Soon Doo Boo Jigae -- Attempt #2

I am re-visiting an old friend... I attempted making this for the first time earlier this year, and it did NOT turn out so good. It looked good, but it just didn't taste so great. It was missing something, a key layer of flavor was missing. Thankfully, it looks like I got it all figured out!

Soon dooboo jigae is my go-to absolute favorite #1 Korean dish. It exudes comfort to me, and makes my insides warm and cozy. It's spicy and seafoody and delicious! After reading many reader's suggestions for making this dish, and after reading several other recipes online, I realized that I was missing two key components: 1. sae-woo jut (salted little shrimpies), and 2. making a good fishy broth with dried anchovies.

I started with about 15 or so dried anchovies, put them in a pot with about 5 cups of water, and some quartered shitake mushrooms. I let this come to a boil, then simmer until I was ready to use it.


Here is the sae-woo jut I was talking about... it is STINKY, but I realize that this really contributes to that depth of flavor I was looking for!


In a large stockpot, I started with some minced garlic and about a tablespoon of the sae-woo jut.


I then added 1/4 cup of gochu garu (Korean red pepper flakes)... you can add more or less based on your ability to handle spice. I would say 1/4 cups equates to about 4 "chilis" (out of five) on the hotness scale.


After letting that cook for a few minutes, allowing all the oils to come out, I added the fishy stock I made (after taking out the mushrooms). You can add more water if it does not look like enough, but be aware that the tofu releases some water.


Then, I added some silken tofu. It is important that you use the correct kind of tofu for this dish! Sometimes, it comes in tubes, but the kind I got came in a big tub.


The tub contained 6 squares; I used just 5. Don't ask me why, it just felt right.


After breaking up the tofu with a wooden spoon, I let this simmer for a few minutes. Then I added about 2 cups of mixed frozen seafood. I used the kind from Trader Joe's, which contains shrimp, scallops, and squid. Yummmy! If you have clams, you can add those too.


I let this come to a boil, then simmered it for probably at least 30 minutes. I figured, the longer I let it simmer, the better it will taste! I also added the mushrooms back in (from the fishy stock).


At the end, I added about 3-4 scallions, chopped into 2" pieces, and let it simmer for a bit longer.


Then, it was ready to serve! With a bowl of fresh sticky Korean rice, this is the perfect meal for me. I made quite a bit of soup; it lasted me for days! But I was very very very happy to be eating this everyday. This time around, this dish actually had DEPTH of flavor! A deep, rich seafoody flavor that I was looking for. My tongue approved, my belly approved, my mind approved, and I was comforted in a way that only good Korean food can comfort me. Ahh, bliss.


Soon Doo Boo Jigae
serves maybe 4-6 people

Ingredients:

For the stock:
5 cups water
about 8 shitake mushrooms, quartered
15 dried anchovies

For the stew:
vegetable oil
5-6 minced cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp sae-woo jut (salted shrimp)
1/4 cup gochu garu (Korean red chili powder)
5 cups of stock
5 cubes of silken tofu
2 cups of frozen assorted seafood (shrimp, scallops, squid)
3-4 scallions, chopped into 2" pieces

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients for the stock in a pot. Allow to come to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes, or until you are ready to use it.
2. In a large stockpot, add some vegetable oil. Add the garlic and sae-woo jut. Cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the gochu garu. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Remove the mushrooms from the stock. Add the stock to the pot.
5. Add the tofu, and break it up with a wooden spoon.
6. Add the seafood.
7. Allow to come to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.
8. Add the mushrooms. Add the scallions. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes.
9. Serve with fresh sticky Korean rice, and ENJOY!

Pasta, Tuscan Style!

Ahhh... tis good to be back in the blogosphere, and it's VERY good to have my computer back! I actually made this dish a few weeks ago, and the photos were stuck on my camera until tonight! I rarely make pasta at home, but for some reason, I was crrrraaving it! But, I did try to make it healthi-ER than regular pasta, so I used whole-wheat penne in lieu of plain old pasta. The only not-quite-healthy part is the turkey sausage, but hey, a little dark meat ain't gonna kill you!


I started with one Italian turkey sausage and took the meat out of the casing, and crumbled it up into a pan, along with several minced cloves of garlic.


I added some chopped fresh kale (superfood!)...


...and let it cook down. I am always surprised how much kale cooks down! It always looks like it's going to be too much, but boy, it wilts like crazy.


I added about 1 cup of chopped San Marzano tomatoes...


...as well as about 1 cup of canned cannellini beans.


In the meantime, I cooked up about 6 dry ounces of whole-wheat penne pasta, and added it to the pan when it was cooked and drained. Of course, I had to shower the pasta in freshly grated parm-reg cheese (MY FAAVE), and let it melt all over the pasta.

Oooh it was so simple, yet so tasty! The sausage added just the right amount of fat (i.e. flavaaah!), the white beans added lovely texture (and extra protein/fiber), and the kale provided a nutritional component and color. A perfect weeknight meal that takes just moments to come together!



Tuscan-style Pasta

Ingredients:
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 fresh Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/2 to 3/4 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
1 cup canned San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 cup canned cannellini beans
S&P
6oz whole-wheat penne pasta, cooked and drained
freshly grated parm-reg cheese

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a pan, and add the garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes aromatic.
2. Add the de-cased sausage, break into pieces with wooden spoon, and cook until cooked through.
3. Add the kale, let it cook down.
4. Add tomatoes and beans, stir stir stir.
5. Add cooked pasta, season with S&P, stir stir stir.
6. Grate fresh cheese on top, stir stir stir, ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Chicken & Spaghetti... with a healthy fun twist!

Generally speaking, I attempt to eat healthy (i.e. lean meats, low carbs, high fiber), but sometimes I just want a big bowl of pasta! When my guilt does not allow me to fulfill that craving, I turn to wonderfully creative recipes like this one. Meseidy from The Noshery has this really cool recipe for Chicken Parmagiana with Zucchini Noodles. Does that sound cool or what?!

I started with the chicken breasts, which I pounded out to about 1" thick, and soaked them in some lowfat buttermilk. Thick and creamy, yum.


Meseidy says to soak them for 5 minutes. I ended up leaving them in the fridge for a few hours (eek!). Turned out okay! I put 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs on a dish, along with S&P, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning.


I coated each piece of chicken on both sides with the breadcrumb mixture, and placed them in a baking dish I sprayed with cooking spray. You can see I ended up with two big breasts, and a couple small nuggets. Don't ask me how I ended up with the little guys.


I threw them in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through. While those were baking, I washed my zucchinis and squash. Look at them, lined up and ready to go!


I used a zester to make the "noodles". I cut each zucchini length-wise, then used the zester to make strips of zucchini. You'll see it gets more difficult to do this as you get closer to the core, since it is softer at the core. When you get to this point, move on to the next zucchini. Meseidy says to discard the cores; I sliced them up and kept them in the fridge for a little stir fry next time!


I ended up using 5 of the zucchinis, and the 1 yellow squash, to end up with about 2 cups total.


I then sliced a shallot, and minced 4 cloves of garlic.


I also prepared my vine-ripened tomato and roasted red peppers by dicing them.


I cooked the shallot and garlic in a hot pan with olive oil, until they were translucent.


I added 1/4 cup tomato sauce, and some freshly chopped basil.


Then I added the diced tomato and red pepper.


It is coming together! I let this simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.


Time for the noodles! I added these to the tomato sauce.


And mixed it all around to coat the zucchini. I let it cook for just a few minutes, because I did not want the zucchini to get mushy.


As the chicken was reaching completion, I pulled out the dish and put some shredded mozzarella on top. Then I turned on the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.


Once the chicken was done, a delicious meal was ready for me to enjoy!! I am very very very pleased with this dish, for many reasons -- its creativity, nutrition, and taste. Who would think of making noodles out of zucchini? The noodles ended up being perfectly cooked, not too crunchy, not too soggy, and added such a lovely flavor to the dish. The tomato sauce is subtle and light, and the shallot and garlic add the perfect amount of flavor. I highly recommend you try this one out! It is a lot of fun, and a guilt-free way to enjoy pasta!



Chicken Parmagiana with Zucchini Noodles
from The Noshery
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
S&P
1 tsp Italian seasoning
6 small zucchinis
1 large yellow squash
1 shallot
4 garlic cloves
1 vine-ripened tomato
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 shredded mozzarella
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in a large ziptop bag. Pound out breasts with a heavy object until they are about 1" thick.
2. Fill a shallow pan with buttermilk. Place chicken breasts in buttermilk, ensuring they are completely coated. Let soak for at least 5 min.
3. Fill another shallow pan with panko breadcrumbs, and add S&P and Italian seasoning. Combine.
4. Transfer chicken to breadcrumbs, coat on both sides.
5. Transfer chicken to a greased baking sheet/dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through.
6. Cut each zucchini/squash in half lengthwise. Using a zester, run it down the length of the zucchini, until you reach the core. You should end up with about 2 cups. (Slice up the cores and save them for a stir fry!)
7. Thinly slice the shallot, and mince the garlic. Dice the tomato and roasted red pepper.
8. Heat olive oil in large pan. Add shallot and garlic. Saute until translucent.
9. Add 1/4 cup tomato sauce, and half the basil. Cook at medium heat for 2 minutes. Add tomato and roasted red pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
10. Add the zucchini noodles. Toss with the sauce, and saute at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Try not to overcook the noodles.
11. When the chicken is just about done, pull out the dish and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Turn on the broiler, and allow top to brown.
12. Serve the chicken over the zucchini noodles, and garnish with fresh basil. ENJOY!

My Dream Job: Spokesperson for FiberOne

First, I'd like to say "Thanks" to all of you for your support! Even with my sporadic postings, you are all so kind to encourage me nonetheless. My job is going well, I havn't killed anyone (yet!). I realized the key to being a new nurse is to ACT like I know what I'm doing. Confidence is 50% of success. I just made that up right now.

Anyway! Today, I am reviewing a lovely product that my friend, Emily, introduced me to. Emily, like me, deeply appreciates a nice healthy dose of fiber. I am constantly amazed at all the new products that FiberOne is coming out with -- yogurt, poptarts, muffin mix. And I just recently tried their pancake mix, which I was so excited about!! (If anyone from FiberOne is reading this, please feel free to send me products to sample and review! Just kidding! Okay not really kidding.)


One of my dilemmas when I go out for brunch is that sometimes I want something sweet (pancakes, waffles), but these often don't contain anything nutritious -- no fiber, no protein. So I usually opt for eggs and whole wheat toast. But now with this pancake mix, I can get fiber and protein, all in a fluffy pancake!


I decided to make my pancakes in two varieties -- blueberries (frozen) and chocolate chip. YUM!


The mix is super easy to use, just add water! Here they are, cooking away on the skillet:


And here they are, all flipped over and almost ready to eat!


I drizzled some light syrup all over (I wish I could use real maple syrup but I'm poor)... yuumm...


Overall, I am quite pleased with this pancake mix. First, it is extremely easy to use. We all complain that we don't have time for breakfast, other than a bowl of (high-fiber) cereal, but with this easy mix, breakfast comes together in minutes. Second, the pancakes are pretty damn fluffy! Okay, they're not nearly as fluffy as "real" pancakes, but they certainly are not cardboardy and tough. Third, they taste good!! They are buttery and tasty, and I just can't believe there are 5 grams of fiber per serving.


I recommend FiberOne Pancake Mix for its simplicity, taste, and of course, nutritional value. Maybe not the lowest-calorie breakfast option, but certainly they can replace your usual weekend pancake breakfast and provide you and your family with some extra nutrition (and they won't even know it!). Go Fiber!

Korean steamed egg!

Where have I been?!?! Absent from blogging, that's for sure. But I've been keeping up with all of YOUR lovely blogs, and am consistently impressed with the quality of your recipes and photos. I've also been busy with school, and I just started a part-time RN job, which is SCAAARRYY because of the realization that I am responsible for these people. Scary, indeed.

Anyway! I've been yearning for some good ol' Korean home cooking, which I am generally unable to accomplish. But, I've been following this lovely new Korean food blog, eat your bap (bap is the Korean word for rice), which has inspired me immensely to make some simple Korean dishes. This one is basically a steamed egg dish, with just a few simple ingredients, and it comes together in literally minutes!

So, I made a few adjustments to the recipe, based on what I had in the fridge. That is kind of the beauty of a dish like this, you can use whatever you have around! I used some chopped zucchini, scallion, and some chopped Chinese broccoli that I had already sauteed in garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey.


The recipe calls for 4 eggs... I decided to use two eggs, and two egg whites, but when I got to the third egg, the darn yolk would not separate from the white! So I ended up with three eggs, and one egg white, and cracked them directly into a ceramic pot (you can use any pot, I am sure, but this is the Korean way!).


I whisked these up with some water.


I put the pot on the stove, and dumped in the veges, along with some salt and pepper. If I had some saewoo juht (salty shrimp paste), I would have used that because it adds a deep salty flavor, more so than salt.


Lid on! Heat on high! 4 minutes!


Turn down the heat to low! 5 more minutes! And when you open it up... voila! Soft light yellow curds of egg with chunks of green veges, steamed in its own liquid. Lovely! Mine turned out kind of watery, but was still delicious. I served mine with some fresh white Korean rice, and of course, KIMCHI! This dish is basically a steamed omelette with veges, and totally customizable. Go for it, get creative, and enjoy!




Korean Steamed Egg
from eat your bap

Ingredients:
4 large eggs (or 2 eggs, 2 egg whites)
1 cup water
1/2 cup scallions, chopped (I used about 4)
1/4 zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup Chinese broccoli, chopped and sauteed
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Crack eggs in ceramic pot, or other pot.
2. Add water, whisk lightly.
3. Put pot on stove, add veges and lightly mix.
4. Cook on high for 4 minutes, covered.
5. Turn the heat to low, cook an additional 5 minutes.
6. Serve with white rice and kimchi, and enjoy!