곤드레밥 ( Kun-de-rae-bab)

곤드레밥 ( kun-de-rae- bab) is one of the famous rice in Kangwon Province in Korea. 곤드레 ,in English is Korean Thistle ( cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai ). This was the first time I cooked this dish too. This vegetable is not so popular in Korea other than Kangwon Province,.

Ingredients:
Barley rice ( before cooked) 300g
black beans 30g ( optional)
Korean Thistle 400g
perilla oil 1 Tsp

Seasonings:
leek 30g
green pepper 2
roasted sesame seeds 1 tsp
perilla oil 1 Tsp
soy bean sauce 5 Tsp

Method:
1. Wash and blanch the vegetables in hot water. Rinse and drain.

2. Cut the vegetables into 3-4 cm long, marinate it with perilla oil.

3. Place the rice and water in the rice cooker , on the top of the rice, place the marinated vegetables and cook it as we cook the rice.

4. Once the rice is cooked, place the rice on the big bowl, serve with the seasonings  , mix and stir it well, this is how we eat the 곤드레밥  ( kun-de-rae-bab).

                             This is 곤드레 / Korean Thistle ( cirsium setidens (Dunn) Nakai

The flowers of Korean Thistle

             

Mini Soy bean pancake/黄豆煎饼

After I have prepared the " kong-kuk-su", I make this soy bean mini pancake.                                 

 This is the soy bean paste after I have making the soy milk. I use it as one of the ingredients  to make mini soy bean pancake. Other ingredients are carrot, zucchini,onion,ground pork,oyster sauce,pepper ,salt and flour.

"kong-kuk-su"콩국수/Chilled Noodles in Soy Milk/冷豆奶面

In summer, "kong-kuk-su"콩국수/chilled Noodles in Soy Milk is one of the favourite noodles in Korea.
在炎热的夏天，来一碗冷豆奶面，那是最好不过了。。。。

Ingredients: ( for 4 person)
soy bean 320g
water 1400 cc
roasted sesame seeds 1/2 cup
1 cucumber
1 tomato
noodles (소면) 400g
boiled eggs 4
salt, to taste ( add a pinch of salt when you want to eat)

Method:
1. Wash the soy beans and soak in cold water for over night .

2. Boil the soy beans, rinse and remove peels.

3. Puree the soy beans and roasted sesame seeds with the water in a blender.

4. Strain the  soy milk through mesh strainer.

5. Refrigerate the soy milk.

6. Boil the noodles.

7.  Place the noodles into large bowl and garnish with cucumber, tomato,boiled egg,ice cube. Pour the chilled soy milk over the noodles. Serve cool. ( P/s: add a pinch of salt when you want to eat)

                                                   
                                                   Home made soy milk

Skewered beef with mushroom/산적/牛肉蔬菜串

In Korea, 산적"san-jeok"/skewered beef with vegetables are a common & popular dish. We can use carrot,mushroom,burdock root(우엉 ),green onion,green pepper etc as the ingredients.  Today, I use trumpet royal mushroom, green pepper,green onion and beef as the ingredients.

Ingredients:
beef
green onion
green pepper
trumpet royal mushroom
egg
flour
soy bean sauce

Cut the vegetables into pieces, the same size as the meat.

Put the meat and vegetables on the skewers.

Marinate it with the soy bean sauce, coating it with flour and egg respectively.

 

Drizzle some oil in the fry pan and grill them until lightly browned on both sides.

                                        Cut into bite -size pieces. 

Barley Field/ 大麦田

                               Barley Field （ 大麦田） at Kyeonggi   Do, Korea, on 20th May 2012

"O-yi-sang-chi"/오이상치/凉拌黄瓜

In Korea, summer is the harvest season for cucumbers. Korean make the cucumber kimchi (오이김치), " O-yi-ji" / 오이지, "O-yi-sang-chi"/ 오이상치....

This is "O-yi-sang-chi", Korean like to use it as one of the ingredients for Bibimbab in summer....


在韩国，夏天是黄瓜盛产的季节，也是韩国主妇们喜欢用黄 瓜做出各种不同菜色的好时机；黄瓜泡菜，醃黄瓜，凉拌黄瓜 等。。。
这一道菜是“凉拌黄瓜”， 是韩国人喜欢在夏季用来拌饭的菜肴之一。。。

Ingredients:
2 big cucumbers
Korean red pepper paste 20g
corn syrup 15g or 20g sesame oil 1/2 Tsp
sesame seeds 1 tsp
minced garlic 1 tsp
chopped green onion 1 tsp
a pinch of salt
( Mix all the ingredients well and set aside. If you use 2 small cucumbers, please don't pour in all the sauces  at the same time, please taste it before you add in some more)

Method:

   

                                          Peel the skin of the cucumbers

                                                   Slice the cucumbers

    Cut  the  cucumbers into long & thin stripes  and sprinkle a pinch of salt, toss it well.
    Marinate it for at least 30 minutes or a few hours.


                              
                           After a few hours, the cucumbers become very soft....

 Squeeze out the water by using your palms and add in the abovementioned seasoning, mix it well and serve. Please take a note, squeeze out the water and mix with the seasoning just before you want to serve. Because if you mix it with the seasoning and set it aside, "water" may flow out from the cucumbers, then, the taste is not so good.

Korean also like to use this  cucumber for making " O-yi-sang-chi", they call this cucumber " 노각"/ no-kak.

How do I eat the "Bibimbab"/如何拌拌饭

 " Bibimbab", one of the famous Korean dishes.  The ingredients for Bibimbab are not limited to "gosari" or 'doraji" only. In Korean, we do use many kinds of vegetables for
bibimbab. Today, I use spinach,soy bean sprout,egg and  cucumber for this dish.
I have to confess, I only know how to prepare the ingredients, my husband plays an important role for "bibim"/ stir & mix the rice with the ingredients. Therefore, I will not prepare Bibimbab if my husband is not around...^-^
The skill for stirring the rice & ingredients will  decide how delicious the bibimbab it will be...
...............                                                        
                              
Use the scissor to cut all the ingredients into small pieces...

I have to confess too, when I prepare the ingredients, I don't use any seasoning. I just boil the hot water, blanch the vegetables, squeeze out the water. You may ask me, then it will be tasteless? No, Korean red pepper paste, laver ( 김 "Kim") and sesame oil play an
role for seasoning. I roast the "kim" without adding salt.
If you eat the Bobimbab without sufficient amount of Korean red pepper paste, it will not be delicious, but the red pepper paste is rather salty, therefore, if you put much red pepper paste and you add in the salt or soy bean sauce for seasoning the vegetables, this is rather salty, is not good for health...
( P/s: because I want to show one of my friends how to cook the cucumber with red pepper paste,after cooking, I used it as one of the ingredients, othewise, I won't put any seasoning for the cucumber too)

                                
Not only for the vegetables, use the scissor to cut the "kim" into small pieces too...

We really put a lot of "kim" when we eat Bibimbab....

After cutting all the ingredients, now is the time to use 2 spoons for stirring and mixing all the ingredients well. While you are stirring the ingredients, you  have to use the spoons to "press", the purpose is for the rice to absorb the taste of all the ingredients.....


                                 
Finally, it is well done....Normally, for my family, we put all the ingredients and rice on a big clay bowl, my husband will place Bibimbab  on a separate small bowl for all us  respectively after stirring and mixing it.