Warm Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Beans

The Christmas season is here and I'm really trying to stop eating all the cookies that are brought into the lab. Gah! So much temptation and so little space in my jeans :( I've been trying to incorporate more veggies and warm salads into my meals because who wants to eat cold salads in the winter everyday? This dish is also great for potlucks and can be served on a huge platter. Fill up on salads first and then touch the sinful desserts later (this advice is always lost on me...)

Let's do a boozy myth buster for the holidays!
MYTH: Alcohol Kills Brain Cells
FACT: NO it doesn't! Whatever your parents told you or what you learned in high school is a lie. But, before you bring on the kegstands, know that alcohol does many other things that could injure your brain. Although, it clearly doesn't wipe out neurons or brain cells, booze does reduce your ability to remember. Recall those moments when you woke up on the bathroom floor? Or being drunk and have no perception of depth, direction and advice? hahaha... Author Braum says:

Research shows... [Alcohol] disrupts the cellular machinery most widely believed to underlie our ability to form new memories.

Also, binge drinking can lead to decrease in breathing (heavy boozy breath) that can starve the brain and of course, making you do stupid things, like drinking and driving. So remember kids, drink responsibly and moderately.

Taken from my holiday reading...Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine by Stephen Braum

Warm Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Beans
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 pound spinach blend (7 cups)
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
Garlic Salt + Pepper (or regular salt)
2 tsp Crushed red pepper
One 15-ounce can white beans, drained

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small red onion diced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1. Divide spinach onto 4 plates or spread on a large platter. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, season shrimp with salt and pepper and cook until just white through.
2. Add beans, season with more pepper, chili flakes and salt if needed and toss until heated through. (2 minutes). Scrape the shrimp and beans onto the spinach.
3. In same skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, cook red onion until softened and then whisk in the mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil.
4. Pour over salad and serve with freshly cracked pepper.

Spicy Crab Stew - Ggotgae jjigae

I'm finally moving out of korea town. No more gun shots in the night, gang fights, or ktown sleaziness on youtube (haha). Sorry, just exaggerating a bit. I'm going to miss the cheap groceries and good food though. You'll always be in my heart ktown. Although, moving has been a huge pain in the butt and in my arms gahh!

Anyhoo, here are some random facts I've read in the past...

MYTH BUSTERS!
False: Toilet water on your toothbrush will get you sick
I don't ever keep my toothbrush where the toilet is because microorganisms are ejected when you flush the toilet. It can spray further than 5 feet (ahh!) and all the good stuff lands all over the bathroom even if you close the lid. But, fortunately you won't catch anything from what comes out of your toilet because when the toothbrush dies, so does most of the organisms. Although, that'll probably take some time so don't brush your teeth right after you go haha... Just keep your toothbrush in the cabinet!

False: Bathroom door handles in public restrooms are the germiest place
Door handles actually have the least bacteria of any surface in public restrooms says Dr. Chuck Gerba of University of Arizona in Tucson. That's because on average 68% wash their hands before leaving (WHAT! NOT 100%??). Your desk is way dirtier than a toilet bowl (400x more!) In his recent study, Gerba and co. found parainfluenza virus, which causes colds and flu on about one-third of office surfaces...and most of it on the phone. These viruses can survive for 2-3 days on desktops, phones and keyboards too.

Just keep washing your hands, become a germ-aphobe and stop making out ah ha ha...

Spicy Crab Stew - 꽃게 찌개

Chinese Pepper Steak (Stir-fried Beef with Peppers)

DEAL WITH THE SCIENCE: Girls do throw like girls

When my tennis coach told me I throw like a girl, I was livid. I generally don't like being told that I'm weak or feeble...maybe it's my height complex (?). But true to my coach's statement, my overarm throwing really needs working on. In fact, a professor at the University of North Texas conducted a throwing experiment, where results showed that nearly every boy by age 15 throws better than the best girl (NOooOO).

BUT WHY?
The article says that the rotating motion of a girls versus boys motion is particularly significant. The power in an overhand throw (like a golf swing, tennis serve or baseball swing) comes from the separate turning of hips and shoulders. Apparently, us women tend to rotate our hips and shoulders together...true in my case -gulp-. This one-whole rotating motion may have even evolved since we were cavemen, when women had to throw rocks or weapons while holding a baby (ah ha ha).

Anyhoo, after practicing snapping my shoulders around and whipping the ball, my right arm feels like it's about to fall out of the socket. Who knows, maybe I'll become the next Serena Williams...

Pepper Beef Stir Fry

Haemul Soondubu Jjigae - Seafood Soft Tofu Stew

My biggest regret this month is to miss the audition for the Spicy eating challenge at BCD Tofu House sponsored event at the Ktown Food Fest. OMgoodness, I would have totally owned it. But I didn't know there was an audition. I thought...I thought... ahhh. I missed my chance to win an iPad!! There were other contests like choco pie eating, but I can almost imagine choking down chocolate covered dry pieces of bread. bleh...

Anyhoo, I can make my own Soft tofu soup and eat it. Wuah wuah. Although, BCD's hot stone pot rice is soo fluffy and delicious. Something I can't make at home, unless I burn down my house.

Here's a short human body fact for today. I promise a more substantial, interesting and intellectual story next time...unless you guys really don't like reading too many words :p

FACT: 250,000 pores that exist on the soles of the feet secret almost 1/4 cup of sweat every day
Now I know why my feet smells like flowers.... :)

Haemul Soon dubu - Seafood Soft Tofu
Makes 2 servings

Shrimp and Veggie Scramble

How do you guys like my new and remodeled blog? The banner took me all night, because I'm not very good at photoshop (and my sister is never home). Even my brother had to help me with setting it up! So you guys are going to just have to like it, because I ain't going to be changing it for a while... Need. to. get. off. Internet.

Check Depression levels with How You Use the Internet
Computer science nerds at Missouri University of Science and Technology recently published an article  about a group of students and how their use of the Internet correlated with the depression levels. They explained in the New York Times that 216 undergrads first did a questionnaire to measure how depressed they were and then monitored their internet activity.

Apparently, those with indicated depression from the survey had high levels of sharing files (like movies and music). That sounds like me (NOooo). To add further insult, depressed students also tended to engage in very high e-mail usage, which could indicate high levels of anxiety. Lastly, they also have a habit of switching between applications frequently, like e-mail, chat rooms and games. It's called normal behavior @(%*(#_@($@ <-- denial

The research is being conducted to develop a software app that could be installed into computers and mobile devices and alert you if you show symptoms of depression. That could be your parent monitoring your mood swings during puberty. Sounds like a terrible idea!! What do you prefer? Data privacy or mental health?

Shrimp and Veggie Scramble
Serves 4

Kiddy Kimbap - 꼬마 김밥

I'm finally doing a kimbap post, but only because my mum is here helping me make them. My little brother's at camp and we decided to make it for his lunch and ours too! It's a perfect picnic recipe and my mum and I enjoyed these under the LA sun. The weather is to die for :)

Have short intestines? Addicted to Alcohol?
I guess you can't really tell if your intestines are short or not... But if you're older and have undergone gastric bypass surgery (stapling stomachs!), you're more likely to become addicted to alcohol! For people with short or damaged intestines, the alcohol goes straight into the intestine and is absorbed rapidly. That higher absorption rate makes alcohol oh-so-enticing, says research team from the University of Pittsburg Medical Center.

There are obese testimonials who developed alcoholism and were treated for their alcohol addiction. What would you rather have? A trimmer figure swapped for alcoholism? Well...both (as in gastric bypass and alcoholism) are avoidable if you get off your lazy butt, exercise and eat healthy!

Kid's Kimbap - 꼬마 김밥 (Ggoma kim bap)
Makes 3-5 servings 

Here's a jumpstart to a healthy lunch! KOREAN SUSHI.
Since we had to be out of the house early the next day, we prepped all the ingredients the night before and kept them in the fridge after letting them cool. Then we made fresh rice that day and rolled the kim bap straight away. If you're making it all in a day, make the rice as your rice cooker says first so that it can cool.

Roasted Beets Feta Salad

Oops...I've been a little lazy and haven't updated in a while. My good friend/roommate/labmate came down from LA and we went kayaking. It has been almost 100 degrees!! (I can't believe I just used Fahrenheit) And now I have awful shorts tan, farmer's tan and my shoulders are aching. Whine whine whine.

Here's a recipe for a healthy salad for the start of summer!

Why Aren't Bald Men Extinct?
I guess some women find it attractive? But, I sure as hell don't (haha kidding not really). We all have hair because it is useful - it protects us from the sun, gives us a little bit of warmth and most importantly hair is sexy. So why is it that male pattern baldness is successfully passed on?

Usually by age 30, a quarter of men start to lose their hair starting around the temples (Wolverine look), then on top of the head (Santa Claus look) and finally to total retreat (Dick Cheney look). Research suggest that baldness might have some survival advantage because it signals dominance and status. When bald men are angry, they could appear to have red domes (think alarm bells), which could signify dominance (what?!). Other studies say women see bald men as more mature and less aggressive. But then they also see them as older and less attractive :(

Anyhoo, whether you fancy a man with hair or no hair is really up to you. But if you prefer hairy burly men look for the pattern baldness trait on their mother's side.

Roasted Beets and Feta Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch beets and beet greens
1 medium onion (red or white)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425F
Roast beets in a baking dish and cover with foil. Takes about 1 hour until it is soft. Cut off the ends and the skins should peel right off.

Slice onions across the grains so you get rings. Chop up the beet greens into 2 inch pieces.







In a frying pan, heat up some olive oil and place your onions on top. Let it brown in either side (about 3 mins). Set that aside.


Fry up the beet greens also for about 3-4 mins until soft. Add salt and pepper

Slice the beets and arrange on a platter. Arrange the onions and beet greens a over the beets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together 2 tbsp of good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Drizzle over the onions and beets. Crumble feta over and serve.

Chicken-Pork Meatballs with Sriracha Mayo

Chipotle got smart and made an Asian version of itself in DC! It's called Shophouse and it is derricious. Bubs and I alway make time to go there. What I like is their super spicy sauce. Of course, not so spicy for me so I have to add in maybe a gallon of extra sriracha. But enough for bubs to sweat me a river (ew!). So Chipotle was my inspiration for these meatballs. They also work so well for making 'pseudo' Banhmi (dericious vietnamese sammich). I'll be posting later on about making a quick banhmi next! A quick factoid about cilantro, because I love them and because they are all over these meatballs!

Factoid: Cilantro Lovers Share a Genetic Trait (and so do Haters)
Cilantro is oh-so-heavenly. It's refreshing, crunchy and a lovely lime-y flavor that compliments all kinds of cuisines like guacamole, curry and meatballs (!). However, I know some hateful people that are repulsed by it. Why is it so polarizing to them? Only science can explain...

A new study conducted at the University of Toronto found that among 1,400 young adults, 21% of East Asian roots hated it and 17% of white people Caucasians hating it too. The results were published in Flavour Journal. It's possible that hater have a mutated or even an absent receptor gene for the protein that would interact with the very pleasant smelling compound found in cilantro.

It's all still speculative! There may be a genetic mutation of some sort that makes people just want to throw cilantro across the room and stomp on it, but there is yet to pin-point a single gene that's responsible. So... I guess science hasn't quite explained it yet (harhar)

Oh right, so you fussy people who hate cilantro. You can substitute it with Thai basil.

Chicken Pork Meatballs with Sriracha Mayo Dip
Makes 15-20

Potato-Beet Gnocchi

Yay! I'm off to NYC for the annual Big Apple barbecue Block Party. Well, I'm also going to see my high school buddies but ribs and pulled pork are definitely on the agenda. If not, I will have a hissy fit. Haha just kidding. But, not getting bbq can make me go cray cray. Just saying...

With that kind of crazy talk, I bet you would never in a million years thought I had ever been a vegetarian. In fact I have! Well for about a year. I don't really know why. It was probably a college phase thing. You know...because people experiment in college right...? So here's a little something something about veggies and a recipe to match!

Factoid: Beet Juice for Healthier Brains
I figured some people really don't like the taste of beets. I'm a veggie lover and I thought it tasted like dirt when I first ate it. Actually, I still think it tastes like dirt...but I've grown accustom to it. I'll eat it now, especially knowing how good it is for me! A research group at Wake Forest University, has shown that drinking beet juice increases blood flow to the brain. That's super important as you age because some areas of you noggin just don't get enough blood, leading to dementia and forgetting where you last saw your keys...or grandchildren :/

The reason is that beets contain lots of nitrates, which is also found in celery, cabbage and other leafy greens. Good bacteria in your mouth will convert it nitrate to nitrite. Nitrite is a super important blood vessel dilator that will increase blood flow everywhere and especially to places lacking oxygen. Read more about increased MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain activity recorded in old old people after drinking beet juice here.

Also, don't freak out when you get red doo doo okay? That's just the beets. :D

Potato-Beet Gnocchi
Adapted from F&W

Ingredients
1 (8 oz) medium red beet with greens (SAVE the greens!)
1lb medium baking potatoes
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (divided)
1 onion vertically sliced
1/4 cup fresh parmesan
Garlic salt + Pepper




Preheat oven to 400F
Remove greens and stems from beet. Save the greens! We're going to use the whole plant.
Pierce beets and potatoes with a fork. Bake potatoes for 1-1.5 hours and the beets for 1.5 - 2 hr or until soft.

While you're waiting, chop the green parts to measure 2 cups. Slice the onion too.

Once they're extremely soft peel and mash them both pretty well in a bowl. You can use a paper towel to rub the skin off. It should come off pretty easily. A trick I learned from bubs is to mash using the end of a wine bottle! Very convenient if you don't have a potato masher.

To the mashed beets and potato, add in 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt to form the dough. The dough should be a brilliant red. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.

Divide the dough into 4 and make long ropes out of them. Dust them if the remaining 1/4 cup flour to prevent from sticking.  Cut each Gnocchi out (~3/4 inch) and roll each piece down with a slightly floured fork.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Add half of the gnocchi, cook for 2 minutes or until done. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place in a colander to drain. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute 4 minutes. Add gnocchi, greens, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Serve with some shaved cheese!
Serves 4

and some fresh parmesan~

Spaghetti Squash Bake

We are pretty big couch potatoes. Thank goodness we don't own a TV, or our brains would turn into mush from watching the tube 24/7. Because of studying, we've limited our TV time to only when we eat our meals. Yeah, I know... but meal time conversations are over-rated. Our favorite food network show is Diners Drive In and Dives with Guy Fieri. He has literally the best job in the world! Although, it also probably includes heart attacks, myocardial infarctions and hypertension over time :\

Anyway, in the episode he went to this restaurant called The Pitstop and introduced a new recipe for my blog. I couldn't wait to try it. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to carb-y pasta and this dish can be made vegan (using nutritional yeast) or vegetarian. It's quick if you use bottled pasta sauce or you just have some lying around. And 1/2 a serving will make you extremely stuffed. So remember you're cooking for 2 :) You seriously won't miss the carbs in this dish. Even bubs liked it and he's a steak and potatoes kind of guy.

I have a pseudo scientific tip for the ladies this time! Enjoy.
Interesting Tip: Marry a Man with a LONG Ring Finger
A man with a longer ring finger has apparently been exposed to more testosterone in the womb. Dr. John Manning of Rutgers University. A person with high testosterone levels have been associated with being more logical, decisive and ambitious. But then too much testosterone means highly competitive and aggressive people douchebags. That's why women are such a good balance :D

So ladies, it's great if you meet someone at a bar and his muscles are rippling and he looks like a cross between Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt. But remember to look if he's got those "man" qualities with a long ring finger. If it's short and stubby... watch out. He could be a huge sissy.

Spaghetti Squash Bake
Adapted from the Food Network

Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash cut lengthwise
4 oz Mozzarella + Parmesan shredded (I also used 2% sharp cheddar)
1 tsp Rosemary or basil

Sauce
1/2 lb ground turkey (optional for vegetarians)
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 zucchini small
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1/2-1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted)
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp Rosemary or basil
1 tsp Oregano (or italian seasoning)
pepper + salt

Preheat oven 350F.
Slice squash in half, scrape out the seeds and place fleshside down in a baking dish

Add 1/4 inch water. Bake for 40-50 mins or until tender.
While that's baking, let's make the marinara sauce!

If you already have left over pasta sauce or if you're going to use ready made pasta sauce, then you can skip this step! Or jazz up bottled sauce with vegetables and meat if you like. I actually doubled the recipe here to make leftover sauce for future meals.

Dice your onions, mince the garlic, slice zucchini into half moons, slice mushrooms.

In a large skillet, saute garlic and onion in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add the turkey if you're a meat eater and cook until just brown. Add zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes and cook for another 5 mins. Add your seasoning herbs, pepper and salt to your liking.

I added tomato paste and let it simmer for about 8-10mins to make it more saucy.

Your spaghetti squash should be nice and soft. Careful because it is hot! You can scrape the strands inside and then transfer it to a bowl.

Using a fork, rake the flesh to create the "spaghetti" strands.

Mix in about 3/4 cup of the sauce, 1/2 of the cheese and remaining fresh rosemary.

Put it back into the squash shells, top it off with some extra sauce and remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Crack some fresh black pepper on top. Bake until the cheese begins to melt and bubble and create that lovely crust. About 10-11 mins.

HMM!

I added some sharp cheddar cheese under the mozzarella

Stir-fry: Beef and Garlic Chives

I think I can honestly say that garlic chive bulb is my favorite vegetable. I know... how can I be so resolute when there are 23097583 types of veggies? Well, you're going to have to try this recipe before you judge me! I made this dish with noodles. But it's brilliant without the noodles too. Just omit that and use only 1/2 of the sesame oil, oyster sauce and soy sauce. 


I'll keep my life update short since my factoid is freaking long. But a group of friends and I just finished warrior dash in MD. Pictures of that race to come! Lots of fun with great friends :)


Factoid: Love of Pork is Genetic
We've been learning about our sense of taste in our neurology class and did you know that it is the only sense out of the five that is linked to emotion? All the info from smelling stuff passes through the amygdala (area of the brain associated with emotion) before any other higher processing. There we can sort out whether we perceive that smell as good or bad. Now, research conducted at Duke University Medical Center, Monell Chemical Senses Center and three Norwegian institutions show that your love of pork, bacon strips and Wendy's baconator may just as well be in your blood.


Each person as a variation of genes of odorant receptors. That's the stuff that detects certains smells. So, while some people like the smell of swimming pool (I know it's weird, but I do), others prefer the smell of gasoline. We have a receptor for androstenone, which is a steroid related to testosterone, present in the saliva of boars. The research group conducted an experiment where groups of people with different levels of this particular odor receptor gene to take a whiff and chomp on certain pork products and rate them. 


Based on testers' reports, those with a gene insensitive to androstenone preferred the taste and smell of pork more than testers with a more sensitive type of the gene. They found pork products disgusting. So if you hate bacon, blame it on your parents!


I don't blame you if you didn't read this essay. It's a lot of words and it's only Monday :D


Beef and Garlic Chives with Rice Noodles

Garlicky spicy fragrance ~

Ingredients
Marinade
2 cloves garlic minced
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tsp soy sauce + 2 tsp honey (or just 3 tsp Youndoo)
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp sesame oil
0.5 lb Beef sliced thinly (Eye of round, flank, ribeye whatever you like)

Stir Fry
1 clove garlic minced
1 small knob of ginger minced
Bunch of Garlic chive bulbs 2 inch long
5 large white mushrooms
250g Rice noodles (I used pho noodles, but you can use Shanghai wheat noodles etc...)
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1-1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce

Slice your beef thinly into long strips like you'd see in stir-fry.
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add beef, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

While that's marinating, prepare your stir fry ingredients. Refer to the picture on the left on how much chive bulbs I used. I would say when all chopped up into 5cm sticks, it could be about 2-3 cups.

Mince your garlic and ginger. Slice your mushrooms thinly. Of course you can use other vegetables like red peppers. That would be tasty and add some color to the dish.

Prepare your noodles like it says on the packet but with less time because you'll be cooking it when you stir fry it. So if it tells you to boil it for 3 mins, maybe reduce that to 2 mins. I used pho noodles (banh pho) that you can get in any asian supermarket. Or white wheat noodles. After you drain the noodles. Add 2 tsp of sesame oil so they don't stick together.

Heat up your frying pan with some oil. Fry the ginger and garlic for a minute until fragrant. Stir fry the marinated beef for about 2 minutes (slightly pink but not all the way cooked). Add the chives and mushrooms. Stir that for another 1 min.







Add the noodles, stir and then add the 2 tbsp oyster sauce and 1.5 soy sauce. Of course you can adjust how much soy sauce you want to add. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until your noodles are glossy brown and hot.

Serves 2!

Korean Spicy Braised Chicken - Dak Doritang

One test down, and two more to go. And then I'm free from this academic year...and then I have another 3059708235 years of schooling :(


Anyhoo, if you've been reading my blog, you'll find that most of the food I post are red and filled with chilies. I absolutely love spicy food. Like fire-in-your-hole spicy. Bubs thinks that I must have burned off all the capsaicin receptors. They're the ones that make you feel the burning, crying, mouth numbing sensation when you eat spicy food. I like to snack on raw jalapenos, and it doesn't kill me. I give one to bubs and he'll be sweating out of his ears. Sooo.. here's radical health news for today!


Innovative Surgeries: Spicy foods into getting rid of your Muffin tops
I think a lot of people know that eating spicy food increases core body temperature and may cause you to burn more calories and yadayadaya. What's even more crazy is that at Brigham and Women's Hospital, they're doing surgical procedures that insert capsaicin (stuff in red pepper) to destroy some nerve fibers of the vagus nerve. Results on lab rats show significantly reduced visceral fat - you know those hateful beer bellies and muffin tops.

This is going to be the next new catchy 1-800 Get Thin jingle on the radio and soon you'll be singing ♩ ♫rub chilies into your spinal cord♬♪...Um.. maybe more catchy and witty than that :/
But on a more serious note, it'll fix the fat people obesity epidemic. Woo.

Without further adieu, another one of my favorite spicy dishes.


Korean Spicy Braised Chicken - 닭도리탕
Adapted from Korean-cuisine

Ingredients
Seasoning paste
4 tbsp soysauce
3 tbsp Korean chili paste
2 tbsp Korean chili powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tsp minced ginger
3 tsp black pepper
8 tbsp water
2 tbsp rice wine or white vinegar


Pot Ingredients
2 lb chicken thigh (or drummettes or breast)
1/2 cup water
1 large potato
1 large carrot (or handful of baby carrots)
1 onion
5 cloves garlic halved
2 serrano chilies (or jalapenos for less heat!)
10 perilla leaves or green onions (optional)

Mix all the ingredients for the seasoning paste in a large bowl (so you can put your chicken in it). If you have Youndoo, which I used here and also most of the stews I make here, then instead of soysauce + honey, use 2 tbsp of regular soysauce and 2 tbsp of Youndoo.

Set the sauce aside so you can work on your chicken. Feel free to use chicken breast (skin, no skin). Cut them into about 2 inch cubes and cut out the fatty parts. Marinate it in the sauce.

Let the chicken sit in the sauce for at least 15 mins, so now we get the veggies prepared. Cut up the onions and potatoes to roughly the same size as the chicken bits. I used baby carrots because I'm too lazy to peel and cut up carrots :P And for the garlic cloves, just cut them lengthwise in half. Chop up your chillies finely and julienne perilla leaves if you're using them.

Preheat a big pot, add some oil and fry up your potatoes and carrots for about 5 mins and pour in 1/2 cup of water. Then add the chicken, onions, garlic and chilies. Stir it and bring to a boil.


Once boiling, put on the lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for around 15 mins, occasionally stirring once or twice. Then take off the lid and let it simmer for another 15 mins so the sauce can reduce and thicken. The meat and veggies should be properly cooked through by now.


Top it off with some perilla leaves, green onions and sesame seeds!

Enjoy with a huge bowl of steaming rice!

Doenjang Jjiggae - Korean Miso Soup

Happy 4/20 folks! I just realized it was high stoner holiday today... Not that it really matters. But what is really interesting is what I read in the news today.


Apparently, yogurt GROWS balls. Yeah...a recent study by scientists at MIT fed mice yogurt and they found that the testicles of yogurt consumers were about 5 percent heavier. WHAT?! So lay off the junk food unless you want your balls to shrivel up like raisins! HAHA


On the note of probiotics. I'm going to show you how to use Doenjang, which is Korean fermented soybean paste. It sounds really gross but it just doesn't have a pretty name like tempeh, miso or natto, which are all practically the same. And now it's time to present health related news of the day...


FERMENTED SOYBEANS > raw soybean products


Did you know that non-fermented soybean products like tofu contains lots of good nutrients like isoflavones that is not bioavailable to your bodies? Fermentation transforms your everyday soybeans into a superfood, that makes your gut happy with lots of friendly microflora. That sounds like great bowel movement to me :D And that also means a wealth of nutrients and boosting your immunity. 

Anyway, doenjang is considered one of the mother sauces in Korea. It comes from fermenting soybeans, then separating the liquids and solids. That liquid becomes your soy sauce and the remaining mashed beans become doenjang. 

It is really a gut warming and lovely soup, that cures hangovers and all kinds of ailments. Haha ok I guess I should write a disclaimer. Just because I put it in my blog and I believe it, doesn't mean its 100% true 'kay? So don't sue me :)

Doenjang Jjigae - 된장 찌개

Sorry for the blurry images! My DSLR is at home and not here in DC :(

Ingredients

1 large piece of kelp/ kombu (3x3')

6 dried anchovies (opt out for vegetarians and vegans)

2 cups water

1/2 diced onion

1/2 chopped up chilies (serrano, jalapeno, whatever tickles your fancy)

1/2 diced zucchini

1/2 block of tofu

1/2 pack of enoki mushrooms (or any kind)

1 stalk of green onion

2-3 tbsp doenjjang (Korean miso/ bean paste)

1/2-1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

2 tsp Korean chili powder

salt/ pepper to taste

There are 3 ways in which you can flavor your soup.
Bring to boil in a pot 2 cups of water and...
1. A large piece of kelp (vegetarians)
2. Kelp and anchovies
3. A palm size amount of chuck meat (fry this in garlic and oil first before adding water)

The picture to your left shows the net device I talked about earlier so you can easily take out the anchovies once you're done with it. But I'm lazy so I just leave it in there and fish it out while I'm eating :/





So now you've chose one of those three options and the water should be heating up on medium high.

Prepare all the vegetables and tofu. I like to dice them, but whatever shape tickles your fancy.





Once the water starts boiling, add your onions and zucchini. Let it boil for a good 7 mins before you add your chilies, chili powder, doenjjang and gochujang.

Bring to boil again (2 mins) and add your tofu. Boil that for around 3 mins and add your mushrooms. Taste it now. If you want it saltier and deeper in flavor you can always add more doenjjang or a pinch of salt.

Garnish with some spring onions and enjoy with a steaming bowl of rice!