Author: gomo

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Korean Soy-Marinated Chicken

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They’re moist, tender, and, more importantly, so flavorful. If you are familiar with Korean cuisine, the chicken breasts are marinated in a bulgogi-like marinade. It has the right amount of salty and sweet to make it the perfect accompaniment to plain steamed rice.

Some people may believe that they need to resign themselves to dry and/or tough boneless chicken breasts. They are healthy, in part, due to their low fat content, but this also causes them to be dry and tough if not cooked correctly. So by marinating the chicken breasts in a soy sauce-based marinade, you are effectively soaking them in a brine solution; this makes the chicken breasts juicy. Now I really want to break into a discussion about osmosis and osmotic pressure – some of the science behind why brining works the way it does. But I will suppress the urge, lest I bore you to death and give myself away as a giant science geek.

Believe me though, this dish is extremely juicy and flavorful.

Continue Reading Soy-Marinated Chicken . . .

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Fresh Fig Season Is Almost Over…

Fresh Fig season is almost over, and I’m sad. I love raw fresh figs. You can simply twist off the stem and pop them in your mouth. They are sweet in taste: a subtle combination of berries and/or peaches. The flesh and the skin of the fruit are soft and chewy; and the small seeds provide plenty of crunchiness.

But there are so many other ways to enjoy raw fresh figs: dipped in chocolate or other creamy sauces, stuffed with cheese or nuts, drizzled with honey, etc. And I’m going to eat as much fresh figs as I can, in as many ways as I can, while I can. Because not only are figs delicious, they are packed with nutrients. Figs are a fruit source of calcium; they are also a good source of dietary fiber, potassium and manganese – some of the minerals our bodies need for healthy functioning.

With all of their health benefits and their tastiness, I was shocked to discover that many people have never tried fresh figs – including my husband. In fact, my husband hadn’t had any type of figs prior to this summer – dried or fresh; well, let me qualify that by saying, other than in Fig Newtons. After hearing that, I had to run out and grab some fresh figs, just so he can try them. Needless to say, after trying fresh figs, he’s hooked!

If you haven’t yet tried fresh figs, you really should. Run out and get them before the season is over!

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Gluten-Free* Breakfast Bars or Snack Bars, Choice is Yours

I baked gluten-free breakfast bars (or snack bars or non-granola “granola bars”, whichever) over the weekend. They were chewy, hearty, sweet, and delicious. We enjoyed them as breakfast bars with coffee, and as snack bars later in the day. Since I don’t bake often, my husband thoroughly enjoyed these rare homemade treats.

I rarely bake, because I don’t like the hassle of having to measure out every ingredient. But baking soothes my soul. And my soul needed soothing last weekend. Hurricane Irene paralyzed NYC over the weekend. EVERYTHING shut down. Luckily, we didn’t get the brunt of the storm. But many of our neighboring states and cities are still reeling from the aftermath. My thoughts are with them.

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Nokdu Bindaetteok (Mung Bean Pancakes with Dipping Sauce)

Nokdu Bindaetteok (Korean Mung Bean Pancakes) is my maternal grandmother’s specialty. Nokdu Bindaetteok, which directly translates to Mung Bean Pancake, is usually made with sliced pork, kimchi, sukju namul (mung bean sprouts), and sometimes gosari namul (bracken fern shoots). But I’m omitting the pork for this Nokdu Bindaetteok/Mung Bean Pancake recipe, making this dish vegan. And for the base of the batter? Simply, soaked mung beans and rice. Flour-free. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Just delicious goodness.

Keep in mind; when you dine at a restaurant, mung bean pancakes are not necessarily gluten-free unless specifically stated. Restaurants can add different types of flour to the batter – not a good thing. Additionally, dipping sauces can contain gluten. So always ask. Don’t assume.

Happy Eating!

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Kkakdugi (Radish Kimchi)

kkakdugi daikon radish kimchi

I made Kkakdugi (Radish/Daikon Kimchi) over the weekend. And my home-made Kkakdugi turned out so delicious! It made me wonder why I don’t do this more often. And to think, I only decided to make it because of a troubling ingredient in my store-bought Kkakdugi/Kimchi. I guess it was a blessing in disguise.

I was reading the ingredients of my go-to, store-bought kimchi the other day. And to my shock, my “preservative-free” kimchi contained MSG. I guess the “preservative-free” on the label gave me a false sense of comfort (well, enough comfort not to check out the ingredients for 3+ years!). I know; MSG is not a preservative. And it’s not false advertising. But I’m sorely disappointed that my go-to kimchi is not the probiotics-filled, all-natural goodness I once thought it was.

So I decided to make my own probiotics-filled, all-natural Kkakdugi (Radish Kimchi) – sweetened with fruit and honey, instead of sugar. Kkakdugi is traditionally made with Mu (or Moo) – Korean radish. Mu is usually thicker and shorter than a Daikon. But if you can’t find Mu at your local grocers, Daikon is a good substitute; that’s what I’m using.

Luckily, Kkakdugi is pretty easy to make. And you can make it in relatively short amount of time. So if this is your first foray into Kimchi-making, I highly recommend Kkakdugi. Not only is it easy, it’s probably the most foolproof of all Kimchi.

And let me tell you. It is so delicious and totally worth the effort.

Continue Reading Kkakdugi . . .