Bibim Nengmyun (Gochujang Buckwheat Noodles)

Unless this is your very first visit to the blog, you know we are spicy food eaters.  I'm pretty sure sriracha has replaced ketchup in my regular diet (yes, it's all I put on my hot dogs), and the Monkey Scientist believes salt and pepper means salt and crushed red pepper flakes.  When the roommate and I were at HMart, the women handing out samples warned us a few times that we should be careful because whatever they were giving us was very spicy.  We disagreed.

I say all of this as a warning.  This dish was barely more than spaghetti and marinara sauce in our house, but our house is clearly not the norm.  If you hate spicy food switch on over to this post. And just ignore all that crushed red pepper....



One thing I love about Asian foods is the variety and intensity of the spiciness they offer.  Korean foods in particular have great flavor even in the spiciest ingredients.  Whenever we go to the Asian market, we have to pick up a container of gochujang.  This time, I learned something new about gochujang!  It is rated in terms of spice where the higher number is spicier.  Gochujang rated 1-2 is mild, 3 is medium, 4 is hot, and 5 is "burn your face off" hot.  Or at least I think that's what this label was trying to tell me.  We picked up a 3 and a 5 (the latter for the Monkey Scientist, of course).  We don't actually buy this brand, despite their amazing graphic design.  We buy Sunchang because the woman at HMart told us it's the best (and some others seem to agree).



I liked this dish because I thought it would be a good way to test out the difference between the gochujang rated a 3 vs the 5.  Honestly, I was terrified of the 5 at first.  The picture on the jar doesn't have eyes anymore!  But it actually wasn't that bad.  At first, I don't think there is even a difference between the 3 and 5, but once it hits your mouth the 5 does create a tingle.  I definitely burns a little bit, but it's also sort of just like a really pungent half sour pickle.  For every day, the 3 is just fine, but I'm ok with keeping the 5 in the house as well.

The dish itself is...interesting.  Which I know was what my great grandmother said about things she didn't like, but that's not what I mean at all.  I wouldn't say it was my favorite thing I've made recently, but it was a nice change of pace to what we usually eat and was super simple to throw together.  It's a cold noodle dish, which I'm not very accustomed to making.  I like the cold of the noodles contrasted with the heat from the gochujang. The tobiko on top added a nice bite that I enjoyed a lot.  The original recipe was served with a hard boiled egg, but that did not sound up my alley at all. Otherwise, the recipe itself was very good!



BiBim Nengmyun (Gochujang Buckwheat Noodles)
slightly adapted from spoon fork bacon

Ingredients
8 ounces Korean-style buckwheat noodles
1/3 cup gochujang
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
garnish:
1 tbsp tobiko (flying fish roe)
¼ small hothouse cucumber, julienne

Instructions
1. Cook the buckwheat noodles according to package instructions.  Rinse in a colander under cold water until the noodles are cool.
2. Combine the gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  The gochujang will be thick at first, but just keep whisking!
3. Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir to coat.  Garnish with tobiko and julienned cucumber.

Harissa Chickpea Burgers with Cucumber Mint Yogurt Sauce

Last night was the first time in a while that the Monkey Scientist and I were in town at the same time as his roommate.  We decided to celebrate by making a little family dinner.  His roommate loves chickpeas so I knew when I sent him this recipe that he would interested.

The hardest part of this whole recipe was finding harissa.  We finally were able to find it at the mediterranean market/restaurant in Cleveland Park.  They just received a shipment so if you live in DC this is the place to go!

We really enjoyed this recipe. It was perfectly spicy - perfect for me and the MS's roommate, although of course the Monkey Scientist added sriracha on top.  I'm convinced he isn't satified with a meal unless his lips are burning!  I particularly like the pistachios.  That's something I've never included in chickpea burgers I've made before. I loved the yogurt sauce as well.  It's similar to a tzatziki, but with lots of fresh mint.  It was a great and fairly quick weeknight meal (with yummy roasted asparagus)!



Harissa Chickpea Burgers with Cucumber Mint Yogurt Sauce
from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients
burgers
1/2 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tablespoons harissa
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pistachios, unsalted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
yogurt sauce
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, diced
3 tablespoons mint, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
2. When soft, add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and harissa, along with two tablespoons of water. Mix until combined and until it resembles a thick wet paste.
3. In a food processor, add the shallot/spice mixture, chickpeas, pistachios and salt; pulse until roughly chopped. Using a spatula, scrape down sides and pulse one or two times. Taste for salt (1 teaspoon was perfect for me); add more, if you like. Remove half of the mixture and transfer to a bowl. Add the egg to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is nearly smooth. Add the mixture from the food processor to the bowl and combine both mixtures.
4. Fold in the bread crumbs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, cucumber, mint and lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture onto your palm and form the patties. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush it generously with olive oil. Cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Serve the burgers on burger buns or fresh soft pita (we toasted our pita in the oven).

Yields 6 burgers

What we had for dinner this week

OK I'm still behind on blogging.  I have no pretty pictures for you.  But I wanted to share the recipes we made this week to give you cooking inspiration!

Sunday night: Bibimbop from Cooking Light  We used steak instead of tofu (the Monkey Scientist is from the Midwest, I can't just be feeding him tofu!).  Bibimbop is my favorite Korean dish.  My favorite is from Kang's in Ann Arbor - I love how the hot stone makes the rice at the bottom crispy.  This recipe simulated it well by crisping up the rice in the cast iron skillet.  Lots of wonderful Asian flavors.

Monday night: Roasted Chicken with Red-Skinned Potatoes and Carrots
Washed a 5 1/2 lb chicken, covered in olive oil, chicken seasoning from the Christmas Tree Shop, and freshly ground black pepper, inside and out. Stuffed it with a lemon, cut in half.  Filled a dish with quartered potatoes and carrots (did nothing else to them beside clean and cut) and then put the chicken on top.  Baked at 475 for 25 minutes and then at 400 for 45 minutes.  I cooked it breast-side up for the first 45 minutes and then flipped it for the last 25.  Perfection, and still eating leftovers for lunch.

Tuesday night: We ate at Tesoro in Van Ness.  Not overly impressed.

Wednesday night: Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cucumber Avocado Salsa from Cookin' Canuck  - I'm now completely obsessed with this recipe.  Took 15 minutes to throw together, including cooking time, and tastes AMAZING.  The ancho chili powder (which I got at World Market) and cumin have almost a cinnamon-like spice to them.  The honey in the salsa is the perfect amount of sweetness and the lime gives just the right tang.  I loved the load of vegetables on top of the chicken - I didn't even need to make a grain to fill us up.  We made it on a cookie sheet with sprayed with olive oil rather than a rack and it was fine.  Definitely give this one a try!

Thursday night:  BBQ night!  Our friends have been organizing barbecues every Thursday at my apartment building.  This week I'm bringing Peanut Butter Cup S'mores Bars from Mel's Sweet Life.  The assembly wasn't so easy (forming that last bit into an 8x8 square? All I had was crumbs.)  But they've been sitting on my counter overnight and I'm quite confident they'll be delicious.

Hopefully I can get you some full recipes and pics over the weekend... I will do my best!

Greek Salad Bruschetta

I'm not quite ready to talk about the Superbowl yet.  But I think I'm finally ready to talk about the food.  We did have lots and lots of food.



I wanted to make something a little bit lighter than the typical wings, chips, dip, and pizza this year.  I loved this bruschetta because it was a little bit different than regular bruschetta, was nice and light, and is easy to pick up and enjoy while watching the game.  Plus, it reminded me of the Greek salad we get when we visit our family friends in Florida, and it was right around the Superbowl last time I was down there.



The Monkey Scientist and his roommate hosted the Superbowl party this year and, despite the outcome, we all had a great time.  It was a true hodge-podge of our friends, but it was really great to get everyone together.  Folks seemed to like the bruschetta, although it may not have been the right crowd because the chicken tenders were eaten much faster.  I think this would be a great appetizer for a dinner party or even a family holiday because it comes together pretty quickly.  It's light, a bit acidic, and tasty.  Even though I am not a tomato-lover, I enjoyed this one a lot!



Greek Salad Bruschetta
slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients
French baguette, sliced
1-2 tbsp butter, softened.
1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/3 cup kalamata olives, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spread butter on baguette slices. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until baguette slices are golden brown and toasted.
3. In a medium bowl, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and red onion. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice and feta cheese. Stir until well combined. Season with oregano, Cavender's, salt and pepper.  Bruschetta topping can be kept in the fridge for a couple hours before using.
4. Top baguette slices with bruschetta topping. Serve immediately.

Sushi Making Class

Last week, my camp friend, her younger sister and I went to an i wish... lessons' sushi making class at the Hill Center in Eastern Market.  We had bought the class on Living Social months ago, so I had been looking forward to this for a long time!  The class taught basic sushi making technique including how to make 3 rolls - cucumber, California, and spicy tuna.  We made a regular Maki roll as well as an "inside out" Maki roll.



Here is what I learned:

When you spread the sushi on the rice, make it a THIN layer, without crushing the grains.  Then you won't overfill your sushi.
Stack your filling only at the bottom of the roll, then roll up around it.
Hold the back of the mat with your thumbs while holding the filling with your fingers until you've gotten over the first roll.  Then pull back the mat while you roll, so it doesn't get wrapped in your maki.

Sushi making takes practice! It's hard to figure out what the right amount of rice and filling is so that you don't over or underfill your roll.

Sushi grade tuna isn't regulated by the FDA like meat.  It means that it was frozen at -31°F to prevent parasites from growing.  It can be purchased at Whole Foods or other high-end markets, and buying it frozen is probably better than "fresh".



We were all quite proud of the skills we developed.  Some of our rolls came out better than others (my California and little sister's Spicy Tuna rolls were a bit of a flop) but I think with practice we could get pretty good at this!  No matter how floppy they looked, they were all super delicious.  Now that I have the basic idea, I want to go to H Mart for the mat and rice and then make some more "American" sushi.  I'm thinking about BBQ pork, mango and kiwi, maybe even chorizo sushi!  So many possibilities!!

If you want to learn how to make sushi, you should check out an i wish... lessons class.  They have classes in DC, Chicago, Boston, and Detroit (which covers about 90% of my friends and likely readers).  It's a bit expensive, but watch for a Living Social or Groupon and it could be as affordable as going out to eat!

Sushi Rice
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 c sushi rice, uncooked (you can buy this at an Asian market or most grocery stores)
1/2 c rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
note: instead of the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, you can alternatively buy sushi vinegar at an Asian market

Instructions
1. Wash rice - rinse in cold water repeatedly until the water is nearly clear (it will be very cloudy the first few times).
2. Cook rice according to package instructions (preferably in a rice cooker)
3. Make rice vinegar mixture by mixing salt and sugar into the rice vinegar until fully dissolved.  Add more sugar until you've reached your preferred balance of sweet and tart.
4. Place rice in a large bowl or bin for mixing and slowly pour rice vinegar as evenly as possible over rice surface.
5. Mix rice by tossing and slicing with rice paddle (or spatula).
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes under moist rags before use.



Cucumber Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
3. Line a couple of slices of cucumber alone the bottom edge of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch).
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).



California Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
3 crabsticks
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Spread the sushi rice in a thin layer directly on the mat in a square slightly larger than the nori, then place the nori on top.
3. Place cucumber and avocado stacked along the bottom end of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch). Split the crabstick in half and add on top of the cucumber and avocado. (It will peel apart like string cheese)
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Release it from the mat, sprinkle some sesame seeds on your cutting board, and roll the whole roll through the seeds to coat evenly.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).




Spicy Tuna Roll
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1/2 lb raw sushi-grade tuna
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional

Instructions
1. Mix mayo and sriracha in a bowl.  Add more sriracha until reaching your preferred spiciness level.  Chop tuna and mix with spicy mayo.
2. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
3. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
4. Place spicy tuna mixture, cucumber, and avocado (if using) along the bottom edge of the nori, stacked (only go up about 1/2 inch).
5. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).

Note: this is not a paid post.  i wish... lessons doesn't know who I am or that I'm posting.  I just had a great time!

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

I'm back!  I had a beautiful holiday full of twirling princesses, a white Christmas, a little skiing, and lots of love in both New Hampshire and Chicago.  I hope you had a great holiday season as well!



Now that I'm back, it's back to the kitchen!  This week I decided to try out a recipe that you might have seen before.  Apparently, it's made commonly enough that when I brought in leftovers for lunch my coworker knew within minutes which recipe I'd made.  But I made a couple of changes to make it my own, so hopefully it will still be a bit fresh for you!



One of my favorite gifts this holiday season (though there were many) was from my baby bro, who had just returned from a trip to Israel.  He visited Capernaum Vista Olive Farms on his trip, where he watched olive be pressed fresh, right in front of him! He brought me back a 3 pack of different high end extra virgin olive oils, all of which are delicious, and which were perfect for using in this recipe. (Just don't tell the Kosher Israelis that I put their olive oil on shrimp...)



I still had lots of fish stock in my freezer from October, so I decided I'd add a little flavor to my pasta by boiling it in fish stock instead of just water.  I'm not sure it made a whole lot of difference, but gave a nice undertone to the dish.  One of my New Years resolutions will be to experiment with making new types of stock this year - I think that making my own chicken/beef/vegetable/lamb broths will be a lot more versatile than the fish broth, since I can't get the best seafood in DC.  Does anyone have any ideas for what to do with my last 2 quarts?



We really enjoyed this dish overall!  I can't say it was my favorite dish of all time - it doesn't quite have our usual high impact flavor profile - but it was easy to throw together, tasty, and healthy.  It was lemony, fresh, with some light protein from the shrimp (which were cooked to perfection after ~5 minutes), and I adore eating orzo.  It'd be a great dish to bring to a potluck or on a picnic. It's also a pretty ideal dish to throw together when you need to eat a quick dinner so you can snuggle into bed to watch your team win the Sugar Bowl.  And on that note, GO BLUE!



Roasted Shrimp and Orzo
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 quart fish stock (optional)
1/2 box orzo pasta (I like Barilla)
Kosher salt
Good olive oil (like this)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup freshly chopped mint
1/2 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
1 cup feta cheese, large diced

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Fill a large pot with fish stock or water (fish stock just adds extra flavor! If using water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil), and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente (follow your package instructions). Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.
3. Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!
4. Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the mint, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Unless you're totally impatient like me, set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Simple Lunch: Salad with Goat Cheese, Cukes, and Tahini

Based on the fact you don't see a new blog post every day, you must realize I don't make a big extravagant dish for every meal.  A lot of things are so simple they don't seem blog-worthy.  Sometimes, though, the most simple dishes are exactly what you're looking for and all you need is a little inspiration!

When I don't have much time to throw something together - which is almost always the case in the morning when I'm making my lunch - I love to make a simple salad.  I'm not a big salad dressing person (the ingredient list always frightens me) so finding new inspiring ways to top my salad is always a big challenge.  Often I go with some fresh squeezed lemon and garlic salt, but lemons get really expensive when you can't grow them yourself!  This week, I tried topping it with tahini paste and hot sauce - it was a fun, healthy, flavorful alternative to dressing.

I hope my recipe will inspire some new ingredients for your salad (I was inspired by my falafel burgers!).  I meant to add raisins but forgot at the last minute.  I would have loved to add some bell pepper (I used to hate these when I was younger, now I can't stop eating them!) but I had run out.  You can just feel free to use anything you have on hand!

Simple Salad with Goat Cheese, Cucumbers, and Tahini

Ingredients:
1 cup lettuce (I used mixed baby greens)
2 tbsp goat cheese
1/4 c cucumbers, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp tahini paste
8 dashes hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/3 tsp garlic salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl or tupperware, combine lettuce, goat cheese, and cucumbers.
2. Drizzle tahini over veggies and cheese. Dash with hot sauce. Sprinkle with ginger powder, garlic salt, and pepper.
3. Place lid on tupperware, or a plate over the bowl, and shake well to mix all the ingredients. (Make sure lid is on or you're holding the plate tight so you dont have salad all over the floor!)

Chicken Souvlaki Pita with Skinny Tzatziki

I had some leftover chicken breast tenders from my trip to H-Mart, so when this simple recipe popped up on the Tasty Kitchen blog I thought it would be a great way to use them up! (Don't worry, I kept them frozen since I bought them!)

I use chicken breast tenders pretty frequently. I'm not sure of the nutritional difference between full breasts and the breast tenders, but the tenders are usually a lot less expensive.  When I'm chopping up the chicken by the end of the recipe anyway, like I do here (especially because I pounded it out), it made a lot of sense to go this route.

The real secret ingredient to this recipe is Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning.  I know, another pre-mixed spice blend, but they are so easy to use! I found it at a specialty market, but hopefully you can find it in larger grocery stores as well.  Penzy's also has a greek spice blend, and it may be worth trying that instead (probably has less sodium!), although Cavender's does have a very unique flavor.

Tzatziki is one of the most delicious condiments - and it's so easy to make a skinny version.  I adapted this recipe from missamy's version on Tasty Kitchen as well as the version on Gina's Skinny.  Greek yogurt is now really easy to find in grocery stores and it gives the tzatziki the perfect tang!

Don't cut up the cucumbers in the tzatziki too small - it's nice when they give a little bite to the sandwich!

P.S. there is no cottage cheese in this recipe.  I used the old container to store the tzatziki!  It's all about recycling!

Overall, we really enjoyed this sandwich.  I loved that I could prep everything either in the morning, the night before, or even right when I get home from work, and then, when we get hungry, throw the chicken on the Foreman for 2 minutes and have a meal ready in under 5. When the Monkey Scientist got home from a late flight, I had dinner ready before he could walk to my apartment from the metro, even though I'd been running errands all evening. And he told me I make a mean tzatziki - didn't even notice that it was skinnified! The chicken has so much flavor from the greek seasoning, and the tzatziki balanced it perfectly.

Now that the weather is warming up (it's been in the 80s in DC!) and we're days away from the pool being open on weekends, I'll have to have this prepped at all times for a perfect Sunday lunch by the pool!

Chicken Souvlaki Pita with Skinny Tzatziki

Adapted from missamy on Tasty Kitchen and Gina's Skinny

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

for the chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (about 6 tenders)

4 teaspoons Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning

4 teaspoons olive oil

for the tzatziki

6-8 oz plain, non-fat greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

3 whole wheat pitas

Instructions:

Pound out the chicken breast until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Rub down with a little bit of olive oil, then season both sides generously with the Cavender's Greek Seasoning. Wrap in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator to let marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, mix greek yogurt, chopped cucumbers, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill the chicken until no longer pink. (This takes about 2 minutes on the George Foreman grill, but you could definitely use a real grill!)

Spoon a good amount of tzatziki in each pita.  Slice chicken into strips and divide evenly between pitas. Enjoy!