[Korean] Fried Tofu Boiled in Soy Sauce

Fried Tofu Boiled in Soy Sauce (Dubu Jorim), presented by Mr. Sgoi

This is a nice and easy dish for two people that you can eat with rice and whatever Korean side dishes you may have (or whatever vegetables you have in your fridge). You could also use this dish itself as a Korean-style side dish, in which case this recipe would make enough for a party of 6-8 people. 

Cooking/prep. Time: c. 30 minutes

Ingredients [click here for details]

18 oz. (510 g.) package of (medium firm) tofu

2 Tbsp olive or canola oil 

Half an onion, sliced

Sauce:

4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

5 Tbsp soy sauce

Half a cup of water

1.5 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp dry white wine

1 tsp. sesame oil

3 green onion stalks, chopped

A pinch or two of sesame seeds

Cooking Instructions

1. Slice the tofu brick into segments about 1.5 cm. thick.

2. Heat the olive or canola oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu segments over medium-high heat. I sliced my tofu brick into seven segments, but could only fit four comfortably into the pan. Sad story!

Here's what the tofu should look like when it's done with the frying stage. Plan on about five minutes per side. You can mix the sauce while you're waiting for the tofu to brown up.

3. When you've fully fried the tofu, take it out of the pan. At this point you would normally fry the onion slices in the leftover oil. I was, however, sadly out of onions today, so I substituted garlic slices. (edit- if you use garlic slices instead of onion, you should reduce the soy sauce to about 3 Tbsp. or it will be too salty!)

4. After you've browned the onion or garlic a little, put the tofu back into the pan and add the sauce you mixed up. 

Let it cook for a while. I didn't adjust the fire at all throughout this whole process. When most of the sauce has boiled off, it's ready to eat.

I took this picture a couple of minutes before it was done. 

If you're eating this as or with a meal, put it on a single plate for the table or on individual plates, depending on how Korean-like you want your experience to be, and alternately take bites of it, your rice, and whatever else you've got on the table. 

This would also be a good side dish for drinking (the "ahnjoo" you've heard so much about) in my opinion. I think it would go well with lousy but cold beer or with soju, but you know better than me. Geonbae ("cheers")!

[non-Korean] Garlic Cheese Potato Croquette

Garlic Cheese Potato Croquette (serves 4)


Ingredients [click here for details]
3 Potatoes, Cut into thin strips
2 American cheese slices
2 Tbsp cubed Swiss cheese
2~3 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Garlic, finely chopped (about 5 cloves)
2+4 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp salt
a pinch of pepper

Cooking Instruction
1. Place potato strips with water in a large bowl, and microwave it till the strips are translucent and soft.  It took 4 *  3-minute for me.


2. Using a chopper, chop cooked potato, onion, and garlic. Mix them well with 2 American cheese slices, 2 Tbsp of cubed Swiss cheese, 2 Tbsp of corn starch, 1 tsp of salt and a little bit of pepper, if you like.


3. Shape potato mix into 1 inch diameter balls.


4. Sprinkle corn starch on the balls. If you roll them on the corn starch, they are easy to fall apart.


5. Fry potato croquette with enough oil in a hot pan.



It is crispy and brown outside, while it is soft, warm and cheesy inside. Delicious!

[non-Korean] Italian Style Mussel Stew

This is a good appetizer or a side dish with a tomato base. I used New Zealand green shell mussels, which can be used for alleviating the symptoms of arthritis and for anti-inflammatory reaction. 

Italian Style Mussel Stew (serves 4)
  


Ingredients
600g mussels (about 20 big mussels)
14 oz diced tomato can
6 garlic cloves, sliced
3 Tbsp dry white wine
2 Tbsp olive oil
[optional] 1 fresh tomato, chopped
[optional] Italian parsley flakes


Cooking Instruction
1. Wash well mussels with cold water and get rid of all the dirt on the outside of shells.

(white creamy color is male mussel, while orange is female. ^-^ )

2. Heat a pot with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, and cook garlic till garlic becomes translucent.


3. Put diced tomato can in the pot and keep heating for 5 minutes with strong fire. Add chopped, skinned fresh tomato at this point.


4. Add washed mussels  and 3 Tbsp of dry white wine into the pot. Stir well while heating them for 2 minutes with strong fire.


5. Cook mussels for 7~8 minutes with a medium fire with a lid on.

How to Serve
Before serving, add parsley flakes for garnish.
This is good appetizer. You can serve it with garlic bread.  
This can also be served as a side dish for drinking or for a mild taste main dish.

[Korean] Cucumber rice rolls with mock crab

This is a refreshing finger food for summer. The freshness of cucumber goes well with the salty taste of the mock crab topping.


Cucumber rice rolls with mock crab (serves 3)
   Korean Name : oh-ee-cho-bop
   cucumber : oh-ee
   sushi rolls : cho-bop

 



Ingredients
2/3 cup rice
1 cup water
2 cucumber
5~6 oz mock crab, shred
1tsp salt (can add more to taste)
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1Tbsp sesame seeds
2Tbsp onion finely chopped
1Tbsp relish
1tsp lemon juice
1Tbsp miracle whip
a pinch of ground pepper
[optional]toothpicks

Cooking Instructions
1. Bring 2/3 cups of rice to a gentle boil in 1 cup of water. After it starts to boil, simmer till the water is reduced.


2. Mix cooked rice with 1tsp salt (can add more to taste), 1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, and 1Tbsp sesame seeds when the rice is still hot, and set aside.

3. Cut cucumber into thin strips as shown in the picture below.


4. Shape mixed rice into 1 inch diameter balls.

5. Wrap rice balls with cucumber strips. If you want to keep them together better, poke toothpicks through them.


6. For topping, mix shredded mock crab, 2 Tbsp of chopped onions, 1 Tbsp or relish, 1tsp of lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of miracle whip, and a pinch of ground pepper. Place the topping on the cucumber rice balls.


How to Serve
Put them on a serving plate as an appetizer or a side dish.

[Korean] Cold Bean Sprouts and Cucumber Mix, Good appetizer or side dish for summer!

This is cold sweet and sour mix of bean sprouts and cucumber. Why don't you try when you don't want to have anything warm during Summer?


Cold Bean Sprouts and Cucumber Mix (serves 2)
Korean name : sook-joo-oh-ee-naeng-chae
sook-joo : bean sprouts
oh-ee : cucumber
naeng : cold
chae : mix of strips of something




Ingredients [click here for details]

1/2 lb bean sprouts
1/2 of long cucumber, sliced
1 green onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2~2/3 Tbsp vinegar ( I used apple cider vinegar.)
1 tsp sesame seed oil
a pinch of ground pepper
1 tsp black sesame seeds for garnish
4 ice cubes


Cooking Instruction

1. Wash bean sprouts with running water, and remove the covers of beans.


2. Cook bean sprouts in boiling water. You should either open the lid or keep it closed all the way through till it's cooked.
When bubbles appear, it is done. It 'd take about 2 minutes.
Rinse cooked bean sprouts with cold running water, and remove the moisture from bean sprouts.


3. Wash cucumber with running water, and slice cucumber as shown in the picture below.

4. In a bowl, mix everything listed in ingredients except black sesame seeds and ice cubes.


How to Serve
You can serve this either as an appetizer or a side dish.
You have to cook this dish right before serving, or the water comes out of vegetables.
Right before serving, add black sesame seeds and ice cubes.