Gimbap, Take One

After eating gimbap at least once a day for the first four days we were here, I knew I had to try and make it myself. I didn’t have too many interesting ingredients for the filling, so I wanted to make a simple roll as a trial run.
I browned some sticks of tofu

and cut a cucumber into long, thin pieces.

I also cooked up some short grain rice and bought some 8″ x 8″ squares of nori.

I found this absolutely GENIUS recipe for cooking rice without a rice cooker: (It works really well if you have a pan with a glass lid, so you can see how much water has absorbed)
1. Rinse about 1 1/2 cups of short-grain rice
2. Place in the bottom of a saucepan, put your hand flat on top of the rice, and fill the pan with water just until your knuckles are covered.
3. Cover the pan, put over high heat, and boil for about 6 minutes
4. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. If it looks like all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat and let the pan sit for about 15 minutes. If there’s still water, simmer until it’s gone, then let the pan sit for about 15 minutes. Don’t remove the lid!
6. Give the rice a good stir with a wooden spoon before serving.

Here’s the general idea:
1. Mix about 1 cup of cooked rice with about a tablespoon of rice vinegar
2. Place a sheet of nori in front of you, and spread about 2/3 of it with rice (the rice should be about 1 cm thick)

I learned through trial and error that you want the side with the rice toward you, and the uncovered nori away from you.
3. Put a few pieces of cucumber and a few sticks of tofu along the middle of the rice, and carefully roll it up. You don’t need one of those fancy looking sushi-mats, just your own two hands.

The end doesn’t look that pretty, but it’s okay.
4. Cut into slices about 3/4″ thick and enjoy!

Now that I know how easy it is, next time I’ll branch out and use some more interesting fillings.

Red Curry Shrimp

These are incredibly simple appetizers that look fancy, but don’t take much effort.  I used Thai Kitchen brand curry paste, and it made them really spicy, so if you don’t have a high tolerance for hot food, cut back on that a little bit! (My husband and I didn’t think they were spicy at all because we’ve been putting hot sauce on EVERYTHING – in preparation for the food in Thailand — but my sister said they were way too spicy!)

I found some fresh Thai basil in our local Asian market, but regular basil would be fine too. 

The medium shrimp I used is 26-30 count per pound.

(from Gourmet Magazine, December 2008)

24 uncooked medium shrimp (peeled, tails on)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp red curry paste

24 large Thai basil leaves

Preheat the broiler.

Stir together vegetable oil and curry paste in a large bowl, then stir in shrimp and coat well.

Arrange shrimp on a baking pan and put under the boiler for 2-3 minutes, until just cooked.

Thread onto wood skewers with a basil leaf.  

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Herb Dip

This is a great, fresh-tasting dip that I served with carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, and broccoli.  I have discovered that broccoli and cauliflower are a whole lot more enjoyable as crudites when you submerge them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then dip in cold water and drain.

I would love to try some variations with cilantro, garlic, or dill, but this is a great base recipe to play around with.

2 cups lowfat sour cream

2 tbsp lime juice

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

5 green onions (green parts only), thinly sliced

pinch sea salt

Combine all ingredients and puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor.  Serve with assorted vegetables.

Amazing Stuffed Mushrooms

The minute I saw these on Annie’s blog, I knew I had to make them.  I added some toasted bread crumbs to the top and I think they added a nice crunchy contrast to the cream cheese.  They were a huge hit at the holiday party, and I definitely recommend them!

(adapted from AllRecipes)

24 whole fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp butter
1/3 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray a baking sheet or glass casserole dish with cooking spray.
Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
Carefully break off stems.
Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet.
Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic.
Set aside to cool.
While cooling, melt the butter in a small saucepan.
Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until the bread crumbs are golden brown.
When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper.
Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing.
Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet, and sprinkle with bread crumbs
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Holiday Appetizer Party

My parents started having a holiday open house party for the neighbors when my sister and I were really young.  As we grew up, the party evolved from just cookies to appetizers as well.  I still come home to my parents house every Christmas, so the holiday party has become a great way for me to try out some appetizer recipes and catch up with all the neighbors.  I might even love cooking all day even more than I love the party itself!  

I had a blast making these appetizers, and definitely loved using my dad’s Nikon D60 to take pictures.  If he’s not careful, it might just happen to go to Thailand with me!

Here’s what we had:

Crudites with Herb Dip

Stuffed Mushrooms

Crostini with Fig Marmalade and Goat Cheese
Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds
Red curry shrimp with basil leaves

Tofu-Mushroom Spring Rolls with Black Tea Mango Chutney

Deviled Eggs

Assorted Cookies

It was a wonderful party! I’ll be posting some of the recipes soon.

Ahi Poke in Lettuce Cups

I fell in love with poke in Hawaii. It came with some plate lunches, and I could not get enough!  There are many variations – I love the really spicy stuff with little flecks of nori in it.  However, I made this for a family dinner that included people who have almost no tolerance for spicy food, so I took it in another direction.  The bright flavor of green onions and ginger mingle with the buttery-smooth ahi and the crunch of the iceberg lettuce is a perfect contrast.

1 head iceberg lettuce

3/4 lb sashimi-grade ahi

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, minced

2-4 tsp minced fresh ginger (depending on how much you like ginger!)

pinch sea salt

Pull apart the leaves of lettuce and find the crisp parts that will work well as lettuce cups.

Cut the ahi into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes.  Toss with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, green onions, and ginger.

Cover and refrigerate one hour.

Arrange the lettuce on serving trays and scoop a few cubes of fish into each.

Steamed Pork Buns (Bao)

They may not look like much from the outside, but these soft buns filled with smoky-sweet barbecued pork are one of my favorite foods.  I fell in love with them in Singapore 12 years ago and have been a huge fan ever since.

When we go to dim sum, I always eat far too many of these, and I’m so happy I now know how to make them at home!  

(adapted from The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo)

Sauce:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp ketchup

2 tsp sugar

pinch white pepper

2 tsp corn starch

1/4 cup chicken stock

Filling:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup diced onion

3/4 cup char siu pork, cut into 1/4″ pieces
2 tsp Chinese rice wine

1/2 tsp sesame oil

dough:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

6 tbsp milk

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine sauce ingredients and mix well.  Set aside.

To make the filling: heat the vegetable oil on high in a large saucepan and spread to coat the pan thinly.  Add the onion, lower heat to medium, and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is light brown.  Add the pork and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the rice wine and mix well.  Stir the sauce, pour into the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat, and stir in sesame oil.  Set aside, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until needed.

To make the dough: Mix the flour, baking powder, and sugar together in a medium bowl.  Make a well in the center, and add milk and water.  Stir until liquid is absorbed, then add the oil.

Knead for about 15 minutes, adding a little water if too dry or flour if too wet.  

Once the dough is smooth and elastic, return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rest for one hour.

To assemble:  Roll the dough into a cylinder about 12″ long and cut into 12 equal pieces.  Keeping the unused dough covered with a damp cloth, work with one piece at a time.  Flatten slightly, spoon about 1 1/2 tbsp into the middle, and pinch the dough together to enclose the filling.  Set onto a small square of wax paper, and repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil.  Place a bamboo steamer on top and arrange the buns so they have room to expand (leave at least 1 1/2″ between them).  Steam for 15-20 minutes, then turn off the heat, and serve.

Hot Artichoke Dip

If you consider yourself a health-conscious eater, you may as well stop reading now.  While this dip might be a heart attack waiting to happen, it is so addictive and so good that it’s totally worth it!  As long as you don’t eat it every day, that is.

The jalapenos make it just spicy enough, and on a chilly fall afternoon, this is a perfect snack!  I got the recipe from my friend Jessica, who got it from a co-worker, and it is definitely staying in my personal collection!

2 15-oz cans artichoke hearts

1 small can diced jalapenos

1 cup mayonaise (yep, this is why it might be best not to eat this on a daily basis)

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

Drain and chop the artichoke hearts.

In a bowl, combine them with the jalapenos, mayonaise, and 1/4 cup of parmesan.

Mix well, and spread in an 8″ square pan.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly.

Serve with crackers, chips, or small pieces of French bread.

Cumin-roasted Pumpkin Seeds

The absolute best part about carving pumpkins is saving all the seeds and roasting them! I got the basics of how to do this on Simply Recipes, and added some cumin to spice them up a little.
They are salty, crunchy, and extremely addictive! I loved the flavor the cumin added, but you could always try a different spice or just go with salt alone!

2 cups pumpkin seeds
4 cups water
2 tsp salt, plus extra for roasting
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Remove all the stringy pulp from the seeds.
Place the water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the pumpkin seeds, and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour the olive oil into a metal sheet pan.
Drain the pumpkin seeds, and add to the oil. Using a spatula or just by shaking the pan, mix the seeds so they are evenly coated.
Sprinkle with salt and cumin, mix once again, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until seeds are golden brown.

Crispy Za’atar Flatbread

I’ve been putting za’atar on just about everything recently.  I really wanted to make some flatbread with it on top, but it got late and I didn’t want to wait around for the dough to rise.  I remembered a recipe for Crisp Rosemary Flatbread I saw on Smitten Kitchen a few weeks ago and opted to give it a try.  I’m so glad I did!

I LOVE these crackers!  They are flavorful enough to be eaten alone, but I’m sure a dollop of hummus would be a welcome addition.

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Gourmet Magazine, July 2008)

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
3-5 tbsp za’atar

Preheat oven to 450 °F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and sprinkle 1-2 tbsp zaatar over the oil, pressing in slightly. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.