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).

                           

        

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

In summer, "kong-guk-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/小麦田

                               Barley Field （小麦田） 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.

"Patbingsu ( 팥빙수)"/冰沙/Shaved Ice Dessert

"Patbingsu ( 팔빙수)"/ Shaved ice dessert/冰沙 is a popular shaved ice dessert in South Korea, especially during the sweltering and humid summer from May to September. Therefore, now is the time for me to make "home-made Patbingsu"  .

Shave the ice, put the shaved ice  on the glass cup,place the red bean,walnut, banana, 미숫가루 (mi-shu-ka-ru /ground grains, it contains 14 kinds of ground grains), condensed milk and fresh milk. For me, I never put the sweet  colour syrup ! In fact, in Korea,  they rarely use the sweet colour syrup.  For  my family,  if the"Patbingsu" without the "mi-shu-ka-ru", it will be tasteless

炎炎夏日，来一杯冰凉的冰沙那是夏季最佳饮料。。。在夏季，它是韩国人的最爱之一。我个人不喜欢采用彩色糖浆，事实上在韩国所售卖的冰沙似乎都没采用彩色糖浆。 我的家人最爱在冰沙加上豆粉，红豆，鲜奶，炼奶 及水果。。。其中，豆粉是绝对不可缺少的。。。。

                                   

For this " Patbingsu", I put the red beans,strawberries,rice cakes,mi-shu-ka-ru, condensed milk, fresh  milk.......................................................................... 

                                                This is my ice shaver....

This is the "미숫가루 ( mi-shu-ka-ru), it contains 14 kinds of ground grains. In summer, Korean like to pour the fresh  milk or ice water in the blender, put a few spoons of mi-shu-ka-ru, add sugar , blend it. A very nutritious beverage...

                                            This is the "mi-shu-ka-ru"...

Rice topped with seasoned mushrooms/蘑菇烩饭/버섯덮밥

In Korean " 덮밥 ( dop-bab)/烩饭" means a bowl of rice topped with seasoned seafood,meat,vegetables,raw fish , etc. Example, 계란덮밥 (Rice topped with scrambled eggs),쇠괴기덮밥 ( Rice topped with seasoned beef),새우덮밥 ( Rice topped with deep-fried prawns),회덮밥 ( Rice topped with raw fish), etc.
The picture shown above is " 버섯덮밥  Rice topped with seasoned mushrooms/蘑菇烩饭...

Ingredients: ( for 4 person)

oak  mushroom ( 표고버섯)  120g
trumpet royal mushroom / pine mushroom ( 송이버섯) 120g
enoki mushroom  ( 팽이버섯)120g
yellow bell pepper 30g
red bell pepper 30g
onion 1/2
beef / pork 60g
minced garlic 1 tsp
cooked rice
oyster sauce 1 Tsp
salt or light soy bean sauce , to taste
a pinch of pepper

seasoning (B)
2 Tsp of cornflour
4.. Tsp of water

Method:
1. Oak mushroom,trumpet royal mushroom cut into thin stripes.

2. Onion, cut into thin stripes.

3. yellow and red bell pepper, cut into thin stripes too.

4. Beef tenderloin or pork, cut into thin long stripes.

5. Mix the cornflour and water well, set aside.

6. Heat the cooking oil in a heated wok and fry minced garlic till light brown, add onion, mushrooms, yellow & red pepper and stir for 1 minutes.

7. Add in beef/ pork and stir fry for another minutes.

8. Add in oyster sauce, a pinch of pepper and salt or light bean soy sauce to taste. Stir well and cook till all the ingredients are tender and add in the seasoning (B). Stir well.

9. Place a bowl of cooked rice on the plate and pour the cooked mushrooms on top of it. Serve hot.

Garlic/마늘/蒜头

In Korea, May & June are the harvest season for garlic. Yesterday, I bought these garlic from the market.  Normally,  the farmers will tie it into one bundle, each has 50 bulbs. Korean use only  those newly harvested garlic for making pickled garlic. Therefore, now is the busy season for me to peel the skin of the garlic in order to make pickled garlic, which I will consume for one year.................................................................................

                              

The garlic is very fresh. If each bulb has  5 cloves, if I buy 300  bulbs or more, then, I will
peel more than 1500 cloves, it really take time to do ....

                                      
 The flower head of the garlic.

In Korea, heads of garlic are fermented at high temperature; the resulting product, called
" black garlic 흑미늘/黑蒜头“, is sweet and syrupy.

How to use the Cuckoo High Pressure Rice Cooker for cooking dishes ?

This is the High Pressure Rice Cooker " Cuckoo" from Korea, currently I am using it for cooking the rice. It has multi -functions, for example : for cooking the white rice, for speed cooking the white rice, for cooking the brown rice &  grains(현미잡곡，糙米及五谷）or steaming/ braise the food( 만능찜, 蒸或焖）,for making the crust over-cooked rice( In Korean, we call 누룽지, 锅巴）。
For me, I use it to cook the  brown rice,glutinous brown rice and black beans together everyday. It is very delicious if compared with by using the electric rice cooker of gas high pressure rice cooker. I wash the rice and soak in the water for 3-4 or 4-5 hours before I cook ( I don't throw away the water, pour it the rice cooker together with the rice.)
We can also use this rice cooker for cooking the following Korean dishes:

(A) 닭찜 (Dak-jim)/焖鸡

Ingredients:
chicken 900g
potatoes 50g
carrot 50g
sugar 2 Tsp
chopped green onion 1 Tsp
minced garlic 1 tsp
Korean soy bean sauce(진간장) 4 Tsp
ginger juice 1/2 Tsp
pepper 1/2 tsp
sesame seeds 1/2 Tsp
sesame oil 1 Tsp

Method:
1.Wash & cut the chicken into bite-sizes  pieces.

2. Cut the potatoes in 2 or 3 pieces, trim the edges ( optional).

3. Cut the carrot, same size as the potatoes, trim the edges (optional).

4. combine the seasoning ingredients in a bowl.

5. Pour the seasoning sauce over the chicken, mixing to coat thoroughly. Let marinate for 1 -2 hours.

6. Place the marinated chicken in the rice cooker ( during the process of marinating the chicken, some "water" or "gravy" will come out, therefore, it is not necessary to add some more water).

7. Select the " steam/braise " function and set the time required for 35 minutes. After that, press " start".

8. After 35 minutes, enjoy your food....

( Can use the rice cooker to cook" galbi-jim" too)



(B) 만두찜    ( " Mandu"/Dumpling)/蒸饺子

" Mandu " 15

Method:

1. Pour 1 1/2 cup of water in the rice cooker.

2. Put the steamer rack in the rice cooker.

3. Place the "mandu" on the rack.

4. Select the "Steam/braise" function , set the required time for 25 minutes. After that press " start"


(C) 고구마 ( Steam the sweet potatoes)/蒸蕃薯

 Sweet potatoes    4 ( if the  each of the sweet potato is  more than 150g, please cut it into 2 pieces)

Method:

1. pour 1  1/2 cup of water in the rice cooker.

2. Put the steamer rack in the rice cooker.

3. Place the sweet potatoes on the rack.

4. Select the " Steam/braise" function, set the required time for 35 minutes. After that press " start"

Bracken sprouts/蕨菜/고사리

Have you ever seen the fresh Bracken Sprouts? In Korean language, we call it " 고사리 Gosari". This is the main ingredient for "Bibimbab".
One of my friends, she picked the fresh bracken sprouts from the mountain and sent to me. Spring is the harvest season for Bracken Sprouts...

可曾见过新鲜的的蕨菜， 又名拳头菜，韩文称为 “ Gosari ”，是韩食拌饭中的主要材料之一。
春天是蕨菜丰收的季节，有位好朋友到山上去採了新鲜的蕨菜送给我。。。。

Pan grilled cod with egg/蛋煎鳘鱼/대구전

"전 ( Jeon)",Korean like to eat "전",especially on the rainy day with a  cup of rice wine "mak-go-li". We have "생선전 (pan grilled fish with egg", "야채전( vegetable pancake),"해물전 ( seafood pancake), etc.....


Ingredients:
sliced cod fish  50g
Korean pancake flour
2 egg yolk or use the whole egg
salt
pepper
sesame oil
cooking oil

Method:
1. Place one layer of the sliced cod fish on the cutting board or big dish.

2. Sprinkle lightly with salt ,pepper and sesame oil.

3. sprinkle with flour on both side.

4. Dip the sliced cod fish in the egg yolk.

5. Heat a fry pan on medium heat and drizzle some oil. Place the fish on the pan. Flip once and cook until done.

6. Serve hot with vinegar soy sauce.

Lotus Festival ( For food section)/莲花展（食物篇）

Lotus flower tea/莲花茶

 这些照片是我去参观莲花展的时候拍下的，上载用莲花及莲藕烹调的美食与大家分享。悄悄告诉大家，这些美食非出自名厨，几乎全是职业高中学生的作品。。

These pictures  were taken when I went for Lotus Festival, I only upload the culinary section .  Lotus flowers & lotus roots were the main ingredients. Don't be surprised that if
I disclose that these dishes were not prepared by the chefs but from the high school students..

                             
                                                   Lotus flower tea/莲花茶