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Banchan

Better than Takeout – Wood Ear Mushroom & Velveted Chicken Stirfry

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Wood Ear Mushroom & Velveted Chicken Stirfry. If you like Wood Ear Mushrooms, you’ll absolutely love this dish! It’s simple to make, nutritious and works beautifully with a bowl of hot rice. Wood Ear Mushrooms are very popular in Chinese homecooking. (They’re also used in Korea’s Japchae Noodles). These mushrooms are very crunchy and add a nice contrast to soft veggies in stir-fries. Try ’em out!

You can find Wood Ear Mushrooms at most Asian markets. They are sold dried, so you’ll need to soak them in water before cooking.

For this dish, we will also velvet chicken. Velveting is a Chinese technique that keeps meat incredibly tender and juicy – the process locks in the chicken’s natural juices. It involves blanching the chicken in hot water (or oil) for a brief period of time. But if you’re running low on time… skip it!

Few cooking notes:

  • If you’re running low on time, no need to velvet the chicken – simply stir-fry with the mushrooms
  • Feel free swap out any mushroom with local ones
  • If the stir-fry sauces thickens too much – simply add in a few drizzles of water
  • Serving size: 2 people

That’s it folks! Bookmark this recipe – after you taste it, you’ll be back for more… 🕺

Note: The original recipe is from Shao Z. at Serious Eats (props to her!)

Print Recipe

Wood Ear Mushroom & Velveted Chicken Stirfry

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

  • 250 grams Chicken Breast
  • 1/4 cup Dried Wood Ear Mushroom
  • 2 Shiitake Mushrooms (Or use any local mushroom)
  • 1 handful of Oyster Mushrooms (Or use any local mushroom)

For Velveting Chicken

  • 1 Tablespoon Egg White
  • 2 teaspoons (!) Corn Starch (Or Potato Starch)
  • 2 teaspoons (!) Mirim (Or any cooking wine)
  • 2 big pinches of Salt

Stir-Fry Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon (!) Corn Starch (Or Potato Starch)
  • 1 teaspoon (!) Sesame Oil
  • 2 teaspoons (!) Oyster Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon (!) Soy Sauce
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons of Water

Instructions

Velvet chicken

  • Cut chicken breasts into thin slices. Crack an egg and separate the yolk - we'll only use the white. Place the egg white into a small bowl and whisk it. Then scoop out (1 Tablespoon) of the egg-white and place into a mixing bowl. To this, add Corn Starch (2 teaspoons), Mirim (2 teaspoons) and Salt (2 big pinches). Give it a thorough mix. Then add in the chicken and mix - get it evenly coated.

Prep Ingredients

  • Place dried Wood Ear Mushrooms into warm water. Let it rehydrate for 15 minutes. Next, slice Shiitake Mushroom into small pieces. Then, trim the ends of the oyster mushrooms and separate the bundles with your hands.
  • Make Stir-Fry Sauce: Mix Corn Starch (1 teaspoon), Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon), Oyster Sauce (2 teaspoons), Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon), Mince 1 clove of Garlic, and Water (2 Tablespoons)
  • Now, let's check back on the wood ear mushrooms. They should have blossomed - and be much larger in size. Use a pair of kitchen scissors and snip off the small hard stems in the middle. If the mushroom are very big, split them in half as well.

Blanche Chicken

  • Fill a small pot or wok with water. Add-in a drizzle of vegetable oil. Give the coated chicken another mix. Then carefully add it to the boiling water. Mix the chicken pieces around with your chopstick so they don't stick. Then boil for only 40 seconds. Drain the water through a sieve. Set the chicken aside for now.

Do Stir-fry

  • Place wok on a medium-high heat. Add a few Tablespoons of vegetable oil into the frying pan. Once its hot, add the Shiitake and Oyster mushrooms in. Season them with a few pinches of salt (DON'T FORGET!). Then stir-fry for 2 minutes - you want the moisture in the mushrooms to cook-out. Now add in the Wood Ear Mushroom. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Then, empty the cooked mushrooms into a bowl and clean out the wok with a paper towel.
  • Next, we'll cook the chicken: Place in a few tablespoons of cooking oil. Once it's hot, add the blanched chicken in. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked mushrooms back in. Next, add in the stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry everything for a final 30 seconds. (Note: If the sauce thickens too much - simply add in some water).
  • Serve with a bowl of hot rice - enjoy!

 

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Myeolchi Bokkeum – Master Recipe

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Myeolchi Bokkeum. It’s a classic Korean banchan – dried anchovies that are stir-fried in a sweet soy sauce glaze. This is the go-to banchan for many young mothers because its easy to make in bulk and keeps for a long time in the refrigerator. All you need is a fried egg on the side, maybe one other banchan and you got yourself a nice balanced meal. ☺️

Myeolchi Bokkeum

When I was young, I wasn’t a big fan of myeolchi bokkeum – mostly because it was made with anchovies. I knew it tasted good but my chopsticks never reached for it. But as I grew up, I started to appreciate the taste more. Especially when I tasted the banchan at restaurants that served it with sliced almonds and aromatics like garlic and chili peppers. So today, we’re excited to share with your (upgraded) version – we think it’s the best recipe out there!

Cooking tips:

  • Make sure to toast your nuts before using them in this recipe – it brings out the natural flavors of the nuts
  • Don’t skip on the honey – we need the sweetness and its stickiness to make the anchovies clump together. Otherwise, very cumbersome to eat with chopsticks!
  • The chili pepper and garlic are essential. They add aromatic notes to the entire dish

The recipe below will make a 2-person serving size. You can always multiple the ingredients by 2 or 3 to make a larger batch. Store any leftovers in a Tupperware and place in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

If you don’t have a Korean mart nearby, you can also purchase great quality mini-anchovies from Gochujar.

Let us know how you like it! Perhaps we do a few more basic banchans (mit-banchan) in the near future 🙂🙃

Danyul out!! 🕺

Myeolchi Bokkeum
Print Recipe

Myeolchi Bokkeum - Stir-fried Dried Anchovies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of Dried Anchovy (small-sized)
  • 3/4 cup of Mixed Nuts
  • 6-7 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 whole Cheongyang Chili Pepper (or substitute with 1/2 Jalapeno Pepper)
  • 1 stalk of Spring Onion (forearm length)

Sticky Soy Glaze

  • 1/2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey

Garnish

  • 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

  • Measure 1 cup of small dried anchovies. Set it aside. Give a rough chop to the mixed nuts (3/4 cup). Cut garlic (6-7 cloves) into bite-sized chunks. Then dice the chili pepper into small pieces. And dice the spring onion stalk into small chunks as well.

Cook Anchovies

  • Place frying-pan on a medium-low heat. Do NOT place any oil into the frying pan. Once the pan is hot, placed the mixed nuts in. Stir it around in the pan for 1-2 minutes or until the nuts get slightly toasted. Set aside and wipe out the pan.
  • Now raise the frying pan to a MEDIUM heat. Place in some vegetable oil (~2 Tablespoons). Once the oil is hot, add in the garlic pieces. Stir the garlic pieces until they get a slight browning. Then add in the dried anchovies. Stir the anchovy around with the garlic for 2-3 minutes.
  • After 2-3 minutes, quickly add in Soy Sauce (1/2 Tablespoon), Sugar (1/2 Tablespoon) and Mirim (1 Tablespoon). Stir everything together well so that its evenly mixed. Then add the nuts, diced spring onion and chili pepper pieces. Stir everything together for another 1-2 minutes.
  • After 1-2 minutes, finish by adding-in Honey (2 Tablespoons). Give it a final stir and mix everything evenly. This honey will turn the dish nice and sticky. Now turn off the heat and garnish with Sesame Seeds (1/2 Tablespoon).
  • Serve with a bowl of hot rice. Save leftovers in Tupperware and place in the refrigerator. It should stay good for up to 2-3 weeks.

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Korean Doenjang & Lemon Eggplant Banchan!

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Korean Doenjang & Lemon Eggplant Banchan. Today, let’s elevate eggplant! Look into the back of your fridge and pull out that lonely tub of Korean doenjang. We’re going to finally put it to use! Doenjang – by itself – has that earthy pungent funk. So we’ll balance it out with a touch of honey and mirim. Drizzle that glaze into the eggplant and pan-fry it until it develops a sweet, earthy crust. Freshen it up with few grates of lemon zest and a handful of green onions. The result is a simple but fancy-looking dish – something that belongs on a chef’s table!

Korean-Doenjang-Eggplant

For this dish, you want to pick out male eggplants. Male eggplants tend to have fewer seeds – which is a must! But how do I know which is male? Take look at the bottom of the plant. Males have a small, shallow circular dot, while females have a deep dash along the bottom. Also, we recommend picking out slender male eggplants. Like the width of a cucumber or slightly larger.

This dish is straightforward. But a few details to remember…

  • When you first place the eggplant pieces into the frying pan, cook on a LOW heat with the lid-on (that way it steams)
  • Make sure to garnish with a generous amount of lemon zest and pile of green onions. That citrus and onion flavor cuts through the deep, savory funk of the doenjang.

I hope ya’ll enjoy this veggie banchan! Mix and match with others – and eat it with a bowl of hot rice!

Dan-yul out 🕺

Doenjang Eggplant
Print Recipe

Korean Doenjang & Lemon Eggplant Banchan

Ingredients

Fresh Ingredients

  • 2 Male Eggplant
  • 3 stalk Green Onion
  • Few shakes Lemon Zest (Must-have!)
  • Few shakes Sesame Seeds (For Garnish)

Doenjang-Lemon Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons Doenjang
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey

Instructions

  • Trim the ends off the eggplants. Then cut each eggplant into 3-4 cm pieces. Afterwards, use your knife to make a cross-shaped cut (reference video). Note: Don't cut it all the way through.
  • Chop your green onion stalks into very thin slices.
  • Now take out a mixing bowl and let's make the Doenjang-Lemon Sauce: Thoroughly mix Doenjang (2 Tablespoons), Lemon Juice (1/2 Tablespoon), Mirim (1 Tablespoon) and Honey (1 Tablespoon).
  • Take a small spoon and drizzle the the Doenjang-Lemon sauce into the eggplant pieces. Make sure to rub the sauce over the top of the pieces as well.
  • Add some oil to a frying pan. Get it hot. Then reduce the heat to a LOW. Carefully, place each eggplant piece into the frying pan - with the cross-shaped cut facing up. Then put a lid on and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
  • After 2 minutes, take off the lid. Then flip each one over. Now raise the heat to a medium. Place the lid back on and let it cook for another 2-4 minutes. Note: Check on it to make sure that it doesn't burn. Once the eggplant is fully cooked through, turn off the heat.
  • Plate the cooked eggplant. Sprinkle on some sesames seed. Then use a grater and sprinkle on some lemon zest - this is a key ingredient! Then finish-off with a handful of chopped green onions over the top. Bon Appetit - eat with rice!

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate 3!

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate 3. Today, our diet plate revolves around one of my favorite banchans – Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim). These cucumbers walk the line between Kimchi and Salad. It’s not fermented – so technically not Kimchi. But the marinade is quite close to Kimchi. Regardless, the cucumbers are very tasty, refreshing and get the saliva in your mouth running. To balance the spicy tartness, we’ll also blanche fresh squid and chop them up like sashimi. Then make a simple stir-fry cabbage with imitation crab to replace our ‘rice’. Not to mention our perilla-oil fried tofu. Combine all four and you got yourself a low-carb, protein-rich, get-happy meal. Let’s go guys! 🏃‍♂️

Some cooking notes:

  • For the cabbage stir-fry, cook on a high heat. We want the cabbage to sweat quickly and release its natural juices – before mixing-in the oyster sauce.
  • Keep a timer going when boiling the squid – we want 45 seconds (over-boiling will turn the meat too firm and chewy)
  • When making the spicy cucumber, you don’t have to include asian chives (ok to skip). Also, I purposely used teaspoon measurement to make just enough sauce for 2 cucumbers. If you’re making a larger batch, swap out to a Tablespoon measurement.

Feel free to mix and match with any of the other diet banchans – Plate No. 1, Plate No. 2!

Are you guys enjoying these diet banchan ideas? For me, I’ve lost around 3kg in the past month. But now, I’ve plateau’d at around 68 kg (~150lbs) for the last 2 weeks.

Perhaps I gotta stop sneaking in these late-nigh desserts. It’s hard as Katie gets 0ff work and enjoys sampling these new macaron shops in our neighborhood!

I shall persist – Daniel out! 🤠

Diet Banchan Plate 3
Print Recipe

Korean Diet Plate No 3!

Ingredients

Spicy Cucumber Salad

  • 2 whole Cucumbers
  • 4-5 pinches Kosher Salt (For salting cucumbers)
  • Small handful Asian chives (optional)
  • 3 teaspoons Vinegar
  • 2.5 teaspoons Gochugaru
  • 2.5 teaspoons Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
  • Few shakes Sesame Seeds (optional)

Blanched Squid Sashimi

  • 1 whole Squid
  • Few dashes of Mirim (For seasoning water)
  • Few dashes of Vinegar (For seasoning water)

Pan-fried Tofu & Dipping Sauce

  • 1 block Tofu (200-300 grams)
  • 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Perilla Oil (Sesame Oil is fine too)
  • 2 stalks Green Onion (Or Scallions)
  • 1 teaspoon Gochugaru
  • 4 teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Water
  • Few shakes Sesame Seeds

Simple Cabbage & Crab Stir-fry

  • 2 Handfuls Chopped Green Cabbage
  • 1/2 cup Imitation Crab Meat
  • 6-8 shakes of Black Pepper
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
  • Small handful of Diced Green Onion (For Garnish)

Instructions

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad

  • Wash all three cucumbers and skin each cucumber with a peeler. Do not peel-off all of the skin, rather make uneven peels.
  • Cut Asian Chives into small bite-sized pieces (optional)
  • Chop cucumbers into half inch circles.
  • Sprinkle 4-5 big pinches of kosher salt onto the cucumber slices and give them a good mix with your hands. Set the cucumbers aside for 30 minutes and they will slowly release water. After 30 minutes, check that they can bend without snapping. Then thoroughly rinse off all the salt under running water and let them drip off excess water.
  • For the marinade: Thoroughly mix Vinegar (3 teaspoons), Gochugaru (2.5 teaspoons), Sugar (2.5 teaspoons), Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon), Minced Garlic (1 teaspoon) and Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon), Sesame Seeds (few shakes).
  • Dress the cucumbers (and asian chives) in the marinade. Get in there with you hands and coat all of it!

Blanched Squid Sashimi

  • Clean the squid (reference video). Then fill a pot with water. Add in a few dashes of mirim and vinegar to the water - to eliminate any seafood smell in the squid.
  • Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 45 seconds. Then drop the squid in. After 45 seconds, take it out. Give it about 5 minutes to cool down. Then use a knife and cut the tube and tentacles into bite-sized pieces. Set aisde.

Pan-fried Tofu & Dipping Sauce

  • Cut tofu into bite-sized pieces. Then pat it down with a paper towel to get rid of excess water. This helps the surface crisp up when frying.
  • Dice your green onion into small-slices.
  • Now, let's make the topping sauce: Add Gochugaru (1 teaspoon), Soy Sauce (4 teaspoons), Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon) and Water (1 teaspoon). Give it all a good mix. Then add in a handful of the sliced Green Onions pieces, and a good amount of Sesame Seeds (3-4 shakes).
  • Place a frying-pan on medium-high heat. Place in some Vegetable Oil (1 Tablespoon), as well as some Perilla Oil (1 Tablespoon). Once hot, place the tofu pieces in. Cook the pieces until they get a nice crispy texture on both sides. Then place each finished piece onto a paper towel. Finish by placing a dab of the topping sauce on each tofu piece.

Simple Cabbage & Crab Stir-fry

  • Dice a section of your cabbage into bite-sized pieces (reference video for measurement).
  • Use your fingers to rip the imitation crab into small bite-sized strips
  • Next, give the green cabbage pieces a quick rinse under water. We want some water droplets on the cabbage so that they don't burn in the stir-fry.
  • Place frying pan on high heat. Then add some oil in. Once hot, add in the cabbage pieces. Sprinkle on some black pepper (5-6 shakes). Then add in the minced garlic (2 cloves worth). Stir-fry everything for 30 seconds or until you see the cabbage start to sweat.
  • Once the cabbage starts to sweat, add in the crab meat. Next, add in 1 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce. Stir-fry everything for another 20-30 seconds. It's done. Garnish with chopped green onions. Bon Appetit!

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate – Idea 2

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate 2. Yes, we’re back with more diet banchans! For this week, I wanted to pivot from raw greens and focus on savory vegetable dishes. The menu is… Acorn Starch Jelly & Seaweed Salad, Korean Zucchini Pancakes, Steamed Kabocha, Pan-Fried Garlic Chicken Thighs. All topped off with a cherry on top! Sound amazing no? Let’s get it!

Korean Diet Plate

Few cooking notes: 

  • The Kabocha Pumpkin (also known as Dan-hobak in Korean) has a very firm casing. It requires some force to cut – so be aware of where your fingers are when chopping down. To make it easier, you can also place it in the microwave for 3 minutes. This will make it much easier to chop.
  • The Acorn Starch Jelly (also known as Dotorimuk) is typically served with a soy sauce marinade topping. I purposely took that out to cut down on the sodium. If the recipe tastes slightly bland, add a few more pinches of salt. (Or you can try other dotorimuk recipes).
  • If you’re not on a diet and want to make a delicious dipping sauce for the Kabocha: Mix 1 Tablespoon of Honey with 2 teaspoons of Soy Sauce. Drizzle it over the top and muahh – simple but incredible flavor!

(If you’re interested in our Banchan Plate, click here | Or for Korean Laver Sheets, click here)

Cheers everybody – the weather is getting beautiful here in Seoul! Another reason to take a nice walk or run after meals! 🙃

Much love from Seoul! Dan-yul Out! 🕺

Korean Diet Plate
Print Recipe

Korean Diet Banchan Plate 2

Ingredients

Acorn Starch Jelly & Seaweed Salad

  • 1 pack Acorn Starch Jelly (400g)
  • 1 pack Gim (Roasted Laver Sheet)
  • 1 Tablespoon Diced Spring Onion
  • 1-1.5 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • Few pinches of Sesame Seeds
  • 2 large pinches of Kosher Salt

Korean Zucchini Pancake

  • 1/2 a whole Zucchini
  • Few pinches Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon of Flour
  • 1 Egg

Steamed Kabocha

  • 1 Kabocha (Sweet Pumpkin)
  • Few sprinkles of Baking Soda (for cleaning)

Pan-Fried Garlic Chicken Thighs

  • 2 Chicken Thighs
  • Few shakes Salt
  • Few shakes Black Pepper
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter

Instructions

Acorn Starch Jelly & Seaweed Salad

  • Take the acorn starch out of the package. There's no need to cook this - it's ready to eat. Simply cube the block into bite-sized pieces. For this recipe, we're going to use 400 grams (or the entire package). We won't eat everything in one serving but easier to make it all at once.
  • Dice piece of spring onion into small pieces. Crumble the seaweed sheets.
  • Take out a mixing bowl. Add-in acorn starch jelly, spring onion pieces and crumbled laver. Then add-in 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil. Then 2 big pinches of Kosher Salt. And a few shakes of Sesame Seeds. Mix it together and give it a taste. Feel free to add slightly more sesame oil or salt if you need.

Korean Zucchini Pancakes

  • Cut your zucchini into thin rounds (1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thickness). Sprinkle some salt onto each piece (I forgot to mention this in the video).
  • Take out a small bowl and add 1 Tablespoon of flour. Then coat each Zucchini piece in the flour. Tap-off the extra-flour
  • Crack an egg into another bowl. Season it with some salt. Then whisk-it-up.
  • Dip each of the flour-covered zucchini pieces into the egg mixture and get them evenly coated.
  • Place frying pan on medium-heat. Place oil in. Once hot, place zucchini pieces in. Cook them on both sides until you get a light golden crisp. (You can reduce the heat to a low if you see the eggs on side turning brown too quickly)
  • Steamed Kabocha
  • Rinse your kabocha under running water. While it's wet, sprinkle on some baking soda over the pumpkin. Then rub it around with your hands. This will remove any debris or dirt off the skin. Wash the baking powder off and the skin should be very clean. (If you don't have baking soda, you can also use vinegar).
  • Use a knife and carefully dice the kabocha into 4 parts. (Note: The skin is very firm - so watch out for your fingers! You can alternatively place the kabocha in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften it up).
  • Take out all of the seeds with a spoon. Bring a pot of water up to boil on high heat. Place one kabocha piece in. Close the lid and reduce the heat to a medium. Then steam for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, use a chopstick or fork to poke it. Check to see if it's soft all the way through. If not, cook for longer. Dice-it-up and serve on your plate.

Pan-Grilled Garlic Chicken Thigh

  • Trim-off excess skin or fat from your chicken thigh (if any). Then pat it down dry with a paper towel.
  • Season each piece with salt and pepper. Also cut your garlic cloves into thin slices
  • Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add in some oil. Once its hot, add the chicken piece in (skin-side down). Then add the garlic pieces in. Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes - or until you get a nice brown crisp. Then flip it over. Now add 1 Tablespoon of Butter and place the lid on. It will steam the chicken. Lift up the frying pan and give it a slight stir around so the butter in the pan gets evenly coated. Let it cook for 1 more minute. Take off lid and take out chicken.
  • Slice into bite-sized piece and plate!

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate Idea

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Korean Diet Banchan Plate Idea. I hate the word dieting. As soon as that word comes out of my mouth, I feel anxious to lose weight quickly. And if the number doesn’t drop every day, I feel worse and worse! To counter this, I set low expectations (ha!). The goal is to lose 1 kg every 2 weeks (that’s about 1 lb a week). I want to slowly incorporate healthier meals into my diet. I prefer to make changes slowly – because it seems less hard. I started with these low-carb banchan plates once a week. That turned into twice a week. And during the last few weeks, I’ve been eating it for lunch every day of the week. Now, I’m getting sick of it – so I need to come up with new banchan plates. But you get the point!

Korean Diet Banchan Plate

So whats on the plate? Silken Tofu Salad, Garlic Green Bean Stir-fry, Collard Green Salad, Pan-Grilled Shabu Shabu Pork and… an apple!

The key point with this banchan plate idea is to reduce portions but add variety. An assortment of food brings excitement and more importantly, delivers balanced nutrition. If you’re still hungry afterwards, grab a few more slices of the apple. The acidity in the apple helps to trigger that “full feeling” in the stomach.

Also, we purposely minimized the amount of marinade in the dish. We will use no seasoning for the meat – except for salt and pepper. After all, meat tastes great by itself.  And we’ll use the soy-sauce vinaigrette for both the silken tofu and collard-green salad.

Let me know how you guys like it! We’ll do more of them if you do 🙂

(For the Banchan Plate, click here | For Yondu, click here)

Cheers to healthier meals – and don’t forget to take a walk after your meals!! 🏃‍♂️

Korean Diet Banchan Plate
Print Recipe

Korean Diet Banchan Plate Idea

Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

Collard-Green Salad

  • 1 Collard Green Leaf
  • Few handful of Cherry Tomatoes
  • Few sprinkles of Feta Cheese

Soy Vinaigrette Dressing

  • 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Maesil
  • 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • Few shakes Salt
  • Few shakes Black Pepper

Silken Tofu Salad

  • 1 Tube Silken Tofu
  • Few drizzles of Soy Vinaigrette Dressing (See Above)
  • Few sprinkles Green Onion (Optional, Garnish)

Spicy Garlic Green Bean Stir-fry

  • Handful of Green Beans
  • 2 Tablespoons of Spring Onion
  • 1-2 cloves of Garlic
  • Few pinches of Salt
  • Few sprinkles of Dried Chili Pepper
  • Dash of Yondu (Or use veggie stock)

Grilled Shabu-Shabu Pork

  • 100-150 grams Thinly Sliced Pork (Shabu-Shabu Cuts)
  • Few shakes Salt
  • Few shakes Black Pepper

Instructions

Collard-Green Salad

  • Discard the end stems off the collard green leaf. Then cut-out the inner-stem piece. Roll the leaves and cut into thin slices. Then dice the inner-stem into thin pieces as well.
  • Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
  • Make Soy Vinaigrette Dressing by mixing all of the listed ingredients
  • When ready to serve, add the dressing and toss the tomatoes with collard green slices. Top it off with a sprinkle of feta cheese.

Silken Tofu Salad

  • Cut and open the silken tofu along the top of the package. Carefully place it on top of a few paper towels to drain off excess water (or else your plate will be filled with tofu water later). Cut into small rounds. Place onto plate.
  • Add a few spoonfuls of the Soy Vinaigrette Dressing you made earlier. Garnish with green onions.

Spicy Garlic Green Bean Stir-fry

  • Trim-off both ends from the green beans. Dice garlic into thin slices. Then julienne your spring onion piece into thin slices.
  • Place a frying pan on medium-high heat. Place oil in. Once hot, place the spring onion pieces in. Give it 30 seconds to start dancing in the oil. Then add in the garlic pieces. Add the green beans in. Season with a few pinches of salt. Add in the crushed dried chili pepper. Give it a stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Once you see the skin blistering on the green beans, add a splash of Yondu (it will steam the green beans). Stir-fry for 15 second more. Then plate and enjoy!

Grilled Shabu-Shabu Pork

  • Place frying pan on a medium-high heat. Place in a drizzle of oil. Place pork slices in. Let it cook on one side until you see the juices from the meat pool on the surface. Then sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Flip over and cook other side. Plate and enjoy!

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Tteokbokki Eggs – Doesn’t get better!

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Tteokbokki Eggs. When you order a plate of Tteokbokki, it usually comes with a hardboiled egg on the side. But it’s always just 1/2 an egg! And I would fight my sister for it. My fork would go in first. But within milliseconds, her fork would stab the egg too. The egg would grow tired from this tense push-and-pull and would split in half. My sister would instinctively hit me over the top of the head. Then I would cry and run to momma. While my sister finished the plate with satisfaction. Today – after 30 years – I can finally eat my Tteokbokki Eggs in peace 🤗

Tteokbokki Eggs

Few cooking notes:

  • The eggs taste best when eaten within 3-4 days. Store in the refrigerator.
  • Use a broth packet to save time (Buy them here)
  • Make sure to wait until the marinade reduced by half – before adding the eggs.
  • Feel free to adjust the timing if you want a slightly softer-boiled eggs.

Neighbors, this is a very tasty recipe. It’s spicy – so make sure to cook some rice on the side.

Tteokbokki Eggs
Print Recipe

Tteokbokki Eggs

Ingredients

Tteokbokki Eggs

  • 8-12 Eggs
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 stalk Green Onion
  • Few shakes of Salt (When Boiling Eggs)
  • Few squeezes of Vinegar (When Boiling Eggs)

Spicy Marinade

  • 1 cup of Anchovy-Kelp Broth
  • 2 Tablespoons Gochujang
  • 3 Tablespoons Gochugaru
  • 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Honey
  • 10-15 Shakes of Black Pepper

Instructions

Make Anchovy-Kelp Both

  • Make Anchovy-Kelp broth. (Use a broth packet to save some time). Set aside one cup of broth. You can save the rest of the broth for another Korean soup or stew.

Ingredients Prep

  • Take out your eggs and let them sit-out at room temperature while we prep veggies.
  • Peel onion and julienne into thin slices
  • Dice green onion into small pieces

Boil Eggs

  • Bring a pot of water up to boil. Add a few pinches of salt and few squeezes of vinegar to the water. Once it's boiling, carefully add in each egg. Close the lid and boil for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, strain the water and place in cold water. Then peel each one.

Reduce in Tteokbokki Sauce

  • Take out a pot. Then add in your anchovy-kelp broth (1 cup). Next add-in: Gochujang (2 Tablespoons), Gochugaru (3 Tablespoons), Soy Sauce (4 Tablespoons), Sugar (2 Tablespoons), Honey (3 Tablespoons), Black Pepper (10-15 Shakes). Mix until everything is well incorporated. Then turn on the heat and bring it up to a boil.
  • Once it's boiling, add in the onion slices. Then reduce the heat to a medium-low. Let the marinade reduce for 5-7 minutes or until the broth has reduced by half.
  • Next, add in your eggs. Let it cook for another 2 minutes. Move the eggs around in the sauce so it gets evenly coated.
  • Turn off the heat and plate. Garnish with green onions. Serve with a bowl of rice. And of course, Bon Appetit!

 

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April Masks 2019

by Leave a Comment

Katie’s April 2019 Masks

Product Ingredient Safety Breakdown (EWG Ratings)

Ingredient Safety Breakdown refers to the percentage % of ingredients in different risk categories as classified by EWG (Environment Working Group).

Please note: EWG is seen by many to be more on the alarmist side in their assignment of risk ratings – resulting in rating ingredients as riskier than they actually are. We recommend using this a reference point rather than a strict guide of ingredient safety and to always do further research into ingredients that you may find suspect.

Note: Ingredients are listed in order of usage (Most-used ingredient listed first). Total % may exceed 100% (due to rounding)

 

Aritaum – Sleeping Mask (Collagen)Low Risk: 13 | Medium-Risk: 3 | High-Risk: 1

 

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

 

Purified Water (1), Glycerin (2), Butylene Glycol (1), CetylEthylhexanoate (1), Hydrolyzed Collagen (1), Adenosine (1), Glycerylstearate (1), Dimethicone (3), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Xanthangum (1), Carbomer (1), Tromethamine (2), Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate (1), PEG-100 Stearate (3), Disodium EDTA (1), Phenoxyethanol (4), Perfume (8)

 

 

MeFactory – Water Filling Mask SheetLow Risk: 26| Medium-Risk: 3 | High-Risk: 1


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Propanediol (1), Ethanol (2), Glycerin (2), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (1-3), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer (1), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (1), Ginger Root Extract (1), Schizandra Chinensis Extract (1), Barberry Root Extract (1), Green Tea Extract (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Citrus grandis Seed Extract (3), Acorus Calamus Root Extract (1), Perilla Leaf Extract (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Arginine (1), Carbomer (1), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (1), Hydroxyethylcellulose (1), Erythritol (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Allantoin (1), Disodium EDTA (1-4), Chlorphenesin (2), Fragrance (8)

 

Xoul – Secret Solution Mask PackLow Risk: 30 | Medium-Risk: 3 | Unknown: 2


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Propanediol (1), Niacinamide (1), Camellia Japonica Seed Oil (1), Stromal Cell Conditioned Media Extract (-), Betaine (1), Trehalose (1), Panthenol (1), Snail Secretion Filtrate (1), Shea Butter (1), Adenosine (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (1), Grapefruit Peel Oil (1), Pelargonium Graveolens FLower Oil (1), Cedrus Atlanta Bark Oil (-), Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil (1), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil (1), Rose Flower Oil (1), Hydrogenated Polydecene (2), Polyglceryl-10 Laurate (1), Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate (1), Hydrogenated Lecithin (2), Glyceryl Acrylate (1), Propylene Glycol (3), Potassium Hydroxide (3), Acrylates (1), Carbomer (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Chlorphenesin (2), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Sodium Polyacrylate (3), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

The Face Shop – Real Nature (Avocado)Low Risk: 17 | Medium-Risk: 2 | High-Risk: 1 


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Glycerin (1), Dipropylene Glycol (2), Cyclopentasiloxane (3), Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate (1), Avocado Fruit Extract (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Dimethicone (3), Panthenol (1), Allantoin (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate (1), Acrylates (1), Carbomer (1), Tromethamine (2), Trisodium EDTA (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Fragrance (8)

 

 

Nature Republic – Tea Tree Real Comforting MaskLow Risk: 22


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Olive Fruit Oil (1), Althaea Rosea Flower Extract (1), Tea Tree Leaf Oil (1), Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (1), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil (1), Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil (2), Hydroxyacetophenone (1), Allantoin (1), Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate (1), Polyglycerol-10 Myristate (1), Tromethamine (2), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Butylene Glycol (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Caffeine (1), Carbomer (1), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

 

Mediheal – N.M.F Aquaring Ampoule MaskLow Risk: 29 | Medium-Risk: 3 | High-Risk: 1 | Unknown: 3


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Glycereth-26 (1), PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer (3), Glycerin (2), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Hydroxyethyl Urea (1), Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (1), Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom) Extract (-), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water (1), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Extract (1), Glutamine Glutamic Acid (1), Arginine (1), Alanine (1), Phenylalanine (1), Proline (1), Portulaca Oleracea Extract (1), Hydrolyzed Collagen (1), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (-), Beta-Glucan (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract (-), Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract (1), Panthenol (1), Trehalose (1), Betaine (1), Carbomer (1), Allantoin (1), Polysorbate 80 (3), Adenosine (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Tocopheryl Acetate (3), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Fragrance (8), Polyglutamic Acid (1)

 

Leaders – Pro Hydra Mask (Hyaluronic)Low Risk: 27 | Medium-Risk: 2 | Unknown: 2


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Niacinamide (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycereth-26 (1), Betaine (1), PEG-60 (3), Carbomer (1), Arginine (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Ammonium Acryloyldimethyitaurate (1), Tremella Fuciformia (Mushroom) Extract (1), Allantoin (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate (-), Xylitylglucoside (1), Adenosine (1), Anhydroxylitol (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Xylitol (1), Glucose (1), t-Butyl Alcohol (2), Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate-60 (3), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Potassium Hyaluronate (1), Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate (-), Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer (1), Hyaluronic Acid (1), Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate (1)

 

 

Entia – No Filter Moisturizing Camer MaskLow Risk: 19 | Medium-Risk: 3 | High-Risk: 1 | Unknown: 1


Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

NoFilter Vitamin C Powder Ampoule

Ascorbyl Glucoside (1), Mallotus Philippinensis Bark Extract (-),

NoFilter Moisturizing Camera Mask Water

Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Glycereth-26 (1), Betaine (1), Adenosine (1), Hydrolyzed Collagen (1), Allantoin (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Hydrogenated Lecithin (2), Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Dimethicone (3), Xanthan Gum (1), Natto Gum (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Phenoxyethanol (4), Fragrance (8), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

 

Neighbors, which one was your favorite?

Leave a review below.

Incredible Appetizer – Maesil Cherry Tomatoes

by 2 Comments

Maesil Cherry Tomatoes. We were blown away when we tried it at a local dining bar here in Seoul. It was served as a simple, unassuming appetizer. But one bite and our eyes got real big. It was juicy – like a ripe grape – but the tomato had a sweet, tart and tangy flavor. It woke up our taste buds and our curiosity as well. After a few minutes of debating – I had to ask the chef how they made it – he smiled and said maesil!

Maesil Tomatoes

This is a simple recipe – so I don’t have any cooking notes to add. The only potential mistake would be blanching the tomatoes for too long. So count to exactly 10-seconds aloud – “One, One thousand… Two, One thousand…”

The other question that people ask is if they can re-use the maesil syrup? Yes you can. But make sure to sterilize your glass jars well before making the initial batch. After you finish the first batch, blanche more tomatoes and add them to the remaining maesil. My guess is that this can be done 2-3x – depending on how fast you eat each batch.

Enjoy neighbors – this is one of those must-try recipes! It’ll have you saying ‘wow’ in korean, 와우!

P.S. If you would like to try one of Korea’s best maesil, we recommend Hong Ssang Ri Maesil.

 

Maesil Tomatoes
Print Recipe

Maesil Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 10-15 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 cup of Maesil
  • 3 slices of Lemon
  • 2 sprigs of Rosemary

Instructions

Sterilize Jars

  • Place two paper towels into the bottom of a pot. Then carefully place your mason jar upside down into the pot. Pour 1-2 inches of water in. Place on a high heat. When you start to see bubbles form on the bottom of the pot - reduce the heat to a low. Let the jar boil in the pot for 10 minutes. Afterwards, carefully grab the jar with a towel and place it right-side up on a wire-rack. 
  • Remove the paper towel from the pot. Then throw the lid into the water for 5 minutes. Remove and place on wire-rack.

Blanche tomatoes

  • Give the cherry tomatoes a good rinse. Take off the stems. Use your knife and make a X mark at the bottom of each tomato. (Be careful not to cut into the flesh too much). 
  • Now cut 3 slices of fresh lemon. And set aside two sprigs of rosemary. 
  • Bring a pot of water up to boil. While you wait, fill a mixing bowl with (ice) cold water and set it aside. Once the pot is boiling, add-in the tomatoes. Then count to 10 seconds - aloud! Once 10 seconds hit, immediately take the tomatoes out and place into the cold water.  
  • Once its cooled, drain the water. Now turn on some music and peel the skin off each tomato 🙂

Ferment tomatoes

  • Now, place each peeled tomato into the sterilized jar. Half-way in, add a few slices of lemon and rosemary. Then add the rest of the tomatoes and top-it off with the remaining lemon slice and rosemary. Close the lid.
  • Place in the refrigerator and allow it to ferment for 2 days. Serve chilled - bon appetit!

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March Masks 2019

by Leave a Comment

Katie’s March 2019 Masks

Product Ingredient Safety Breakdown (EWG Ratings)

Ingredient Safety Breakdown refers to the percentage % of ingredients in different risk categories as classified by EWG (Environment Working Group).

Please note: EWG is seen by many to be more on the alarmist side in their assignment of risk ratings – resulting in rating ingredients as riskier than they actually are. We recommend using this a reference point rather than a strict guide of ingredient safety and to always do further research into ingredients that you may find suspect.

Note: Ingredients are listed in order of usage (Most-used ingredient listed first). Total % may exceed 100% (due to rounding)

Goodal – Green Tangerine Vita C Serum Mask

Goodal - IngredientsList

Low Risk: 36 | Medium-Risk: 3

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Niacinamide (1), Methylpropanediol (1), Citrus Tangerina (1), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (2), Althaea Rosea Flower Extract (1), Citrus Limon Peel Oil (3), Lavandula Angustifolia (1), Cananga Odorata Flower Oil (3), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil (2), Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract (1), Glycerin (2), Diglycerin (1), Hydroxyacetophenone (1), Allantoin (1), Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate (1), Tromethamine (2), Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate (1), Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Adenosine (1), Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Arbutin (1), Ascorbyl Glucoside (1), Acacia Senegal Gum (3), Caprylic (1), Maltodextrin (1), Saccharide Hydrolysate (1), Ascorbic Acid/Vitamin C (1), Sodium Carbonate (1), Vitamin E (1), Xanthophyll (1), Carbomer (1), Caffeine (1), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

T.P.O – Chok-Chok Moisturizing Mask

ChokChok

Low Risk: 23 | Medium-Risk: 5 | High-Risk: 1 | Unknown: 3 

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Water (1), Isopentyldiol (1), Propylence Glycol (3), Dipropylene Glycol (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane (3), Betaine (1), Allantoin (1), Adenosine (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Glutathione (1), Bambusa Vulgaris Sap Extract (1), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract (1), Lilium Candidum Flower Extract (1), Adansonia Digitata Leaf Extract (-), Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract (-), Salvia Oficinalis (Sage) Leaf Extraxt (1), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (-), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract (1), Tocopheryl Acetate (3), Hydrolyzed Elastin (1), Xylitylglucoside (1), Anhydroxylitol (1), Xylitol (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Glucose (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Carbomer (1), Triethanolamine (5), Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract (1), Usnea Barbate (Lichen) Extract (1), Fragrance (8)

 

 Mediheal – Meience Tofu Milk Mask

Mediheal - Meience Tofu Milk Mask

Low Risk: 42 | Medium-Risk: 6 | High-Risk: 1

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Tofu-Essence-Transparent

Water (1), Glycerin (2), Propanediol (1), Niacinamide (1), Dimethicone (3), Glyceryl Stearate (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Palmitic Acid (1), Stearic Acid (1), Xantham Gum (1), Glycosyl Trehalose (1), Ceteareth-20 (3), Disodium EDTA (1), Carbomer (1), Arginine (1), Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Betaine (1), Trehalose (1), Panthenol (1),Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate (1), Ceteareth-12 (3-7), Cetearyl Alcohol (1), Cetyl Palmitate (1), Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer (1), Zeolite (1), Allantoin (1), Polysorbate 80 (3), Adenosine (1), Amodimethicone (1), Myristic Acid (1), Pentylene Glycol (1), Tocopheryl Acetate (3), Hydrogenated Lecithin (2), Sodium Hydroxide (3), Phenoxyethanol (4), Cyclomethicone (2), Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract (1), Lactobacillus Ferment (1), Bifida Ferment Filtrate (1), Saccaromyces Ferment Filtrate (1), Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil (2), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (1), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil (2), Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil (2), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil (1), Juniperus Mexicana Oil (1), Pogostemon Cablin Oil (1), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil (1)

 

Heylo – Royal Propolis Mask

HeyloPropolis

Low Risk: 18 | Medium-Risk: 1 | High-Risk: 1

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Heylo - Royal Propolis

Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Tromethamine (2), Butylene Glycol (1), Acrylates (1), Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract (1), Centella Asiatica Extract (1), Carbomer (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (1), Glyceryl Caprylate (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Propolis Extract (1), Honey Extract (1), Pollen Extract (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Fragrance (8)

 

 

 

Immulab – Biot.Tree Pro Resistant Mask

Biocera-FaceMask

Low Risk: 27 | High-Risk: 1 | Unknown: 7 

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Immulab - Biocera Pro Resistant Mask (Blue)

Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Niacinamide (1), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (1), Cetearyl Alcohol (1), Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate (1), Allantoin (1), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract (1), Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate (-), Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract (-), Lactobacillus/Rice Bran Ferment Filtrate (-), Bifida Ferment Filtrate (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Panthenol (1), Lactobacillus/Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice Ferment (-), Ceramide 3 (1), Centella Asiatica Extract (1), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract (1), Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (-), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Glutathione (1), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (1), Soleirolia Soleirolii Extract (-), Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract (1), Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract (1), Quercus Suber Bark Extract (1), Quercus Robur Root Extract (-), Disodium EDTA (1), Arginine (1), Carbomer (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Fragrance (8)

 

Missha – Madecassoside Sheet Mask

Missha-Madecassoside

Low Risk: 39 | Medium-Risk: 2

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Madecasoside-Transparent

Water (1), Glycerin (2), Butylene Glycol (1), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Water, 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract (1), Madecassoside (1), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (1), Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil (1), Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil (1), Glycerin (1), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (1), Water (1), Hydrogenated Lecithin (2), Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate (1), Ceramide NP (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate (1), Cetyl Ethylhexanoate (1), Trehalose (1), Sorbitan Sesquioleate (1), Cetearyl Alcohol (1), Carbomer (1), Allantoin (1), Tromethamine (2), Glyceryl Stearate (1), Hydroxyethylcellulose (1), Polyacrylate-13 (2), Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20 (3), Water (1), Sorbitan Isostearate (1), Water (1), Biosaccharide Gum-1 (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Polysorbate 60 (3), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

 

 

Prem – Safe Me Releif Moisture Mask 15

Low Risk: 14 | Unknown: 1 

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Prem-SafeMeRelief

Water (1), Glycerin (2), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Cetyl Ethylhexanoate (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate (1), Glyceryl Stearate (1), Arginine (1), Carbomer (1), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit OIl (2), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Rubus Arcticus Callus Extract (-), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil (1), Disodium EDTA (1)

 

 

 

 

Bring Green – Fresh Bowl Pack Greek Yogurt

GreekYogurt

Low Risk: 30 | Medium-Risk: 2 | High-Risk: 1

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

GreekYogurt-Pack

Water (1), Kaolin (1), Glycerin (2), Yogurt Extract (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Titanium Dioxide (1-3), Caprylic (1), Cetearyl Alcohol (1), Bentonite (2), Glyceryl Stearate (1), Polysorbate 60 (3), Palmitic Acid (1), Stearic Acid (1), Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (1), Chondrus Crispus Extract (1), Saccharum Officinarum (1), Montmorillonite (1), Pentylene Glycol (1), Silica (1-2), Glyceryl Stearate SE (1), Sorbitan Stearate (1), Trehalose (1), Hydroxyacetophenone (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Cellulose Gum (1), Myristic Acid (1), Arachidic Acid (1), Lauric Acid (1), Oleic Acid (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Fragrance (8)

 

 

Neighbors, which one was your favorite?

Leave a review below.

Bibimbap Noodles + Dallae Muchim

by Leave a Comment

Bibimbap Noodles – it makes total sense when you say it aloud. Today, we’ll take our favorite bibimbap toppings and toss them into some noodles. The next question is what type of noodles? In Korea, one of our favorite noodles for the Spring & Summer is Somyeon Noodles. They are thin noodles that are made with wheat flour, salt and water. Simple ingredients – but it takes expertise (and machinery) to roll them out so thin, and preserving that bouncy & playful pull.

Like any other bibimbap recipe, feel free to use any vegetables of your choice – or better yet, whats left over in your refrigerator. Just remember to stir-fry hard, root vegetables for about a minute in a frying pan. This should soften them up to make them enjoyable with soft noodles.

The second dish – Dalle Muchim – is one of my favorite banchans of all time! It’s what I call a true appetizer – a dish that re-energizes your tastebuds when you’re low on appetite or spirit. Dallae is Wild Korean Chives. The stem taste similar to a regular chive but the real flavor is in the (cute) small bulbs. The bulbs have a sweet yet subtle onion taste – very playful! If you toss Dallae with the right balance of soy sauce, gochugaru, garlic and sugar, you got yourself a refreshing salad. Use this banchan as a topping for bibimbap or serve it with any meat dish.

Oh, and thank me later 🙂

Dan-yul out!

Bibimbap Noodles
Print Recipe

Bibimbap Noodles & Dallae Muchim

Course: Easy
Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

Bibimbap Noodles

  • Small bundle of Somyeon Noodles (Size of a quarter)
  • 50 grams of Minced Beef
  • 2 Shiitake Mushrooms
  • Small piece Zucchini (length of your pinky finger)
  • Small piece Carrot (length of your pinky finger)
  • Few shakes of Salt (to season zucchini & carrot)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Chopped Green Onion (optional, for garnish)

Marinade for Beef

  • 1 teaspoon of Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil
  • 1 teaspoon of Mirim
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Minced garlic
  • Few shakes of Black Pepper

Marinade for Somyeon Noodles

  • 3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of Mirim
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds

Dallae Muchim

  • 1 Bundle of Dallae (Size of a quarter)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Gochugaru
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Sugar
  • 2 Squeezes of Vinegar

Instructions

Bibimbap Noodles

  • Let's start by marinating our beef. Cut your beef into small bite-sized pieces. Then place into a mixing bowl. Add Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon), Sesame Oil (1 teaspoon), Mirim (1 teaspoon) and Minced Garlic (1/2 teaspoon). Give it a good thorough mix and set it aside to marinate.
  • Cut your Shiitake Mushrooms into thin slices. Then julienne your piece of carrot and zucchini. 
  • Now get a frying pan on medium heat. Place some oil in. Once it's hot, place your zucchini pieces in first. Season them with a few shakes of salt. Stir-around for 1 minute (or until they're soft). Take out and set aside. 
  • Now place your carrot pieces into the pan. Season with a few shakes of salt. Stir-around for 1 minute (or until they're soft). Take out and set aside.
  • Now, add in the marinated beef and the mushrooms. Stir the two together until you get a slight browning on both. Season with few shakes of black pepper. Take out and set aside.
  • Next fill a pot with water. Put on a high heat and bring it up to boil. Once it starts boiling, place in your noodles. In the meanwhile, fill a small cup with some cold water. 
    Foam will immediately start to rise in the pot - from the noodles. When it reaches the top, add a dash of cold water from your cup. The foam will settle back down... and rise back up. When it does, add another dash of cold water. Now, you've added water a total of TWO times. After the second time, wait for the foam to rise back up again. When it does, turn off the heat and immediately drain the pot. Rinse the noodles under cold water until they're cold. Then let them soak off excess water.
  • Now, take out another mixing bowl and mix: Soy Sauce (3 Tablespoons), Sugar (1/2 Tablespoon), Mirim (1 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (1/2 Tablespoon), Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon) and Sesame Seeds (1 Tablespoon).
  • Take this soy sauce mixture and mix about 1/3 of it into your noodles. Give it a good toss with your hands. Give it a taste and check seasoning - add more soy sauce mixture if you need.
  • Take out a nice bowl. Place your seasoned noodles in first. Then add the carrots, zucchini, mushroom & beef on top. Finally, garnish with a few chopped green onions. Bon Appetit!

Dallae Muchim

  • Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water. Place the dallae bundle in the water and let it soak for a good 5 minutes. Then empty that water out and give it a good rinse under running water - make sure to clean off any dirt or debris.
  • Next, use your fingers and take-off the small black stubs on top of the dallae bulbs (reference video). This may take some time - so turn on some music. Afterwards, give the dallae another good rinse under running water. Let the dallae drip-off excess water. 
  • Now cut the dallae into finger-length pieces (reference video). 
  • Take out a mixing bowl and make our Dallae sauce: Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon), Gochugaru (1/2 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (1/2 Tablespoon), Sesame Seeds (1T), Sesame Oil (1/2 Tablespoon), Sugar (1/2 Tablespoon) and Vinegar (few squeezes). 
    Note: This may not look like a large amount of sauce - but we do NOT need a lot!
  • Place the dallae pieces into the bowl with the marinade. Then use your hands and toss the into the sauce. We only need a light coating. Next, plate the dallae and give it a taste! What you think? Amazing no?! 

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Burdock Root – 3 Delicious Banchans!

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Burdock Root. It’s probably the first time you’ve heard about it. But it’s a very healthy, nutritious root vegetable that’s used in culinary dishes in Korea, Japan and China. It has the texture of potato – very crunchy and starchy. But it’s claim to fame is its medicinal value. A single root of burdock has an impressive 470 mg of potassium, a mineral known to help improve blood pressure levels (great for diabetics). It also contains inulin, a unique form of fiber that helps boost the amount of good bacteria in your gut (great for digestion). The list goes on and on. But today, allow me to show you 3 delicious ways to cook with burdock root! Follow me… 🤓

Before we start, what does burdock root taste like? Well, it has a nice crunch and starchy texture – similar to a raw potato. It has a slight sweetness when you first bite into it. Followed by a hint of herbal-medicine-like flavor. It’s a unique flavor

The first dish is Burdock Root Jorim (우엉조림 – pronounced woo-eong-jorim). This is probably the most popular way to eat burdock root in Korea. The burdock root is julienned into thin slices. Then lightly braised in a sweetened soy sauce, along with a touch of honey. Eat it as a banchan with a bowl of rice – delicious!

The second dish is Burdock Fries. This one is a no-brainer.  Since the sliced root has a starchy texture, it’s perfect for frying. The burdock root gets crispy with a crunchy-yet-chewy middle. Serve it like homemade fries with a burger on the side 🙂

The third dish is my favorite. It’s Beef & Burdock. The dish reminds me of gyudon (Japanese beef bowl). Instead of onions, we’ll use thin burdock peels. Boil and reduce them with beef in a broth. And after a few minutes, you’re left with thin beef and broth-infused burdock. Again, simply perfect with a bowl of rice!

If you see Burdock Root at the Korean Mart, put in your cart!

Bon Appetit ya’ll.  😎

Burdock Root
Print Recipe

Burdock Root - 3 delicious recipes

Ingredients

Burdock Root Jorim

  • 2 pieces of Burdock Root (each piece, forearm-length piece)
  • 1 piece of Carrot (pinky finger-length piece)
  • 2 teaspoons (!) of Sesame Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoons (!) of Sugar
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Honey
  • Few Shakes of Sesame Seeds

Burdock Root Fries

  • 2 pieces of Burdock Root (each piece, forearm-length)
  • 1 teaspoon of Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons of Flour
  • 1 Tablespoon of Potato Starch
  • Few shakes of Salt
  • Few shakes of Black Pepper

Beef & Burdock

  • 2 pieces of Burdock Root (each piece, forearm-length)
  • Few squirts of vinegar (when soaking the shavings)
  • 150 grams Thinly-Sliced Beef
  • 2.5 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
  • 1.5 Tablespoons of Sugar
  • Handful of Chopped Green onion (for garnish)

Instructions

Burdock Root Jorim

  • Wash and thoroughly scrub the dirt off your burdock roots (use a dish-washing sponge). 
  • Then cut both roots - at a slight angle - to make thin sections. Julienne them into thin, long strips. Next, julienne the piece of carrot as well. 
  • Put a large frying pan on medium heat. Once its hot, add in 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Then add in the burdock roots and carrot strips. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the carrots start to sweat. 
  • After 2-3 minutes, add in Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon) and Sugar (1.5 teaspoons). Stir-around for 1 additional minute.
  • Then add some honey (1/2 Tablespoon). Stir-fry for 1 more minute. Turn off heat. Plate and garnish with sesame seeds.

Burdock Root Fries

  • Wash and thoroughly scrub the dirt off both of the burdock roots (use a dish-washing sponge). 
  • Then cut both roots - at a slight angle - to make thin sections. 
  • Take out a mixing bowl and place the sliced roots inside. Then add-in Soy Sauce (1 teaspoon). Mix it around and coat each piece. 
  • Get a separate bowl out. Mix together Flour (2 Tablespoons) and potato starch powder (1 Tablespoon). Now, pour this batter over your burdock root slices. Use your hands and mix around until each piece gets evenly coated. 
  • Take out a frying pan and place on medium-heat. Put oil in and bring it up to 170C (340F). Then fry each piece until its golden-brown on both sides.
  • Garnish with salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Beef & Burdock

  • Wash and thoroughly scrub the dirt off your burdock roots (use a dish-washing sponge). 
  • Take out a large bowl and fill with cold water. Place a few squeezes of vinegar into the water - this will prevent the shavings from oxidizing and turning dark.
  • Then use a speed peeler and make shavings of the burdock root. Place the shavings immediately into the water. 
  • Take out a small pot. Now take the shavings out of the water and place into your pot. Then add in your beef on top. Add in some water - just enough to submerge the ingredients (reference video). Place the pot on medium heat.
  • Season the water with Soy Sauce (2.5 Tablespoons) and Sugar (1.5 Tablespoons). Once the broth comes up to boil, use a soup ladle and skim-off the gunk. 
  • Let the broth reduce down for roughly 7 minutes - or until there is only 1 cm of broth left in the pot. After 7 minutes, turn off heat.
  • Place into a bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with a bowl of rice. 

 

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February Masks 2019

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Katie’s February 2019 Masks

Product Ingredient Safety Breakdown (EWG Ratings)

Ingredient Safety Breakdown refers to the percentage % of ingredients in different risk categories as classified by EWG (Environment Working Group).

Please note: EWG is seen by many to be more on the alarmist side in their assignment of risk ratings – resulting in rating ingredients as riskier than they actually are. We recommend using this a reference point rather than a strict guide of ingredient safety and to always do further research into ingredients that you may find suspect.

Note: Ingredients are listed in order of usage (Most-used ingredient listed first). Total % may exceed 100% (due to rounding)

Leaders – Hydrogel Eye Therapy Patch

Low Risk: 8

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:

Adenosine (1), Hydrolyzed Collagen (1), Acethylhexapetide-8 (1), Snail Mucus (1), Vitamin C derivatives and deep sea water (1), berry complex (1), broccoli extract (1), green tea extracts (1)

 

 

The Oozoo – Oozoo Bear Aurora Illuminating Mask

Oozoo-Ingredients-1

Low Risk: 17 | Medium-Risk: 3 | High-Risk: 1 

oozooaurora_grande-trasnparent

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Glycerin (2), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Adenosine (1), Caryocar Brasiliense Fruit Oil (1), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran (2), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Water (1), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (1), Saussurea Involucrata Extract (1), Glutathione (1), Trehalose (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Potassium Hydroxide (3), Acrylates Copolymer (2), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (1), Hydroxyethylcellulose (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Hexanediol (1), Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin (1), Phenoxyethanol (4), Fragrance (8)

 

Kovas – Firming Collagen Mask Pack

Kovas-FirmingCollagen

Low Risk: 12 | Medium-Risk: 4 | High-Risk: 1

FirmingCollagen-Solid

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Glycereth-26 (1), Cyclopentasiloxane (3), Ethyl Hexanediol (3), Betaine (1), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil (1), Polysorbate 80 (3), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Sodium Carbomer (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Sclerotium Gum (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Phenoxyethanol (4), Fragrance (8)

 

 

Real Barrier – Aqua Soothing Ampoule Mask

RealBarrier-Ingredient

Low Risk: 33 | Medium-Risk: 2

RealBarrier-Transparent-Solid

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Madecassoside (1), Centella Asiatica Extract (1), Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide MEA (1), Hyaluronic Acid (1), Raspberry Ketone (1), Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans (1), Polyglutamic Acid (1), Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Anhydroxylitol (1), Xylitol (1), Xylitylglucoside (1), Lavandula Hybrida Oil (1), Ceramide 3 (1), Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer (1), Sorbitan Isostearate (1), Panthenol (1), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (1), Arginine (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Propanediol (1), Glucose (1), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Polysorbate 60 (3), Hydrogenated Lecithin (2), Allantoin (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Disodium EDTA (1)

Missha – Betacarotene Skin Sheet Mask

Missha-Betacarotene

Low Risk: 24 | Medium-Risk: 5 | Unknown: 1

MISSHA_Phytochemical_skinsupplement_betacarotene_mask

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Glycerin (2), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycereth-26 (1), Dimethicone (3), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Caprylic (1), Betaine (1), Panthenol (1), Pentylene Glycol (1), Polysorbate 60 (3), Cetearyl Alcohol (1), Glyceryl Stearate (1), PEG-100 Stearate (3), Acrylates (1), Allantoin (1), Arginine (1), Sodium Polyacrylate (3), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate (-), Xanthan Gum (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Geranium Maculatum Oil (1), Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil (3), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil (1), Daucus Carota (Carrot) Root Extract (1), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract (1), Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract (1), Sorbitan Isostearate (1)

Missha – Anthocyanin Skin Sheet Mask (Alternative to above)

Missha - Anthrocyanin

Low Risk: 20 | Medium-Risk: 2

Missha-Anthocyanin

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Pentylene Glycol (1), Cyclopentasiloxane (3), Glycereth-26 (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (1), Tromethamine (2), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Adenosine (1), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil (2), Disodium EDTA (1), Biosaccharide Gum-1 (1), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil (2), Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract (1), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract (1), Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract (1), Prunus Domestica Fruit Extract (1), Polyglutamic Acid (1)

Leaders Mediu – Amino Lifting Mask

Leaders-Mediu

Low Risk: 41 | High-Risk: 2 | Unknown: 4

Leaders-Amino-Solid

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Butylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract (1), Portulaca Oleracea Extract (1), Hydrolyzed Collagen (1), Hydrolyzed Elastin (1), Lysine (1), Histidine (1), Arginine (1), Aspartic Acid (1), Threonine (1), Serine (1), Glutamic Acid (1), Proline (1), Glycine (1), Alanine (1), Valine (1), Methionine (1), Isoleucine (1), Leucine (1), Tyrosine (1), Phenylalanine (1), Cysteine (1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (1), Arnica Montana Flower Extract (2), Gentiana Lutea Root Extract (1), Achillea Millefolium Extract (3), Artemisia Absinthium Extract (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (1), Xanthan Gum (1), Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract (1), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (1), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (-), Tripeptide-10 Citrulline (1), Tripeptide-1 (1), Lecithin (2-3), Ledum Palustre Extract (-), Ecklonia Cava Extract (-), Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract (1), Houttuynia Cordata Extract (1), Saururus Chinensis Extract (-), Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 (1), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) (9), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Fragrance (8)

 

Eslena – Extra Balancing Healing Mask

Eslena-Pic

Low Risk: 38 | Medium-Risk: 8 | High-Risk: 1 | Unknown: 3 

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Glycerin (2), Glycereth-26 (1), Methylpropanediol (1), PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer (3), Alcohol Denat. (4), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane (3), Hydroxyethyl Urea (1), Phenoxyethanol (4), Phenyl Trimethicone (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (1), Sodium Polyacrylate (3), Adenosine (1), Coceth-7 (1), PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether (3), Xanthan Gum (1), Ethylhexylglycerin (1), Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract (1), Butylene Glycol (1), PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Disodium EDTA (1), Glyceryl Polyacrylate (3), VP/Methacrylamide/Vinyl Imidazole Copolymer (1), Fragrance (8), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Lactose (1), Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (1), Erythritol (1), Biosaccharide Gum-1 (1), Betula Alba Juice (1), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (1-3), Dextrin (1), Centella Asiatica Extract (1), Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract (2), Pearl Powder (1), Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract (1), Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract (1), Bambusa Vulgaris Extract (1), Pinus Densiflora Extract (1), Thuja Orientalis Extract (1), Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract (-), Caprylyl Glycol (1), Tocopherol (Vitamin E) (1), Phenylpropanol (1), Propanediol (1), Pearl Extract (-), Sea Salt Extract (1), Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide (-)

 

 

Tony Moly – Hyaluronic Acid Sheet

TonyMoly-HyaluronicAcid

Low Risk: 26 | Medium-Risk: 4 | High-Risk: 1

Full Ingredients & Risk Score:
Water (1), Glycerin (2), Dipropylene Glycol (1), Propanediol (1), Olive Oil PEG-8 Esters (4-6), Butylene Glycol (1), Sodium Hyaluronate (1), Methylpropanediol (1), Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer (1), Propylene Glycol (3), PVM/MA Copolymer (1), Chlorphenesin (2), Hydroxyethylcellulose (1), Disodium EDTA (1), Xanthan Gum (1), PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (3), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (1), Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract (1), Schizandra Chinensis Fruit Extract (1), Coptis Japonica Root Extract (1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (1), Caprylyl Glycol (1), 1,2-Hexanediol (1), Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate (1), Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer (1), Carbomer (1), Arginine (1), Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract (3), Acorus Calamus Root Extract (1), Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract (1), Fragrance (8)

 

 

Neighbors, which one was your favorite?

Leave a review below.

Japanese Ginger Pork, Mustard Potato Stir-fry & Steamed Asparagus

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Japanese Ginger Pork. It’s one of my favorite ways to eat pork because it’s so simple to make. All you need is a fresh piece of ginger and a few condiments. To make it balanced meal, we’ll pair it with a potato-stir fry that’s tossed in whole-grain mustard. And finally, we need more greens – let me show you how to steam asparagus in your frying pan. Sounds good? Okay, all aboard! 🚂

Ginger Pork

Each of these dishes are straight-forward, so I’ll leave just a few cooking notes:

  • When making the Ginger Pork, make sure the frying pan does not get too hot before adding in the soy sauce. Or else the soy sauce will burn. Reduce the heat to a medium-low if necessary.
  • When making the Mustard Potato Stir-fry, make sure to pre-cook the potatoes in the microwave. That way it cooks through fully when stir-fried with the other light vegetables.
  • Don’t forget to cook some rice in the background!

Alrighty, ya’ll! Enjoy the weekend – get outside and fit it a nice relaxing walk in!

Dan-yul out 🕺

Ginger Pork
Print Recipe

Japanese Ginger Pork, Mustard Potato Stir-fry & Steamed Asparagus

Course: Easy
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

Japanese Ginger Pork

  • Small piece of Ginger
  • 3-4 pieces of Pork Chop (Thinly Sliced)
  • Small piece of Cabbage
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce (For Marinade Sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim or any cooking wine (For Marinade Sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon Korean Mayonnaise (Dipping Sauce - optional)
  • Few shakes of Gochugaru (Dipping Sauce - optional)

Mustard-Potato Stir-fry

  • 2 medium-sized Potatoes
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 2 pieces of Bacon
  • 1/2 Tablespoon of Whole-Grain Mustard
  • Few shakes Salt
  • Few shakes Black pepper

Steamed Asparagus

  • 3-4 stalks of Asparagus
  • 1 Tablespoon of Water
  • Few shakes of Salt
  • Few shakes of Black Pepper

Instructions

Japanese Ginger Pork

  • Slice your pork into thin cut - thickness of each piece should be about half the size of your pinky nail 😉
  • Then make slice along the edge of the pork - this prevents the meat from curling up
  • Then shave-off some thin slices of cabbage. Place it on your large plate. 
  • Now take out a small bowl. Mix-in Soy Sauce (1T) and Mirim (1T). If you're cooking more pork pieces, double the ratio. 
  • Place your frying pan on a medium heat. Then put in some cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, place the pork pieces in. Let the pork cook on both sides until the natural juices from the pork start to drip out into the oil. At this point, grate about 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger over each piece of pork.
  • Then spread the soy sauce mixture on top of each pork piece. Flip the pork and mix both sides into the sizzling soy sauce. Let it gently cook and reduce for 30-60 seconds. Once you get a nice browning on both sides, take it out of the pan. (Note: Be careful that you don't burn the soy sauce - lower the heat if necessary!))
  • Place the finished pork pieces over the bed of cabbage. Put a dollop of Korean (or Japanese) Mayonnaise on the side of the plate and sprinkle on a touch of gochugaru. Bon Appetit!

Mustard-Potato Stir-fry

  • Wash the 2 potatoes thoroughly. Place them in a microwave-friendly bowl, place plastic wrap over the bowl. Let it cook for 4 minutes. Then let them cool and cut them into small chunks. 
  • Roughly dice 1/2 an onion. Cut the garlic clove into thin slices. And cut the 2 slices of bacon into thin strips.
  • Place your frying pan on a medium heat. Put oil in. Once its hot, add in the onion, bacon and garlic. Stir-fry everything together until you see the onions turn translucent.
  • Now add-in the diced potatoes. Stir everything together until you start to develop a crisp on the potatoes. Then add in the whole-grain mustard (1/2 Tablespoon). Stir-fry everything until it gets evenly coated. (Add more mustard if you'd like)
  • Finally, season with few shakes of Salt and Pepper. Bon Appetit!

Steamed Asparagus

  • Cut the ends off the asparagus. Then slice the asparagus in half. 
  • Put your frying pan on medium-high heat. Place oil in. Once its hot, place the asparagus pieces in. Stir-fry around until the skin on the asparagus starts to blister. 
  • Then add water (1 Tablespoon) and immediately place a lid on. Let it steam for about 1 minute. Then, take off the lid. Season the asparagus with salt and pepper. Bon Appetit!

 

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Karaage Chicken & Banchans

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Karaage Chicken & Bachans. When I was an exchange student in Tokyo, one of my favorite things to see on the dining hall lunch menu was Karaage. Now, every country has their own version of Fried Chicken. This happens to be Japan’s version – and it’s damn good! My only complaint about eating Karaage in Japan is that they only give 3 or 4 pieces!! So it’s a guilty pleasure to fry-it up at home and splurge. Easily knock-down 10-15 pieces heh! We’ll also pair the fried goodness with some fresh Korean banchans. Together, a heavenly dosirak combo ⛅️

Karaage Chicken

This Karaage chicken recipe is pretty much fail-proof. The only thing is to allow enough time for the chicken to soak-in the marinade. Give at least one hour in the refrigerator. In the recipe video, I also use a few shakes of ginger powder. You can also substitute this powder with freshly grated ginger – 1/2 teaspoon should be enough.

The first banchan is called Mu Namul Jorim (무나물조림). In Korea, you’ll find it served as an ingredient in Bibimbap, but it also tastes great on its own. This banchan is very healthy and takes less than 15 minutes. If you’re cooking it for the first time, I would recommend following our portion size. That way, you know what it should taste like and then you can make it in larger batches afterwards. Feel free to fine-tune the seasoning to your taste-buds.

The second banchan that I refer to in the video is Gwali Gochu Muchim (꽈리고추무침). You can find my mom’s recipe here. Gwali Peppers are hard to find outside of Korean markets, so you can use okra instead. This banchan works very well as a side dish to meat-y main dishes.

If you try making it at home, snap a photo on IG and share with us!

Neighbors, have an amazing, bless’d week ya’ll! Here is a nice quote that I am reflecting on lately:

Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different -C.S Lewis

Karaage Chicken
Print Recipe

Karaage Chicken & Mu Jorim Namul

Course: Easy
Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

Chicken Karaage

  • 300 grams Boneless Chicken Thigh
  • 1 Egg
  • Enough Potato Starch (Or Corn Starch)

Chicken Marinade

  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 3-4 shakes Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Mirim
  • Few Shakes Black pepper
  • 3-4 shakes Ginger Powder (or use 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger)

Mu Namul Jorim (Korean Radish Namul Jorim)

  • 300 g Korean Radish (Mu) (Measure the length of your pinky)
  • Small piece Spring onion (Green onions ok)
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 teaspoon Coarse Salt (If using regular salt, use 1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon Minced garlic
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Perilla Oil
  • Few shakes Ginger Powder (skip if you don't have powder)
  • Few shakes Black Pepper
  • Few shakes Sesame seeds

Instructions

Chicken Karaage

  • Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces (keep skin on). Place pieces into a strainer and give a quick rinse under cold water. Then set it aside for a few minutes and let it drip-off the excess water. Afterwards, place into a mixing bowl. 
  • Add the following ingredients into the mixing bowl: Soy Sauce (2 Tablespoons), Salt (3-4 shakes), Sugar (1 teaspoon), Mirim (1 Tablespoon), Black pepper (few shakes), Ginger Powder (3-4 shakes or 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger). Give a thorough mix.
  • Place plastic wrap over the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 
  • After 1 hour, take it out of the refrigerator. Crack in one egg into the bowl. Then use a pair of chopsticks and gently stir-it into the mixture. 
  • Take out a plastic bag (or ziploc bag). Pick-out each chicken piece from the bowl and place into the bag. (Don't dump it in - we don't want all the liquid).
  • Next, add enough potato starch to cover the chicken. Close the bag and give it a good shake. Flip the bag upside down and shake it as well to get all the sides evenly coated. (Add more starch powder if needed.)
  • Put oil into a frying pan or pot. Place on medium-high heat and bring the oil up to 180C (350F). Now, gently place each chicken in and cook until dark-golden brown.
  • Optional: You can pick-out the chicken when they're about 80% done. Raise the temperature of the oil and place back-into the oil for a double-fry. It leads to an even crispier skin.
  • Serve with rice and enjoy!

Mu Namul Jorim (Korean Radish Namul Jorim)

  • Cut off a finger-length piece of Korean Radish. (It's better to use the green part because it's sweeter). Then cut the piece into thin cross sections and then julienne into match-stick pieces. 
  • Slice spring onion piece into thin pieces as well.
  • Take out a large pot. Place-in the Korean Radish pieces. Then put in some amount of water (1/4 cup). Now, place the pot on a high heat and bring it up to boil with the lid on.
  • Once it comes to boil, reduce the heat to a medium-low. Then take off the lid and season with coarse salt (1 teaspoon). Place the lid back-on and let it cook for 1 minute (or until the radish turns soft). 
  • Now, place the cooked radish pieces into a mixing bowl. Add-in the spring onion pieces.  And finally the seasoning: Minced Garlic (1 teaspoon), Perilla Oil (1/2 Tablespoon), Ginger Powder (few shakes), Black Pepper (few shakes) and Sesame Seeds (few shakes). Toss throughly and serve it up.
  • Eat with rice and enjoy!

 

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