Korean BBQ Wings - Flavor Forecast 2012

I have discovered this week:

*I'm slowly losing my resistance - it’s about time for me to get a smartphone…like one where you can actually whatsapp people the photos you've taken throughout the day or navigate yourself out of being lost in the city.

*Purple is so not in at the moment.  I have struggled like never before to find a purple bridesmaid dress!

*The last thing I want to do after a long day at work is to come home and sit in front of the computer…I feel terrible about the emails to be sent and comments to be replied...

*The very first frangipani flower appeared on our balcony...aloha!

*It’s now February…no more excuses for putting things off just because “it’s still the beginning of the year.”

*I am supposedly chronically allergic to peanut butter and milk (according to a recent blood test). I wonder if I’d puff up if I have a peanut butter milkshake!

*This flavour combo – Korean Pepper paste with Sesame, Asian pear and Garlic is kinda amazing on my palate.

Remember the McCormick Flavor Forecast I posted a few weeks back, where I told you how I really wanted to try this flavour combo?

It's garlicky, peppery, slightly hot, sweet...and juicy (from the pear!)

Totally Tuesday night kinda food as you repeatedly wonder why it's not even half way through the week yet. It sure feels like a Friday to me!

Just mix together the Korean pepper sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, and a bit of sesame oil into a bowl.

Toss the wings/drumsticks into the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes (the longer the better!)

(I'm feeling uneasy putting photos up of uncooked chicken as this is mostly a flour-butter-eggs-sugar kinda blog...)

Bake (then grill, which I didn't) and enjoy!

I can see why people love this flavour combo! The juicy sweetness from the pear along with the garlicky Korean pepper sauce causes some serious finger licking actions until you find yourself with an empty plate in front of you on a feels-like-a-Friday Tuesday night!

Hurry up weekend. Come already!

"Korean BBQ meets Buffalo wings. These succulent finger foods are served with crunchy Asian pear to create a unique flavor adventure."

Korean BBQ Wings

Flavor Forecast

Makes 12 appetizer servings.

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Korean pepper paste (Gochujang)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) soy sauce
• 1/4 cup (60 mL or 85 grams) honey
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL or 20 grams) minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL or 2 grams) McCormick® Ground Ginger
• 4 pounds (2 kilograms) chicken wing pieces (I used both drumsticks and wings)
• 1 Asian pear
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL or 7 grams) McCormick® Sesame Seed

1. Mix hot pepper paste, soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil and ginger in medium bowl until well blended. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1/2 cup (120 mL) of the marinade; toss to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Reserve remaining marinade.

2. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Place chicken on shallow foil-lined large baking pan. Bake in preheated 375°F (190°C, Gas Mark 5) oven 30 minutes, turning chicken halfway through cooking.

3. Meanwhile, quarter and core the Asian pear. Cut each quarter into 3 pieces. Place pear slices in large bowl. Add cooked chicken and 1/2 of the reserved marinade; toss to coat well.

4. Grill chicken and pear slices over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until grill marks appear, turning occasionally. Toss chicken and pear slices with remaining reserved marinade in large bowl. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seed.

Test Kitchen Tips:

• Gochujang or Korean pepper paste is made from chile powder, glutinous rice powder, fermented soybeans and salt. It is used to flavor stews, soups and marinades, and as a condiment at the table. It is available in Asian markets and online specialty stores.

• Chicken wings may be grilled without prebaking. Grill marinated chicken over medium-high heat 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through, turning frequently. Grill pear slices as directed, brushing with 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade. Continue as directed.
• 
  

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Pumpkin and Feta Muffins

Whoa, this has been a foreign place to me lately! (And I didn't mean for it to be like that, really!)

Just need to cozy it up with a bit of sunshine in the form of...

Pumpkins. Feta. Spinach. Parmesan. Mustard seeds. Sunflower kernels. 

You still with me? I hope so.

So as we quickly approach the year end, life continues to (in short)...

* be busy and filled with decisions to make.

* teach me things like understanding and patience (and how to kill mosquitoes in the middle of the night).

* test me and my heart.

* display beauty in many shapes and forms (and also in the intangible!)

As much as I adore anything sweet (as this blog testifies), if I have a choice between a sweet or a savoury muffin, I'd pick the latter without a thought. 

And usually they (i.e. multiple savoury muffins) can completely replace a meal for me...but only if they are filled with loads of flavoursome ingredients like these Pumpkin and Feta muffins.

After I enjoyed a few of these colourful muffins (hmmmm sweet sweet pumpkins, salty feta, crunchy seeds warm from the oven...need I go on?), it suddenly occurred to me that apart from the bit of olive oil to roast the pumpkins in, I don't recall using a bit of butter or oil in the whole process at all. 

I panicked slightly. Either I read the recipe wrong. Or I have amnesia.

So I checked the recipe again. Phew - I can read and memory still a-ok!

Happy that I discovered these delicious oil-free muffins. 

And thank you for visiting today. Make some muffins, grab a cup of tea and share some of your life and heart with me, won't you?

Pumpkin and Feta Muffins
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Makes 12 muffins

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I omitted this as I used non stick muffin pan).
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups / 9 oz / 255g cubed pumpkin or butternut squash, 1/2-inch cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large handful of baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro (I omitted this)
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds kernels
• 3/4 cup / 1 oz / 30g freshly grated Parmesan
• 100g / 3.5 oz / 1/2 cup cubed feta
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup / 180 ml milk (I used around 2 extra tbsp on top of this)
• 2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cup AP flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
• 4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 405F / 200C, with rack in the top third. Use the butter to grease a 12-hole muffin pan and set aside.

2. Sprinkle the olive oil and some salt and pepper over the squash. Toss well and turn onto a baking sheet or roasting pan. Arrange in a single layer and bake for 15 - 25 minutes or until cooked through entirely. Set aside to cool.

3. Transfer two-thirds of the squash to a large mixing bowl along with the spinach, parsley, sunflower seeds, Parmesan, two-thirds of the feta, and all of the mustard. Gently fold together. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and milk together and add to the squash mix. Sift the flour and baking powder onto the squash mix, top with the salt and a generous dose of freshly ground black pepper and fold together just until the batter comes together, be careful not to over mix.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, filling each hole 3/4 full, top each muffin with a bit of the remaining squash and feta (see photo up above). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops and sides of the muffins are golden, and the muffins have set up completely. Let cool for a couple minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack. I like these muffins cooled a bit, served just warmer than room temperature.

People cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. 

But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 

- Job 35:9-10

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Coriander (Cilantro) Meatballs

Before anything else, I just want to say this was the reason why I gave up eating lamb for a long period in my life:

We were on a family trip in Rotorua (New Zealand!) at some sheep farm and there happened to be a  bottle feeding session for the lambs.

The moment my lamb latched on to the milk bottle, my maternal instinct (can you be too young to have these instincts?) kicked in and I wanted to take Mary it home and look after the lamb for the rest of its life. After I was told that this was not a possibility, I swore that I'd never eat lamb ever again right there and then as my parents dragged me out of the farm.

Well today...this may sound terrible after that story but I now eat lamb (that's another story...) I especially love lamb cutlets! Hmmmm. But I'd never cooked it at home...until now.

What made me take this umm 'brave' step forward?

A few months ago I became involved in the Stephane Reynaud's 365 challenge initiated by publisher Murdoch books. The aim of the challenge is invite all keen cooks to help them cook through the book: 365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat  (one recipe for each day of the year!)

(On a side note, I got to say I quite like this cookbook. There are photos for every single recipe - yes all 365 of them, and I have cooked through several other recipes in there which turned out great.)

For my involvement I picked to cook Coriander (Cilantro) Meatballs - just because it would be nice to finally feature the ingredient my blog is named after in this space!

Hey look, say hi to green cilantro everyone:

However it only occurred to me as I setting out the ingredients for this dish that these meatballs are actually made of leftover leg of lamb! And I had thought they were ordinary meatballs! Since in my home we hardly ever have lamb of any sorts leftover so I got to roast a leg of lamb for the first time in my life too :) 

After the leg is roasted, the rest is super simple - just blitzing together the lamb leg, a bunch of coriander, eschalots, chives, bread (I didn't have white sandwich bread so I had to use seeded wholemeal), cream, eggs, and some cumin. And you're pretty much set.

Oh and after you roll the mixture into balls with your palms, you then need to greet your guests with unwashed hands (as instructed in the recipe by cheeky Stéphane!)

The sauce around the meatballs is a simple combination of tomatoes (I used canned), capsicums and white wine.

Couldn't resist eating one...

The verdict? These meatballs are so tender and as you bite into it the flavours of the coriander and cumin comes through beautifully complimented (but not overpowered) by the simple tomato sauce. It is a bit like a warm and comforting hug on a cold (and sick) day.

I can't wait to try more of Stéphane's recipes - I find that they're easy to follow and whip up, and so tasty too! You'll be seeing more of them in this space, that's for sure!

Coriander Meatballs
Serves 6 (I halved the recipe)

• 3 French shallots (eschalots)
• 1 bunch of coriander (cilantro!)
• 500g (1lb 2oz) left over roast lamb leg
• 200mL (7fl oz) pouring (whipping) cream
• 100g (3 1/2 oz) soft white sandwich bread (I used seeded wholewheat)
• 1 tbsl cumin
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 bunch of chives, snipped
• salt and pepper
• 1 red capsicum (pepper)
• 1 green capsicum (pepper)
•  2 tomatoes (I used 1 canned diced tomatoes)
• 250mL (9 fl oz/1cup) white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 160C (315 F)

2. Peel and slice the shallots.

3. Pick the coriander leaves. Process the leftover lamb with the cream, bread, coriander and cumin. Add the eggs, shallots and chives, then season.

4. Make meatballs (by rubbing dry hands with flour, take a tbsp of mixture and roll it between the palms of your hands), place them into a gratin dish.

5. Dice the capsicums and tomatoes, place them around the meatballs, add the wine.

6. Bake for 30 minutes.

And in case you're wondering, I still find lambs very cute and wouldn't mind having one as a pet.

I hope you have a blessed day :)

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Black Rice with Edamame Beans

In the past 48 hours I...

...went through a whole packet of lemsip and strepsils.

...probably looked like a crazy lady with dirty hair sticking out in every directions, 2 pairs of socks (at least they were matching!), and layers of baggy clothes that somehow stretch bigger year after year. Oh and a red nose + a box of tissue tucked under my arms where ever I went.

...wondered when I would feel like a functional and useful human being again.

...browsed through every top 20s of each genre on iTune in bed.

...captured the amazing colours of the sky outside my window.

...received 2 cards from 2 special friends - both have sent me birthday cards every year without fail since we were 9 - definitely brightened up this bedridden girl's day!

...tried to entertain myself at home:

...was sad to have to have to drop out of lunch (at Quay!) - something I've looked forward to for so long.

...hoped that somebody would cook something delicious for me and feed it to me in bed while I watch a movie but realised that's not going to happen ;)

...discovered the only vegetable supply I have at home is in the frozen form. 

At times of sickness, it's only appropriate to load your body up with something nourishing...like, black rice! And yes, my frozen vege supply - edamame beans.

So have you tried cooking black rice before?

Things I found out:

- It stains (lucky I had my baggy sick clothes on)! Once cooked, it turns into a dark burgundy colour. Prettty!

- It hold its shape well after cooked and is pleasantly chewy. 

- It's packed with nutrition - low in sugar, high in fibre and plant compounds. 

- It's is also known as 'forbidden rice' because originally in China, only the nobles were allowed to eat it! I'm glad I'm a woman of today.

- Apparently, "just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar, and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants." Source here.

  

Anyways, I decided to cook the black rice with loads of onions and garlic in chicken stock, topped generously with those healthful edamame beans. I've made this a few times in the past (the photos are from my previous attempts) and I love how a simple bowl like this never fails to make me feel good afterwards.

While I'm still a sick mess (and quite a sight too) at the moment, but I have a feeling the next 48 hours might just turn for the better :)

Black Rice with Edamame Beans

• 1 cup black rice
• ~2 cups homemade chicken stock (or you can use water or vegetable stock)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, whole (if you don't like garlic, don't add it!)
• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1/2 cup edamame beans

1. Rinse the rice.

2. Heat a bit of of oil in a pan and cook the garlic and onion until almost translucent.

3. Add the rinsed rice and cook for around 1 minute.

4. Add the chicken stock as well as the soy sauce and bring to boil. 

5. At this stage, I transfer the rice into my rice cooker and let it cook. But you can also reduce heat to a simmer and cover - cook for 30 minutes.

6. Finally, take the beans out of the defrosted pods and add generously over a bed of flavoursome black rice!

I wish you a lovely weekend ahead :) 

Stay warm (or cool if you're on the other hemisphere).

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It is half way through the week and I...

...have been cooking with whatever left overs I have in my fridge. It's clean-up fridge week!

...realised I need to stop borrowing books from the library when I have a bookshelf full of untouched books. Oh, and found out I owe the library something like $17 in late fees. How'd that happen? (and I'm sorry if you've been trying to borrow what I had out.)

...am finally taking 1 step forward! For the longest time I've been stuck at the 2 steps back stage! Praise God!

...don't know if you'd believe me, but I woke up in the middle of the night and figured out what EVOO stands for. For the longest time I thought it was some branded salad dressing that people use in the U.S. Or that it was something like POM juice. (Are we still friends?) I guess I never really gave it much thought. Then at ~3am Tuesday, I opened my eyes in the dark with the thoughts:  'EVOO...Extra Virgin Olive Oil? Noooooo.' *pinches self and questions sanity*. This confirms that my brain is overactive and works while I'm asleep. Hmmm, I just wish it thinks about something more meaningful and useful!

Anyways, there's not really a recipe today. 

But I want to share with you what I had for lunch yesterday using the leftovers, because sandwiches are kind of pretty to photograph. 

Here goes:

1. Mix chopped chives with cream cheese. Spread over a piece of bread.

2. Resist eating the sandwich as it is.

3. Convince yourself that mint has a place in this meal too. Don't over-wash them as I did! 

4. Slice half an avocado and place on top!

5. Generously place the smoked salmon over the sandwich. I'm sure chicken would be yummy too.

6. Place another slice of bread on top to finish up.

7. Slice and enjoy the quickest lunch.

I'm off to make a salad now, with some EVOO of course ;)

I feel like we're finally on the same page now. Me and you.

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Banana Bread + Tofu with Kimchi and Avocado

This is going to be a short  post (of polaroids) today.

Things have been rather repetitive over here.

I guess everything's...just calm. And I like that. 

Same faces, same routine, same dreams.

Being repetitive isn't necessary a bad thing, right?

Take this banana cake for example. It's a recipe I've been making over and over again and comes from Kate (check out her stylish blog too for other recipes.)

What's different about this bread is that it uses all whole wheat flour, and still tastes as good as my usual go-to recipe! Score. The texture is moist and soft and I love sweetening it with honey and the sprinkling of cinnamon on top. Oh, big chunks of bananas is a must in my bread. How about you?

Then there's this tofu with avocado and kimchi dish which has been making multiple appearances on my dinner table.

 

Call it an entree if you like. It's pretty much one of the fastest thing you can whip up as it requires no cooking. Just some chopping and slicing of ingredients that are almost always in my fridge.

I fell hard for kimchi (pickled vegetable, usually napa cabbage) at the tender age of 8 when I first stepped into the home of my Korean neighbour. And it's great to see it named one of the healthiest food in the world by Health magazine too. 

The best thing is if you normally find kimchi a bit too spicy for your liking, the tofu and avocado make it milder to the taste and the texture is a bit of everything in your mouth - crunchy, smooth and velvety soft. They make for a delicious trio.

I'm so addictived to this that sometimes it replaces my cheesy toast or cereals as the new midnight/TV snack.

Oh, and before I go (although it's something on my mind before I began this post)...

I just found out that Green Cilantro was mentioned in Saveur's 50 More Food Blogs You Should Be Reading recently. And all I want (and need) to say is THANK YOU - to those of you who made the effort to vote for this blog. I really appreciate it as I definitely didn't expect anyone to do so and can think of at least 7853 other blogs which should have been mentioned instead.

So thank you thank you thank you. You made this cold day a little bit warmer today and put a smile on this face here :)

Here's a doggy picture and I hope he makes you smile too. He's another four legged friend that I've the pleasure of bumping into these days. Turned out he's a bit of a softie and licker too. Who would've guessed.

Banana Bread
Adapted from AllRecipe

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup hot water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together.

3. Add eggs, and mix well.

4. Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in flour, salt and cinnamon.

5. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter.

6. Spread batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.

7. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and swirl with a toothpick for a pretty marbled effect.

8. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Be sure to check that the bread is done baking by inserting a toothpick in the top. It should come out clean.

9. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Tofu with kimchi and avocado
Adapted from Masa

Note: The quantity of the ingredients are rough estimates. It is entirely up to you how much of each of the main ingredients you want to add.

• 1/2 packet silken tofu
• 1/2 cup Korean kimchi
• 1 medium sized avocado
• Some chopped spring onion to sprinkle on top
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• ~1tbsp Japanese style soy sauce

1. Slice the tofu into even square/rectangular pieces. Slice the avocado into even wedges as well. 

2. Chop up the kimchi finely. Chop up the spring onion too.

3. Plate up - place alternate pieces of tofu and avocado on a long plate and place the chopped kimchi and spring onion evenly on top.

4. Squirt some soy sauce on the top and don't forge to sprinkle wth some sesame seeds too.

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