Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash ( about 2 lbs)
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
5 cups chicken broth
freshly ground nutmeg
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
sour cream

1. Peel and removed seeds from butternut squash. Cut into 1 inch chunks.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan and add onions. Cook until translucent.
3. Add butternut squash and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
4. Cook until butternut squash is tender.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer butternut squash to a food processor or blender. Add about a ladle full of broth and puree. Add broth a little bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Transfer to a bowl and top with a dollop of sour cream, freshly grated nutmeg and freshly ground black pepper.
8. Serve with garlic bread.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken breast
3/4 cup Mayonnaise ( you can add more if you want)
1 1/2 Tbsp Pickle Relish
1 to 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, quartered
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds

1. Boil chicken breast until tender. Let it cool then shred thinly
2. Add mayonnaise, pickle relish, sugar, grapes and almond to the chicken.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Served on lightly toasted bread or on top of crackers.

Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
Avocado
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
a pinch of sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
thinly sliced almonds

1. Slice Avocado thinly and then spread like a fan.
2. mix olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Make sure sugar and salt is dissolved well.
3. sprinkle almonds on top of avocado
4. spoon the dressing over avocado and almond

Kongnamul Booguh Gook (Soybean Sprout & Pollack Soup)

Ingr:

1 cup Booguh ( dried pollack)
2 cups kongnamul ( soybean sprouts)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
7 cups water
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves galic, minced
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced into 2 inch length
2 Tbsp ganjang ( korean soy sauce)
salt to taste

1. soak pollack in water for about 10-15 minutes . remove from water , set aside. save the water.

2. heat sesame oil in a pan and saute pollack for about a minute.

3. Add water ( used in soaking pollack) and bring to a boil.

4. Add onion, soybean sprouts and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 15- 20 minutes.

5. Add soy sauce, green onion, jalapeno and salt to taste. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Nilagang Baka ( Beef Stew with veggies)

** my version of nilagang baka.

Ingr:

2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into big chunks
4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into same size as beef
4 or 5 pechay ( bokchoy)
1 small head of cabbage, quartered
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dashida ***
2 corn, cut into 2 inch
salt and pepper to taste
2 korean chili peppers or jalapeno pepper




1. Put beef in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes then drain and rinse in cold water to get rid of scum and blood.

2. Heat some oil in a clean pan. Saute onions and garlic until transparent then add beef and saute for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add water, dashida, fish sauceand simmer until beef is tender over medium to medium low heat.

4. Add corn , cook until tender. Add potatoes and continue to simmer until cooked.

5. Add cabbage the bokchoy and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes until veggies are done. Do not overcook .

6. Add whole korean chili pepper then salt and pepper to taste.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

*** dashida is a granulated Korean beef stock. It is optional but for me, it makes the stock a lot richer.

Citrus Punch

1 grapefruit
1 orange
1/2 of a lemon

1. Squeeze juice from the fruits using a citrus juicer.
2. Mix the juices well.
3. Pour in a glass filled with ice, garnish with lemon.

Crab Rangoon

Ingr:

1 pkg ( 14 oz) wonton wrapper
8 oz. cream cheese ( softened)
6 0z canned crabs, drained and flaked**
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp chives, finely chopped***

1. Combine softened cream cheese, crabs, garlic powder, chives, and paprika. Mix well.
2. take about 1 tsp of the filling and place on wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper and seal well.

refer to the picture on how to wrap the Crab Rangoon:








3. Heat oil in a pan over medium low heat and fry a few crab rangoon until golden brown. Make sure you keep a close eye because it will only take a few minutes to fry them.

Alternative to frying:

You can bake these instead of frying them. To bake, preheat oven and set the temp to 350 degrees Fahrenheit . Arrange the crab rangoon in a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges turn brown and crisp.

5. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

** If you are allergic to crabs like me, you can use imitation crabs instead

*** you can substitute chives with sfinely chopped scallions.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

Ingr:

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp catsup
1 inch ginger, juliened
1 jalapeno pepper, optional
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water

1. Combine cornstarch with cold water and mix thoroughly. set aside.

2. In a separate saucepan, mix vinegar, water, sugar, catsup and ginger and let it boil on medium heat.

3. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to low and add cornstarch mixture 1 tsp at a time until the desired consistency ( about the consistency of a pancake batter) is achieved.

NOTE: If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out.

4. Remove from heat and add jalapeno pepper if desired. The jalapeno gives it a nice kick

Baked Tahong ( Baked Mussel)

Ingr:

2 lbs frozen tahong ( mussel) in half shell
1/2 cup butter, softened
4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano ( Parmesan cheese), grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs ( plain )
1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1. Thaw mussel in the refrigerator then discard the juice.

2. 3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Combine softened butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl.

*** If you want, you can saute the garlic lightly before mixing it with butter and parsley

4. Brush butter-garlic mixture on each mussel, top with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

5. Arrange in a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

*** do not overcook because it will turn dry.

6. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

Japanese Style Deep Fried Shrimp

Ingr:

Shrimp, preferably jumbo size, shelled and deveined
all Purpose flour or cornstrarch, if you prefer
Panko bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste, added to the flour or corn starch

Sauce:

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp catsup
1 inch ginger, juliened
1 jalapeno pepper, optional
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water




1. Rinse shrimp and pat dry.
2. create an assembly line for your shrimp ( one bowl with flour mixed with salt and pepper , another with the beaten egg and last bowl with the panko bread crumbs)
3. COat the shrimp with flour then dip in egg and lastly coat with Panko. Do this one shrimp at a time.

TIP: I use bamboo skewer to dip the shrimp on the flour, egg and panko...less messy that way.

4. heat oil in a deep fryer or pan. Set the heat to medium low to low so as not to burn your battered shrimp. Fry until light golden brown then tansfer to a paper towel lined dish to drain excess oil.

TIP: If you are making a large batch, line your plate with Saran plastic wrap then assemble the battered shrip in such a way that they are not touching one another. when you run out of space, place another layer of saran wrap on top and put another battered shrimp layer . when you're done, place in the freezer for 2 or more hours to let the battered shrimp harden then you can transfer them to a ziplock bag. Following this method will help prevent your battered shrimps from clumping together.

5. Combine cornstarch with cold water and mix thoroughly. set aside.

6. In a separate saucepan, mix vinegar, water, sugar, catsup and ginger and let it boil on medium heat.

7. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to low and add cornstarch mixture 1 tsp at a time until the desired consistency ( about the consistency of a pancake batter) is achieved.

NOTE: If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a litte bit of water to thin it out.

8. Remove from heat and add jalapeno pepper if desired. The jalapeno gives it a nice kick

9. Serve with deep fried shrimp.

Steamed Tilapia

Ingr:

1 ( approx. 2 lbs) whole tilapia
***preferably fresh ( live), have the fishmonger clean it and remove the scales

1 scallion, julienned ( use only the green part)
1 - 2 inch ginger, julienned
salt to taste
handful of cilantro, stems removed
knorr liquid seasoning
2 Tbsp vegetable oil





1. rinse fish and then pat dry. Sprinkle salt on both sides.

2. Arrange fish in the steamer, lining it aluminum foil if you like.

3. Arrange half of the ginger and scallions on top and inside the cavity of the fish

4. Steam for about 20 minutes then remove from steamer and place on a platter.

5. Arrange the rest of the ginger, scallions and cilantro on top of the fish.

6. place oil in a pan and heat on high until it start to slightly smoke.

7. Spoon the oil over fish. Be careful not to burn yourself from splatters. The hot oil will welt the cilantro.

8. Add a few dash of knorr liquid seasoning and serve immediately.


***Note: this is a dish that my late husband used to cook for me all the time. Miss him so much when I made this dish on my own :(

*** this is a very simple but flavorful dish... the cilantro gives this dish a nice flavor and aroma.

Kalbi Jjim ( Braised Short Ribs)

Ingr:

2 lbs beef short ribs, thick cuts
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Mirin ( sweet seasoning)
3 Tbsp Kamjang ( korean soy sauce)
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small daikon ( radish), peeled and sliced
4 shitake mushroom, sliced
handful of chestnuts, peeled
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp corn syrup
pepper to taste





1. Put beef short ribs in a pot with water and boil for 5-10 minutes. Drain . Rinse short ribs in cold water to get rid of the scums and blood.

2. Put the beef short ribs in a clean pot . Add 2 cups of water, onion, garlic, sugar, kamjang, mirin, corn syrup, sesame oil and pepper. Boil over medium heat until beef is slightly tender.

3. Add carrots, daikon, mushroom, chestnuts then turn the heat donw to low . Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

*** stir the mixture several times while cooking to make sure that the meat is coated with he sauce

4. remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish and serve.

*** make sure to cut the vegetable to about the same size to cook them evenly.

Kalbi Tang ( Beef Short Ribs Soup)

Ingr:

1 1/2 lb. thick beef short ribs, thick slices
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Dashida ( granulated korean beef stock)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp kamjang ( korean soy sauce)
3 scallion, finely chopped
1 medium daikon ( radish), peeled and sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds
Dang Myun ( sweet Potato starch noodle) , optional





1. Rinse beef short ribs and put in a pot with water. Parboil for 10 minutes then drain and rinse in cold , running water

*** this is to get rid of the scum and blood
*** you may repeat the same process for a couple more times until you get rid of all the scum and blood

2. Return the ribs to the pot and add water. Add dashida, garlic ,a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil over medium heat for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Occassionally skim off fat that forms on the surface.

3. Add the radish to the pot and boil some more until radish is tender.

4. Add scallions, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Add more salt according to your taste. You may add Dang Myun ( Sweet Potato Starch noodle) if you want. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with eggs and scallions

*** If you want , you can refrigerate this dish after cooling and serve the following day.
*** after refrigerating, the fat congeals at the surface which makes it easier to remove and discard... then you can reheat your soup and serve.
*** If you are planning to serve your soup the next day, I'd skip adding the Dang Myun until you reheat the soup.

Godenguh Gui ( Broiled Mackerel)

whole mackerel, head and tail removed
salt

1. Heat broiler

2. salt fish on both sides and let it stand for 5-10 minutes then rinse the salt off.

3. Pat dry using paper towel and place on greased foil.

4. broil until done ( about 3 minutes on each side)

Algamja JoRim ( Baby Potatoes Braised in Soysauce)

Ingr:

1 Lb baby potatoes
4 Tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup Korean soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sesame seeds


1. Clean the baby potatoes well, scrub dirt off the skin.

3. In a small bowl mix corn syrup, soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. mix well and set aside.

3. Place the potatoes in a large pot and put just enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil over medium high heat .

4. When the water has been reduced to half, lower the heat to medium and add the soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking until the potatoes are done and sauce has thickened.

5. remove from heat and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Kalbi ( Grilled Beef Short Ribs)

Ingr:

2 lbs sliced beef short ribs
1 cup korean soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 korean pear, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped

1. In a food processor, puree onion and Korean pear. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well.

3. Marinate meat overnight.

4. Grill meat until done.

*** serve with rice and kimchi

Jjampong ( Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)

Ingr:

Soup Stock:

10 dried anchovies ( guts removed)
1/4 cup dried shitake mushroom
1/2 sheet dried kelp
1 small onion, sliced

50 grms pork, thinly sliced
5-6 shrimps, shelled
5-6 mussels
squid, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch size ginger, minced
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp Kanari ( korean fish sauce)
1/2 tsp kochukaru ( korean pepper flakes)
1 tsp vegetable oil
ground black pepper to taste
3 scallions , sliced about 3 inches in length
1 small carrot, julienned
button mushroom
shitake mushroom
enoki mushroom
5 pieces napa cabbage, sliced










1. In a pan, combine 8 cups water, anchovies, kelp, dried shitake mushroom and onion. Bring to a boil on medium low heat for about 20-30 minutes. then set aside.

2. Mix Kochukaru and 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small bowl and set aside.

3. In another pan, bring water to boil and add noodle. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until noodle is done **. Then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

** noodle should have chewy texture

4. Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic and ginger until light brown.

5. Add pork strips and cook until pork is slightly cooked.

6. Add veggies ( except enoki mushroom) and stir fry for a few minutes.

7. Add kochukaru mixture and seafood. mix well.

8. Add soup stock ( Make sure you strain it to remove kelp, anchovies, etc) and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

9. add kanari, oyster sauce and ground black pepper ( to taste) Add Enoki mushroom just before removing from heat

10. Put noodle in a large bowl and add soup mixture. Serve.

*** you can add as much or as little kochukaru as you want depending on how spicy you want it to be.

Donkatsu ( Breaded Pork Chop)

Ingr:

4 boneless pork chops
flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
panko ( japanese breadcrumbs)
oil for frying

1. pound pork chops using a rolling pin into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thickness

2. add salt and pepper to flour and mix well.

3. dredge each pork chops in flour, coat well.

4. then dip it in egg and then cover with panko .

5. heat oil in a pan over medium heat. fry each breaded pork chop until golden brown. Keep an eye to make sure it doesn't burn.

6. transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.

7. serve with donkatsu sauce ( I use store bought donkatsu sauce) . Serve with shredded cabbage and rice.

*** Donkatsu is originally a Japanese dish but is popular in Korea.

Tang Soo Yook ( Korean Sweet and Sour Pork)

ingredients:

1 lb pork rib eye or loins, cut into 2 inch strips


batter :

1 Tbsp rice wine
1 Tbsp Kamjang ( korean soy sauce)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp oil

sauce:

your choice of veggies ( mushroom, napa cabbage, onions, pineapple)
1/4 cup Korean soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp water




1. COmbine pork with ingredients for batter. Mix well.





2. Heat oil in pan over medium heat.

3. fry batter pork pieces, making sure they are not touching each other in the pan. Fry until light golden brown. Keep an eye to make sure they don't burn.

4. when done, take out from the pan and place on a paper towel lined dish. Don't discard the oil since you will be using that again to re-fry the pork pieces.





5. Heat oil in a separate pan. Stir fry veggies( except pineapple) . stir fry for about 2-3 minutes.

6. Add pineapple and stir fry for another 2 minutes.

7. Combine all ingrdients for the sauce in a cup and add to the veggie mixtures. Bring to a boil.

8. Combine cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water in a bowl and mix well.

9. Add cornstarch mixture to the pan , mix and cook until it thickens. then remove from heat.

10 . Re-fry pork 2 to 3 times to make it crispy. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish. Top with the sauce.

Jajangmyun ( noodles with black bean sauce)

Ingredients:

noodles
1/4 lb. lean pork, cubed
1/2 cup onions, cubed
1/2 cup zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup potato, cubed
1/2 cup carrots, cubed
3-4 Tbsp chunjang ( Black Bean Paste)
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp sugar
vegetable oil
1 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped






1. In a pan, saute pork with garlic until pork is slightly done.

2. add carrots and potato . Sitr fry for about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add onions and zucchini and stir fry for about 3 minutes.

4. add black bean paste, water and sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil.

5. check and make sure your veggies and pork is cooked. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Add this to your pan of veggies and cook until the sauce thickens.

6. Boil water in a pot then add noodles. Boil for about 3-4 minutes or until the noodle is done.

7. drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a bowl and top with sauce.

8. Mix everything together and enjoy. This dish is usually served with Dan moo ji ( picked radish.