Six In Seoul
  • Our Life in Seoul Take 3
  • Our Life in Seoul, Take 2
  • 2015 Project 365
  • Project 365
  • Moving to Korea?
  • Six in the Hood
  • Seoul, 4/2008 - 4/2010
    • Flower Arrangements
    • Our second month here.....
    • Our first month here, 4/08
    • Flat Stanley
  • The Whole 30

Tom Kha Kai (Chicken in Coconut Milk)

2/4/2010

1 Comment

 
I've always liked Thai food, but since going to Thailand twice now, I have a new found appreciation for it.  Thai food ranks right up there as one of my favorite cuisines.  (I have a three way tie going between, Thai, Vietnamese & Mexican.)

This is the first Thai dish I tried cooking on my own, and I must say, it wasn't too shabby.    One thing I learn while at cooking school in Thailand is not to substitute ginger for galangal even though they are in the same family.  If you can't get fresh galangal, but dried, buy NEVER, NEVER use ginger.  The chef at Phuket's Thai Cookery School said if you have to use ginger, you should just go out to dinner instead.  Another thing I learn about ingredients is you should never leave out the kaffir lime leaves.  You can buy them dried if you can't find any fresh.  You can use 'regular' lime juice if you can't find a kaffir lime.
Picture
TOM KHA KAI

serves 2

1 3/4 cup coconut cream
2 shallots peeled and crushed
6 bird's eye chilies (crushed - use more or less depending on how spicy you like it.)
1 inch piece of fresh galangal sliced or 5 slices of dried
1 stalk of lemongrass cut diagonally
2 1/2 cups straw mushrooms, if you can't find straw mushrooms use a mushroom you really like. (cut into quarters)
3 cherry tomatoes
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
3/4 cup chicken breast, sliced thin

2 tsp fish sauce
1 TBL lime juice
1 tsp palm sugar (if you can't find palm sugar, you can use honey)
1 stalk of spring onion (for garnish)
1 tsp cilantro leaves (for garnish)
1 tsp chili oil - for topping


Put coconut milk in a pan and bring to a boil.  Add shallots, chilies, galangal, lemon grass, tomatoes and kaffir lime leaves and simmer till fragrant, about 1- 2minutes. 
Add chicken and cook for 1 minute then season with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice simmer for another minute or till chicken is completely cooked.  Serve sprinkled with chili oil, cilantro leaves and spring onion.
1 Comment

Potato Soup

1/30/2010

2 Comments

 
The first time my friend Teri invited us to her house back in our Ft. Knox, Kentucky days she made this potato soup for us.  I knew from the first bite that Teri and I would be friends forever.  Teri and I have been through a lot together, and I look forward to being her neighbor again in the near future.

Teri did not give me exact measurements on this, and normally I don't measure when making this soup either, but I did try to pay attention so I could give you approximate measurements.....

Potato Soup

5 pound bag of potatoes, peeled and dice
small bag of baby carrots, chopped fine
small onion, dice
3 celery stalks chopped fine
3 quarts chicken broth (I use chicken base - you can find it by the chicken bullion cubes)
1 cup heavy cream
1TBL butter
2 TBL flour

Picture
Combine chicken broth & veggies (but not potatoes) till soft - maybe 15 minutes or so.
Add potatoes, boil till soft, maybe 15-20 more minutes
Turn heat down
Add heavy cream

In small bowl melt butter, then combine butter & flour together to form a paste, add about 1/2 cup of broth from soup to paste, mix well (till all lumps are gone), then add to butter/flour combo to soup. Let simmer for a couple of minutes

Top with cheddar cheese, chives, bacon bits, sour cream.....


Picture
2 Comments

Chicken and Dumplings

12/11/2009

4 Comments

 
Tis the season for warm things for dinner!  And chicken and dumplings is just what Boy 2 ordered!   When ever I make chicken and dumplings Boy 2 always wants me to make extra so he can have leftovers for his lunch the next day!
Picture
I tried getting this recipe from my mom because she made the best chicken and dumplings EVER, but she is the type of person that throws a little of this and a little of that in and I could never mimic her recipe.  So one day when I was at a friends house and she was throwing out a ton of cookbooks, I noticed this cookbook ~ Old Fashioned Country Cooking and it has the "Cracker Barrel" name and logo on it, so I saved it from being sent to the dump (she really wasn't throwing them in the trash, she was taking them to the thrift store or somewhere like that).  I adapted the recipe a little and it is pretty close to how my mom used to make them!

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

1 3-pound chicken
2 quarts of water 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBL shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken in 2 quarts of water.  Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour, our till tender and chicken is easily coming off the bone. Remove chicken from broth to cool, de-bone chicken and cut or shred into bite size pieces. Put chicken back in the broth, and bring broth to a boil. 

While waiting for broth to boil, combine flour, baking soda & salt.  Cut in the shortening.  Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until moistened.  Knead the dough 4 or 5 times then flatten till about 1/2 inch thick.  Pinch off dough into 1 1/2-inch pieces and drop into boiling broth.  Reduce to medium heat and cook for about 8-10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Picture
4 Comments

Grilled Spicy Chicken Wings

10/12/2009

1 Comment

 
Picture
Hubby says these are the best chicken wings I make.  I got this recipe out of a grilling magazine a few years ago.  They are very simple, delicious and surprisingly much spicier than they look!  I always have people devouring the celery & blue cheese after a couple of bites! 

5 pounds of chicken wings
3 1/2  teaspoons garlic salt
3 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano.  
Celery sticks
Blue Cheese dressing

Combine all spices, sprinkle over chicken wings & grill!  Grill about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
  
Picture
1 Comment

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

8/6/2009

3 Comments

 
Picture

It doesn't get much better than this.  Remember the strawberry stuffed french toast?  Well, blueberry stuffed french toast is WAY better, even though the picture is not. (I also tweeked the recipe a bit).

3 eggs
½ cup milk
4 oz cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla
½  cup confectioners sugar
8 slices bread  - use whatever you have on hand  - I used whole grain white
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 TBL sugar
Butter for cooking
Topping of choice…I used maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar

In a shallow bowl whisk together eggs and milk. 
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, confectioners sugar & vanilla.
In another small bowl combine blueberries and sugar.
Spread cream cheese mix on  4 slices of bread, top with a single layer of blueberries.  Top with remaining 4 slices of bread.
 Melt butter on griddle over med-low heat.  Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture for a few seconds on each side.  Cook sandwiches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. 

Top with more blueberries and maple syrup!

3 Comments

Cheese Straws

8/5/2009

0 Comments

 
Picture
These are simple yet delicious. Last Friday I catered a promotion reception for a good friend who was just promoted to LTC....he was going to have a big sub from Subway with cans of beer, (OK, the 'cans' of beer was my touch, but didn't it sound just awful?)  However I couldn't stand for that, so I jumped in and forced my services upon him! 

I got this recipe from the cookbook Barefoot In Paris, by Ina Garten, but adapted it just a bit.  Either way you make it, they are fabulous.  Try doing it with different cheeses and spices, you won’t be disappointed and your guest are sure to be impressed.
Picture
1 box frozen pastry puff, (2 sheets) defrosted overnight in the refrigerator.
1 large egg
1 TBL water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1cup grated Gruyere cheese
2  teaspoon basil leaves (dried and crushed) Ina used thyme leaves & less of them.
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface (to about 10x12).  Beat the egg with 1 TBL water and brush the surface of the pastry.  Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup of parmesan, 1/2 cup of Gruyere, 1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly ground pepper.  (Freshly ground pepper is SO much better than the pre-ground stuff....trust me.)  With your rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel, cut into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed.  Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes.  Don't over bake or cheese with burn.  Cool and serve at room temperature. 

0 Comments

Pasta Salad with Chicken, Grapes & Feta

8/2/2009

5 Comments

 

The first time I had this salad, I was moving from Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (my 2nd favorite duty station behind Seoul), to Ft. Hood, Texas.  We were actually heading to the Great Wolf Lodge for 5 days, then on to Texas.  Why is this important you ask? Because I remember eating this salad the parking lot of the Great Wolf Lodge with my fingers, and I had a really hard time sharing it with Hubby.  My friend and neighbor Amy made this for our car trip,  as soon as I could call her for the recipe, I did.  Thanks for this Amy, it has been a staple in our house every since.

This is one of the easiest and yummiest (is that even a word?) salads!  Every time I make it for a backyard BBQ, or take it anywhere, someone always ask for the recipe. This salad is perfect for summer & everyone in my house will eat it.

Picture
OK, so I must apologize up front, as there are not real 'amounts', I will guess the best I can, but you need to adjust according to your own taste.

* I box of Tri-Color Rotini (cooked according to the directions on the box, and cooled)

* 3 boneless skinlees chicken breast, sprinkle with lemon pepper and bake.  (Or you can use any leftover chicken you might have laying around)  Cut up into bit size pieces.
*1 cup chopped carrots
*1 small container of grape tomatoes cut in half
*1 cup or so of green grapes
*1 package of feta cheese, crumbled
*1 bottle of Leo’s Italian salad dressing- the only place I have ever seen this sold is Jason’s Deli.  Now since I can’t get that here, I use 1 package of Good Season’s Zesty Italian.  (Go ahead and follow the directions on the package and actually make the dressing, don’t just throw the seasoning in there).

Mix all ingredients together, chill & enjoy!
5 Comments

Potato Chip Cookies

7/7/2009

4 Comments

 
Picture

OK, so here it is the long awaited potato chip cookie recipe.  Some of you have been asking for it F O R E V E R!!  I'm sorry about that.  I really wasn't trying to keep this recipe from you.  I've been making this recipe for a few years now, thanks to my good friend Molly, the one that NEVER leaves comments on my blog anymore.  Molly doesn't cook much, but what she does cook is always fabulous!    Here we go....

 ¾ c butter (room temp)
1 c brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cup unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup crushed potato chips….I use whatever I have on hand – I have even used corn tortillas (just don’t use BBQ, that might be BAD, very, very bad!!)
1 ½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla till light and fluffy.  Combine flours, & baking soda in a separate bowl, then  add flour mixture to sugar mixture ½ cup at a time, mixing thoroughly,. Add crushed potato chips and chocolate chips until just combined.  

Bake on insulated cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Oh baby….if you like a little salty/sweet action going on; you are going to love these puppies!

4 Comments

Silver Dollar Pancakes

6/29/2009

2 Comments

 
My friend Lara turned me onto this website, and I must say I frequent it more than I should.  When I found this recipe, I knew I had to make it.  I am always on the look out for something new for breakfast, not that pancakes are new, these are just different.   I like to wake up before my kids in the morning and make a good breakfast for them - everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day right?   Anyway, when I saw this recipe for "The best silver dollar pancakes", I had to try them.  The first time I made the recipe exact, and I must tell you, when the writer of the original entry wrote “they are so light they practically levitate over the plate they're put on", he was not lying!!  They practically melted in your mouth.  They were good, but not what I thought a pancake should be, I need a little more substance in my pancake, so I adjusted the recipe just a little, and now these are my kids’ favorite.  Just yesterday Girl  told me yesterday that she is going to ask for these pancakes for her birthday breakfast (instead of her usual cinnamon roll request. Wow!) 

4 eggs
½  tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup flour
2 cups sour cream
3 TBL sugar

Put eggs in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended.

Add all ingredients & mix well.

Heat griddle until it is nice and hot…I set mine at 400.  If you want *true* silver dollar size pancakes, drop spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle.  I like them a little bigger – about baseball size, so I drop about 1/8th of a cup onto the griddle at a time.....

Picture

When a few bubbles appear on top of the pancakes, turn them over and cook briefly...about 45-60 more seconds.

Picture
Serve with warm maple syrup.

My kids like to make a smiley face out of them...


PS...they also had banana strawberry smoothies to go with this breakfast.

Picture
2 Comments

Brazilian Lemonade

6/28/2009

27 Comments

 

Here is another great refreshing summer drink.  I made this for one of our 'blue park' parties.  I was a little skeptical when my friend Allison sent this recipe to me, one of the ingredients was.....well, a bit different, one might even say odd.  However if anyone knows what they are talking about when it comes to cocktails, it would be Allison. 

Picture
 

Brazilian Lemonade

4 small limes
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk  (yes, you read that correctly)

Mix cold water and sugar together very well. 

Make sure to wash you limes well!  Cut the ends of the limes off, and then cut the limes into 8ths.  Put limes and sugar water in blender.  Pulse you blender 5 times.  Place a fine strainer over a pitcher and pour the blended mixtures through the strainer into the pitcher.  Discard the limes.  Add sweetened condensed milk & mix well.  Taste it at this point…if it is a little too bitter, add a little more sweetened condensed milk. 

That is the kid version….which is fabulous, but to make the even more fabulous adult version add 1 cup of good vodka or rum!  Oh baby…I had people coming back on Saturday for more of these bad boys.

 Now, before you ask....I have no idea why they call this 'lemonade' when it is made with limes.



27 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Proud Army wife and mother to 4 wonderful children.  I love to cook, travel, work out and scrapbook life’s adventures when I find the time.  We just got orders & are heading back to the states in March 2010.  I'm bummed that our time has been cut short, but proud of Hubby for the reason why.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008

    Categories

    All
    Appetizers
    Breakfast
    Cake
    Cakes
    Car Wash
    Cookies
    Cooking Tips
    Daily Life
    Desserts
    Drinks
    Entrees
    Hiking
    Modeling
    Moving To Yongsan
    Nightlife
    Not Quite Right
    Recipes
    Restaurants
    Salads
    Sandwiches
    Seafood
    Shopping
    Side Dishes
    Sightseeing
    Soups
    Spices
    Street Food
    Vacation
    Vegetarian

    Friends, Family and Fun reading:


    FeedYourKids
    GreatinGreece
    CookieMadness
    RomaninRoundRock
    Heather, Heath, Hayden & John
    EggsonSunday

    Five in Boise
    PioneerWoman
    Just The Four of US 
    SteamyKitchen
    All About Korean Food

    KissMyKimchi
    EatingOutLoud
    TheThrashClan
    Yossislost

Proudly powered by Weebly