Kimchi Bokkeum Bap (Kimchi Fried Rice)

Kimchi fried rice is the best way to use the left over kimchi. Some people love to eat kimchi with pork, but I love to eat kimchi with chicken. ;) For those who doesn't know what is kimchi, well..kimchi is one of the famous korean dish made of spicy pickled chinese cabbage.

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 150 g chicken fillet, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 plates cooked rice (left over is the best for this dish)
- 2 spring onion, chopped
- 250 g kimchi, coarsely chopped, with its liquid
- Salt to taste

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the onion and chicken, cook until the onion is browned and the chicken is cooked through.
2) Lower the heat to medium heat, add the sesame oil.

3) Add gochujang and stir until well blended.
4) Add the rice and stir-fry until the whole ingredients are mixed well.
5) Add kimchi with its liquid and the spring onion. Cook for 3 minutes.
6) Add salt to taste.
7) Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings

Mae-un dak (Korean Spicy Chili Chicken)

I love spicy food and so does my hubby. :) This time I was feeling like cooking korean food. So, I decided to cook this spicy korean chili chicken. :)

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp oil
- 300 g chicken fillet, cut into bite size
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 zucchini, cut into small cubes
- ¼ head Chinese cabbage, cut into bite size
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 spring onion, cut into 1 cm length
- 2 tbsp gochu jang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
2) Add the chicken, onion, zucchini, cabbage and garlic. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables begin to brown.
3) Add the spring onion, gochujang, soy sauce and sugar. Cook for three minutes.
4) Serve immediately with warm, steamed rice.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Curry Mee or Laksa Noodle

This Nonya dish is known as Curry Mee in Malaysia and in Singapore. However, the malaysian and singaporean immigrants in Australia call this dish Laksa. First time I ate Laksa noodle was when I studied in Sydney. In the uni where I was studying, there was an asian food counter where students can buy and enjoy asian food served there. Once I tried that food, I really fell in love with Laksa noodle since the taste was so yummy! ^_^ Now since I live in Finland, it's so hard to find Indonesian or Malaysian resto that serves Laksa. So, I decided to make Laksa for our dinner and yeah..it turned really good, spicy and my hubby loves that, too. ^_^

Ingredients:

- 150 g boiled/cooked rice vermicelli noodles (glass noodles)
- 150 g boiled/cooked egg noodles
- 2 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp laksa paste (see recipe below)
- 2 L water
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 tsp brown sugar or grated palm sugar
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 4 tbsp laksa paste
- 100 g bean sprouts, cleaned and rinsed in the running water.
- 100 g choy sum, chopped
- 200 g meat/beef ball
- 150 g chicken fillet, sliced thinly
- 2 cubes fried tofu, sliced --> I don't put tofu here, since hubby doesn't like it.
- sliced boiled eggs, mint leaves and fried onion to garnish

Laksa Paste:

- 2 medium onion or 10 purple shallots, finely chopped
- 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and chop the white part finely
- 3 cm piece of galangal, peeled and chopped
- 6 candle nuts
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp dried shrimp paste (belacan or terasi bakar)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp chili powder or 6 deseeded bird's eye red chili
- 1 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil

Methods:

To make the Laksa paste: Process all ingredients in a food processor or a blender until well combined. Store the paste in a clean, airtight jar in the fridge for up to 6 months.

1. Heat the oil in the wok and fry the laksa paste over a low heat until fragrant. Make sure to stir it occasionaly to prevent stickness.

2. Add the water and bring to the boil. Then, add chicken stock cube, sliced chicken fillet and meatballs. Simmer until the stock cube is dissolved.

3. Stir in the coconut milk and bring the gravy to boil. When it's boiled, turn off the heat.

4. Put the boiled/cooked noodles into four bowls.

5. Add the chopped choy sum and bean sprouts.

6. Ladle the gravy to the bowls. Make sure to take the chicken fillet and meatballs when you ladle the gravy. ^_^

7. Garnish each bowls that has been filled with gravy and meat, with sliced boiled eggs, sliced fried tofu, sprig of mint leaves and fried onion. Serve warm.

Make 4 serving

Chili Con Carne

Hubby and I love to eat Tex-Mex food. One of them is Chili con carne. It tastes so yummy, especially when it is hot (both of us are spicy food lovers!). :) One day I decided to cook chili con carne. Since it was my first time to cook it, I had to look up on the recipe. So, I tried to cook chili con carne from Gordon Ramsay cookbook and modified the recipes slightly and yeah..it turned really good. ;)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chilli or red paprika deseeded
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped or 1 tsp dried thyme
Olive oil, for frying
500g minced beef
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
3 fresh tomatoes or 1 beef tomato, roughly chopped
400g chopped tomatoes
100-200ml chicken or beef stock
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 birds eye chili (red), chopped
1 bay leaf
400g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Boiled rice, to serve

Method:

1. Fry the onion, garlic, chilli and thyme in 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan until fragrant. Then put the minced beef and fry it until brown.
2. Add the dried spices to the mixture, mix well and cook until they release their aroma. Add the fresh and tinned tomatoes and leave to cook down a little for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the chicken or beef stock and stir in tomato puree to taste. Drop bay leaf in then bring to the boil and leave to simmer.
4. Once the sauce is beginning to thicken add the kidney beans and leave to cook for another 5-10 minutes to allow the beans to soak up the flavours. Check for seasoning.
5. To serve, spoon the chilli con carne into the centre of a mound of rice.