Kimbap - Korean Rice Roll

A bit time consuming to make, but well worth the efforts.  Koreans like to take kimbap for picnics since it's easy to pack and eat.  When I went to Korea for my brother's wedding, they took us to an adventure park called Ever Land.  My brother's wife's grandma made a whole bunch of kimbap and we had a swell time eating this on a park bench for lunch.  Nothing better than a day of riding roller coasters and eating kimbap!

Ingredients:

-2 cups of short grained rice

-10 sheets of seaweed

-400 grams of ground beef

-2 carrots, 3 eggs

-1 stick of Korean pickled radish

-Beef marinade: 7 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 tsp minced garlic

-Seasoning for rice: 2 tbsp sesame oil, 5 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 5 tbsp sesame seeds 



Leave an inch from the bottom without rice.

 Instructions:

-Marinade the ground beef with ingredients mentioned above for 1/2 hour.  Pan fry the meat until well cooked.

-Rinse rice until water runs clear.  Cook rice. Season with ingredients mentioned above. 

-Shred the carrot and saute in vegetable oil until soft. 

Use the inch from the bottom of seaweed to fold
over the beef, carrot, radish and egg.

-Mix the eggs + 2 tbsp water in a bowl.  Heat up oil in a fry pan and add egg.  Cook on both sides, like an omelet for a few minutes.  Let it cool and eventually chop up into 1/2 inch strips.

-Julienne the yellow radish.

-To roll the kimbap, spread the rice thinly on the seaweed sheet, leaving an inch from the bottom empty.

-Add the beef, carrots, radish and egg.

Use the bamboo roller to finish rolling the kimbap.

-Use the inch from the bottom of seaweed to fold over the beef, carrots, radish and egg. 

-Roll the remaining seaweed sheet with the bamboo roller.

-Cut the kimbap into 1/2 inch slices.

Optional:

-Any ingredients can be used in kimbap such as crab, spinach, cucumber, etc.

Mountain of kimbap!

Tips:

-Cover the bamboo wrapper with saran wrap so that the rice doesn't get caught in between the sticks.

-Use a very sharp knife and wet with water before cutting the kimbap roll.

Take out kimbap
for my mother-in-law.

My stash of kimbap.
Yum!

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are the best and I love everything about them, its shape, colour and taste.  Roasting them is fairly easy and really brings out  the sweet taste of these peppers.  They can be eaten on baguette slices, in sandwiches or topped off on salads and tarts.

Ingredients:
-Red bell peppers
-Olive oil
-Garlic
-Parsley

Instructions:

-Place peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 220 degrees C for 30 minutes. 

-After 15 minutes turn the peppers so that each side is evenly roasted.  The skin of the peppers will turn black and bubbly. 

-Once the peppers come out of the oven, immediately place in a bowl with a lid (I simply put a plate on top of the bowl).  The peppers will sweat and make the skin of the pepper easier to peel off.

-Once the peppers are cool, carefully peel off the skin with your fingers or knife.

-Cut up the peppers into medium pieces and discard the seeds. 

-Place peppers in a jar and completely cover in olive oil, adding garlic slices.  Can be kept in the regrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

-Before serving, I like to add chopped parsley to the peppers.

Cucumber Yogurt Dip

I am a junk food junkie, but from time to time I need to eat healthy, so here is a great way to eat veggies with this refreshing cucumber yogurt dip.  Serve with any of your favourite veggies and sliced baguette or pita bread.  Oh and by the way no double dipping please :-)

Ingredients:
-250 grams of plain yogurt (2 small containers)
-1/2 cucumber
-1 teaspoon salt
-Juice of 1 lemon
-2 minced garlic clove

Instructions:

-Peel and grate the cucumber.  Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for 15 minutes to draw out the excess moisture.

-In a bowl, combine and mix the yogurt, lemon juice and minced garlic.

-With your hands, squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber.

-Add cucumber to the yogurt mixture and mix well.

Banana Chocolate Triangles

The combination of bananas, chocolate and whipping cream makes for a great end of meal dessert!  Not a light dessert, but definitely a delicious one!  These triangles can be prepared in advance and baked right before serving.

Ingredients:
(makes 8 triangles)
-2 bananas
-2-1/2 tablespoons white rum
-2 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons sugar
-16 small chocolate squares
-4 feuilles de brick (I think it's called phyllo pastry in English or use spring roll wrappers).

Instructions:
-Peel the bananas and slice.
-On medium heat melt butter in a fry pan and eventually add the bananas.  Stir often.  Sprinkle the sugar on top and mix well.
-Once the bananas are mush like (approximate 5  minutes) add the rum and let it absorb into the banana mixture.
-Once the rum has absorbed into the banana mixture, let it cool, before making the triangles.
-Follow photo instructions below to make the triangles.  Do not over stuff!
-Bake triangles in the oven at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes or until the exterior is golden and crusty.
-Serve immediately and warm.

Optional:
-Goes great with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
-Decorate with whipping cream and chocolate.

1.  Cut in half.

2. Place the round edge down.

3. Place the mixture (about 1 tbsp) +
2 chocolate squares near top corner.

4. Take the bottom of the pastry and
fold up towards the banana mix.

5. Take the top right corner and fold
down.  This makes a mini-triangle.

6. Take the bottom right corner and fold up
to the top line, making a big triangle.





7. Take the top right corner and fold to the
bottom line, keeping the triangle shape.

8. Take the bottom right corner and fold to
the top line, keeping the triangle shape.



9. With the leftover pastry bit,
tuck into the fold.



Baked Chicken with Prunes and Olives

Opposites definitely attract as the sweet taste of the prunes combined with the salty olives is absolutely delicious!  I like to serve this dish on a bed of couscous, otherwise it can also be eaten with steamed rice or roasted potatoes. 

Ingredients:
-4 to 6 pieces of chicken thighs/legs
-1 lemon, quartered
-1 cup pitted prunes
-1 cup pitted green olives
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-3 tablespoons apple or red wine vinegar
-3 cloves of minced garlic
-Salt & pepper

Instructions:

-In a baking dish, toss together all of the ingredients.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for about 50 minutes.

-After baking, squeeze the juice of the cooked lemon into the dripping sauce and throw away the lemon skin.

-Serve on a bed of couscous along with the dripping sauce.

Meatballs in a Sweet Asian Sauce

These meatballs make for great finger food or it can also be eaten as a main meal.  If you use this dish as a finger food, the sauce is quite sticky, so make the meatballs bite size so you can fit the whole thing in the mouth in one shot, otherwise you can have a big mess on your hands.  Can be eaten warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:
(makes approximately 20 meatballs)
-350 grams of ground beef
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-1 finely chopped onion
-1/3 cup of milk
-2 eggs
-3 finely minced garlic cloves
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1/3 cup honey
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1 tablespoon of white and black sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Combine and mix together the meat, bread crumbs, onion, milk and eggs.

-Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.

-Bake for 12-15 minutes at 210 degrees C.

-Place olive oil and garlic in a fry pan and saute until garlic is soft.

-Add the ketchup, honey and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

-Add meatballs to the sauce and mix well.

-Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Optional:

-Stick a toothpick in each meatball if serving as a finger food.

-Serve with rice if eaten as the main meal.

Vegetable Rolls

This is a fun way to eat veggies and can serve as an appetizer or side dish.  Use any of your favourite legumes for this recipe.  For the wrapper, in French, it's called feuilles de brick.  In English, I think it's called phyllo pastry.  Otherwise, use spring roll wrappers. 

Ingredients:
(Makes 5 rolls)
-2 carrots
-1 zucchini
-1 onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-1/2 red pepper
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-5 feuilles de brick (phyllo pastry or spring roll wrappers)

1. Place veggie mixture on the wrapper

2.  Fold up the wrapper

3. Fold the edges in

4. Roll the wrapper

Instructions:

-Julienne the carrots, zucchini & red pepper.

-Chop up the onion and finely mince the garlic.

-Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.

-Add the rest of the veggies and saute for approximately 5 minutes. 

-Do not overcook.  I like my veggies a bit on the crunchy side.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Let the veggie mixture cool off before rolling.

-Place about a 1-1/2 spoonful of the mixture on the pastry and follow the photo instructions above.

-Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or pan fry in oil for about 3 minutes on each side

until golden brown.

-Goes great with sweet chilli sauce.

Chicken Ragu

This is my favourite one pot recipe.  It's so tasty, simple and great for dinner parties as you can prepare it in advance and warm it up right before serving, so you're not spending all your time in the kitchen while the party is going on. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 4-6)
-6 chicken thighs
-1 large carrot
-1 onion
-2 celery sticks
-1 red pepper
-1/2 cup of pitted green olives
-1/2 cup of red wine + 3 cups of water
-1 small can of tomato paste (70g)
-Salt & pepper
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

Instructions:

-Chop up the carrot, onion and celery.  Chop up the green olives in half. Chop the red pepper into thin slices.

-Cut off any excess skin on the chicken and season each side with salt and pepper. 
-On high heat, brown the chicken on each side with olive oil. Take out the chicken and saute the carrot, celery, red pepper and onion until soft (around 5-7 minutes) on medium heat.

-Add the tomato paste to the veggies and stir on medium heat for a few minutes.

-Add the red wine and let it evaporate for a few minutes, while stirring.

-Place the chicken back with the veggies and add the 3 cups of water.  Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
-Season with salt & pepper.

-I've served this chicken on a bed of couscous.  It can also be served with pasta or rice.

Baked Camembert

This is another recipe from Jamie Oliver's collection.  This baked Camembert can be served as an appetizer or main dish.  Personally, I like treating this meal like a fondue - dipping a warm crusty baguette in the gooey cheese with a side of salad and a glass of white wine.  Alternatively, the melted cheese can be dumped on a pile of pasta.  Many great ways to eat this cheese.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
-1 round Camembert (250 grams)
-2 cloves of chopped garlic
-1 sprig of rosemary
-Pepper
-Olive oil

Instructions:

-Cut the top of the Camembert off.

-Place cheese back into the wooden box that it came in.

-On top of the cheese, sprinkle with the chopped garlic, pepper and rosemary.

-Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

-Place the cheese in the wooden box on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 185 degrees C.