SCRUMPTIONS MORISH Jamaican Pumpkin and Lentil Curry Stew Vegan INSTANT POT

I'm starting to love the Instant Pot for a couple of reasons, quite possibly unique to me.  I love my slow cooker but I don't like the idea of the amount of time and electricity it takes.  Also I'm not super super nuts about leaving it unattended either.  BUT i love the idea of flavours blending and amalgamating over time in a stew.   Then there's the smell.  Koreans and Indians have aversions to smells in their house.  Hence alot of houses designed specifically for Koreans or Indians often have what's called a "spice kitchen".  That's a small kitchen next to the real kitchen, about the size of an old fashioned butler's station.  The difference being there is a full oven in there and ventilation and it's fully enclosed.  That's because not only do Koreans cook smelly foods, we all do, hello? garlic! but Koreans like to use spices and oils that are very penetrating and clingy, particularly sesame oil.  It latches on to all synthetics.  So back to my Instant Pot.  I get the long stew effect without the long cooking time, which not only uses alot of electricity but alot of cooking smells in the house.  Not only does the Instant Pot do it quickly but once the pressure seal is up, the smells aren't coming out.  Like what I call the curry Lamp Berger into the house.  Also, I'm a bit of a germaphobe and the idea of food left freaks me out, like when you delay cook a slow cooker.  With the Instant Pot, I prep the night before or the same day and it's ready fast enough for that night's meal. 

This is a bit of a take on a stew I've done before in a slow cooker but I wanted to document for the Instant Pot. 

Jamaican Pumpkin and Lentil Curry Stew


2 lbs or 3-4 cups Jamaican Pumpkin (or Butternut Squash), 1 inch cubes (Sweet Potatoes will disintegrate)
3 medium-small Onions Diced

2 c Red Lentils washed and soaked overnight (you can do less but then don't exceed the 50% mark)
4 cloves Garlic minced
1 inch Ginger, brunois (means julienned then diced)
1 large can diced Tomatoes
3 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (maybe 1 cup extra water after cooking IF there's room)

1 t Black Mustard Seeds
2 t ground Coriander
1 t ground Cumin
2 t ground Turmeric
3 Kaffir Lime Leaves (optional but gives awesome curry flavour)
2-3 Jamaican Curry Powder
1 t Salt
Black Pepper
2-3 T ground Mushroom Powder (a necessity for Vegan/Vegetarian cooking to add depth)

1 can Coconut Milk (if you like it extra, add 2 cans, I wish I had but actually it was still DELICIOUS!)

Directions:

Don't exceed the 2/3 mark.... the annoying thing I've discovered is the less the 'air space' in the pot, if the contents are largely solid, the longer the pot takes to get to pressure.  Lentils will take like 10 minutes or less in the Instant Pot but I was worried about the Pumpkin, so I set it for 20 minutes and it took more than 20 minutes for the little pressure sealing thing to pop up.  BUT in the process I discovered you can add a minute here and there.  My Cuisinart Slow Cooker and doesn't do that.  You have to shut and restart on mine anyway.  So I kept adding 3 minutes until it sealed and then added 5 minutes so it would be cooking at least 5 minutes under pressure. In total, I added 9 minutes. Probably didn't have to but I'm learning with this thing.  All the veg were well done and probably a little too done so maybe don't add the time.  I let it Natural Release.... again because of the lack of air space, meant that the Natural Release happened in like 5 minutes instead of the 20 it takes when I make a small portion of congee.

I was originally worried I didn't have enough Pumpkin so I added half a Sweet Potato.  In the end I had too much.  Anyhoo, when I added the Veg to the Pot, I had already mixed up the Sweet Potato and the Pumpkin so some Sweet Potato got in.  Under pressure for the amount of time I put on, it basically dissolved.  Which might be okay for you because some Squash soup recipes used canned puree.  The contrast of the smooth thickened broth and Squash pieces was nice.  I put the extra in a Ziplock and put it in the Freezer for a green curry another day.


This was SOOOOO good.  I mean sometimes when I make a big AND THIS IS A BIG pot like this, I'm sick of it by the end of the week, to be honest.  Not this time.  This makes like 10-12 servings.

Green Lentil Coconut Curry Stew - Plant Based - Slow Cooker

January means Plant Based Cleanse.  Why cleanse? because I ascribe to the Forks Over Knives movie/documentary regarding also cutting out all added salt, sugar, processed foods (white flour), coffee and fats/oils.  We're getting better and better every year so that the January is easier and easier.  We actually do a Vegan September without the other restrictions.  But the Salt!  and the Oils! 

This stew was done without a reference.  Just something I ate at my sister's as leftovers.  It's an approximate until she sends me the recipe.

Green Lentil Coconut Curry Stew - Plant Based - Slow Cooker

2 c dried Green Lentils, washed
1 T dried Cumin
1 T Curry Powder
1 T dried ground Coriander
1/2 T Tumeric
1/2 T Cumin Seeds
1/2 T Black Pepper
1 t Cayenne (optional)
1 t Fennel Seeds
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium or 2 small Onions, diced


4 c Vegetable Broth, no salt
1 large can diced Tomatoes

1 package of Frozen Spinach, thawed as much as you can while prepping
1 can Coconut Milk, look for labels with nothing but Coconut Extract at Water, Arroyo is the best

Layer all the ingredients upto the Tomatoes into the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high.  Add the Spinach after it comes to a boil around 2-3 hour mark.  Add the Coconut Milk in the last half hour.

This stew was so full and flavourful that I dare anyone to say that something was missing in the way of fat or salt.  Serve over Brown Rice.

Coconut Split Pea and Leek Curry

January-Vegan-Saltfree-Sugarfree-Fatfree-Processedfree-cleanse continues.  I made this based on about 5 different recipes because not all of them used the ingredients I wanted.  It is FABULOUS even if I do say so myself :D and very easy!  One pot, not to much fuss on order and this can be done in a slow cooker!

Coconut Split Pea Leek Curry

Coconut Split Pea and Leek Curry

2 1/4 c Yellow Split Peas, picked over for small stones and washed.
1 900ml tetra pack of Salt Free Vegetable Broth, Organic if you have it
3 c Water, boiled and divided.
1 Vegetable Stock Cube, no Salt
1 c Coconut Milk

1 large Leek, sliced and washed
1 medium or 2 small Onions, sliced from half
2 large cloves Garlic, minced
1 large Sweet Potato, cubed (not autumn massive sized), roughly 2 cups)
1 pack, Frozen Spinach, defrosted, if you remember.
2 inches fresh Ginger, julienned (finely sliced)

1 T Garam Masala
1 T Curry Powder
1 t Ground Coriander (heaping)
1/2 t Cayenne
1 1/2 t Ground Cumin
1 t Ground Ginger
1 t Turmeric
1/2 t Black Mustard seeds (because I did not have Yellow)
3 Cardamom pods
1/4 t Salt (or leave out)

1 t Black Pepper
1 birds eye Chili, chopped (Dom found this too spicy)

In a large Creuset, or any large ceramic pot, because I'm not using fat, you have to have nonstick but really it's not essential but it will be easier to clean up.  On medium heat, add the ingredients as you go.  I'm going to tell you how I walked through it with a playdate going on in my living room.  Add the washed and chopped onion.  The moisture on the leaks will help things keep from not sticking too fast.  Stir until soft.  Add the Sweet Potato that's been cut into 1cm cubes.  If things are browning too fast on the bottom, throw in the Stock.  Rinse out the tetra box with 1 c of the water and add to the pot.  Add the Peas and stir well.
Add the Garlic and Ginger.
Add all the spices.
Add the Spinach.
Add the stock Cube softened in 1 c boiling water (you can use any veggie based stock. I used Onion  because the only Veggie cube I had, had Salt and we're cutting out salt.) Yes, I added 1/4 t salt to the HUGE pot, just to see how it would help the flavour.  It was okay.  Not sure it would have hurt not to have it since there was so many spices and aromatics but I don't feel bad about a mere 1/4 t.
Add the can of Coconut Curry.  Rinse the can out with the last cup of water to get all the coconutty goodness.  You can skip this but I NEVER do because so much clings to those cans.  Don't do this with boiling water unless you use an oven or kevlar mitt to handle the can.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes or preferably an hour to ensure the peas are soft.   They are fine a bit al dente like the texture of Edamame.

Serve with fresh Cilantro if you have it. Serve with Rice or with Naan.

Roti Mission Stop One - Mother India - Piping Hot East Indian Style

Eggplant Roti - Mother India - Parkdale

I needed Roti.  There's nothing more to say than that.  They're not very easy to come by in Vancouver but in Toronto, there is a ridiculous supply.  I went down to Queen West to see one that I had seen on Restaurant Makeover.  It had received really good reviews but was reputed to be quite a bit more expensive than the average in town, ~$15.  Well, they were closed for vacation.  I didn't need to worry because on that block in south Parkdale, there were at least three more.  D wanted to try Ali's because there's a place he goes to regularly in Port of Spain with the same name, where he's working right now and he thought it was funny.  I chose Mother of India because I'd read of them as well.  After sitting and ordering, D mentioned he was surprised that I wanted East Indian style rather than West Indian because that was what I was craving.  D'oh.  I wasn't thinking that far ahead nor was I truly aware how different they'd be.

The West Indian style is different both inside and out.  Inside, the filling tends to be alot more stodgy, (dry and thick), the base is often Chick Peas and Potatoes.  The wrapper is also quite different.  The West Indian yummoriffic style is huge.  When they've wrapped it all up, you see quite a few layers of wrapper around the filling.  The wrapper is quite a bit more pliable and tender.  It is lined with cornmeal which it's cooked and stretched on.  The East Indian wrapper is more like a bready crepe.  It's a bit drier and crisp.  It tends to only be large enough to encase the filling.  They're both amazing styles and you can be in mood for either or but they're quite different experiences.  I was really craving the West Indian but here we were in Mother India.  Thankfully, since it was East Indian based, there were alot more variety of filling.  You could basically get any curry in a Roti.  I chose the Eggplant which was like a spicy Baigan Bartha.  mmmmmm D chose the Chicken Tikka Masala.  I also ordered a Mango Lassi to wash it back.

Roti and Mango Lassi - Mother India

The decor is not worth mentioning.  It was almost dismal enough that I was going to suggest takeaway but we were there and T didn't want back in the car just yet.  It felt like a church basement both in lack of light, dropped ceiling and metal framed chairs with rickety tables.  I don't think I would eat in again.  That said, I would eat there again.  The Roti were piping hot.  Even though the server admonished me against spicy since it was 'indian' spicy, I wish I had ordered spicy.  The medium was just okay in heat but I am not complaining.  The Eggplant filling was plentiful very fresh, piping hot, not at all greasy and well seasoned.  The Roti it self was quite large.  D's Tikka was very good as well, there was a sauce which you don't always see if you order the dish but in a Roti I guess they do it differently.  The sauce was bright, fresh and hot.  We thoroughly enjoyed the food and the price.  Bacchus at 15$ is like 40-50% more expensive.

While we sat, there was a regular takeway flow.  Even though the dark dining room sat empty except us and a creepy father and small girl who sat holding hands across a table.  That's creepy right?  Their conversation was oddly adult too, about plans for the coming long weekend and she couldn't have been more than 9.  Anyhoo.  I'll be back to that block to have more Roti or Dosa...mmm they had Dosa on the menu at Mother India.  A paper thin crispy lentil crepe around a curry filling, southern. 

Cost: $-$$
Food: Hot, fresh, tasty and well seasoned
Ambiance: I would suggest takeaway. Church Basement. Clean but not cozy.
Family Friendly: well, yes, the staff were cool, there was a dingy high chair, I guess.
Staff: Friendly and quick.

Mother India

 (416) 588-4634
Parkdale
1456 Queen St.
Toronto, ON M6K

 

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Friday, Aug 27th - I am a Time Management Machine! - Korean Vegetarian Curry

Korean Vegetarian Curry

I am a time management machine.  I often go to the gym after work or partake in some sporting activity at least a few days a week when I’m not chained to the desk past a reasonable hour.  That means, I am ‘Gantt charting’ my dinner by mid afternoon while I am working.  I am probably outside that generation accused of shrinking attention spans, chronologically speaking but we are brethren all the same.  If I am not multi-tasking, I am doing 1 thing really slowly or poorly. 

I remember mentioning my penchant to 'project plan' dinner with parallel activities and bottleneck averting actions plans to a young girl in the office a couple of years ago. I explained how I naturally found myself applying project management principles to cooking and she seemed awestruck by the concept.  I thought that was adorable.  It seemed pretty obvious to me and probably to most of the home cooks out there.  That said, I am a Time Management machine.  I will take all comers. 

1 pm

By mid afternoon or as I am running back to the office with my take-out Sushi for lunch, I have inventoried the fridge in my head and catalogued a short list of dinner options.  I eliminate based on my craving and or recent meals.  I add ones based cravings as well, then inventory the missing ingredients for pick up on the way home.

4h30 pm

I am leaving the office on a good day. We are playing golf.  I pick a walking route home passed the appropriate market for my selected meal.  I have run the subroutine in my head in the background while I am working.  I am probably still at 2-3 options.  As I run to the home today and decide how many holes we can play before sundown based on my pace.

If I go to the gym instead of an outdoor sports activity, I do not shower at the gym because: 1. Ewwww.  2. More time consuming than just whipping stuff on and off at home.  3. Reduces the stuff I have to carry and I’m going to walk home and sweat again anyway. 4.  And normally on gym days, the sun is setting and it is not a critical path item. 

5pm

D and I meet at home change and are out the door with the golf gear in under 15 minutes.  We go to Musqueam because they do not require booked T times.  Well, that was what we thought but we were wrong.  They recently changed the policy.  No matter.  They are not at all busy so they let us walk on. 

We play holes 1 through 7 then hit a bottleneck of a very slow high maintenance couple in a cart and very fancy golf clothing.  All Burberry and slow green clearance. Grrr!  Then by hold 9, they are caught behind 3 boys that are caught behind 4 beginner dudes who may as well be playing field hockey down the fairway.  We decide to skip holes 8 and 9 and go straight to 10. 

I did the most amazing thing on this hole.  There is a bridge half way down the fairway that crosses a stream.  I drive off the tee and my ball bounces off the 2 inch wide metal railing with a loud, reverberating clang and jumps forward 2 ft from the green!!!! Hilarious.

It is a relatively small course so it went fast. We finish all 18 holes with holes with the 18th practically in the dark. But ironically, we both had the straightest longest drives and most accurate pitches on to the green of the whole game.  Of course, we did not know that until we walked down the fairway to find our balls.

We gun home.

8h30 pm

I am going to make a Vegetarian Korean Curry.  Multi layered dish with different components including the Rice or Grain I will serve with it. 

• I walk through the door.
• I go straight to the balcony and turn on 2 burners on the BBQ. 
• I place the Vegetable basket on the grill.
• I wash and chop 1 small Asian Eggplant and ½ small Sweet Potato.  I wash 10 Asparagus with the other veg.
• I parcook the Sweet Potato in a Pyrex measuring cup for 2 minutes while
• I toss the Eggplant in some Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil with 2 whole Serrano Chilies in the Wok I will use later
• I place them on the BBQ in basket with the Potato   
• I fill the Pyrex Glass up to the top of the word Pyrex but 2 ¼ c will do.  Microwave for 3 minutes to boil.
• I go to the other balcony and collect some Cilantro, Parsley and some Purple Basil.
• I rinse and set aside. (Herbs are optional)
• I get a small saucepan and measure out  3/4 c Quinoa and 1 ½ c Water and put on high o Boil.
• I chop ½ small Onion, 1 T Ginger, minced, 2 cloves Garlic, and 10 spears Asparagus in 2” pieces
• Toss the Vegetables on the BBQ (the Eggplant, Chili and Potato).
• Turn down the Quinoa to a low simmer once it boils for 10-12 minutes and then turn off. 
• Break 4 cubes of Korean Curry sauce. Set aside in the Microwave off to soften.
• I take out my Pappadums and take two the the BBQ. 
• I push my Vegetable basket to the back and roast two Pappadums.  Takes 1 minute
• Think to myself that the Pappadums was a mistake because it brought down the temperature of the BBQ.
• I set the Pappadums to the side to cool while I take out a bottle of wine from the fridge. 
• I pick the Zind by Zind Humbrecht because it goes well with Spicy Food
• I open the laptop in the kitchen and turn it on.
• I open the wine and munch on the Pappadum and sip the wine while the computer boots up.
• Tweet my wine selection and call myself a Time Management Machine. 
• I turn off the BBQ as I see the vegetables are roasted enough.  They will cook more in the Stew but I like the roasted flavor as well as speeding up the cooking time.  Leave them there in the warm grill.
•  I get out a large Wok.  Heat on Medium High and add some Vegetable Oil.
•  Stir fry the Onions for 30 sec until Soften.  I get the BBQ Vegetables and toss for 15 seconds.  I add the Garlic and Ginger.  Toss for 15-30 seconds. 
• Take out the Pyrex Glass and stir with a spoon.  Keep stirring as you pour into the Wok.  You may need another ¼ cup to swirl to get all the bits.  Add the Cilantro and Basil, torn. 
• Bring to a hard boil to activate the thickening agent in the Curry cubes. 
• Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes or longer. 
• Serve over Quinoa with Parsley.
• Eating in front of a DVD by shortly after 9pm because nothing is on and have nothing good saved on the PVR.
• Shower after eating if I go to the gym.
• The showering after is efficient on several levels because you will sweat whilst walking home, cooking and eating a curry.  As well, you will smell of curry.   
• Pack the leftovers for lunch. This should serve 2-3 people
• Warning, this last bit may only be acceptable if your partner is out of town or also thinks showering in the gym is gross.  D has learned to live with this.

We are done and eating within 30-40 minutes.  Ta-da!

July 22 - Tofu in Butter Curry Sauce and Leftovers

I had a long long day at work.  Normally, I pop down to the cafeteria for a Muffin on days like this.  The cafeteria in my office is not very well priced and despite the 3-4 stations of food, seems all uninteresting.  Once in a while, however, the to-order stir fry station will catch my fancy.  Today was Butter Chicken or the Tofu equivalent.  The Tofu is a better option normally because you can choose your vegetables and they cook it for you on the spot whereas the Chicken sits in a stew.  I say normally because I was not feeling altogether well afterwards :(

Butter Tofu Curry at work Sodexo cafeteria

I was fine after a few hours but I was definitely too full for dinner.  I had a bit of Salad and leftovers so D took the opportunity to eat meat.  He defrosted one of the frozen meal sized packets of Kalbi my mom sent home with us.  He was happy.  Mom goes out of her way to buy the best cuts of meat and of course, went the extra distance knowing she was making it for D.

Kalbi aka Korean Beef Short Ribs

Jul 20th - Eggplant and Tofu Red Thai Coconut Curry

[JUMP to the PRESENT but more GALAPAGOES memories to come]

Aaaah coconutty goodness.  Three weeks without it and it is super easy to do on a busy week.  We are madly trying to catch up at work, photos, blog, and housework; therefore, we needed something we could sit down to after getting home quite late.  Spicy food is alsy counterintuitively good for hot weather. 

Eggplant and Tofu Red Thai Coconut Curry

1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 inch Fresh Ginger, matchsticks (big enough for D to pull out)
1 Serrano or Birdseye Chili, chopped (big enough for D to pull out)
4 Baby Asian Eggplants, 150% bigger than a Golf Ball, cut into 8ths along the long side (halved, quartered then again)
1/2 large Zucchini, chopped
200g Extra Firm Tofu, cubed
2-3 T Red Thai Curry Paste
1/2 c Cilantro, chopped (garnish, optional) [I went a bit heavy but I had missed it]
Lime wedges, (garnish, optional)

The instructions are from a previous Thai Curry.  The vegetables are different but the method, well my method is the same.  As I have written before, D starts with the paste and I start with the aromatics.  This was my method for a Thai Curry. 

We had a wonderful Trimbach Riesling. Bright, and balanced.  Very good with spicy food.

June 18th - Local Organic Strawberries IN SEASON! and Jumbo Prawn and Eggplant Green Thai Curry

Woohoo! I did not even notice but it's local Strawberry season.  It's like when sandal weather comes back.  I don't even realise but they're everywhere and I cannot imagine my life before my toes where out there.  Local Strawberries are REAL Strawberries.  I mean that.  The rest that are imported from far away or grown in little houses and imported from far away are almost real, but they are either too tart or flavourless sponges.  Most Strawberries in England were like that because there was no such thing as a good haul of local strawberries.  They had little tiny Wild Strawberries which are great but the kind you see smothered in Cream and Suger at Wimbledon are smothered for a reason.  I remember an episode of Nigella talking about how she 'preps' Strawberries you buy in England.  She souses them in a bit of Sugar and Orange Flower Water because she has to.  Well, you know how Strawberries taste when you add that Sugar taste? or the dried berries in Cereals or Strawberry Candy?  Well good Local Strawberries taste that good without any fuss.  I eat them rinsed and dehulled right there over the sink.... and for breakfast too :)

Jumbo Prawn Broccoli Thai Green Curry

10 Jumbo Prawns, Shells-on for flavour (you can deshell them if you like)
1 large Asian Eggplant, 1 inch slices then halved
1 c Broccoli, florets
5 small New Potatoes (ping pong ball sized), halved
1/4 c Onions, chopped
3 cloves Garlic
1 inch fresh Ginger, matchsticks
3 T Green Thai Curry paste (must read like a grocery list and NOT like a chemistry text! all of it!)
2 hot Chilies, seeded and chopped
1 can Coconut Milk
1 can Water
I par roasted the Eggplant. You're probably used to this routine but worth repeating.  I toss Eggplant and the Potatoes in 1 T of slightly heated Vegetable Oil in the wok I will use later. I spread out in a lined baking sheet in a single layer and turn the oven to Bake at 425.  Rapid Preheat if the option is there.  Turn off when it comes to temperature or 15 minutes, whichever comes first.  Don't clean out the wok.  You'll use it and the oil soon.

Heat the wok on Medium High.  Add 1/2 T Vegetable Oil.  Add the Onion.  Toss for 1-2 minutes.  Add the Broccoli stems if you kept them. Add the Ginger, Garlic, and Chilies.  Toss for 1-2 minutes.  You may want to turn the heat down to Medium to avoid burning the Garlic.  Move constantly.

Add the Curry Paste.  Smoosh around so you spread it through the aromatics.  1 minute.

Add the Broccoli.  Scoop and toss, scoop and toss.  1 minute.  Add the Eggplant and Potatoes. Toss, scoop and toss, scoop and toss.  1 minute.

Add the Coconut Milk.  Fill the Can with water and add that too.  You can play it cautious and add half first.  I always end up adding the whole can.   Add the Prawn.  Stir and then cover to simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve on rice topped with Chopped Scallions or Chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander).

Yummmo!

June 9th - Vegetarian Korean Curry with Eggplant Portobellas and Tofu

When we were growing up, this was one of my favourite dishes.  Mom, for some reason, gave anglicised names to some, not all, of our food.  Kimchee was still kimchee, same for Bulgoghi, Kalbi and others.  Korean Curry though, we used to call 'Yellow Bap' which means yellow rice or yellow food.  'Bap' means both Rice and Food.  I used to drown it with black pepper to have it as spicy as possible.  This was when I was  younger than 10.

Korean Curry is somewhere between Japanese Katsu Curry and Indian yellow Curry.  Japanese Curry is sweeter, darker and for reasons that are odd to me, are just the plain, sauce normally poured over some sort of breaded chicken or pork cutlet on rice. This was everywhere in Tokyo the last time I went last year.  It was the quick meal of choice which was disappointing since as a foreigner I was searching for good sushi or Okonomiyaki or Takoyaki.  I can only assume they'd gone out of fashion to some extent in the city core.  I'm not sure but I digress.  The Korean version, classically, as you will observe on the sauce bullion boxes, contains, Carrots, Onions and Potatos with Beef.  Mom adds peas.  It is spicier and not as sweet as the Japanese variety.  I love it.

Over the years as my sister V and I stopped eating Beef and Chicken, mom had  to adjust many of her recipes and Yellow Bap was one of them.  For a while, when I was not eating any seafood at all, she would scoop out a separate little pot and add, at my request, Chickpeas.  I still do that.  Now, mom will use Prawn and at times add Chick Peas.  The Bullion cubes are a must.  I do not know any Korean that actually does this from scratch unlike some people who may do Thai or Indian Curry from scratch if they have the time and access to all the ingredients.  Korean curry is simply not like that.  Mom who even makes her Soy sauce, Dengjang (miso) and Gochujang from scratch uses the cubes. 

All Korean markets have several brands, or if you are in an Asian Market, look for the Korean section.  They will be there.  They come in large candybar shaped boxes in varying degrees of heat.  I have tried a few and tend to avoid Vermont, Apple and another one dominated by cartoony Japanese writing.  They are too sweet and have too much starch filler.  I generally buy the ones with Hangul/Korean letters or Golden.  Golden, though it is Japanese is closer to the Korean taste and use.  S&B, the makers of Golden have other varieties like the Apple one that are not to my taste for Korean curry.    Choose the HOT regardless of the brand.  None of them are hot, really.  It's not like Indian curry where you really want to heed that warning.  You have room to add heat.  I do.

The bars actually look like candy bars, well, like baking chocolate anyway.  A few years back they started compartmentalising the cubes which is brilliant for me because only larger families need the whole pack in 1 go.  You need to break up the cubes and sit them in 2 c Boiled water, not boiling on a stove, for at least 10 minutes or more.  I just do it first and let it sit there and then whisk it all up before pouring in.

Prepare some Jasmine Rice. 1 c, raw for 2 people.

Vegetarian Korean Curry with Eggplant Portobellas and Tofu
(Serves 3-4)

4 cubes Hot Korean/Japanese Curry, ~100 g
1 medium Eggplant, cubed large
1 Portabella, stemmed and brushed
1 medium (~3/4 c) Carrot, finely chopped (because I do not like big hunks of cooked carrot)
1 medium (~3/4 c) firm fleshed Potato or 6 small new Potatoes, diced large,
1 small Onion or half large
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 inch Ginger, julienned (this is my add, Mom does not use Ginger)
2 hot Chilis (the small Thai ones are awesome)
200 g Extra Firm Tofu, cubed (optional)
3 c Water
1 t Black Pepper

I parcook the Eggplant.   I am not as skilled as some in cooking an eggplant through in a short period of time.  If I am stewing this for an hour like in say an Indian Eggplant Curry, no worries, but for a mid week meal, parcooking in the oven helps me.   First thing I did when I got home was turn the oven on 450F.  Toss the Eggplant cubes in 1 T of vegetable oil in the large Pot/Skillet I will be cooking in.  Spread out evenly on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes.  Basically, until I need them is alright too.  I turn the oven off at around 20 minutes and leave the door closed.

In a large Pot/Skillet, heat 1 T vegetable oil on Medium High.  Add the Carrots.  Hardest veg first.  Sautee for 3 minutes.  Add the Eggplant, Potato and Onion.  Sautee for another 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the Ginger, Garlic, Chilis, Tofu and Mushrooms.  'Wok'-Stir actively but gently so as not to break up the Tofu too much for 2-3 minutes.  Add a splash of water if stuff is sticking. 

Add the softened Curry Cubes which have been sitting in 2 c Boiled Water to the pot and stir. 2 c because that is the size of my heatproof measuring cup.   Swirl 1 c about the measuring cup to get the rest of the Curry and add to the pot.  Add the Black Pepper and Salt to taste.

Cover and simmer on low to medium low for 10-15 minutes.  I timed it with the rice.  You can stew it for longer if you wish.  Aaaaah pure childhood comfort. YUMMMMMO!

May 19th - Tofu Thai Green Curry Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

Nice big comforting bowl of noodles on a chilly day cannot be beat.  For D, a noodle soup is a good change from Rice whereas I could probably have rice everyday and not tire of it.  Funny thing is that D does not consider Risotto rice like rice underneath a Curry.  Weird.  D suggested I try this with Buckwheat soba noodles next time but I have tried that in the past and find the taste of the noodle too strong and overpowering for this particular dish but if you like the flavour alot, have at it.  Also the chunky Udon noodles would work well.

Tofu Thai Green Curry Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

1/2 Onion, sliced
1 small head of Broccoli Florets only, chopped
1/2 large Zucchini, sliced
1 small Sweet Potato, cubed
1 Chili, seeded and chopped
1 inch fresh Ginger, sliced
2 cloves Garlic
3-4 T Green Curry Paste (Read the label, there should be nothing you could not buy in the veg section of the market)
1 can Coconut Milk
1 t Fish Sauce
1 can water
2 c Kelp broth (Instant Japanese or Korean, w NO MSG)
150 g Extra Firm Tofu
4-5 fresh Basil Leaves, torn up

2 small bunches of Bean Thread Noodle (the packages mostly come in pre-portioned sections about the size of a fat cell phone)

Soak the Bean Thread Noodle in some boiled Water and set aside.  I like to cut up the noodles with scissors when they are a bit softened otherwise you may end up with a gianormous single endless noodle.

In a large Wok, heat 1 T peanut oil.  Add the Onion and the Zucchini.  Sautee for 2-3 minutes.  Add the other veg in order of listing 1 minute apart.  Make sure your fan is on before you get to the Chili!

When you get to the paste, make sure to try to smash it down and spread it around.  Do not let it burn. 

Add the Coconut Milk and Water from the same can.  Stir and bring down to a simmer.  Partially cover and let gently simmer for 5-8 minutes.   Add the Broth.  Bring back to a simmer then add the Tofu stir briefly for 1-2 minutes.  Turn the heat off and get ready to serve.  You do not need to cook the Tofu long. Add more water/broth if too thick. You want it closer to Soup than Sauce.

Drain the Vermicelli.  Place in the bottom of two large Noodle soup Bowls.  Ladel the Curry over the Noodles.  Garnish with the fresh Basil (or Cilantro)

May 4th - Sunny Thai Green Curry

Missed my Thai Curry while I was away so tonight was a no brainer.  D bought some of the Pollock/Crab meat from the market yesterday which was a bit shocking.  He never buys that stuff.  I bought it once and he was puzzled as to why it was in the fridge. I had told him I used to use it in stirfries when I was younger.  He said he was looking for protein and picked this and tofu up for a couple of easy mid week meals.

I am still a bit blue that my holiday is over so I wanted to make this dish really bright and sunny so there are alot of vegetables with loads of Beta Carotene.  I thought it would brighten my spirits aesthetically and nutritionally.

Sunny Thai Green Curry

200-300 g 'Crab' meat, bite sized
1 medium Carrot, sliced
1 medium Orange Sweet Potato, diced
1/2 large Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped 1" squares
1 c Broccoli florets
1/2 White Onion, sliced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 inch Ginger, julienned
1-2 Hot Chilies, julienned, large so D can pick them out (I used Jalapenos because that is what our local had)
3-4 T of Green Thai Curry Paste, use fresh i.e. needs refridgeration. (Read the ingredients! All should be stuff you can find yourself)
1 tin Coconut Milk
1 empty Coconut Milk tin of water
1 T Peanut Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Make the brown rice ahead while you are chopping.  Do no do what I did and walk away to look at vacation photos and burn the bottom and have to start over.  I have never burned rice in my life until today!

Remember, I do my backwards from D.  He adds the paste and the Milk first.  WEIRD.

I steam the Sweet Potato cubes for 3 minutes.  I did it over the rice with an all metal seive over the boiling rice with a lid on top. You want them par cooked and cook the rest in the curry.  Alternatively, you can spread them out on a plate and nuke them for 3 minutes.

In a large Wok or Skillet, heat 1 T of Peanut Oil or Canola Oil on high..  Toss in the Onions and Carrots.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the Onions are soft. Add the Peppers and stir for another minute. 

Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the Curry Paste.  Try to smash the paste down to the bottom of the wok so it spreads and gets cooked but not burned.  Add the Garlic, Ginger and Chilies.  Stir for 1 minute.

Add the Coconut Milk and Water.  Stir to mix thoroughly.  Let simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add the Broccoli and the Sweet Potato and stir to mix.  Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the Crab meat and simmer for 3-5 minutes more cover on.  Add more water if it thickens too much.

Serve on Rice with a garnish of Cilantro. MMMMMM

We drank an Australian Sauvignon Blanc which will go un-named because even though it was nice gave us both headaches the next day.  Dodgy!

April 9th - Homemade Naan and Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Vindaloo Prawn

Easy Oven Baked Naan Bread 

500-600 g All Purpose Flour
150 ml Plain Yogurt
150 ml Milk
2 t Honey
2 t Yeast
1/2 t Sea Salt
2 T Olive Oil
1 t Baking Powder
1 Egg

Warm the Milk in the microwave for 1 minute or steam it with a Milk steamer.  You want it warm to the touch but not hot.  Pour into your mixing bowl.  Add the Honey and stir.  Sprinkle the Yeast over.  Let stand for 10 minutes or longer until nice and frothy.

Add the Salt, Egg, Oil and Yogurt and turn the mixer on stir for 1-2 minutes.

Add the 1 c of the Flour then the Baking Powder with the mixer on low.  Continue to add the Flour in 1/2 c until completely incorporated.  You may need to add some more flour or use less.  I needed to add extra.  You want it soft and sticky but not unmanageable. The machine to knead it for a good 10 minutes until the dough pulls together cleanly away from the bowl.

Cover and let rise for 1 hr at least.

Preheat the oven to 500F with a rack on the lowest level.  Place a baking sheet upside down on the rack.  Use a regular stainless steel or other heavy baking sheet.  Do not use non-stick.  The Teflon will not do well at such high temperatures.  It is not safe to expose non-stick surfaces to such high temperatures, empty.

Press down. No need the for the violence of punching down. The dough should weigh about 950 g so to divide into 6 balls would be about 150 g.  I weighed them.  Otherwise, each ball is about the size of a baseball.  Knead briefly into a ball.  Cover the others to prevent drying out while you work one.

Stretch out between two hands, slapping back and forth. Pull and slap.  I had to place down on a wooden cutting board and pull, rest and pull in to various shapes but about 10-12 inches long and 5-6 inches wide. Do not worry about uniformity of thickness or shape.

Old the stretched dough in one hand.  Open the oven and pull out the bottom rack.  Slap the dough onto the tray.  Close the oven.  Bake for 5 minutes.  It will puff up.  Using tongs or oven mittens, open oven quickly and flip and back 3-5 minutes more.

It was interesting that since the oven was so hot, there was no sticking to the tray at all. You do not need to lubricate the baking pan or the stretch dough at all.  Obviously, if you have a pizza stone, this would be awesome.  Oddly enough ours is cracked! WTF!!

Take out and brush with butter.  This is optional.  Cover with a towel or tent in foil.  Proceed with the rest of the Naan.

 Underside of the Naan

IT was DELICIOUS!! The egg added a brioche quality to it. The egg is optional but it was nice.  It could have used more salt but since you are likely to be eating it with a curry, it is not necessary.  When we have our BBQ back, we will be trying it on the grill.  It will definitely go much faster.  MMMMMM

Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Prawn Vindaloo Curry

1.5 lb Butternut Squash (small, kid sized football sized), peeled, seeded and cut in large cubes
1/3 (300g) Cauliflower head cut into florets
1/2 Onion, sliced
4 cloves Garlic
1 inch sliced Ginger (optional, I love Ginger)
3 Serrano Chilies, halved, seeded
1 large tin whole or chopped Tomatoes (not pureed)
1 tin Chick Peas (Garbanzos), drained
10-15 Prawn (uncooked, optional)
3 T Patak's Vindaloo Curry Paste
3 T Butter or Gee (Clarified Butter)

I use a good vegetable peeler to peel Butternut Squash.  D uses a sharp knife.  This is a pretty small squash so there was not too much inside stuff.  It was easy to scoop out what few seeds there were with a spoon and small knife.  Cut into 2 cm cubes.  Wash all the veg in preparation.  I also did the dough for the Naan and let rise while I started the Vindaloo.

In a large Pot or Skillet, heat 1/2-1 T Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil on medium high heat.  Sautee and stir occasionally for 10-12 minutes.  I did this while chopping the rest of the veg.

When the Squash starts to brown after 10 minutes, add the Onion and Cauliflower. Continue to sautee for another 3-5 minutes.  Add the Chilies, Garlic and Ginger.  Sautee for 2 minutes.  You do not want to burn the Garlic.  Add the Butter or Gee.  You would normally fry most of the veg in the Gee but if you are using butter just to enrich the flavour just add it now.

Add the paste and stir through.  Add the Tomatoes and Chick Peas.  Stir.  You may need to add 1/2 c water.  I swished the can of Tomatoes with water and added.  Let it bubble a bit.  Turn down the heat to medium and cover and continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes to allow all the flavours to marry.  This is not a stir fry and some flavours need to develop.  Season to taste.

Add the Prawn in the last 10 minutes.

Serve with Naan.  Yummo!  You can leave the Prawn out if you want it to be vegetarian.  I almost used Swiss Chard but the Caulflower worked out really well.  MMMMMM

We had a very nice La Frenz Muscat called Alexandria 2008 we bought when we were visiting the Okanagan last summer.  Great with spicy vibrant food.

March 30th - Channa Dahl with Roasted Cumin Cauliflower on Brown Rice

Channa Dahl or Dahl is such comfort food.  It is a legume based curry that is found in Indian and West Indian cuisine.  You will often find a thicker version, often with potatoes in Trinidadian Roti, MMMM. The Indian classice with lentils or yellow peas varies alot in consistency from a loose soup to a thick paste. I like it somewhere in between.

Start Rice now

Channa Dahl

Serves 2
1/2 c split yellow peas
1-2 inches fresh Ginger minced
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 c Water or Veggie Broth
1/4 t Tumeric
1/4 t Ground Cumin
1/2 t Garam Marsala
1 1/2 T Curry Powder (or 1-2 Korean Yellow Curry cubes if you don't have really good curry)
2 Serrano Chilies chopped
1/2 t Sea Salt

Wash the Peas by rinsing several times.  Leave to soak overnight on the counter.  Not absolutely necessary

Drain the washed Peas and place in a medium sauce pan with 1.5 c Water/Broth.  Bring to a boil.  Skim off the foam.  Do not fuss about getting it all.  Turn down to a simmer.

Add the Tumeric, Ginger, Garlic, Chili and Salt.  Strong simmer, bubbly but small bubbles, covered for 15-20 minutes. Test 1 Pea at 15 to check if tender.  If still too firm, continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

Now this part can be approached mechanically or manually.  Manually, with a large fork or potato masher, mash up the contents. If you are going to go manual, I would slice the Ginger rather than mince and you should pull it out now, if you do not like the taste of large pieces.  I do, so I would leave it in.  Mechanically, using a hand blender, pulse a few times until chunky but broken down. You may want to tilt the sauce pan if the blade of the blander is not submerged or WATCH OUT for splatter.

Place back on the low/medium heat.  Add the other spices and remainder of the Water/Broth, 1c. If you used a Korean curry cube, dissolve the cube last cup of water first. Simmer for 10 minutes.

You can enjoy on its own, over rice or with some lovely Naan bread. YUMMO!  

Roasted Cumin Cauliflower

1 small head Cauliflower, 600 g
1-2 T Olive Oil
1/2 t Coarse Salt
1/2 t fresh ground Pepper
1 t Cumin Seeds, toasted or 1 t Ground Cumin

Preheat oven to 425F

Chop the Cauliflower into small bite sized pieces.  Place in a large bowl and toss with Olive Oil. Sprinkle the Pepper and toss until even spread out.  Repeat with the Salt and Cumin.

Spread in an even layer on parchment paper lined shallow pan.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn oven off and leave closed until the rest of the dinner is ready.

Serve on top of the Brown Rice then spoon the Channa Dahl over the Cauliflower and Rice.

This was SOOOOO YUMMO.  I did chicken out a bit and add the full 3 cups of water to the Dahl because I was worried it was thickening too fast while I was trying to do the rice and cauliflower.  It was fine but it wasn't the thick porridge I normally like.

March 29th - Purple Kale, Sweet Potato and Tofu Red Thai Curry on Black Quinoa

I skipped lunch today because it was too busy at work. So the meal I am describing below as being for 1 serving plus 1 lunch serving was eaten in one go. I was so hungry after my run I just could not do it. Like I said, when D is away I lose all sense of portion control.  I go all Korean on my dinner. 

Black Quinoa as we have done many times. 1/4 c Quinoa to 3/4c-1c water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

Purple Kale and Sweet Potato Vegetarian Red Thai Curry

(Serves 1 plus 1 lunch)

1/2 bunch Purple Kale
1 small Sweet Potato (100-150 g)
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Onion
1 inch fresh Ginger
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 T Fish Sauce
1 T Red Thai Curry Paste
1/2 can Coconut Milk
1 can water
1 t dried chili flakes

Wash the Kale leaves. Fold each leaf along the spine and cut the stem away. You can keep them on if you feel like exercising your jaw and need the ruffage. I would not. Then chop them into 1 inch strips.

Peel and slice the ginger. Chop the Garlic roughly.  Slice the onion.  Peel and cube the Sweet Potato.

5 minutes from the end of the Quinoa, add an additional 1/4 c water. Lower in a steamer tray with the Sweet Potato right on top of the the Quinoa. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Pull off the heat and leave covered.  As you proceed with other stuff.

In a hot wok, eat 1/2 T vegetable oil.  Sautee the onions for 1-2 minutes.  Start adding the kale in small handfuls.  Keep the contents moving as you add.  When you have most of the kale in, add the Curry paste and make sure you spread it around with the back of your spatula. Add the Garlic, Ginger, Chili and Bell Pepper.  Toss briskly and with purpose.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the wok.

Add the Coconut Milk and Water.  Keep scraping from the bottom a few times.  Add the Sweet Potato and Tofu.  Toss Gently a few times.  Simmer uncovered or partially covered for 10 minutes until the Tofu is hot.

Serve over Quinoa. Garnish with sliced Green Onion or Cilantro.  I was going to also garnish with a Lime Wedge but it is sitting sadly in the fridge because I forgot it.

It was delicious nonetheless.  I am going to use Kale in curries more often.  Though, D is not a big fan of Kale either.  He prefers Swiss Chard when looking for a meaty green but I do not know that it would stand up in a Curry.  D will learn to love Kale, I am confident. :-D

Mar 10th - Korean Curried Halibut stew

This was not a good idea. It happens. It does not happen too often but it happens to the best of us. I mean it tasted nice. The disappointment was the fish. We bough vacuum packed frozen Halibut steaks from this shop on Commercial. I have bought weevil infested Kale from that shop too. It is the veg market called Triple A Market next to Wazubee Cafe. It has given us some really poor produce and this fish ends our patronage for good. The owner pushed the fish on us as it was on sale. It took two days to defrost in the fridge. Since it was fish I did not want to nuke it to defrost and I will not counter defrost any meat ever.

My biochemist, snobby academic sister tells me that salmonella does not spontaneously occur in poultry or meat, that it would have to be infected to begin with for a poor storage to foster its propagation. Whatever! As you can never know, why take the risk!? She rarely cooks and worships at the altar of ready-made-Trader-Joe meals so I do not give much weight to her culinary advice. Though she is a faithful reader so.... V you are awesome! :^{}

Anyhoo, I wanted to sear the steaks to crisp them up and then simply serve the curry stew over it but D thought it would just be easier to cut it up and stew it with the veg. Fine. He cleaned it so I did not mind. It was ALL BONES! The skin was so elastic and difficult to remove. In the end, from two steaks, there was maybe 100-150 g of meat, not including the slice D took off his thumb. Then when we added it to the curry, it all but dissolved. There was not one piece of fish larger than a pea. It added great flavour to the curry which, without the traditional addition of chicken or beef, can be a bit sweet and one-dimensional. That's why I add butter :^D.

This was the recipe but I would highly recommend using something firmer like snapper. I might post the photo later but the disintegrated fish did not photograph well :^P but the carrots did. Actually, the original intention was a coconut fish curry like the one we had from Wiimaan Thai we had a couple of weeks ago but we seemed to have mysteriously run out of coconut milk. I thought that was impossible.

Start rice now.

Korean Curried Halibut Stew

5 cubes of Korean yellow curry sauce, standard issue. I like "Golden" brand best.
3 c water
250 g fish (do no use frozen Halibut steaks from Triple A Market)
1 russet potato (the thin skinned, yellow kind but any you like is fine. Do not use a baking potato though. They will melt away) cubed 1 inch
1 carrot, chopped roughly
1/2 onion, chopped roughly
1/2 zucchini because I had 1/2 zucchini left (Totally optional, you could add peas. My mom would use peas here.)
3 cloves garlic
2 chilies halved, with seeds, mouahahaha

In a bowl, add boiling water the cubes of curry and set aside to soften. Mix with a fork to break up.

In a large skillet, heat some neutral oil, enough, canola or peanut, medium-high. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, potato. Stir occasionally to prevent burning or sticking. Add more oil as necessary. 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and chilies and toss for 2 minutes. You do not want to burn the garlic. Add the melted curry slurry, mixing with a fork to ensure you get all the curry. Add more boiling water to the bowl to ensure you get as much of it you can. Stir. Bring to a boil. The sauce thickens when it boils. Reduce to a simmer and add the fish.

Let simmer until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. That means, you can easily pierce either with a fork with out too much effort and they also let go without prying.

Serve over rice.

We had a nice Spanish wine our friend gave us as a hostess gift for our Superbowl party. All honey and loveliness. Different from the new world Sauvignon Blancs. Nice!

Triple A Market
1626 Commercial Drive
Vancouver
Cost:$
Value: terrible, bug infested Kale, old peppers, stale carrots and mealy halibut
Cleanliness: dodgeriffic
Summary: I do not recommend you buy produce from this shop. Go to Norman's or Santa Barbera.

Feb 20th - Curried Spinach and Chick Pea Fideu and Kalbi

Kalbi

Curried Spinach Fideu

I first had a dish similar to this in Sevilla as a tapa. It did not have the fideu noodles in it though. My old flatmate E and I were visiting a friend working there for the summer and I think we went back for it a few times. It was awesome and I'll never forget where it was in the shadow of the cathedral. The orders are taken by efficient and experienced servers who wrote your tally on the slate counter in front of you. I adapted this to a paella like dish by adding the fideu noodles which are 1" cut spaghetti noodles which are served in a variety of paellas. You can find italian and german equivalents of these noodles too. I use Korean curry cubes in a pinch but I'll use a high quality curry powder if I have more time.

D and I had been painting for most of the day so we were at a bit of a loss as to what to eat if we were going to hit any Olympic venues. So I offered to make this and he had some Kalbi as well since he had so much in the freezer from Mom he never gets the chance to eat when I'm home.

Curried Spinach and Chick Pea Fideu

300g frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tin of chick peas drained (you can use the whole tin if you want)
150 g fideu noodles (these look like the chopped up spaghetti noodles you might see in instant chicken soup)
50 g curry cubes or 2-3 T curry powder
1/4 onion thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger minced
1 jalapeno (optional)
3-4 c water, hot to boiling

Defrost the spinach in the microwave for 4 minutes or on the counter for the day.

Add 2 cups boiling water to the curry cubes and set aside to soften. Stir to emulsify.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan. Sautee the onion until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Sautee until you smell the garlic, 2 minutes. Add the spinach. Stir for 5 minutes.

Add the noodles and the curry broth. Add 1 c more water to loosen the rest of the cubes at the bottom. Stir thoroughly and flatten with back of spoon so as many of the noodles are submerged. Reduce heat to bare simmer. Leave for 15-20 minutes. When noodles are mostly done, turn heat off and leave covered for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

D had Kalbi. As I'd said my mom sent him home with loads of it. I've become well accustomed and stocked with gear for this tradition. It's usually at Christmas which is freezing in Toronto. The bags are in ice bags with freezer backs and frozen solid and travel in cold cargo. We normally don't wait long in Vancouver and we're home in 20 minutes.

Kalbi is KOREAN. Oddly and ironically though it may seem. Many Koreans could barely afford meat during most of my parents childhoods. Rice was a luxury for that matter. That said, we have this worldwide reputation now for being carnivores. Weird. Even weirder since me and my sister V are not. Anyhoo. I love Kalbi or at least I did. I still love the smell. There is nothing that get's me raising my nose searching, than BBQ'd kalbi. My mom's is easily and hands down the best. She's known for it in her circle. Well, she's known for her cooking in general. You'll never have as good in restaurants though you'll have good kalbi if you go to the right places. But homemade Kalbi just can't be faked or mass produced.

Mom has perfected it over the years. I've seen her experiment with pureeing her onions in a blender to save time in the massive batches she used to make as well as encourage the marinade more thoroughly. I've seen her test with honey, sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. I've seen her finally concede that MSG was not needed and possibly a bad thing. What she's landed on is the WORLD'S best Kalbi and therefore, something I won't share right now. Firstly, because I forgot to write it down. Secondly, I feel I need to generate more buzz before I give it all away:-P. NO, it's really the first thing.

Kalbi in the Broiler

1 person: 8 ribs or slices, well that's generous but D doesn't have rice with it. When we do, at Mom and Dad's he'll have 5.

Defrost, ideally overnight in the fridge. Otherwise defrost in the microwave on DEFROST for 5-7 minutes.

Have the broiler on high and put the rack on the top most rung. Heat your broiler and drainer pan before you lay the kalbi on. (but don't leave it in there after your first batch or you'll have a smokey problem) 2 minutes on each side, as per D's doneness. Koreans would go for 5 to char and crisp up a bit more.

Serve with rice... or not, D didn't. He also had some marinated gotchu... marinated peppers my mom made as well, for banchan.

Nothing beats the BBQ though. If you have a BBQ filled and gassed up, go for it!

YUMMO!

Feb 14th - Breakfast Grits aka Polenta and Red Thai Asparagus and Prawn Coconut Curry

Breakfast Grits

1/2 T olive oil or butter
2 T finely diced red onion or shallot
2 T finely diced carrot (half a medium carrot)
1 minced jalapeno
2 T finely diced fennel bulb, about 1 layer

5 T fine yellow cornmeal
1.25 c water
1/4 t salt
1 T butter
1/2 all natural, no sodium veg stock powder
1/4 c shredded cheddar

Sautee the vegetables for 5 min on medium heat in a small saucepan, non stick if you have one. Add the water, stock powder and butter and bring to a boil. Season to taste.

Lower the heat to simmer. While constantly whisking with a small whisk, sprinkle in the cornmeal. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes. Season to taste. Stir for another few minutes. Add the cheddar. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

I was going to have this with a poached egg but we're out. Oh well. Still YUMMO.

We were supposed to go to Voya's for dinner for Valentine's but we hit a glitch so we visited the Olympic pavillons and stage at Granville Island instead. The Atlantic Provinces pavillon at the Arts club had some seafood goodies but like all the centres, there was a crazy line up. We bought some vegetables at the Public Market just as they were closing, assuming we didn't stand a chance of getting in to a restaurant.

D made the curry. We're using the Red Thai Paste I reviewed a few weeks ago. My Valentine's request that it be mouth searingly spicy. He accomplished that! I was surprised he could eat it. I topped it with some chili flakes and I REALLY didn't need to.

I think I've mentioned that D and I have two polar approaches to Thai curry methodology. I like to brown my veg before adding the paste. I call it an Indian approach. I don't know what to call D's method :P. He fries the paste first, adds the coconut milk and then the vegetables. Eitherway, it tastes fantastic. We've stopped telling eachother how to do it :)
D's Valentine's Red Asparagus and Prawn Coconut Curry
(serves 4 or two dinners with small seconds and two lunches)

1/2 T vegetable oil
3-4 T red curry paste
1 tin coconut milk
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed, chopped
1 c button mushrooms
1/2 white onion, sliced
2/3 c baby carrots
1 small orange yam cubed
20 large prawn, shelled
1 inch ginger sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
100 g of firm tofu, optional (I had it in the fridge from taco night)
1 tin water
1 lime, juiced on top of curry as serving.

Start the rice you're making to eat with the curry now.

Trim the bottom inch off the asparagus spears. An easy trick is to snap the spears near the bottom. They will break just above the woody point that is good to eat. Chop into 1 inch pieces.

Wash the mushrooms (this is okay because D is adding them to the liquid and not browning). Trim the bottom of the stems and cut in half.

Peel and cube the yam into 1 inch pieces. Microwave for 3 minutes. They won't but cooked through yet. They'll cook in the curry but they take longer than the other veg.

In a large skillet or pot, heat the vegetable oil. TURN ON YOUR oven fan. Add the paste and stir around. Add the coconut milk. Stir around. Add the onions, garlic and ginger. Add the yams. Simmer for a 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes. If it gets too thick, add some of the water you're swishing around in the coconut milk tin. Add the carrots. D added the carrots toward the end and they stayed slightly crispy. They were really great that way. I am not a fan of mushy carrots. The texture also keeps the whole dish bright. Add the tofu at the end. You only need to heat through if you do it D's way.

Cover and simmer on low for a 5 more minutes until the yams are tender or until your rice is ready.

Garnish with cilantro if you have it. We didn't have any. We juiced some line wedges on top. YUMMO!

We had a Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2008. It is a fabulous, sexy star of a wine. My favourite at the moment.

Jan 18th - Yellow Korean Curry with Eggplant and Zuccini

Growing up my mom used to call this Yellow-bap or yellow rice/food. I don't really know why mom didn't always use the Korean name for the foods we ate. She did sometimes, the staples. But for alot of stuff like Fish Stew or Sweet Rice w Figs or Shredded Marinated Beef. Funny. The Korean Yellow curry is very similar to the Japanese Katsu but better. It has a similar curry base as an indian curry but slightly sweeter and saucy. I've seen the Japanese variety being served as just that, the sauce. The yellow sauce served over rice or a breaded cutlet. Not my thing at all. Probably mainly because I grew up eating this as a stew full of potatoes, carrots, onions, beef, garlic. When I gave up meat, my mom started putting chick peas in it at my request. She of course felt it needed protein, so she adds big shrimp.

The curry base it self comes in cube bouillons. Unless you're crazy hardcore...and mom is hardcore. You use these cubes. You needn't feel bad that you're not making it from scratch. Mom makes her own soy sauce and fish sauce but she uses these cubes.

Today, I'm using the veg that is going off in the fridge because we over bought last weekend: Eggplant, Zucchini, potato, cannellini beans (because I've runout). Actually, I used to make this alot on my own with just eggplant and chickpeas and if done properly is very similar if not dead on to the Indian Baigan curry dish. MMMMM one of my faves. Just use less water. I often add a bit of indian curry powder if I'm doing that.

Eggplant and Zucchini Yellow Korean Curry

1 eggplant
1 small onion
1 small zucchini
3-4 small chilies chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger fresh
1/2 pack of curry cubes (75-100g)
3 c water
1 tin of chick peas (optional)
5 shrimp sauteed on the side (optional)
salt and pepper

I do the eggplant separately. You don't have to. You can sautee the eggplant with the potato but stew a bit longer before eating. I was making this on a work day so I wanted to eat before 9pm. So this is like the rapid development version. I'm always thinking of cooking a dish like a project where I look for activities that can happen in parallel.

Start the rice. I'm making brown jasmin and it takes 25-40 minutes. It's best to start it first.

Turn the oven on to 425 while chopping the eggplant in 3/4 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil. Salt. Place in oven while you do the rest. 30 minutes.

In a large dutch oven, or big skillet like mom would use. Heat some olive oil and butter on medium heat. Chop the onion and potato. Toss in as you go. Season with salt and pepper. Don't burn the onion. Keep it moving. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Chop the zucchini in coins, 1 cm thick cut in half.

Put a bowl of water in the microwave to boil or boil some water. Break the cubes up and place in the bowl and let melt. Stir with a spoon. Chop the chilies, ginger and garlic.

Add the zucchini and keep it moving. When the zucchini starts to brown. 3- 5 minutes. Add more oil if it starts to stick. Don't worry if t bottom browns a bit. Brown is good. Burn is bad. Add the aromatics. Stir for a couple of minutes.

Stir the bowl with the water and curry and quickly dump into the pot before it settles. Add more water to the bowl and whisk up the rest of the curry and dump in. ~3 cups. Add more or less to taste. The cubes will thicken when the stew comes to a boil with more or less water, it will thicken and it will just mean more or less intense curry flavour. So carefully taste before you over water.

Toss in the eggplant. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Let sit for at least 15-20 minutes or more. Add the beans in at the last 5 minutes to heat through. Or earlier if you want not to fuss.

You could toss any number of shrimp or whatever in but since I didn't want to have a whole pot of shrimp curry, I sauteed them briefly onthe side and served them on the rice then ladled some curry on top.

MMMM tastes like childhood but with more veg. Moms would have just been potato, carrots, and peas with protein.

Oh the best brand, in my opinion is 'Golden'. I've tried a few like Glico, Kokomu and others but Golden is the least candy like and less filler. Yummo.