Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchijeon)

Posted on March 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

It looks like I’m going to have a couple more kimchi-related posts until I can use up all the kimchi that I made!  Tonight’s supper was kimchi pancakes.

I found a couple of different recipes, one with a stiffer flour and water batter and one with added egg, one with just kimchi and one with shredded potatoes added. I didn’t have a potato in my pantry, but I did have a sweet potato. So I decided to use that instead, and it turned out to be a good combination – with the sweet of the potato balancing out the hot and sour kimchi. Here’s the hybrid recipe;

Kimchi and Sweet Potato Pancakes
4 oz. kimchi, chopped
1 cup shredded sweet potato
1 egg
2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. water
vegetable oil for frying

Shred sweet potatoes, and finely chop the kimchi.

sweetpotato

kimchi

Whisk together the egg, water and flour until you have a smooth, thin batter.

eggbatter

Stir in the kimchi and potatoes.

batter

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan, then spread the pancake batter about 1/4-inch thin. Fry until golden brown on both sides, slowly to allow the sweet potato to cook within the pancake. Continue to cook the remaining batter, adding more vegetable oil as needed.  Makes about three pancakes, 6 inches in diameter.

pancakes

I ate the pancakes with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce, very tasty!

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Posted in Korea, Main dish

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Braised Tofu

Posted on January 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

 

browned tofu

Start with 1 lb. firm tofu. Slice into quarters and press with paper towel to remove extra liquid. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Slice tofu into smaller pieces and fry in the skillet until well-browned.

braising tofu

Add 6 Tbsp. Soy Scallion Dipping Sauce (recipe below), and continue to simmer until liquid is absorbed/evaporated. The result is a crispy and flavorful tofu. This method of tofu preparation was so easy, I’m already thinking of other sauces or marinades that I could use!

Braised Tofu

Soy Scallion Dipping Sauce
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. Korean red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. roasted sesame seeds, crushed
1/4 c. chopped green onions

Whisk together all ingredients until well-blended. Use this sauce for the braised tofu recipe above. Use the leftover sauce as a dipping sauce for dumplings, or salad dressing.

Recipe adapted from: The Korean Table, by Chung and Samuels

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Posted in Korea, Main dish

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Kidney bean soup

Posted on March 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

I don’t typically cook with kidney beans, other than to include a can in my crockpot chili recipe. I think maybe they were too common in some of my childhood meals, and I haven’t had much of a taste for them as an adult. Thankfully though, in continuing to cook some Georgian dishes this week, one of the things I decided to try was a kidney bean soup.

This soup started with dried kidney beans, a very cheap protein! Unless you grow your own herbs (parsley is all I have growing right now), the herbs for this dish may be the most expensive ingredient. But the combination of herbs and leeks, plus that little bit of vinegar at the end, is what gives this soup a fresh spring flavor that is just delicious. I’ve had a lot of trouble with other dried beans, being able to cook them and get them completely soft – but that was not a problem with this recipe. Especially with reheating, the beans start to break up and dissolve a bit into the soup, thickening it. Soup lovers – it’s highly recommended that you give this one a try!

Kidney Bean Soup (Lobios Chorba)
1 1/2 c. dried kidney beans
2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks, (white and light green parts) thinly sliced
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper, or 1/2 jalapeno
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. celery leaf, minced
fresh parsley, cilantro, dill (about 6 sprigs each)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Place the beans, water, salt and bay leaf in a stockppot. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid slightly ajar for about 1.5 hours, checking and stirring occasionally to make sure the water doesn’t run out as the beans absorb it.

Saute the onions, carrot, and leek in the butter in a nonstick skillet until soft, 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat. When the beans are softened, add the vegetables to the soup, plus the garlic, hot pepper and black pepper to taste. Stir well and continue to simmer another 15 minutes. Just before serving, check the levels of salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Then stir in the celery leaf, herbs and vinegar, and serve.

Adapted from : The Georgian Feast, by Darra Goldstein

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Posted in Georgia (the country), Soup

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