Sweet Potatoes with Almond Syrup

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

Although South Korea has many great health foods, this deep fried dish sounded so interesting and looked too pretty to resist. Sweet potatoes are pre-baked, deep fried and then dipped in an almond syrup before getting a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. These are great if you have a major sweet tooth. I also made a french fry variation that got a very light drizzle of syrup and a fair amount of salt sprinkled on top. Sweet and savory, this preparation was by far my preference of the two.

I used the sweet potatoes that I found at the Asian market. It wasn’t until I peeled them that I realized they weren’t orange inside. Feel free to use your favorite sweet potato variety. A purple Okinawan sweet potato would also look pretty with this preparation.

This was my first time ever using black sesame seeds. A good friend told me his grandfather, at the advice of his Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, used black sesame seeds to keep his hair from graying. I’m not quite at the stage of worrying about that just yet but I’ll be sure to file that piece of information away in the mental bank for the future…

Sweet Potatoes with Almond Syrup

Ingredients:

3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 almonds, crushed
vegetable oil for deep frying
approximately 1 Tablespoon black sesame seeds
salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the sweet potatoes into bitesize slices or strips shaped like french fries. Soak them in a large bowl full of water to remove some of the starch. Drain and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the sweet potato has softened slightly but is not cooked through.

Combine the light brown sugar and water in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until a semi-thick syrup has formed. Remove from heat and add the crushed almonds.

Heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a small heavy bottomed saucepan and, in batches, fry sweet potatoes for several minutes until golden. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Place on a serving plate, drizzle with the almond syrup and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and salt.

Note: If you’d like the super sweet variation, double the amount of syrup (use 1/2 cup each of brown sugar and water and use 4 crushed almonds). Dip each piece of sweet potato in the syrup before sprinkling with sesame seeds. Use little to no salt for this variation.

Sesame Sauce

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Want to know how to make sesame sauce. Don’t worry, this isn’t today’s only post. But I’ll be referring to it in several upcoming recipes (Pan Fried Tofu with Mushrooms and Seafood and Green Onion Pancake) so I thought it’d be nice for it to have its own post so people wouldn’t have to scroll through a bunch of other stuff to find it.

Although really, this stuff is so rock star it sort of deserves to have its own day in the sun. I suppose it’ll have to do with just a couple of hours…

Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup gluten-free soy sauce (can substitute Bragg’s liquid aminos)
2 Tablespoons rice, rice wine or apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons Korean coarse red pepper flakes (can substitute regular red pepper flakes)
2 Tablespoons crushed, roasted sesame seeds (see note below)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

In a bowl combine the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, water and sesame oil. Add the pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and green onions and mix to combine. Transfer any leftover sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Note: You can sometimes find roasted and crushed sesame seeds at an Asian store, but I just pan toasted some raw sesame seeds for a couple minutes, until they turned golden, and then pulsed them briefly in a coffee grinder (different ways to use a coffee grinder).

Pan Fried Curried Jerk Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Considering my love of all things pork, it’s surprising that I don’t cook it more often. Baked breaded pork chops served with mashed potatoes and applesauce was a frequent meal when I was growing up. I think the applesauce, besides being a good flavor match for the pork, was sort of essential for moisture because the oven dried out those chops like nobody’s business. That’s no need to worry about dryness with this recipe- the quick pan fry keeps the chops nice and juicy. With Jamaican jerk spices and a little bit of curry powder (a nod to the Indian influence and population in Jamaica) the pork is great even as a standalone item, but a little mango salsa gives it some extra island flair.

Pan Fried Curried Jerk Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Pork Chops:
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons thyme
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon allspice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 4 pork chops, approximately 3/4 inch thick
* Vegetable oil, for frying

Mango Salsa:
* 1 mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
* 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
* 1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
* 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
* 1 Tablespoon lime juice
* 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

To make the pork chops combine the garlic, thyme, brown sugar, allspice salt, pepper, cayenne, and curry powder in a large bowl or plastic ziplock bag. Add pork chops and rub the seasoning in. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to one hour. Heat about 1 tablespoon in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from heat, and cover, allowing the residual heat to cook the chops through, about three to five minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork chops. Test the thickest chop to ensure that there’s no pink. Top with mango salsa.

To make the salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl and chill for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Khong Namool- Seasoned Soybean Sprouts

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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After several weeks of drinking copious amounts of booze and testing (and eating) a bunch of desserts, I’m doing my best to get South Korea off on a healthy start. I chose these beansprouts as the opening recipe for several reasons. First, because just about everybody can enjoy them since they’re gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc. Second, because some of my later recipes will use these as a topping (Kimchi Fried Rice). Third, and most importantly, because they’re pretty awesome.

I’m not the kind of girl who would normally get excited over something like bean sprouts (usually it’s chocolate, cheese, etc.) but I can definitely see myself adding these to a frequent rotation around here. They’re crunchy, spicy, fresh and complex. Most importantly, they’re easy to prepare and quick to come together. Next time I’m definitely making a double batch.

Seasoned Bean Sprouts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 pound soybean sprouts
* 2 cups water
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed
* 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons Korean chili powder
* black pepper
* 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper threads, for garnish

Directions:

Wash the bean sprouts in cold water. Place them in a saucepan and add two cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil the sprouts for 7-8 minutes and do not lift the lid during this time. Remove from heat and rinse the sprouts under cold water and drain.

Add the green onions, garlic, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt, chili powder and stir to mix. Grind a little black pepper over the top and add the red pepper threads to garnish.

Note #1: For toasted, crushed sesame seeds, toast whole sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat until the begin to turn golden. Let cool slightly. Place in a coffee grinder or a food processor and pulse several times.

Note #2: Both the Korean chili powder and the red chili pepper threads can be purchased at an Asian or Korean grocery.

Fiery Roasted Jerk Potatoes

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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The heat from the potatoes sneaks up on you. During the first couple bites you only notice the depth of flavor. Then, after pausing to take a break, your mouth is on fire. You take a sip of a drink to cool down. Then you crave more. The cycle then repeats itself over and over again.

These are a great break from your standard roasted potatoes. They’re loaded with colorful onions and peppers and coated with a unique spice blend.

A good friend of mine would probably be embarrassed if he knew that I’m telling you he used the words of John Mellencamp to describe the heat of these potatoes: “it hurts so good.” And so said friend shall remain nameless.

But really, you might want to pair these with a mellower main dish or, if you’re really heat intolerant, de-seed the Serrano or cut back on the cayenne.

Fiery Roasted Jerk Potatoes

Ingredients:

6-7 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into a 3/4″ dice
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup finely chopped sweet bell peppers
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped (remove seeds if you’d like to lower the heat)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
d1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well to coat. Spread evenly on a lightly greased half sheet pan. Roast for 40-50 minutes, turning the potatoes once 20 minutes in, until the potatoes are browned and crisp. For extra crispy potatoes, broil for a couple minutes at the end of the baking time, keeping a watchful eye on the oven to prevent burning.

Kubecake- Chewy Coconut Ginger Rum Candy

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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I guess I’m getting old because I can no longer eat excessive amounts of sugary or rich desserts. This candy is sweet (it IS candy, after all), but nicely balanced with the spicy ginger, rum, and a generous amount of toasted, unsweetened coconut.

Kubecake, sometimes written as kube cake, is apparently a popular street food in Ghana. It reminded me of a spicier, chewier and more grown-up version of a Brazilian coconut brigadeiro. It should go over really well with both coconut and ginger fans…

Kubecake- Chewy Coconut Ginger Rum Candy

Yield: Approximately 2 dozen candies

Ingredients:

* 1-1/4 cup unsweetened, grated dried coconut
* 2 TB dark rum
* 2 TB melted butter
* 3-4-inch piece of ginger, finely grated
* 1-1/2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup water

Directions:

Toast coconut in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until the coconut begins to turn golden.

Mix 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut in a bowl with the rum, butter, and ginger. Place inside a warm, preheated oven.

Combine the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts bubbling. Stop stirring and continue to simmer until the mixture turns a light golden brown, swirling the pan if the edges begin to brown faster than the rest of the mixture.

Pour onto coconut mixture and stir vigorously until well blended. Let cool 30 minutes and, using wet hands, form into small balls. Roll the balls in remaining toasted coconut and refrigerate 1-2 hours until chilled.

Note: I ended up using a mixture of both toasted and un-toasted coconut to roll the candies in. If you’d like to do the same, toast only 1 cup of coconut and then later add 1/4 cup of un-toasted coconut to the 1/4 cup of reserved, toasted coconut.

Brown Sandwich Bread with Teff, Gluten-Free

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Brown Sandwich Bread with Teff, Gluten-Free

This isn’t really an Irish recipe but last week I did promise you guys a gluten-free brown bread recipe that’s great for sandwiches, so this is what I’d consider a weekend bonus recipe.

I’ve been making gluten-free bread for several years now and this is the first one that really has that same sort of spring and texture as a regular glutinous loaf. I think you guys will really like it…

Gluten-Free Brown Sandwich Bread with Teff

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 cups brown rice flour
* 1/2 cup sorghum flour
* 1/2 cup cornstarch
* 1/2 cup teff flour
* 2-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
* 2-1/2 teaspoons yeast
* 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 cup warm water
* 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 Tablespoons honey
* 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
* 3 eggs

Directions:

Grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. In a large bowl combine the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, cornstarch, teff flour, xanthan gum, yeast and salt. Mix well.

In a separate large bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer) combine the water, cider vinegar, oil, honey, brown sugar and eggs and, using the lowest speed of your mixer, mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for two minutes.

Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and, using a wet rubber spatula, spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Let rise for an hour in a warm location.

While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Moqueca de Camarão – Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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This is the best kind of recipe: common ingredients combine to create a knock-your-socks-off meal (or starter). It’s bright and complex, without being overly spiced. It’s also a good way to use up smaller- and less expensive- shrimp. I like being able to get spoonfuls that have everything, the shrimp, the pepper and onion and some of the flavorful broth.

Moqueca de Camarão – Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. small shrimp (60-80 per lb.), peeled and deveined
* 1/4 tsp. black pepper
* 1 1/2 tsp. salt
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes in juice
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 1/2 TB. olive oil
* 1/2 tsp. cayenne
* 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1 cup coconut milk

Directions:

Combine the shrimp with the pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl. Cover and marinate for about 20 minutes.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender until smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and cook the onion and bell pepper until softened. Add cayenne, a pinch of the cilantro, and the remaining teaspoon of salt and cook for one minute, stirring. Add the tomato puree and simmer until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp mixture and cook until the shrimp are cooked, approximately 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining cilantro and serve in soup bowls.

For a soft bread to go along with your stew, try Beer Damper – Australian Gluten-Free Beer Bread.

Spicy Thai Green Curry with Chicken, Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots

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Girl Cooks World

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April 11, 2019

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Spicy Thai Green Curry with Chicken, Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots

Back in my gluten-eating days, I lived near a great hole in the wall Thai restaurant. Literally, the place is a garage with a retractable door. Back then, each plate lunch or dinner cost less than $5, which meant than even an under-employed person like myself (I’d taken the summer off to surf… oh how I miss my carefree early 20s) could dine like a king.

While I loved trying new-to-me dishes like Thai crispy noodles, Tom Ka Gai soup, and Pad Kee Mao noodles, their green curry with chicken, eggplant and bamboo shoots (the #12!) was in high rotation. I loved the thick, rich and spicy curry sauce that coated the chicken and veggies and seeped into the accompanying rice. That curry also probably deserves most of the credit for building up my heat tolerance for spicy foods.

I haven’t been to that restaurant in years and years (they use a glutinous oyster sauce in just about everything), it was easy to recreate the dish at home with the help of some store bought curry paste. And although the paste alone will give you a perfectly decent curry, adding a couple extra items like fish sauce, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves and some Thai basil transforms it into restaurant-quality.

Although I listed all of my favorite curry add-ins, the only ones I consider absolutely essential are the fish sauce and the Thai basil. So don’t skip the curry if you’re only missing the Kaffir lime leaves or the lemongrass- it’ll still be excellent without them. You can also up the amount of eggplant if you’re not a fan of bamboo shoots. I make it that way quite often, but added the bamboo shoots in this time for nostalgia’s sake.

Spicy Thai Green Curry with Chicken, Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 Tablespoons oil
* 1 medium yellow onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pound boneless chicken, cut into strips or large chunks
* 3 cups thin eggplant slices, no larger than about 1-1/4″ in diameter(about 1 small Italian eggplant or one large Japanese eggplant)
* 1/4 cup green curry paste (I typically use Mae Ploy)
* 1 cup coconut milk
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1-1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
* 1 teaspoon regular or palm sugar
* 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut into several inch pieces
* 4-5 Kaffir lime leaves
* 1 cup bamboo shoots, well rinsed (make sure to buy the matchstick shoots rather than the bamboo tips)
* 1/4 cup roughly chopped Thai basil leaves

Directions:

Heat the oil in a work or extra large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to change from pink to white. Add the eggplant and cook, continuing to stir frequently, until the eggplant begins to soften.

Push the chicken and eggplant to the perimeter of the pan and add the curry paste. Let the paste cook in the oil for about a minute or so and then add the coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves and bamboo shoots. Stir well and then let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover (set the lid partially askew) and let simmer until the sauce has thickened the chicken is cooked through. Add the Thai basil and give everything a quick stir. Serve hot.