Korean Tacos

Tacos are awesome. They are one of those great foods that are totally open to interpretation and experimentation. Like burgers, it is so much fun to try them in new and interesting ways with different toppings and flavors. And I love different flavor combinations! It is particularly enjoyable when it’s a flavor that you aren’t expecting from a certain dish.

When I say to my sister, “we’re having tacos this week” she makes this face. It’s the face of every child who isn’t thrilled about what mom put on their plate or packed them for lunch... only she’s 18. For some reason, she has a problem with traditional smoky seasoned ground beef tacos. (But she loves ordering a Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell – literally Rachel, it’s the same thing in a different shape with more carbs. Once I made the closest thing to a Crunchwrap Supreme that I can at home just to get her to eat regular taco meat. I love you, Rach but C’MON!)

What she really does love though, are tacos with fruity salsas on top and a couple excellent fish taco recipes I have saved from Cooking Light. I’ll get around to sharing those someday, don’t worry. But this time we tried something that took the taco out of the realm of Mexican and into the Korean kingdom. (I like alliteration). :D Most excellent.

I found this recipe in an issue of Eating Well. I’m constantly searching for magazine recipes and then saving them in binders so we have lots of options for meal planning. This one was for Korean Steak and Mushroom Tacos with Kimchi. You can find the magazine recipe here. I made a few minor adjustments which included making my own fast kimchi since my grocery store doesn’t sell it prepared.

Kimchi is like a Korean version of sauerkraut or coleslaw. It is very versatile and can be eaten as a side dish or as a topping for various sandwiches. Caution: you will have to enjoy a zing in the back of your throat because while it’s certainly cool from being chilled, the heat of the spices is sure to turn you into a fire-breathing dragon. (I happen to like that.) After looking up various recipes, and realizing that most called for allowing the kimchi to sit in the fridge for days, I pulled together the basics to create my own quick and easy kimchi with what I already had at hand.

Renée’s Kimchi

4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (Savoy or Napa – I used what we had on hand).

½ cup chopped scallions

2 tbsps rice wine vinegar

1 heaping tbsp Sriracha

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. This will keep in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Korean Steak and Mushroom Tacos with Kimchi  

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mirin or Sake with a small amount of sugar added

1 tablespoon Korean chile paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces (I used strip steak because our butcher doesn’t have skirt steak)

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed

1 cup prepared kimchi, drained and chopped

1 cup shredded carrot

2 scallions, chopped

8 corn tortillas, warmed

I have divided the ingredients list into sections to make it easier to process the instructions. The first section is for the sauce which I honestly suggest doubling. I felt like there wasn’t enough sauce for all of the steak and mushrooms so I just drizzled it over the finished tacos to use less of it. You may prefer to do it this way rather than mixing the steak and mushrooms into the sauce to coat.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

   

Mix all the ingredients from the first section in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer (small bubbles every few seconds) over medium heat and cook until slightly thickened for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, set aside, and cover to keep warm.

   

Grill steak 1½ - 3 minutes per side for medium if you used skirt steak. If you’re like me and can’t find skirt steak, adjust your cooking time to be slightly longer. You can also use flank steak for this recipe (we don’t because my father finds it too chewy, what a baby). Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Grill mushroom caps until soft and charred around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Thinly slice the steak across the grain. Slice the mushrooms. Add the steak and mushrooms to the sauce and stir to combine OR drizzle sauce over tacos once put together.

   

To assemble tacos, warm or toast your tortillas then divide the steak and mushrooms among them. Top with kimchi, carrot and scallions.

The sauce is really what MAKES this dish. Its sweet but its spicy too and the soy sauce gives it that umami punch. I really loved the sauce. Next time I make this, I’m definitely doubling the sauce, maybe tripling…or quadrupling. It’s just that delicious. :) 

Of Life and Lemons

Life has been giving me lots of lemons this past week. Despite having Monday off and spending it with people I love eating burgers and ice cream then failing miserably at mini golf as per usual, my first day back to the grind wasn’t pleasant. My attire was for a much sunnier disposition but so many things went wrong during my geology lab (which involved math) and then one issue after the next at work, and car problems combined with sheer exhaustion made for one awful day. If only the evening could have been better, instead I didn’t get enough work done and fell asleep while studying for my quiz. Wednesday wasn’t much of an improvement apart from a wonderful exiting interview with my favorite professor who made me feel like a million when he said I have been a delightful student. :)

Initially I intended today’s blog update to be entirely different but considering all the lemons in my life, I decided to make something with them. Two somethings, actually. This week we have Lemon-Thyme Pasta Salad and Strawberry Lemonade!

Lemon-Thyme Pasta Salad

Please excuse the container, this is my lunch for tomorrow.

Originally, I made this recipe as a chicken salad but we happened to have some leftover penne from the previous night’s dinner. Quick decision: pasta salad instead of chicken salad. Incredibly simple and hey! it’s vegetarian too!

Ingredients:

Leftover pasta (obviously not spaghetti or linguine or stuffed pastas with the exception of tortellini – this would actually be delicious with tortellini)

Mayo

Fresh thyme or dried thyme

Lemon

Salt and pepper

You may have noticed there are no measurements. This is the kind of recipe that really depends on how much pasta you actually have and its very basic so you shouldn’t need measurements. Kind of like making tuna fish sandwiches, no one measures for that! You just know what the right amount for you is without the comfort of precise measuring tools.

Directions:

Pour pasta into a bowl, warm it up in the microwave very slightly if it’s cold, just enough so that it separates easily. Then plop, drop, dollop, or whatever your mayo onto the pasta and stir to coat. I like just enough to coat my pasta but not overwhelm it.

Squeeze lemon juice over the mixture, I used half a lemon for about 2 cups of pasta. You could use the zest as well, I clearly wasn’t thinking when I made this so I didn’t use it, but the zest would be awesome!

Add your salt and pepper to taste then add your thyme. I used fresh thyme and I really enjoy it so I used about 3 teaspoons worth. Then stir to combine and allow to sit overnight so those flavors marry.

The flavor profile of this pasta salad is very delicate and refined. It doesn’t have any vinegar so it doesn’t wallop you with that kick and note of sourness. (Which I quite enjoy in pasta salad but this is a nice change). I’ll share the original chicken salad recipe someday with you guys. :)

Strawberry Lemonade

I initially made this as an alcoholic punch/sangria! I didn’t want to be drinking alone today, so I nixed the wine I usually put in this. Best thing about it? It’s sweet and tart and if you so wish it can be fizzy too. What’s better than bubbles? They certainly help put me in a better mood…without the help of alcohol.

Ingredients:

Fresh strawberries (crucial!)

Your favorite lemonade

1 lemon (cut into slices)

Optional Sparkling lemon water (not seltzer! Poland Springs has a line of sparkling waters with flavor)

Optional Moscato

Directions:

In a blender, combine about 16 strawberries with tops cut off and your favorite lemonade. Today I used Simply Lemonade but in the past I have used Crystal Light. Hit puree! (Or just the lowest level, puree is kind of taking it to an extreme).  

After it’s blended, you can strain it if you so wish but I like the strawberry pieces in mine. Pour into a pitcher with the lemon slices and keep chilled in your refrigerator or pour into glasses and serve immediate or just drink it straight from the pitcher with an extra-long straw. Whatever makes you happy!

If you want the fizz, fill your glass halfway with the lemon water and top off with the strawberry lemonade.

If you want the alcohol, pour desired amount into your pitcher and stir. I love it this way since that’s what I did the first time and it really did make everything better ;) I know my friends loved this when I made it for them so I think there is a pretty good chance that you will love it too!

Blonde Brownies AKA Blondies

 

Even though my friends in the office will probably curse me for tempting them with baked goods AGAIN, blog day has arrived and I didn’t have time to shop. I asked myself what could I possibly make with what I already had at hand? If you’re anything like me, you may have Easter candy from that sweet-loving bunny lying around! I happen to have, not one, but TWO chocolate bunnies. Poor wabbits…they’re going into my blonde brownies!

Since I’m still not comfortable with coming up with baking recipes, I settled for adapting Toll-House’s Blonde Brownie recipe by swapping the semisweet chocolate chips for my chocolate bunnies.

You’ll be needing:

2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 ¾ c. packed brown sugar

1 ½ sticks of butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips OR 2 Lindt Chocolate Bunnies broken into small pieces

Preheat your oven to 350 and get a medium bowl and a large mixing bowl. In the medium bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. In the large mixing bowl, beat your butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Once they are completely combined (the brown sugar should look slightly darker) add your eggs one at a time.

After adding the eggs, slowly add your dry ingredients. I did this in four parts, mixing in between then add your chocolate pieces mixing until just combined.

The original recipe calls for a 15 X 10 jellyroll pan but…I don’t like thin brownies! I baked them in a 13X9 inch pan instead and I highly recommend this swap. Spread the batter evenly on the pan (this is probably the hardest part since the consistency is more like cookie dough than a chocolate brownie batter). Bake for 30 to 33 minutes. Allow to cool and then feast!

It’s a lot like a really thick and chewy chocolate chip cookie. Delicious! Especially when warm and gooey. If I had vanilla ice cream, I would certainly have put it on top. Mmmmmmmmmmm!

White Bean and Tomato Soup with Pesto

Remember when you were a kid and mom or dad would make you a grilled cheese with Campbell’s tomato soup? I don’t. You know why? Because I was a little food snob right out of the womb, according to my sources. I’ve had expensive taste for as long as I can remember and further back apparently. I didn’t want bologna or PB&J and definitely not grilled cheese. However, a few years ago I realized that grilled cheese doesn’t HAVE to be made with American cheese. (The root of all food evil). I haven’t cared for Campbell’s tomato soup (or any soup that comes from a can) either. But I must say that I was intrigued when I came across a recipe in my SELF magazine for White Bean and Tomato Soup with Pesto. Since this is one of my last days as a full time vegetarian, I decided to give it a whirl and pair it with a nontraditional grilled cheese.

Recipe comes from SELF magazine. I have made very minor changes.

INGREDIENTS

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1 large yellow onion, chopped

    4 celery stalks, chopped

    2 medium carrots, finely chopped

    3 cloves garlic, minced

    1/2 cup dry white wine

    1 qt low-sodium vegetable stock

    (2) 14-15oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

    1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

    2 bay leaves

    *2 teaspoons dried basil (I made an addition)

The original recipe includes making your own pesto but I was pressed on time so I used some prepared pesto that I bought at the grocery store not too long ago. I also made the addition of dried basil to complement the tomato flavor.

Start by chopping your ingredients first for the ease factor of just tossing them into your pot as you go. You can do a rough chop on the onion and the celery but I recommend finely dicing your carrots. Recipe instructions never seem to account for how long it really takes for your carrots to get soft. By dicing them into small (less than a ¼ inch) pieces, they won’t take quite as long as a roughly chopped carrot.

You can mince or just quarter your garlic because this all goes into a blender afterwards so it won’t matter in the long run.

Heat a large pot or dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat then toss your onions in for about 3 minutes with a touch of salt and pepper. Then add your carrots, celery, and garlic. (Onion, carrots, and celery in a soup is like the holy trinity of soup making). Stir and allow to sauté for about 5 minutes then add ½ a cup of dry white wine. (I used an Italian Soave and it smelled AH-MAZING).

Let the wine and its companions party together for about 2 minutes. They need to get to know each other. Then add your veggie stock, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves and dried basil. Bring to a boil and allow it to reduce. (And I mean REALLY reduce.) It took about a half hour despite the original instructions.

After it has reduced down so that it looks less like a soup and more like a stew, test your carrots. If they’re soft, turn off the heat. If they’re not, cover and simmer on low heat until they are.

You’ll be needing a blender now! Transfer half the soup into the blender and puree. Pour into a bowl or serving dish then puree the other half.

Pour into a single serving bowl and add a dollop of pesto. Give it a stir! You can eat this alone, like I initially did with my friend Tracy OR you can hold off and make a fast nontraditional grilled cheese to go with it.

Sundried Tomato and Basil with Mozzarella and Provolone Grilled Cheese

            Bread (preferably a good bread for toasting, like Italian bread)

            Butter

            Basil (chopped)

            Provolone

            Mozzarella

            Sundried Tomatoes (chopped)

*I used multigrain bread which isn’t so great for that crispy factor but it was still very good.

Butter your bread slices on one side (the sides that will be touching the griddle or pan).

On the sides that will cuddle with the cheese and extras, lay down a slice of provolone and a slice of mozzarella. Then sprinkle your tomatoes and basil. Cover with the other slice.

On a hot griddle or pan, press your grilled cheese to make sure you get the toasting going! Flip when the first side looks thoroughly browned and repeat with the other side.

Make sure you slice on a diagonal when it’s done. Sandwiches always taste better when they’re cut on a diagonal! (Pure nonsense but I think it looks better).

*I really enjoyed the soup it’s very tasty but I think it needs more tomato flavor. Next time, I’m going to add a bit of tomato paste to punch the tomato flavor up a bit. Tracy and I really enjoyed it though especially with the addition of grilled cheese and delicious pesto!