Korean BBQ Short Ribs - LA Galbi

LA short rib is  one of my family's favorite Korean BBQ. It is sweet, tender and addictive. It is a popular party food that is made on birthdays and holidays.  Also, it has an interesting story. It's said that this dish originated in Los Angeles. Korean immigrants in Los Angeles started using thinly sliced short ribs for Korean BBQ.  Today LA Galbi is widely enjoy by Koreans in Korea as well.
Also, if I am ever lucky enough to have any leftovers, I make great tacos the next day. I take a warmed tortilla, put the LA galbi, chopped lettuce, avocado, sliced tomatoes and yogurt... it's absolutely delicious!
Here is my secret tip! -Use a kiwi in the marinade. Kiwi tenderizes the meat more than pear and pineapple.
Let's get started!

Ingredients
5 lb                                       LA galbi, beef short rib

LA galbi sauce
1 C + 2/3 C                          soy sauce
1 C + 2/3 C                          water
3/4 C                                    sugar
1 C                                       white wine
1 C                                       chopped green onions
1/3 C                                    sesame oil
1 T                                        minced ginger
1/2 C                                    minced garlic
one half                                kiwi, minced
1 t                                         pepper

Directions
Rinse the ribs to wash off bone dust.
Soak the LA Galbi cut short ribs in a cold water and remove blood for 2 hours or more- change water several times.
Drain the ribs and pat dry.
Put meat in a container.
Mix galbi sauce well and pour over the meat and marinate for 2 hours or more (over night is recommended).
Preheat the grill pan over medium high heat. 
Grill the short ribs, each side 2-3 minutes.

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Pickled Sesame Leaves

This summer my garden has been growing like crazy. This year I planted a few Korean vegetables in pots on my deck. Sesame leaves are one of those. Pickled vegetables are easy side dishes. They last for a long time in the refrigerator. So, it's one of the worry - free side dishes.
In Korean cuisine, there are many kinds of pickles, among which sesame leaf pickle is popular. Pickled sesame leaves are good to have with Korean bbq. Put some rice and bbq on a leaf and roll like a cigar. It will be the most delicious thing you ever tasted in your life!

Ingredients
60 pieces                             sesame leaves

Pickle sauce
1/2 C                                     soy sauce
1/4 C                                     fish sauce
4 packets                             truvia
1/2 C                                    Japanese apricot concentrate
2-3                                        dried hot peppers
1 T                                        dried mushroom powder
2/3 C                                     vinegar

Directions
Put all sauce ingredients except vinegar in a pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the sauce starts to boil reduce the heat a little and simmer for 5 minutes.
Set aside and add vinegar and cool.
Rinse sesame leaves under running water then pat them dry.
Put the sesame leaves in a container in a zigzag pattern.
Pour enough chilled pickle sauce over the sesame leaves to cover them.
Age at room temperature for 3 days then put in refrigerator. Enjoy.


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Korean Chicken Stew with Ginseng - Samgyetang

Samgyetang is the Korean name for chicken ginseng soup. It is an energizing soup in Korea. So, it's traditionally served during summer. Because it is believed to be a health food that revitalizes the body and boosts the immune system. For this reason, it is a popular summer food in Korea. Especially, ginseng warms your body from inside out as well as chicken. Usually in summer time our outer body is hot, so our inner body is busy trying to cool the body down - because our body always tries to balance. Of course, as soon as we eat cold food, our body will cool, but soon it gets hot again. So cold food makes our body even hotter. For this reason, traditionally old ancestors have eaten warm and hot food during summer time in Korea. So, it is a tradition to eat Samgetang 3 times during the summer.

This is not a traditional Samgetang recipe. I just changed my style.

Ingredients

5 T                                    corn starch

5 T                                    perilla powder

1 T                                    peanut powder

2 lb                                    chicken drum sticks

1 - 2  5 inch pieces         ginseng
2 inch piece                     ginger, peeled

5 - 6 cloves                      garlic

3                                       green onions

1/2 C                                sliced green onion

Directions

Remove skin from chicken and clean.

Put the chicken in a pressure cooker and add water to cover about 2/3 of the chicken.

Add ginger, ginseng, garlic and green onions and boil on high heat for 10 minutes.

Reduce to medium heat and boil for 10 minutes.

Mix together peanut powder, perilla powder and corn starch.

Put 1 cup of the powder and 1 cup of water into a pot.

After the Samgyetang has boiled for 20 minutes take out 2 cups of chicken broth and add it to the powder mix and water.

Boil mixture over low heat to slightly thicken.

Add chicken to the pot.

Boil for 30 seconds over high heat.
Garnish soup with sliced green onions.

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Stuffed Zucchini Boats

The weather is getting hotter, and you know what that means... we are about to be faced with an abundance of inexpensive, low calorie and nutrient packed zucchini. This zucchini boat recipe is one of my favorites. I love it because it is super simple but tastes like you spent hours on it. It's also an easy dish to multiply and serve to a crowd.  It is healthy, so adults like it and looks like a boat, so children like it.
These zucchini boats are for low-carb lovers and just about anyone else.  And I had to use chicken instead of beef  because that was all I had.

Ingredients
2-3                                  zucchini
1/2 lb                              ground chicken
1/2 C                              minced onion
1 T                                  minced garlic
1 t                                   basil powder
1 t                                   oregano powder
1/2 t                                garlic powder
1/2 t                                onion powder
2/3 C                               tomato sauce
1 C                                  parmesan cheese (you can use mozzarella cheese)
1/2 C                               chopped bell pepper
1 T                                   olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then scoop the insides out and set aside. Pat dry the zucchini shells.

Bake them with the shell down for 10 minutes.

Saute chicken, onion, garlic and zucchini filling with herb powders in olive oil.

Add tomato sauce and boil for 5 minutes. 
Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and fill the zucchini shells with chicken filling and top with bell pepper and cheese and bake for 7-8 minutes.

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Korean Spicy Cold Chewy Noodles - Jjolmyeon 쫄면

 I made a popular Korean noodle dish, Jjolmyeon last weekend. This is one of my favorite dishes to order at Korean restaurants when I was in high school. So it's one of the memories of my school days. Jjolmyeon is Korean dish of cold, spicy noodles. The noodles are very chewy and spicy - chewy, bouncy textured noodles and crunchy and refreshing vegetables are perfect for me. 
In Korean the word Jjol means very chewy and myeon means noodle, in other words, Jjolmyeon means chewy noodle. It's a good texture for me because I like Korean rice cake.
If you want  a fantastic and refreshing weekend lunch like me, start making this Korean chewy noodle dish.
Let's get started!

Ingredients (for 2 people)

Sauce
4                                           mini cucumber
1/5                                        orange, cleaned, not peeled
1/8                                        onion, cleaned
1 clove                                 garlic
4-5 T                                    Korean hot pepper paste
1 1/2 pack                            truvia
2 T                                        apple cider vinegar
1 t                                         sesame seed

Garnish
1                                            mini cucumber, cleaned and julienned 
1/6                                         green  cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 C                                         Korean  bean sprout, cleaned
sesame and perilla oil to taste

2 pack                                    Korean chewy noodle, Jjolmyeon noodle

Directions
Mix cucumbers to a pulp in a food processor. Put in a sieve to drain water.
Put into the food processor the orange, onion, garlic  and mix to a pulp. 
Add stevia, vinegar, Korean hot pepper paste and the orange mixture to the drained cucumber.
Prepare the noodles. Blanch the bean sprouts.
Refresh the noodles and bean sprouts in cold water - cold water makes them  more chewy and crunchy.
Pour cucumber mixture over the cooked noodles and top with garnish.  
Drizzle with sesame and perilla oils and sesame seeds to taste.

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