Korean Tacos

Thank GOD it's Friday! I'm so happy it's the weekend. This week has been frantic with so much work, I'm ready to kick back and relax! So what's a girl to cook on the happiest day of all? Tacos. And even better? KOREAN tacos. Slow cooker tacos.

I especially love the slaw! It's mixed coleslaw with kale! Healthy and delicious, it gives an extra crunch. Bringing added texture, the slaw goes perfectly with the pork combining a sweet and tangy experience in your mouth.

Slow Cooker Korean Tacos

Serves 6-8, recipe from Table for Two Blog

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 4 pieces

1 cup hoisin sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish

3 tsp ground ginger

1 16-ounce package of coleslaw or broccoli slaw mix

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

Small tortillas or hot cooked white (or brown) rice, for serving

Instructions:

1. Add the pieces of pork in the insert/bowl of your slow cooker. Add hoisin sauce, garlic, green onions, and ground ginger.

2. Toss each piece of pork a few times to fully coat with the sauce and spices.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

4. Prior to serving, in a bowl, toss coleslaw or broccoli slaw mix with rice wine vinegar and brown sugar.

5. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred. (Best trick I learned to shred meat in a slow cooker is to use an electric hand mixer. Easy peasy!)

6. Serve in warmed tortillas with slaw on top or spoon pork onto a bed of rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

7. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days.

Like it hot? Try it with some Sriracha sauce or Tabasco sauce. This will definitely elevate the other flavors, giving it a full kick of spiciness... to which, I can never ever get enough of the hottest, most spicy food. Proof: My first night living in New York, I took a dare with a girlfriend and ate a whole Jalapeno pepper while downing it with a shot of Crown Royal. It felt like I had smoke coming out of my ears! It was bad, but oh so fun. Such a great memory.

If you do not eat pork, you can easily substitute with beef or poultry. It'd be just as tasty! I definitely want to mix it up and come up with different kinds of Korean tacos. Perhaps Korean shrimp tacos? Mmmm! Be on the lookout for more! :P

I also have some really exciting upcoming stories for my readers next week! Stay tuned for more!

Have a great weekend! 

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Doenjang Jjigae

A traditional Korean stew I've been living on since I could eat, I refer this soup as the, 'cure all' mother of all soups. To me, it is one of my go-to comfort foods whether I'm feeling a little under the weather or dreadfully sick, this stews is packed with protein, vitamins and other nutrients that doesn't only do a body good, but is good for the soul. And especially on a cold, end of October, Monday, what's better to warm you up than a delicious bowl of something home-cooked for dinner?

Fermented Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang Jjigae) Recipe

Makes 4 – 6 servings

Ingredients

2 green onions

1 (12-ounce) package of medium or soft tofu

1 onion, sliced

1 zucchini, quartered

1 (10-ounce) package of button mushrooms

2 Tbsp fermented soybean paste

Water

2 garlic gloves, minced

Preparation

Dissolve the soybean paste in 3 cups of water into a large cooking pot. Stone pot works great for this. *I use a masher to blend the paste in the water more efficiently. Add sliced onion, zucchini, tofu, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil,and then add garlic. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add green onions and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately with rice, kimchi, and other side dishes (banchan).

There are also many variations to this dish. You can do a kimchi jjigae, one with some kind of meat like beef or pork, or instead of all the vegetables listed, you can opt for only one kind, like Napa cabbage or soybean spouts. During my childhood summers, my mother used to put in the Swiss chard she grew in from our backyard. It was amazing. Still is.

You've got to try this soup! I strongly urge you to eat this with rice though. Especially if accompanied with other tasty side dishes like kimchi. Both the soup and kimchi are on the salty side, and taste too strong without it's imperative sidekick. So don't get it twisted. Don't separate the two! They go along together just like peas & carrots! :)

What are some of your favorite, everyday comfort meals or soups? Something that's easy to make, is nutritious, and doesn't have you slaving over the stove all day long? I love to hear from other bloggers and their food testaments and recipes. Or if there's another fellow Korean blogger who's made the same soup but in a different way, holler at your girl! 🇰🇷

I hope you guys had a nice weekend and an even better Monday. Have a great week!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This week I wanted to cook something Korean again but I had all these pumpkin seeds from the other day making that 'MaQ-o'-lantern'. And just like my father, I LOVE roasted pumpkin seeds! They are quite the tasty snack and I couldn't just let these nutritious lil' gems go to waste! I usually just season them with a little salt, but I saw a really awesome video by Tasty on Facebook showcasing a variety of seasonings! They're all great, ranging from wasabit to sriracha honey, but I went with the pumpkin pie and cocoa seasonings for today.

Directions

Roast pumpkin seeds in an oven at 350F until dry but not golden.

All amounts for 1 cup of seeds.

Seasoning Ingredients (Two-ways)

PUMPKIN PIE: 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp allspice, 1 tbsp sugar
COCOA: 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cayenne

Coat pumpkin seeds in a few TBSP of vegetable oil and then mix in seasoning.

Roast at 350F until golden.

I loved the cocoa pumpkin seeds! Really super delicious! They're not too sweet and the cocoa unearths the pungent taste in the seeds, making it such a pleasant surprise in your mouth. ;)

The pumpkin pie is also not very sweet and is absolutely scrumptious. That's what I like about pumpkin seeds, that they're not only healthy but they are a treat that's not loaded with some God-awful ingredient like high fructose corn syrup or anything that has so much sugar, my heart rate spikes just looking at the numbers! The cinnamon and all spice, along with the ginger and 1 tbsp of sugar is a terrific Fall mix, my hubby tried them for the very first time (he's French, they don't exactly roast pumpkin seeds everyday) and loved them!

They are such a staple Fall snack for me. I'm so happy to have tried different, authentic flavors! It just gets me really pumped up for next month, my favorite time of year with all those incredible Thanksgiving dishes, where I try to create a new dish every year. Can't wait to share with you with what's to come!

I'm really excited to munch down on these later, normally I'll make a bag of popcorn or have some kind of chips and dip, but this is a great substitute and is very good for you! Are you a fan of pumpkin seeds? What's your favorite seasoning for yours? Leave a comment in the box!

Have a fantastic & cozy weekend!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Kimchi Deviled Eggs

Um, I just need to forewarn you that these are highly addictive! And they are super quick and easy to make, which is always a plus in anyone's kitchen! If you're as much of a fan as I am with classic deviled eggs, these are even better with a twist! We got some Korean ingredients in there! That's right, kimchi city here we come! ;)

At first I found the combination of ingredients to be somewhat ghastly! Mayo and mustard with kimchi?! Eeeeek! But after creating these deviled eggs, I found them to be scrumptiously delicious! This is perfect for a brunch, a cocktail party, or just getting together for a casual night in with some friends. It packs a serious punch in your mouth, definitely a Korean party going on in there. Ha ha! Seriously, where's the soju?

Kimchi Deviled Eggs

Makes 14 deviled eggs

Ingredients

7 large eggs

2 generous tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon gochujang

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 cup kimchi, roughly chopped

Diced chives and black sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation

Boil the eggs in a small pot for approx. 6-7 minutes. Remove eggs from pot and slowly pour out the hot water. Put eggs back in the pot and fill it with cold water, covering the eggs for about a minute or two.

I have a fun trick to help speed up peeling your eggs. Put one egg in a small glass cup and fill it with water. Shake vigorously up and down and NOT from side to side with one hand holding the cup while the other covers the opening. If you shook correctly, your egg should peel like an orange, very easily and in a circular way.

After peeling, cut eggs in half and scoop out the yolk with a small spoon. Place all the yolk in a bowl and mash them. Then add mayo, mustard, vinegar, gochujang, and sesame oil and mix very well. This will be your filling for the eggs.

Put filling in a piping bag with a fitted tip. Press the bag with your hands to push all of it to the end corner. Make sure to press any air out of the top before you start.

Pipe the filling into each half-sliced egg, until there’s a nice mound over the top. If you’re not feeling up for piping, you can as an alternative, scoop the filling out with a small spoon.

Garnish each deviled egg with kimchi, black sesame seeds and chives. Serve immediately.

My only suggestion for this recipe is to NOT to try and substitute the sesame oil with any other kind (olive, vegetable, etc.) The secret with sesame oil is even a tiny dollop can bring so much flavor, and it is a key ingredient to bring all the other components together. I want to do a blog post on some 'Americanized' kimchi sides, sesame oil yet again, being the main ingredient.

I've been on a Korean kick lately! I'd love to keep posting various Korean dishes, infusing other types of cuisines; American, Mexican, Italian, etc. Stay tuned! Next week's food post will be killer good! I can't wait! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some major eating to attend to!

::Foodie lover at ♥::

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Korean Mung Bean Pancakes

One of the things I miss most is my Korean mother's home-cooked meals. She's the one who gets all the credit for my cooking skills, drilling me, at a very early age, that no good man would marry a woman who couldn't cook for him and his family! Though I can make her special dishes, it still just doesn't taste the same like when she used to make it. I sure do miss being in the kitchen with her, listening to her gossip about whatever new talk of the town there was while simultaneously teaching me how to cook.

I've been wanting to expand my horizons when it comes to trying new foods to work with in my kitchen. Since I've been feeling pretty nostalgic about my mom's food, I wanted to do a recipe this week that's not only Korean, but something I've never tried making before! The challenge? Mung beans. My mom used to make Korean pajeon pancakes, but this has a flour, egg and potato base unlike the Korean mung bean pancakes. The mung beans are soaked in water for several hours before grinding it up into a batter.

These Korean mung bean pancakes, nokdujeon (녹두전) aka nokdu bindaetteok (녹두 빈대떡), are rather addicting and relatively easy to make. I would strongly recommend buying the already-peeled mung beans at the store. That was my big mistake. I got the ones that were unpeeled, and had to do the hard, manual labor myself. Talk about torture! Ha ha! Let's just say the peeling alone took me an extra hour (or two...)! But the results were totally worth it.

These savory pancakes are soft and nutty. I used carrots and scallions for my veggies. They give an extra crunch, bring texture to the pancake. I'll warn you now though, they're rather addicting!

Korean Mung Bean Pancakes

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:

• ½ cup peeled and split mung beans, soaked in warm water for at least two hours
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon doenjang or brown miso
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup of chopped chives (scallions and leeks are good, too)
• 1 cup of shredded carrot
• a couple Tablespoons oil for pan-frying (any neutral-flavored oil, I used sunflower)

For the Dipping Sauce:

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• ¾ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or ½ teaspoon common red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Rinse your split mung beans and soak for a few hours to tenderize.
2. Drain the beans and put in a blender or food processor with the water, doenjang or miso, and sugar and blend until the beans are broken up into little bits (It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth). Then add the brown rice flour and blend again just to combine. Pour the thick, yet slightly runny, mixture into a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for about a minute then add 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Using your fingers, put a mound of chives into the pan for each pancake. Top the chives with another pinch of carrots. Finally, using a tablespoon, put 1 Tablespoon of the pancake batter onto the chive and carrot mounds. Swirl the pan gently to redistribute the oil and cook the pancakes until the edges look browned and crisp. Take a peek under one to see how far along they are. When sufficiently brown, flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until browned. After they are done, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process until you are done with the batter, replenishing the oil in the pan as needed.
4. Make the dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients together. Done! Serve with the pancakes while they are still hot.

Notes

-This recipe makes about 20 mini pancakes if you use one Tablespoon of batter for each one.

-Do yourself a favor and buy the peeled, split mung beans rather than unpeeled. It will save you the step of peeling them. Find mung beans in any Korean or Indian market.

-Add anything you want to these pancakes. You can try chopped kimchi, perilla leaves, mushrooms, and peppers. All are delicious.

-This recipe makes thin, but dense pancakes. If you prefer a lacier and thinner version, add another ¼ cup of water to the recipe.

Special thanks to Lands and Flavors for the recipe! I was so happy to come across it on Pinterest when looking to try something new! I know I'll be using this one a lot more often. :)

The dipping sauce to go with it is simply delicious! It's got my three favorite components: it's spicy, a tad sweet and is loaded with sesame!

We hope you try this recipe and share this amazing dish! Come on and try something new! Enjoy!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz