Baked Barbecue Ribs

I absolutely love ribs!  I just dig in and eat it with my fingers!  My French husband looks at me with horror, as he needs to eat everything with a fork and knife (even hamburgers!).  I eat it my way and it tastes so good with this honey barbecue sauce!  Finger lickin' good! Cooking time is long, but well worth the wait. 

Ingredients:
-1 slab of ribs
-1/2 cup whiskey
-1/2 cup ketchup
-3 tbsp vinegar
-1 tsp lemon juice
-3 minced garlic cloves
-1 tbsp honey
-pepper

Instructions:

-Season ribs with pepper.

-Bake ribs in the oven at 185 degrees C for 30 minutes.

-After 30 minutes, on the rib side use a knife and cut off the membrane (like a thin layer of skin).

-Add 2 inches of water to the ribs, cover with foil and bake for another 2 hours.  While baking, check on the ribs and add water if needed.

-In the meantime, combine and mix the whiskey, ketchup, vinegar, lemon juice, honey and minced garlic cloves.

-After 2 hours, most of the water should be gone, so add sauce to the ribs and bake for another 20 minutes without the foil.  Be sure to baste the ribs with the sauce from time to time while baking.

-Serve with fries or salad.

Apricot Glazed Chicken

Adding fruit to meat may seem strange, but it really adds a tasty spin to the dish along with beautiful colour. There are so many fruit and meat combinations that merge well together like apple and pork chops, apricots and lamb, ham and pineapple, the list goes on and on. 

Ingredients:
-4 large chicken thighs
-1 can of apricot (400 grams)
-1 package of onion soup mix (50 grams)
-1/4 cup water
-1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

-Heat up olive oil in a pan on medium to high heat.  Add chicken and brown on each side. -In a bowl combine the water, onion soup mix and the juice of the apricots. 

-Once the chicken is browned, add the liquid mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.

-Transfer everything into a baking dish and add the apricots.

-Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes at 200 degrees C.

Optional:
-Serve with rice or couscous.
-Add some curry or cumin powder before baking.

Korean Egg Omelette

This Korean egg omelette is really easy to make, aesthetically pleasing and quite tasty.  This is considered a side dish in Korea, but it also makes for a nice appetizer or snack.  This may be a real faux pas, but I like to add a little dollop of ketchup on top.

Ingredients:
-3 eggs
-1 tbsp water
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
-Finely chopped green onions or chives (4 stems)
-1 roasted seaweed sheet
-Vegetable oil

Instructions:

-In a bowl, combine and mix the eggs, water, salt, red pepper flakes and chopped green onions.

-Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium. 

-Add egg mixture to heated frying pan.

-Once the omelette is half cooked, place the seaweed sheet on top.

-Carefully fold/roll the omelette.

-Once you are done rolling, fry on both sides until golden brown.

-Set aside and let it cool.

-Cut width wise into 1 inch slices.

Optional:

-Get creative and add any of your favourite ingredients to this recipe such as ham, mushrooms, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, etc.

Salmon and Leek Spring Rolls

I love any type of spring rolls. I find the combination of salmon and leeks especially delicious.  In France, I use feuilles de brick for the wrapper.  Otherwise, use spring roll wrappers for this recipe.

Ingredients:

(makes 12 small rolls)

-420 grams salmon

-2 leeks

-12 small feuilles de brick (spring roll wrappers)

-Butter

-Salt and pepper

Instructions:

-Chop up the leeks (do not use the dark green part of the leeks).

-Saute leeks in butter until soft (approximately 5 minutes).

-Fry or bake the salmon in butter until cooked thoroughly.

-Once the salmon is cooked, using a knife, take off the skin and chop the salmon into small square cubes.

-Combine the cooked leeks and salmon together and season well with salt and pepper.

-Place 1 tablespoon of salmon mixture near the end of the wrapper.  Fold the edges of the wrapper inward and roll.

-Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Asparagus with Gochujang Sauce

Asparagus is a wonderful spring vegetable and tossing it in this gochujang sauce gives this side dish a spicy kick.  Gochujang is a Korean hot pepper paste and should be used with caution, as it can leave a fiery burn on your tongue.

Ingredients:
-1 bunch of asparagus
-1 teaspoon gochujang
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon honey
-1 teaspoon sesame oil
-1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Wash the asparagus and chop off about 1 inch from the bottom of the asparagus.

-Boil the water in the steamer.  Place asparagus in the steamer for about 5-10 minutes.  Once they turn bright green, steaming is done.

-Chop the asparagus into 2 inch pieces and cut on the angle.

-Combine and mix the gochujang, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

-Toss asparagus with the sauce and place in the refrigerator as it is best when served cool.

Korean Pan-Fried Fish and Zucchini

My mom made this quite often when I was a kid and although simple it is absolutely delicious.  This is considered a side dish in Korea, however this can also be eaten as an appetizer or even as a main dish with a side of steamed white rice.  The dipping sauce is the great finishing touch for the fish and zucchini.

Ingredients:
-1 zucchini
-4 filets of sole, cod or any kind of white fish
-3 eggs
-3/4 cup flour
-Cooking oil
-Salt & pepper
Instructions:

-Slice zucchini crosswise into 1/4 inch circles.

-Fish should be relatively thin and cut into 2 inch pieces lengthwise.

-Season the zucchini with salt and season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.

-Coat all the zucchini and fish pieces with flour on both sides.

-Heat a pan with cooking oil on medium heat.
-Beat the eggs in a bowl.
-Dip and coat the zucchini and fish pieces in the egg and place on the heated pan.  Cook for a few minutes on each side or until lightly golden (do not over cook).

-Place the cooked zucchini and fish pieces on a paper towel to absorb the oil.

Dipping sauce:

-Combine and mix 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp apple vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, a dash of sesame oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a pinch of sesame seeds.

Teriyaki Chicken

One  of my fond food memories was when my mom would take us to a Korean restaurant and I would always order the same thing, a Shirley Temple and a teriyaki chicken, my favourite.  It came out on this wonderful hot plate, sizzling in its sauce.  There are so many different teriyaki recipes, but here is one that caught my fancy.

Ingredients:

-1 kg of chicken thighs, wings or drumsticks
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1/2 cup water
-2 tablespoons mirin
-2 tablespoons honey
-4 tablespoons sugar
-2 tablespoons corn starch
-1 tablespoon sesame oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced finely
-sesame seeds

Instructions:

-Combine and mix the sauce: soy sauce, mirin, honey, water, cornstarch, sesame oil, minced garlic and sugar.

-Soak the chicken in the sauce for 30 minutes.

-Place chicken and sauce in a large pot over medium heat.  Let it simmer for about 30 minutes.  Be sure to stir often, as sauce will thicken quickly.

-Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken before serving.

Stuffed Tomatoes / Tomates Farcies

This is a popular dish in the south of France, especially in the summer.  Any type of ground meat can be used, however I find that a mixture of ground pork, beef and veal is great for this recipe.  For those who like a little spice, chilli paste can be added to the meat mixture. 

Ingredients:
-350 grams of ground pork, beef or veal or a mixture of all three.
-6 tomatoes
-2 onions
-Salt & pepper
-Olive oil
-3 garlic cloves
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-2 eggs
-1/3 cup milk
-6 tsp uncooked rice

Instructions:

-Chop up the onions and mince the garlic.  In a frying pan saute the garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add onions and saute until soft and golden (approximately 5 minutes).

-In a bowl combine and mix the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, milk and cooked onions.  Season well with salt & pepper.

-Cut off the top of the tomato and keep the top as a lid. 

-With a knife and spoon carefully cut and scoop out the interior of the tomato.

-Place 1 tsp of uncooked rice in the bottom of each tomato.

-Stuff the rest of the tomato with the meat mixture.

-Spray or sprinkle olive oil on top of each tomato.

-Place the lid on top of the tomato.

-Bake in the oven at 200 degrees C for 1 hour.

Optional:

-Goes great with a side salad.

-Keep the interior of the tomato and make a tomato sauce.

Korean Sweet & Sour Pork - Tangsuyuk

I think this dish is originally from China, but we Koreans love it so much that we have made it our own.  The combination of the crispy deep fried pork and the tangy sauce is what makes this dish a winner.  Goes great with steamed white rice and any other side dishes you may have lurking in your frig such as spicy kimchi or fresh bean sprout salad.

Ingredients:
-1 kg pork
-Salt & pepper
-1/2 red pepper
-Small bowl of pineapples
-Cooking oil for deep fry
-Corn starch mixture: 1 cup corn starch, 1/2 cup water, 1 egg white
-Sweet & sour sauce: 2 cups of hot water, 8 tbsp sugar, 6 tbsp white or apple vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce

Instructions:

-Cut pork into thin strips. Season with salt and pepper.

-Combine and mix corn starch mixture, mentioned above. Set aside 2 tbsp of this mixture for the sweet & sour sauce.

-Add meat to the mixture and mix well so that everything is well coated.

-Deep fry pork until golden and crispy.  Place fried pork on paper towel to soak up the excess oil.

-Chop up red peppers and pineapple.

-Combine ingredients of the sauce mixture, mentioned above, in a sauce pan.

-Over medium heat stir the mixture for about 3-5 minutes.

-Add red peppers and pineapple.

-Add the 2 tbsp of the cornstarch mixture you set aside.  Stir often as the sauce will thicken quite quickly.

-Add the sauce to the deep fried pork and serve immediately.

Optional:

-Add other vegetables into the sauce such as onions, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.

-Deep fry the beef in advance and prior to serving, deep fry once again before adding the sauce.  This makes them extra crispy.
-Substitute pork for beef.

Korean Seafood Pancake

These pancakes are easy to make and easier to eat since they are super delicious. Any favourite ingredients can be used.  I bought a small package of assorted frozen seafood, which consisted of mussels, squid, shrimp and scallops.  Be sure to make the dipping sauce first, so that you can immediately eat your pancakes when they are finished frying.  They are also delicious at room temperature. 

Ingredients:
-1 cup flour
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-1 egg
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup water
-1 cup of assorted seafood
-5 stems of green onion
-Handful of chives
-Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:
(Makes approximately 12 small pancakes)

-Mix together the flour, cornstarch and salt.  Add egg and water and stir until you get a smooth consistency.

-Chop up onions and chives into 1 inch pieces.  Chop up the seafood (package I bought was already in small convenient pieces).

-Combine flour mixture with onions, chives and seafood.  Mix well.

-In a frying pan, heat oil on relatively high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture and fry on both sides for about 3 minutes each or until each side is golden and crispy.  Add oil as needed.

Optional:

-Make 1 large pancake and cut up like a pizza or make small mini pancakes.

-Rather than seafood, other ingredients can be used such as carrots, zucchini and kimchi.

Dipping sauce:

-Combine and mix 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons apple vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, dash of sesame oil, 1 tablespoons sesame seeds, pinch of Korean red pepper flakes and chopped up green onions or chives.

Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese and Pesto Palmiers

These palmiers are easy to make and any of your favourite ingredients can be used.  I like using sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese and pesto sauce, the intense flavours of the Mediterranean.  Easy to eat finger food and goes great with an aperitif (cocktail time).  Cheers!

Ingredients:
(Approximately 15 rolls)
-1 package puff pastry
-3 tablespoons pesto sauce
-4 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
-4 tablespoons soft goat cheese

Instructions:

-Chop up the sun dried tomatoes.

-Spread the pesto sauce on the puff pastry.  Add the sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

-Roll the pastry from both ends until they meet in the middle. 

-Be sure to roll tightly. Rolling too loosely can end up being very messy.

-Cut into 1 inch slices.
-Place slices on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.

-Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 220 degrees C.
-Serve warm or at room temperature.