All posts tagged: easy recipe

Korean red chili pepper stew (gochujang jjigae)

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A Korean-American friend of mine told me a while back that I must have been Korean in my previous life. I just love Korean food, even dishes that she thought would be too spicy for many people. I used to devour her homecooked lunch. LOL! I do love Korean food but most of the dishes are laden with sodium. I learned that because of long and very cold winters in Korea, Koreans pickle vegetables for preservation and in order for vegetables to be available during the winter season. I am so thrilled that I have been finding Korean food blogs featuring Korean dishes that are very quick and easy to make. Lucky for me, being in the Bay Area, the spices that are essential in cooking Korean food are very accessible. I am just a short drive away from a Korean market. I decided that I want to try to make more Korean dishes so I loaded up on kimchi, gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste), gochugaru (Korean chili powder) and doenjang (Korean soy bean …

Easy garlic noodles (vegetarian version)

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First of all, this is not a sponsored post. In fact, this recipe does not even contain Sriracha in it. LOL! I just could not resist getting the Sriracha mug set last Christmas. It is just the cutest gift set for Sriracha lovers which included an oversized mug, chopsticks, chopsticks holder and a small bottle of this Asian hot sauce. If you have had a chance to dine at Crustacean or Thanh Long in San Francisco, then you probably understand Bay Area residents’ obsession with garlic noodles. (Thanh Long is Crustacean’s sister restaurant.) Not just garlic noodles but THE GARLIC NOODLES served at Crustacean or Thanh Long. Many people from the Bay Area tried (still trying) to duplicate this signature side dish from these San Francisco institutions which are known for roasted Dungeness crabs paired with a plate of buttery, garlicky garlic noodles. I tried recipes in the past given to me by friends who swore by “It is exactly like the garlic noodles from Crustaceans!” NOT! Not even close. Now, I would not say …

Korean braised tofu (dubu jorim)

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Among the things I missed during the pandemic is being able to eat at a Korean restaurant. We had Korean food delivered to our house for dinner but it is just not the same. It will never be. I miss stuffing myself with over a dozen banchan (side dishes) placed at our table while waiting for our main dishes. By the time our orders of Korean barbecue and dolsot bibimbap arrive, I am usually already full . I did not think that I would ever say this but I miss the smokiness of the Korean restaurant. I used to say that I hate smelling like eau de bbq when having Korean food but now, I do not mind at all as long as I get to eat my favorite Korean dishes. As soon as we feel comfortable to eat out again, we are walking to our favorite neighborhood Korean restaurant. Yes, we are that blessed being surrounded by cuisines of all kinds just mere skip and hop from our house. In the mean time, I …

Shrimp salad sandwich with sriracha mayo

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Eating this shrimp salad sandwich was like summer in my mouth. It had freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped crispy cucumbers and celery which were contrasted with the taste of sweet onions. The tangy homemade sriracha mayo perfectly complements the flavors of juicy and plump shrimp. I used toasted sourdough bread to cradle all of these deliciousness. It was truly a medley of flavors and textures. Sriracha is a type of spicy Asian hot sauce. It is made from pepper paste, vinegar, sugar and salt. Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) is often served with sriracha on the side. I have always eaten sriracha with Asian food at mom and pop eateries in the Bay Area. with my friends for as long as I can remember. In the last decade or so, sriracha became a trendy food among foodies and has become mainstream. Check the aisle of your local grocery store. You might find it right next to soy sauce and other Asian spices and condiments. When I made this sandwich it was on a lovely spring day …

Hawaii shrimp food truck- inspired garlic shrimp

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As inspired by our vacation in Oahu in 2019, I re-created the shrimp and rice dish that we had at one of the food trucks on Oahu’s North Shore. Shrimp trucks are popular in Hawaii — just watch Hawaii 5-0 (or not! LOL!) where Kamekono’s Shrimp Truck was a fun mainstay of the show showcasing Hawaii’s local food culture. Please check out my North Shore Oahu Shrimp Truck post here where I posted yummy photos of our shrimp plate and food trucks in the town of Haleiwa in Oahu. This dish is so easy to make and so delicious! Buttery and garlicky shrimp over hot rice make this the ultimate comfort food! Make it as spicy as you want. A little note on vegan butter I also want to mention that in order to lessen the guilt, I used vegan butter for the first time. I really could not tell the difference between dairy butter and vegan. It so happened that the vegan butter was on sale at Costco. The woman right next to me …