome is this mat? It totally helps a pretzel shape challenged person like me to roll out pretty pretzels!

I love the spicy and fruity flavor of the dough, and it's all shiny and sticky with melted butter and honey. You can eat these plain or they actually go pretty well with this Maille Acacia honey and Orange blossom mustard. The taste is pretty floral and fruity with a very good amount of sharpness and tang. It pairs quite well and is a nice play of sweet and salty.

I'm currently on a one-week bootcamp at med school (last week ever!), which is pretty much learning how to adult. Like buying a house, paying off loans etc... I just can't adult yet! Ah!

Hot Cross Bun Spiced Pretzels

makes 14-16 pretzels

4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup dried cranberries or currants

1/4 cup baking soda
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp butter, melted
1.5 tbsp honey

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp of white sugar in the warm water until bubbly, about 10 minutes
In a stand mixer with the dough attachment, mix flour, brown sugar, salt and spices. Add oil, yeast and vanilla extract and mix to form a dough. Adjust flour and water if mixture is too sticky or dry. Add orange zest and currants and knead until smooth. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in it and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours.
Punch dough down, cover bowl with plastic wrap and another damp cloth and let rise overnight in the fridge. This makes the dough more elastic!
Allow the chilled dough to come to room temperature, about an hour in a warm place. Prepare baking sheets with silpat mat or wax paper
In a medium bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 cups of hot water and set aside
Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Dip your fingers in the baking soda solution and rub in your hands. Roll each piece between your hands into a rope. Start in the middle and roll using medium pressure with both hands as you work out to the ends. You're done when the dough thickness is about the size of your finger (it will puff!). Grab each end and slap on your surface like a jump rope a few times. Be careful not to use too much force or the dough will tear. Twist into a pretzel shape and place on prepared sheets. Cover with plastic wrap while working on the rest of the dough
Once all shaped, brush baking soda water solution over the pretzels. Let rest for another 10-15 mins. You can sprinkle with raw sugar (optional). Preheat oven to 425 F, place rack above middle
Bake in preheated oven in top rack until browned, about 10-12 mins
Brush mix of melted butter and honey together and brush over pretzel when they come out of the oven

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