Skinny Sweet Potato and Bean Chili

Skinny Sweet Potato and Bean Chili | cHowDivine.com

I cook a lot of stews, like this skinny sweet potato and bean chili, over the colder months. I love dishes that are rich, hearty, and piping hot when it’s cold outside. But that’s not the only reason why I cook them often. It’s also because I can reheat and enjoy them again and again. Luckily, stews reheat wonderfully and taste even better the second (or third) time around when the flavors have had a chance to percolate and meld together over a longer period of time. To be honest, that’s the main reason I make this skinny sweet potato and bean chili. It’s delicious from the get-go, but it’s even better reheated.

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Brisket Stock

Brisket Stock for Korean Soups and Stews | cHowDivine.com

This versatile stock can be used for most Korean soups and stews. And the beef can be shredded or cut and used in soups, sauces, sandwiches, and even as banchan on its own. If you want to eat it as banchan, just mix it with a splash of tamari, dark sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, chopped green onion, pinch of salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

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Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup)

Tteokguk (Korean Rice Cake Soup) | cHowDivine.com

Happy (Lunar) New Year everyone! I hope this post finds everyone happy and well.

In a Korean home, a new year celebration always involves tteokguk or manduguk. When I was little, I was told that I couldn’t become a year older if I didn’t consume a bowl of tteok guk on New Year’s Day. Although that sounds like a nice proposition at this point in my life, I couldn’t wait to get older back then. But one thing has stayed constant. I still don’t need any excuses to devour a bowl of tteokguk. It’s one of my favorite cold-weather soups.

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Hobakjuk Revisited (Pumpkin Porridge with Rice Dumplings)

HobakJuk (Pumpkin Porridge with Rice "Mochi" Dumplings) by cHowDivine.com

I’m not crazy about cold weather. My threshold for cold weather is pretty low. If the temperature dips below 60, I just want to hibernate. But I love seasonal produce that comes with every season. Fall is no exception.

It’s not fall in our household without the cold-weather squashes. I love butternut and acorn squash. But they don’t hold a candle to my favorite winter squash of them all, kabocha squash. I love its sweetness and drier texture. It’s reminiscent of goguma (Korean sweet potato) and bahm (chestnuts), two of my favorite fall/winter treats. I love kabocha squash simply roasted or steamed. But they are wonderful in dishes as well. One of my favorite kabocha squash dishes is hobakjuk.

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Korean-Style Miso Noodle Soup

Miso Noodle Soup by cHowDivine.com

I was totally out of commission for over a week due to a terrible cold. I’ve been going nonstop since my California vacation in June. And getting eight hours of sleep was nothing but a feint memory. I was doing relatively OK, albeit a little tired, until a couple of weeks ago. Then… ugh. It’s funny how you are forced to find the time to rest once your body feels like it’s been hit by a mac truck.

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