Pomelo Prawn Salad, the easy Thai salad

Is it March already?

It must be spring then...

Living currently in a tropical land of SE Asia, I often loss the sense of seasonal changes.

Spring is my favorite season. 

I miss seeing green buds blossoming on the trees, daffodils and tulips popping out of garden, and people gathering around Home Depot to look for pretty flowers to plant on their yards. I was one of them.

But I enjoy living in tropical land these days. It does offer good culinary adventures.., a big time!

... Loads of tropical fruits and veges, awesome beaches, can't complain much.

Tofu Broccoli Salad; simple, healthy, and yes, it's delicious!

"Only bad witches are ugly..."
This is what Glinda, the pretty Good Witch of the North, said to Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
I don't think she ever realized that some bad witches can be quite beautiful.
At least Elphaba, the Bad Witch of the West, was.
She had a certain radiance that captured the winkie prince Fiyero's heart, which the pretty Glinda herself couldn't.

Last month I drove over 4 hours to Singapore with my family to watch "Wicked," the famous Broadway show. It was undoubtedly a great show and my kids just loved it.
But for some very WICKED reason, I kept thinking of "broccoli" while I was watching.
How bizarre!

Crisp Korean Beef Salad, and a jar of citron tea

It is a wonderful season...
to catch...
a cold these days.

You know that I am not asking you to get sick, right?
I mean most people I know have suffered from cold or flu, some with very nasty ones, this past week or so.
So I am going to introduce you a typical home remedy that Koreans, at least in my household, use when we get sick from those mean viruses.

Apple Coleslaw, journey through the fall

It's October! Yeah! I just love fall season, even the smell of it. The pies, the hot ciders, the bread, and even my kimchee in the fridge...
I picked tons of apples in the local orchard last weekend, I've been eating apples at least one everyday. Koreans believe eating an apple a day will make you look radiant(?), so someday I hope my face will be radiant like a laser beam...  I better start the conquest on my apples.

So, this was what I made to compliment my Tonkatsu, the pork cutlet.
Are there anyone who doesn't like apples? You won't get the laser beam face... ☺
Well, if you don't like apples, you won't notice that much in this coleslaw. If you love apples, you definitely can tell the difference.


Wonderful compliment any BBQ dish, I love this simple yet full of flavor apple coleslaw.
It is better to chill this slaw for 1 hr so the flavors can incorporate each other. But don't leave too long, it will get watery and soggy.

 

Let's see what we got....

cabbage, apples, carrot, red onion, parsley, mayonnaise, cider vinegar, honey,

and salt + pepper to taste.

Am I missing anything?

So far so good. We will see...

 

Slice the cabbage thinly.
Com'on! Show off your slicing skill! ☺

 Julienne your apples, 
...I used golden delicious and Jonathan...

and your carrot, too.

I like my carrots to be very thin.

Put them in the water and add 1 tsp of vinegar to them.

Keeps the apples from oxidizing and other veges crisp.

 Soak them in the water for about 10 minutes.

Drain them well. No need to rinse.

Make dressing by combining the ingredients above.

Dang! I missed the apple cider vinegar on the photo.

I am so clumsy...

Don't forget to add vinegar to the dressing.

Chop red onion,

and parsley

 Put all the ingredients in a bowl and pour the dressing over.

Toss well.

You can add some roasted sesame seeds if you like.

Adds nice nutty flavor.

Done!
 One recipe to go for my apples!

Suddenly the song I use to hear in the radio in Korea all the time comes to my mind.

 You are the sunshine of my life

That's why I'll always be around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart 

I feel like this is the beginning,
Though I've loved you for a million years,
And if I thought our love was ending,
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears

Wo... wo... wo... wo... wo...

Eat your apples today!
and be radiant...

Apple Coleslaw
4 servings

1/2 small cabbage, shredded thinly

2 apples, julienne

1 carrot, thinly julienne

1tsp vinegar

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4C chopped parsley

1T roasted sesame seeds, optional

Dressing

1/2C mayonnaise

2T apple cider vinegar

3T honey

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Place cabbages, apples, carrots in a bowl with cold water. Add 1 tsp of vinegar and let them soak for 10 minutes. Drain and place them in a mixing bowl. Add red onion and parsley.

In a small bowl whisk mayonnaise, cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the slaw and toss well. Sprinkle sesame seeds if you wish.  Chill 1 hr before serving.

Printable recipe

Spicy Cucumber Salad, for one of those lazy summer day

 

I need to tell you before I start this post that this will be my last one. What! 

(I can see your eyes are wide open! or maybe not, maybe nobody cares...)

Well, I mean my last post until I come back from my trip.  :)

Yes, I am going away for my annual summer trip. This year I am going to Europe. I am taking my two wild munchkins to France, Belgium, Austria, and Germany.  I will enjoy the train rides, the scenery, the castles, the museums, the people, and of course, the food.

I have been so busy studying for this trip this past few weeks. I feel like if I have studied this much while I was in college in my youth(?), I could have gotten the scholarship! LOL.

Anyway I have done my homework and ready to hit the road with my two little ones without my piano man. Yes, just me and my 9 and 7 year olds. So, please pray for me that I can return in one piece, without going crazy....

Today's post is simple cucumber salad that is very popular among Koreans during summer time. I love this salad. It is spicy, slightly sweet, full of flavor, and most of all, it is a great side salad for dishes like Galbi or Bulgogi, or Dakguwi. 

I often serve this with grilled chicken in simple Asian marinade when I feel lazy that I don't want to slave myself in the kitchen in hot summer days.

This is a salad that you can put together within 10 minutes or less, seriously! No joking here!

So let's start. Set your timer to 10 minutes now!

Simple salad, simple ingredients.

English cucumber, vinegar, plum extract(mashil jeup), shallot, garlic, 

Korean red chili flakes(gochugaru), black (or yellow) sesame seeds.

And of course some salt and pepper, too.

Slice cucumber thinly, about 1/8" thick.

If you have to use those American version with thick, waxy skin, peel off some of the skin.

Korean cucumber is even better if you can find it.

Her name is shallot. She is just a gorgeous girl next door!

She only comes in petite size, just like me!

Yes, you are right.  I am short and stocky!  :(

Chop her into even smaller pieces. 

Done? Lovely!

Chop your Mr. Garlic finer than usual.

Because you will eat him raw!

In a shallow bowl combine cucumbers with chili flakes, sugar, garlic, shallot, sesame seeds.

Add couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Add plum extract(mashil jeup) if you have. 

If you don't, don't worry about it.

 No big deal.

...but it is good to have one though :)

Add vinegar

and mix them well with your hands.

You can toss with spoons, but "real Koreans" use hands when tossing vegetables.

It helps the flavor to soak in cucumber.

Gotta taste one slice to check for seasoning!

You might need more salt.

You can chill for 30 minutes before you serve. 

Done! Has it been 10 minutes yet?

Cool, crunch, spicy, and full of flavor!

That's how you fight the hot summer days.

I am going to miss this kind of spicy food a lot this summer! :(

Well, well, well...

My dear friends and fellows,

Hope all of you have so much fun this summer, 

I will deliver your happy regards to Mrs. Mona Lisa in France,

...if I meet her in the Louvre...

Have fresh waffles for snack in Belgium,

...I will think of you when I eat...

And pay my tribute to the Trapp family in Austria,

...for their beautiful sound of music...

And, oh! 

Did I tell you that I will be staying at one of those fairy castles in Germany?

Waiting for my prince charming to pick me up on his white horse...

Well, just for a few hours though, you know...

Eat more food(good food) and be merry,

And I shall be back in August.

By then, 

Live long and prosper!

An-nyeong!

(안녕, Goodbye!)

Spicy Cucumber Salad

(Oi muchim, 오이무침)

serves 4 as side dish

1 English cucumber

1 shallot chopped

1 small garlic clove chopped

1-1 1/2T Korean chili flakes(gochugaru)

2t white vinegar

1 1/2t sugar

2t plum extract(optional)

1t sesame seeds, black or yellow

Couple of pinches of salt 

Dashes of pepper to taste

Slice the cucumber thinly, about 1/8" thick. Place them in a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well with hands until the cucumber slices gets incorporated with the dressing, about 30 seconds.

Taste one piece of cucumber to see if it is sell seasoned. You might need to add more salt.

Adjust seasoning for you liking.

You can chill this salad in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

If you let it sit too long the moisture in the cucumber will be extracted and the salad becomes too watery.

Note: This salad will compliment nicely to Korean grilled meat such as Galbi, Bulgogi, or any Chicken dishes.

Printable recipe

Apple pear radish salad, what shape are you?

 

A blonde was passing a fruit stand when she suddenly realized how hungry she was.

"Give me a pear, please." said the bouncy blonde.
"That will be fifty cents." said the clerk.
She ate the pear, but was still hungry, so she ordered another. Still hungry after the second pear, she ordered an apple. After eating the apple she was finally full and wanted a drink, but found that she didn't have enough money left.
"Darn it!" she said to herself, "If I had ordered the apple first I would still have enough money left for that drink!"

Korean spring cabbage salad, the sign of spring

 

  Every country has its own salad that welcomes season of spring. I remember when there was a spring cabbage salad on our dinner table at my house in Korea, it gave me a warm feeling, even as a child, that spring finally has come. Spring creates a sense of hope and excitement.  As a child I did not like the winter at all. It was windy and dreary, too cold to play hide and seek, or other games outside. 

When the weather gets warm many young girls in our neighborhood used to get together to go an expedition on the famous Nam-mang mount in my hometown of Tong Young. We looked for spring flowers, herbs, and other edible plants to take home with us to surprise our mothers. We did not have any fancy toys like iPod, or Nintendo in the late 70th when we were growing up, but the nature was our best toys and I still believe it is to any children these days.