I cooked: Tuna Kimchi Jjigae (Korean)

It's been a while since we cooked kimchi jjigae at home, and while clearing our fridge we found that we still had some homemade kimchi left. Since it's been sitting in our fridge for quite a while, it is well-fermented which makes it very ideal for making kimchi jjigae.Maturedkimchiis better as the sourish taste gives a bit of 'body' to the stew/soup.The more mature the kimchi is, the higher the content of good bacteria too.

Tuna kimchi jjigae

Kimchi jjigae or chigae is one of the most popular Korean meals. Known as the mother of all Korean stews, it is a spicy stew made with kimchi, onions, diced tofu, scallions, pork or seafood and is to be enjoyed with a bowl of hot rice.

I was going to make kimchi jjigae using pork again, but The Unc suggested that I try chamchi kimchi jjigae ( )this time. Chamchi means tuna and usually canned tuna (in oil) is used for this dish. He even found me a recipe from Aeri's Kitchen for me to follow.

One of the adaptions that I made to this recipe was to add miso paste towards the end, something which I learnt when making pork kimchi jjigae the last time. The soup tasted a bit diluted but the addition of miso gives it anearthy flavour and a lot more body to the soup. I did not add gochujang or red pepper powder since I foun! d it spi cy enough, but do feel free to adapt to your own taste. Please remember to use tuna chunks in oil, instead of oil (or Arie will slap your fingers for not listening ;P - I chuckled when I read that comment in her recipe).

A healthy, nutritious dinner.

Spicy, invigorating and appetizing... tuna kimchi jjigae is a one pot wonder for lazy days or simply when we want a comforting meal.

Tuna kimchi jjigae ( )
Recipe adapted from Aeri's Kitchen

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves 2-3

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup matured kimchi (approx. 200g)
2 cup water
1 can tuna (I used tuna chunks in olive oil)
1/4 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp Kimchi juice
to 1 Tbsp gochugaru (optional)
Salt, to taste

1 tbsp miso paste

1/2 piece tofu (approx. 130g), cut into chunks
1 spring onion, green parts finely chopped and white parts cut into 1" length
1 red chilli, sliced thinly


1.Cut the matured kimchi into 1-inch pieces. I used a scissors to cut them since it's less messy.

Matured kimchi is usually a darker hue

2. In a saucepan over high heat,add the kimchi and water.Once the soup starts to boil, add the tuna, onion,kimchi juice and minced garlic.

3. Taste it - if you find that it is not spicy enough, then add the red pepper powder (gochugaru) and more salt if it's not salty enough. I chose to add 1 tbsp of miso paste instead.If you use tuna in water instead of oil, add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil.

4.Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add the tofu and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the white parts of the spring onion as well as the chilli and cook for a further minute.

6. Remove from heat and serve immediately with boiled rice. Garnish the tuna kimchi jjigae with the remaining spring onion.

Have a nice day! (nice flower craft by Baby C)

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*Recipe for homemade kimchi can be found here. Recipe for pork kimchi jjigae can be found here.

Autumn Treasures with Chef Martin Yan

In conjunction with the Autumn Treasures with Martin Yan tour from the 4th to 5th of September, some very lucky members of the media, foodies and culinary students were treated to an afternoon of exciting cooking demos by Chef Martin Yan. This event was a joint effort by The Asian Food Channel & BERJAYA University of College Hospitality.

Following the success of True Passion Martin Yan which premiered on AFC last year, this tour aims to give viewers the chance to get up close and personal with the culinary legend himself.This event took place at Samplings On The Fourteenth, BERJAYA University College of Hospitality.

Chef Martin Yan started off the afternoon by revealing that he travels everywhere with his trusty knife, as he believes that its the best tool for slicing, cutting and dicing just about anything on the ingredient list.

On top of that, he also has a trusty frying pan that he does not leav! e home w ithout.

He then proceeded with some basic cooking (or in this case, cutting, slicing and dicing) demonstrations which wowed the socks off of the audience present (apparent from the ooohs and aaahs). He began by julienning (a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks) a red bell pepper. Not only did he manage the feat in what seemed like a split second, but it was so thin and find that you had to look really close to see its existence. He also did the same with a piece of chicken later on! He then sliced a whole tomato in super-thin slices that it filled-out an entire plate. This evident crowd-pleaser was followed by him slicing a cucumber into pretty- looking evenly sized slices (and that took him like a second to do too).

Next, he briefed the audience on how to breakdown a chicken into its respective parts. Some tips included making sure that the chicken is dry to ensure a firm grip.

With a few chops and cuts, he effortlessly breaks down a chicken in less than a minute.

Using the few ingredients he sliced, diced and cut, coupled with a few others, he started to cook-up an impromptu stir-fry.

Having being done in what seemed like a matter of minutes, the chicken stir-fry oozed with flavor.

He also took some time to answer questions from audience members as well as elaborate on how he started off his amazing culinary career and some of the roadblocks he faced and overcame along the way.

Always sure to have a smile on his face, he mentioned how that was one of the main ingredients that paved the way to his success today.

He was ever so eager to impart knowledge and advice to ! the culi nary students present at the event and encouraged them to always ask questions to maximize the learning process.

He then began to whip-up one of his recipes from the series, Seared Fish Fillet in Egg White Sauce.

Heres the recipe for the mouthwatering Seared Fish Fillet in Egg White Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 Snapper, Halibut or other white fish fillet

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 tsp of minced ginger

2 tbsp of minced ham

1 small of hot green or red chilli

cup of chicken stock

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

cup of cooked crabmeat

2 oun! ces of b aby shrimp, peeled

2 tsp of cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp of water

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Seasoning

1 tbsp of chardonnay

2 tsp of soy sauce

tsp of sugar

tsp of salt

tsp of white pepper

1 tsp of sesame oil

Method:

1. Peel and seed melon. Cut the flesh into 5cm x 1 cm sticks and set aside.

2. Combine the seasoning and ingredients together into a small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat a wok over high heat. Add oil and swirl the wok to coat the sides.

4. Add ginger, chilli and ham. Stir-fry for 10 seconds or till it becomes fragrant.

5. Add melon and stock and bring the mixture to a boil.

6. Cover and reduce to medium heat.

7. Simmer until the melon is cooked through and for about 8 minutes.

8. Add crabmeat, shrimp an! d season ing. Bring it to a boil.

9. Add the cornstarch solution and stir until the sauce thickens.

10. Remove the work from the heat.

11. Drizzle the egg white over the melon, gently stirring with chopsticks until long egg strands are formd.

12. Serve hot.

I definitely couldnt get enough of that egg white sauce. It complimented the fish perfectly!

Apart from being extremely entertaining, witty, and highly knowledgeable about his trade , Chef Martin Yan shows that it takes more than culinary skill to make it in the culinary world today; it takes a passion, and lots of it too!

Dont forget to catch True Passion Martin Yan, an AFC Original Production, this 10th September at 7.30pm!

Hennessy Artistry @ Kenanga Wholesale City, Kuala Lumpur

Hello party people!

Hennessy Artistry is back! This time its going to be held at Kenanga Wholesale City (KWC) on 8 September 2012. Its gonna be a night of pumping energy and block-rocking beats to elevate the senses!

Hot off raising the roof in Penang at the Straits Quay Convention Centre this June, H-Artistry returns to the heart of Kuala Lumpur for the second instalment of 2012s Global Art of Mixing Trilogy.

Heres a glimpse of what went down at previous Hennessy Artistry events:

Psstt this picture is so so wrong right? Like someone reaching for his :P

As H-Artistry zeros in on Kuala Lumpurs latest wholesale fashion hub, around 3,000 party goers will be treated to a mix of world-class music and the trademark H-Artistry atmosphere. Seasoned H-Artistry enthusiasts and new initiates alike will be blown away by a revamped Hennessy Art of Mixing Zone featuring the Hennessy 360 Cam, as well as other interactive party elements; making it one of the premier party experiences this ! Septembe r.

After posing for a seamless, 360 degree panoramic video at the Hennessy 360 Cam, party goers can enjoy their favourite Hennessy V.S.O.P. long drinks at the Hennessy Mixing Bars, where Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger and Hennessy Soda are served. The gorgeous H-Artistry ambassadors stationed at the bar will be happy to demonstrate the ease of mixing your favourite signature Hennessy V.S.O.P. long drinks.

This instalment of H-Artistry will be headlined by international vocal powerhouse and EDM (electronic dance music) siren Eva Simons, Jakartas cult-status DJ Angger Dimas, as well as Kuala Lumpurs fast-rising electronic dance nu-breeds B.A.T.E. (Brain And The Eye). The night will charge on till the end with the hard-hitting, hipster-worshipped duo Mr.Nasty & GuruGuru (a.k.a. Bass Agents).

Party goers can expect fist-pumping performances and collaborations laced with powerful vocal lashings from Eva Simons. The songstress is best known for her recent collaboration with Afrojack in the track Take Over Control, which has become a dance crossover anthem on dance floors around the world.

Be sure not to miss out on H-Artistry this Sep! tember b y watching this space for more information: www.h-artistry.com.my.

Also note that H-Artistry is open to those above 18 years of age and non-Muslims only.

Cholesterol Lowering Diets

Engaging in cholesterol lowering diets is a good solution for people who are knotty about the high level of cholesterol in their body. Without a doubt, escalated cholesterol level can lead to a lot of health concerns. Instead of shoving-in too many meds in your body on a daily basis, the best thing to do is to make minimal alterations with the way you eat. In effect, your body will be able to naturally regulate the cholesterol level without the need to be too dependent on pills and meds.

Target: Reduce Bad Cholesterol

When planning for cholesterol lowering diets, the main target is to reduce the bad cholesterol or LDL in your system. To be able to ensure that your health remains in top condition, you need to opt for nutritious and low fat foods.

photo credit: pixelnaiad

If you are the type of person who habitually snacks between meals, you do not really need to starve yourself just to lower your cholesterol levels. Instead of munching on chips and sweets, the best option is to choose fruits and vegetables. These will effectively reduce your cholesterol level because of the high amount of fiber that they contain. Fiber effectively flushes out toxins in the body. At the same time, fruits and vegetables do not contain LDL and your body gets the vitamins and nutrients that it needs.

Starting the Day

A good way to start up each day is to have a bowl of oatmeal. This is an effective method to automatically lower the amount of bad cholesterol in the body while satisfying your hunger. It will also provide you with the boost of energy that you need for the day.

If you would like to substitute oatmeal in the morning, whole grain cereals is the best optio! n. Just make sure that you will use fat-free or low-fat milk with it. Make your breakfast a bit healthier and tastier by adding almonds, beans, lentils or peanuts.

Food options

People who are used to eating meat are apprehensive about cholesterol lowering diets because they think that they would be deprived of their favorite meal. It is okay to eat meat so long as you stay away from red meat. The best options are fish, chicken and turkey. These have high amount of protein which contributes in building leaner and stronger muscles. Fish meat like salmon and tuna have high amount of Omega 3 too which improves the performance of your heart. When preparing your doze of meat, make sure to use less or no oil by baking, grilling or broiling them. Remove the skin too.

If there are types of food that you should eat more, of course there are also those which you should stay away from. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, should be completely avoided. Aside from the whopping amount of carbohydrates that these contain, these could also slow down the bodys metabolism. Deep frying is not good too so forget about chips and other food with immeasurable amount of fats and cholesterol. If necessary, use margarine without hydrogenated oil instead of butter.

When opting for cholesterol lowering diets, you do not really have to feel too deprived of good food. You simply need to be a little more careful when preparing your meals and be choosy with what you eat.

>>Download the Free eCookbook here<<

Related posts:

Most Effective Natural Cholesterol Lowering Foods

11 High Cholesterol Foods that You Must Avoid

How Healthy is The Caveman Diet?

Triglycerides Diet for a Healthy Heart

Build Strong Muscles Through The Bodybuilding Diet

baked orzo with eggplant and mozzarella

Okay, I know that despite everyone being back to school, people actually showing up to the office again, like, to work, again and Labor Day being but a blip in the rearview mirror that summer isnt really over yet its hot, the days are still relatively long and, no, I will not put my sandals away. But I cant help it. As soon as the first day of September, one of my favorite months, arrives, my brain becomes fiercely rooted in all things fall. I grab cardigans on the way out the door. I crave soup. I walk right past the peaches at the market so I can get to the new apples instead. And I turn on the oven again to make deep, bubbly, and more filling meals.

I have mixed feelings about traditional baked pasta dishes. I mean, if you show up to my place with a foil casserole dish of your grandmas baked ziti, I will probably leap in your arms with relief because I dont, in fact, always feel like making dinner. We will devour it; everyone will go to bed happy and my son will probably wonder why his mama cant just cook like that. But I would probably never mix a pound of cheese or tub of ricotta into a casserole dish its all too much, too heavy. And so, when I ! spied a baked orzo dish, with eggplant and just a modicum of mozzarella from Yotam Ottolenghi (sadly, not from his new cookbook out next month, because I am totally out of order), I knew it was everything Id ever hoped and dreamed for in baked pasta balance (theres are pillows of eggplant throughout), comfort (there are decadent cheese pulls stretching from every forkful, a delightful term I learned from this article) and ease (like the easiest macaroni-and-cheese I know how to make, you dont even need to pre-boil the pasta).

... Read the rest of baked orzo with eggplant and mozzarella on smittenkitchen.com

smitten kitchen 2006-2012. |permalink to baked orzo with eggplant and mozzarella | 37 comments to date | see more: Eggplant, Pasta, Photo, Summer, Tomatoes, Vegetarian

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Hits Malaysian Market

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