닭갈비 (Dak Galbi/Spicy Marinated Chicken)

I was craving Korean food and the closest restaurant is probably at least 2 hours away, so I decided to do another kitchen experiment of sorts. Thank goodness for the internet. :O I loosely adapted this from here and here (as usual, it was dependent on what I did and did not have in my kitchen).

닭갈비 (Dak Galbi/Spicy Marinated Chicken)

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs/breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
(Marinade)
-1 tsp powdered ginger
-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-3 tbsp gochujang (spicy red pepper paste)
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp light brown sugar
-1 tsp mild curry powder
-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions:
1) Combine all marinade ingredients into a small bowl and toss the chicken pieces in. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
2) Heat up a skillet and throw in the chicken. Stir periodically and wait til the chicken is cooked through.

I put it into a whole wheat pita with spinach! :]

4-minute Ahi Steak

For the record, when I say “marinade,” that tends to mean that I put it in a ziploc bag and eyeball the spices/everything else that goes in. Hence, why I say that I adapted the recipe. :x Again, I threw this one in a pan, but will likely use my actual grill next time.

4-minute Ahi Steak

Ingredients:
-yellowfin tuna steak
-lemon juice
-garlic powder
-ground ginger
-sesame oil
-EVOO
-chili pepper flakes
-sea salt
-freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1) Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours (I did about 45 minutes).
2) Put it on the grill (or in a pan) for 2-ish minutes on each side.

芥兰 (Chinese Broccoli)

I love this dish! We can’t get 芥兰 here (Asian markets do not exist within a 2 hour radius of here), but Kosina went home several weekends ago and aside from all the food her parents gave her to bring back, she also stopped by Andrea’s parents’ place (and they essentially compounded the amount of food that she brought back). This basically equates to happy times for everyone. :D The sugar was added since 芥兰 is normally kinda bitter on its own.

芥兰 (Chinese Broccoli)

Ingredients:
-Chinese broccoli
-4-5 cloves of garlic
-2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
-oyster sauce
-sugar

Instructions:
1) Heat a wok/frying pan over medium high heat and add 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil.
2) Swirl it around and add the garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute (avoid over-browning it or it’ll be bitter).
3) Add Chinese broccoli and stir-fry until wok becomes dry.
4) Remove from heat and add oyster sauce.

비빔밥 (Bibimbap/Mixed Rice with Vegetables)

Earlier this month (more specifically, on the 8th, because that was when the GVC performance was), my friend Swathi texted our group (we have yet to find a name that we can collectively call ourselves for convenience) to see if we’d be up for a late dinner at her place. Since my performance basically ended right before the time she stated (and let’s face it, aside from the moments in time when I’ve just finished 20+ plates full of sushi, when do I ever not want to eat?), I headed over afterward and we had a feast of sorts. :D (Kinda in preparation for the 4 quizzes + 1 practical we had that upcoming week and the final + practical we had the following week. :X )

Several of our friends declined said dinner in favor of studying (sigh. possibly something I should have done as well, but…this was the first time in a long, long while that I hung out with them), so we had a giant table filled with food…for five people. haha. :X Lots of food pictures of not-bibimbap up ahead, but I swear this post eventually does get to the recipe. :X But for now, random camwhoring since we couldn’t all cook at once (and eventually, the recipe will follow)!

Camwhoring with the cake!

Our holiday feast!

I really wasn’t kidding when I said the table was full of food. :x

I like to call dishes like these “rice with stuff in it.” The recipe was adapted from here. We made substitutions when necessary because the closest Asian market if over in the next state. :X Speaking of that, I found out that based on the 2010 census of this area, I am one of 4 whole Asians in the town I live in. (Our town has almost 4000 people.) I’m actually a minority, for once! :O no waiii.

비빔밥 (Bibimbap/Mixed Rice with Vegetables)

Ingredients:
-cooked rice (short grain)
-package of bean sprouts
-2 zucchinis
-shittake mushrooms
-2 green bell peppers, chopped
-1/2 pound of beef, sliced
-carrots, cut into small strips
-soy sauce
-hot pepper paste
-sesame oil
-vegetable oil
-salt
-pepper
-sugar
-6-7 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:
1) Cook the rice.
2) Rinse bean sprouts 3 times, then put into pot with a cup of water. Add 1 tsp of salt and cook for 20 minutes. Drain water and mix with minced garlic, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
2) Cut zucchinis and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Mix together and saute in a pan over high heat. (They should look a little translucent.) Set aside.
3) Slice shittake mushrooms thinly and saute with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar. Stir for 2 minutes, add sesame oil. Set aside.
4) Throw in the bell peppers with 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp soy sauce + 1 tsp sugar. Stir around for another couple minutes and then set aside.
5) Add oil to a heated pan and add the beef. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, and some ground black pepper and sesame oil.
6) Cut carrots into small strips, saute for 30 seconds and set aside.
7) Prepare eggs sunny side up.
8) Arrange everything on top of the rice, mix with sesame oil and hot pepper paste.
9) Mix and serve!

참치전 (Chamchi Jeon)

These are otherwise known as tuna cakes. :D! I’m a big fan of recipes that call for only ingredients that I already have, because then, I don’t get tempted to go out and buy that one and only ingredient that I always seem to be missing (basil, I’m looking at you :[ ). These were very simple to make and surprisingly fast. I made a big batch of them in under half an hour, and this included the time it took for me to sit at the computer reading about viruses while meticulously ripping 2 end-pieces of bread into shreds because I’m too cheap to actually buy breadcrumbs. For the record, 2 end-pieces of bread ripped up yields wayyy over just 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs, so I stuffed the remainder of it into a mason jar (see how handy those things are!? :D!) and they’ll be part of my next project.

I obtained the recipe from here, and as a disclaimer, I am absolutely horrible with flipping things, which is why I very rarely ever make pancakes (or anything that requires flipping). It usually just falls apart and disintegrates on me. Makes me sad, but it doesn’t make this any less delicious. I ate the uglier ones, so you can only imagine how badly I destroyed those. :/ I ate these with some brown rice for dinner. :D I realize that that meal was sorely lacking in actual vegetables, but I had a ginormous salad earlier in the day, so that kindasorta made up for it. I think this recipe yielded ~8 cakes of variable sizes. It is my hope that one day, I’ll get better at making these and they’ll actually be all pretty and stuff. :D! There will probably be another attempt later where I actually make sauce for it too.

참치전 (Chamchi Jeon)

Ingredients:
-2 cans of tuna, drained + flaked
-2 eggs, beaten
-1/2 onion, finely chopped (could also be a sweet onion)
-1 tbsp flour
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-2 tsp sesame oil
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-EVOO
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1 celery stalk, minced (didn’t happen this time around)

Instructions:
1) Mix all ingredients together with hands (except the EVOO). Form small patties with your hands.
2) Bring to medium-high heat + coat lightly with EVOO.
3) Cook tuna cakes in batches, waiting ~2 minutes before flipping to other side.
4) Patties done when they’re nicely browned + a little crisp on each side.
5) Consume!