Onion Juice

My mother in law always give us nutritious food. Today, she gave us some onion juice. Like its name itself, it is made with onion juice and traditional Korean medicine. She told me to drink it three times a day. My hubby doesn't like onions so I drink it alone. I drink it before I go to bed. I drink it once a day instead of thrice like my mother in law said.

My mother in law always asked if I already drank it all. She said she still has much at home so I have to drink as quickly as I could. My mother in law likes buying some nutritious food or medicines to give us. Whenever she thinks that it's good for the health, she buys and give something to us. I hate some of the traditional korean medicines that she gives us but this onion is good doesn't taste bad at all.

I used to hate onions when I was young but I like them now. I eat any kind of onions including onion kimchi or pickled onions that my mother in law also gave me.

Red Cabbage

If I didn't come here in Jeju, I can't know that there are also red cabbages. I was surprised to see red vegetables planted in the farm when I took a walk with my hubby. They look like red big flowers. When I came close to them, I found out that they are cabbages. It is full red even inside.



I told my hubby to have a taste of that vegetable so I cooked chicken legs. I just boiled the chicken legs and put some garlic, onion and salt. When the chicken is soft, I put the cabbage and boiled. Opppss.. The soup is red. The color is strange but it taste good. The red cabbage makes the soup sweet. It taste like potato but it's sweeter. The soup looks strange though. My hubby never tried the soup but he had much cabbage. hehe..

Steamed Squash with Meat

I saw this steamed squash with meat inside on TV many times but I don't know how to make it so I made my own version of it. First, I sauted some pork. I just cut the meat in bite sizes put a little cooking oil on the frypan, then put the pork, when it is brown, put some minced garlic, next sprinkled some ground pepper and put some salt.

Wash the squash gently and cut the top side and remove the seeds. Put the sauted pork inside the squash and steam.



Again some cloves of garlic on top then cover it.



Steam the squash with meat if you have steamer. If you don't, you can just boil it like what I did.



When the squash is soft, you put it on the plate and serve.



By the way, you can use chicken or duck for your meat instead of pork. It's up to you what kind of meat you'd like.

Chaesundang Shabu Shabu

I've been staying here in Jejudo for many months and most of the restaurants that I've been to don't serve delicious food. So it's better if you go to the franchised restaurants because you can make sure that the food is good. Unlike other restaurants who just served expensive menu but the food doesn't taste good. You will just be disappointed. They are just the kind of restaurant who served and say goodbye. Maybe they think that because you are a tourist, you can't meet each other again or even when they serve delicious food, you can't go back again, anyway.

Well, we decided to stay here for a long time so we are looking for restaurants who served delicious food so to make sure that the food is great, we usually go to franchised restaurant like Chaesundang. It's our fourth time to visit this restaurant and the waitresses already know us. They treat and serve us well.

If we go there for lunch, we order the Jomsim Teukson Set A. A well-being shabu shabu for only 7,000won each person. Chaesundang serves fresh vegetables.



Shabu Shabu is a menu where you soaked the fresh meat and vegetables on the boiling soup.



It's up to you which vegetables you want to put first. Or you can put all at once.



When the vegetable and meat is cooked you dip it with the sauce.



There's also some dumplings and noodles which is eaten after eating the vegetables and meat. When you're done with noodles, there will be soup left and the soup is used to make porridge. The porridge is served last and it's included in the 7,000won menu. It's cheap isn't it? I don't have the picture of porridge because even it's free, we didn't eat because we were already full and there was no place for porridge when I decided to take my camera.

By the way, the picture above is the Set A. The set B is "maeun bosot" (spicy mushrooms) shabu for 8,500 and Set C is "myeongpum hanu" is branded beef for 10,000won.

Chaesundang Jejudo is in Jejusi Nohyeondong 1042-5. Or call 064-747-3655 if you want to know more or visit www.chaesundang.co.kr for more information.

How to keep the potato fresh

My mother in law gave me some potatoes. We don't like potatoes but I put some when I make some soup. It makes the soup sweet and think. We eat the soup but not the potatoes. Me and hubby are compatible when eating soup. We just the soup and leave the vegetables. So potatoes are always thrown out. I don't put potatoes in every soup that I cook. So a box of potatoes are too much for the two of us.

When I have much potatoes, they usually get rot so my mother in law told me to wrap them with newspaper. I wanted to complain but because I'm a good daughter in law, even when it's against my will, I have to follow her. Or else she would call me every now and then and ask If I already did what she said. To avoid those kind of phone calls from her, I did what she said and right! The potatoes stayed fresh in the refrigerator. It's sometimes good to follow what elders say.

Here's what I did. I wrapped each potatoes with newspaper and put in the plastic bag before I put in the refrigerator. You try and see the result.

Food for Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day)

Last week from Friday to Sunday, we celebrated Chuseok (Thanksgiving Day) here in Korea. I should've taken some pictures of the food that we made but I couldn't get chance to do it because of my in laws. I don't think it's allow to take pictures while everyone was busy in the kitchen. Like what I always do, I was in charge again with the dishes and was an assistant of my sister in law. Of course I can cook but I'm afraid to make mistakes so I just let my sister in law do it and helped her in cutting or washing some vegetables and ingredients that she needed.

Like what most people prepare every Chuseok, we made some "jeon" or fried dishes like mushrooms with meat, fish fillet, shrimps, oysters, etc.. We also cooked different kinds of "namul" (vegetables, spouts). Also toran guk (taro soup) is always in the list every Chuseok. We also steamed some fish. Luckily, we didn't have to make daejigalbi. My mother in law just bought some pork (oh gyeopsal, thicker than samgyopsal) and beef (seogogi) and made barbecue at night. We're also lucky because we don't make soeng pyeon (a half-moon-shaped rice cake stuffed with beans or sesame seeds and sugar or honey and flavored with pine needles) on Chuseok. My mother in law just buy some in the supermarket.

Chuseok today is not too hard for us because we didn't prepare lots of things like what we always did on the past Chuseok.

Eat Chicken with Salad

It was too late and we were hungry. We didn't know what to order so we came up with chicken again. This time it's the salad mogneun chicken (eat the chicken with salad). I heard a lot about this salad and chicken specially to students. They said it's delicious but I didn't get a good impression on my first bite, it wasn't as delicious as I expected. I think the chicken is salty and overcooked and the salad is bland.

I was almost done with my midnight snack but then I decided to eat together. Salad and chicken in one bite. Then I tried another bite again and again and again. Aha, It's not bad at all. That's what they get its name. You have to eat the chicken with salad. Now, I got it!

Diet food

Oh yes, I'm on a diet. I go jogging every morning and I bring some vegetables and fruits for my snacks. Here's what I had today. I had some carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and grapes.



Is it too much? Well, it's just my snacks. I still have dinner at home. Do you think I can lose weight if I eat much? Well, they are fruits and vegetables so I think it's not bad to eat much. Anyway, let's wait and see.

Garlic Chicken

I used to hate most vegetables specially garlic and onion. But now I can eat any kind of vegetables and you'll be surprised that garlic and onion are one of my favorites. I put much garlic and onions when I cook that's why it makes my cooking more delicious. Garlic and onions are the secret of a good cook, I think. I like garlic and onions with samgyopsal or daejigalbi. I like pickled garlic when I eat gukbap specially naejang gukbap and soondae gukbap. I like garlic bread, garlic or onion flavor when I buy snacks, etc. Don't come closer please, I smell garlic. mwahaha...

When I don't have anything in mind on what for our meal, I just order food. So the menu is usually chicken. I was looking for the advertisement book when the garlic flavored chicken caught my attention. I told hubby to try it and he agreed. It's our first time to order chicken from Don (Money) Chicken which endorsed by Lee Gyoung Gyu. I'm not his fan. Actually, I don't like him. He's a comedian but not funny. I just see his rudeness. Maybe because of his character on tv. I don't know if he's like that in person.

Anyway, it seems like Don Chicken is a new brand chicken 'coz it's my first time to see it on the advertisement. The price is same as the other chicken brands like Gyocheon, BHC, and Ssal Ssal Chicken. It's more expensive than Mexicana, Pelicana, etc.. so I expected that it would be more delicious. I'm right guys! It's delicious even without sauce. But they also give 2 kinds of sauces. Hot and spicy and garlic sauce. Guys, it is worth trying! Actually, I already collected 3 coupons from last week.

Ojing-o Bukkeum (Stir-fry Squid)

My hubby said that I cook delicious Ojing-o Bukkeum (Stir-fry squid). Here's how I make it.

Ingredients: squid, sugar, powdered hot chilli pepper (gochugaro), hot pepper paste (gochujang), red pepper or paprika, carrot, soy sauce, onion, garlic, mushrooms

1. Clean and cut the squid and put all the ingredients in a pot.

2. Stir-fry in a medium heat for 10 minutes or until the squid is white and look hard.

Make sure to serve it as soon as it is cooked. I didn't put the amount of each ingredients. You can do it with your own taste. If you want spicy food then add more pepper. If you want sweet food like us then put at least 3 tablespoons of sugar for one squid. That's all! It's easy! Enjoy your meal!

Broiled Chicken Giblets (Tangnaejangbokkum)

Broiled Chicken Giblets (Tangnaejangbokkum)

Ingredients: 2/3 lb. chicken gizards and livers, 3 dried brown oak mushrooms, 1/4 lb bamboo shoots, 1/3 lb. konyak: jellied potato cake, 2 green bell peppers. 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp. salad oil, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, salt, ginger juice, black pepper, MSG., 2 tsp. cornstarch powder, 1/3 cup meat broth, 1 tbsp. rice wine, 1 tomato

Method: 1. Peel off the inner skin from the chicken gizzards and clean them by scrubbing with salt. Slit the outer part of the gizzards. Then cut them with the chicken livers into bite-sized pieces.
2. Scald the gizzards and livers and rinse in cold water.
3. Soften the dried mushrooms in water, remove the stems and slice them thinly. Cut the bamboo shoots into flat pieces.
4. Slice the jellied potato-ckae into 2 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/4" thick pieces. Slit each piece down the center leaving the ends intact and twist one end through the slit.
5. Halve the green bell peppers, remove the seeds and cut them into thick strips.
6. Fry the chicken giblets with the chopped garlic and dinger juie in a heated oiled pan. Then add the dried mushroom, jellied potato-cake and bamboo shoot, fry lightly and season them with the soy sauce, sufar, salt and black pepper.
7. Dissolve the cornstach powder in 1/3 cup broth. Add this starch liquid to the #6 fried ingredients and bring to a boil to thicken.

Vegetable-Beef Simmered Dish (Seogogi Chongol)

Vegetable-Beef Simmered Dish (Seogogi Chongol)

Ingredients: 1/2 lb. beef, 7 dried brown, oak mushrooms, 1/4 carrot, 1/3 lb. mung-bean sprouts, 2 oz. small green onion, 3 red peppers, 1 round onion, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. rice wine, 3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame salt, 2 tbsp. chopped green onion, 2 tsp. garlic, black pepper, salt, MSG

Method:
1. Cut the beef into thin strips, mix with the seasonings and let it stand. Slice the round onion into thin strips.
2. Soak water and remove the stems. Slice thinly and fry them lightly with the sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar.
3. Remove the beans and hair-like tips from the ming-bean sprouts and scald them slightly. Drain and mix them with the salt and sesame oil.
4. Cut the carrots into thin strips 2" long. Cut the small green onion into the same lengths.
5. Halve the red peppers, remove the seems and cut the peppers into thin strips.
6. Place the sliced round onion, 1/6 dried mushroom and 1/6 beef in the center of the pot.
7. Pile the beef and bean sprouts n the center of the pan and colorfully arrange the carrot, small green oinon, mung-bean sprouts, dried mushrooms, red peppers and beef around them.
8. Make meat broth and season it with the salt, black pepper and MSG. Add the meat broth to 37 and boil briefly at the table.

Hint: By marinating the beef in the sugar and rice wine first, the meat will be tender and will not give off an odor. Mung-bean sprouts do not remain tasty if rinsed in cold water.

Hobakjuk (pumpkin porridge)

My mother in law was hospitalized because of her bad eyesight. When I knew about that, I went to the market even when it was only few minutes left before the closing time so I hurried and bought this condensed milk or else I would blame myself for going out and dined out with my co-workers.


We have pumpkin at home so I thought of making "hobakjuk" (pumpkin porridge) for my mother in law.

Here's how I made hobakjuk-

Ingredients: 2 slices of pumpkin and 1/2 cup condensed milk

Method:
1. Remove the skin and cut the pumpkin.
2. Boil for 30 minutes or until it is soft.
3. Put in a blender and mix with the condensed milk until it is smooth.
4. Cook and stir often for 20 minutes.

My hubby told me to put some flour but I chose not to because I want to make it more delicious. My mother in law doesn't like porridge but she ate some and she said that she was very grateful for making porridge for her.

Kimchi (Korean Pickle)

Kimchi (Korean Pickle)

In major Western cities as well as in most East Asian countries one may buy a pack of kimchi at large supermarkets. The popularity of kimchi is attributed to the unique blending and fermentation of vegetables, herbs, pickled fish, fresh seafood, and such spices as red pepper, garlic and ginger. Kimchi is rich in vitamins, proteins, and other essential nutrients and Koreans used to rely on it as a source of nutrients when fresh vegetables were scarce in winter.

Kimchi may be classified into two main types- seasonal kimchi and winter kimchi. There are many varieties of seasonal kimchi depending on the availability of certain vegetables. A large stock of winter kimchi is prepared in early winter and lasts throughout the winter until spring vegetables are available. In recent years, however, owing to the development of green-houses, vegetables are available year round. Kimchi is an essential part of a Korean meal. It smells awful but tastes delicious.


Here's the Chinese cabbage kimchi from my mother in law. I never tried to make kimchi by myself. My mother in law told me that she would teach me on how to make kimchi before she dies so she just delivers me some at home. But I saw her making kimchi many times but she never let me help her.

Here is a recipe for making Kimchi:

Ingredients: 2 cabbages, 1/2 pear, 1/2 carrot, 2 cups of salt, 2 heads of garlic, half a head of ginger, half a bunch of shallots, 1 onion, shrimp paste (100g), 3 tbsp. of fish sauce, 1 1/2 cups of chilli powder

Methods:
1. Make salty water and pour it onto the cabbages.
2. Leave it for 5 hours at least, to dehydrate the cabbages.
3. Rinse the cabbages very well to remove the excess salt and drain.
4. Cut the shallots into 1" lenght and carrot into thin strips.
5. Mix the peeled garlic, onion, ginger and pear into a mixer.
6. Put the #3 and #4 ingredients into a bowl and mix it with the shrimp paste, fish sauce and chilli powder.
7. Coat every leaves of the cabbages with the #6 ingredients.
8. Keep the kimchi in the refrigerator for 3 days before eating.

Hint:
1. Apple can replace to pear.
2. Dehydrating the cabbages is very important for the texture of the Kimchi. Salting and dehydrating the cabbage makes it crunchy.

Skewered Beef with Vegetables (Chapsanjok)

Skewered Beef with Vegetables (Chapsanjok)

Ingredients: 1/4 lb. beef, 1/4 lb. bellflower roots, 10 small green onions, 2 oz. bracken (fern shoots), 1/2 carrot, 5 dried brown oak mushrooms, seasoning sauce: (3 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame salt, 1 tbsp. green onion, 1/2 tbsp. garlic, sesame oil, black pepper, MSG), skewers

Method:
1. Cut the beef into thin slices about 1/4" thick. Score the slices evenly and cut them into 1/3"x3" strips.
2. Soak the bellflower roots to remove the bitterness. Scald in boiling water, cut into 2 3/4" long pencil-wide strips and pound them with the back of knife to tenderize.
3. Trim the small green onions and dried mushrooms and cut them into 2 3/4" long strips.
4. Cut the bracken and carrot into 2 3/4" long pencil-wide strips and scald them slightly.
5. Make the seasoning sauce.
6. Marinate the beef on one-third of the seasonings sauce for 20 minutes.
7. Mix the carrot, bracken, small green onion and bellflower roots with the seasoning sauce.
8. String the above ingredients on skewers alternationg the colors and fry them in a fry pan.

My own recipe bibimbap

We had brunch at 10:30 a.m. As what I always say, we don't have rice for breakfast but because it was already past 10 so i prepared rice instead of juice. At around 4 hubby said that he was hungry so I made this bibimbap for him.



Making bibimbap is easy. Just put rice on the bowl with different kinds of vegetables, sesame oil, laver and fried egg and of course and kochujang (red pepper paste). Bibimbap is not complete without kochujang. Bibimbap is more delicious with raw beef (seng bibimbap)but because of "Crazy cow" (mad cow), we decided not to eat beef. So instead of beef I fried chopped pork, and put some garlic. I didn't put much vegetables, either. I only put what is available in the refrigerator like bean sprouts and broccoli sprouts that I use for salad.

That's it! Too easy, isn't it? You can make your own bibimbap now! I usually use some substitute ingredients and I sometimes get a good outcome. Hubby said it was delicious so I already tried it several times. I'm glad that I found a new recipe for bibimbap. It's my own recipe. hehehe...

Deep-Fried Beef Rolled in Sesame Leaves (Seogogi Kkaennipmari twigim)

Deep-Fried Beef Rolled in Sesame Leaves (Seogogi Kkaennipmari twigim)

Ingredients: 2/3 lb. beef, 10 sesame leaves, 1/2 cake bean curd, 1 egg, 1/2 cup flour, 2 tbsp. chopped green onion, 1 tbsp. chopped garlic, 2 tsp. sesame salt, 2 tsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp. salt, black pepper, MSG, 10 small skewers, 1/2 cucumber, 2 bundles parsley, 1 red radish

Method:
1. Slice the beef thinly and mince well.
2. Wrap the bean curd in a clean cloth, squeeze out the excess water and mash it finely.
3. Combine the meat, bean curd, chopped green onion, garlic, sesame salt, sesame oil, black pepper, MSG and salt and mix well.
4. Wash the sesame leaves and dry off the moisture.
5. Dip the inside of sesame leaves in flour. Place the spoonful of the meat misture on eac leaf and roll it up and fasten with a small skewer.
6. Dip the rolls into flour and then into beaten egg and deep-fry them in boiling oil.
7. Drain and arrange the cucumber cut into thin rings and diagonally cut roll in the center of a plate. Garnish with the parsley and red radish.

Hint: Deep-fry the food in very hot oil until crisp. To drain, stand the deep-fried food on end, so that it does not become soft.

Spring Chicken Stew (Yonggyebokkum)

Spring Chicken Stew (Yonggyebokkum)

Ingredients: 1 1/3 lb. whole spring chicken, 1/3 cup tiny soused, salted shrimp, 5 tbsp. chopped green onion, 1 tbsp. chopped garlic, 1 tbsp. ginger juice, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 2 tbsp. sesame salt, black pepper, 5 red peppers, 5 green peppers, 1 round onion

Method:
1. Cut the chicken into 1/3" pieces, mix with the salted shrimp and seasoning and let stand.

2. Fry the seasoned chicken lightly in a pan. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken and simmer on low but steady heat.

3. Cut the round onion, red peppers and green pepper into 1/4" square pieces.

4. When the broth is almost evaporated, add the #3 vegetables and stir-fry briefly.

Beef and Vegetable Stew (Seogogi Yachaetchim)

Beef and Vegetable Stew (Seogogi Yachaetchim)

Ingredients: A 1 lb beef, 5 large cabbage leaves B 1/2 cup cornstarch powder, 1/2 egg, 6 tbsp. chopped green onion, 2 tbsp. garlic, 1 tbsp. rice wine, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. sesame salt, 1 tsp. salt, black pepper, MSG C 1/2 carrot, 2 green peppers, 2 oz. mung-bean sprouts, parsley, cherries

Method:
1. Remove te vein stems from the cabbage leaves and cut the leaves into 4" square pieces. Scald in salted boiling water and rinse them in cold water.

2. Cut the carrot into 1/4" thick pieces and scald and cut them into 1/4" square pieces. Scald the mung-bean sprouts, squeeze and chop them finely.

3. Mix the minced beef and sliced vegetables well with the B ingredients. Shape the mixture into oval meatballs in the palm of your hand and dip in starch powder.

4. Dip the insides of the cabbage leaves in cornstarch powder. Place each meatball in the cabbage leaf and wrap it into a small bundle.

5. Place the cabbage bundles in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes.

Spiced cucumber

My hubby likes cucumbers so I prepare cucumbers almost everyday. Except from dipping the cucumbers from red pepper paste, here's another recipe that I can share to you.



Ingredients: salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 cucumber, leeks, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 onion, 2 tbsp. pepper powder, sesame seeds, 1 tbsp. sesame oil

Method:
1. Peel and slice the cucumber.
2. Pound the garlic.
3. Slice the onion.
4. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Transfer in a saucer and pour a little sesame seeds on top.
6. Eat and enjoy.