Myung Dong 1st Ave

This past Saturday I finally checked out Myung Dong 1st Ave, a Korean restaurant that opened last year in Allston. The BF was in town (he is in NYC now for work) and we made plans to meet up with a dear friend of mine, Tali, and her boyfriend Brian.

Walking into Myung Dong, we were treated to a blast of what I assume to be Korean pop music. We were seated next to a large flat screen showing pop videos filled with adorable (or nausea-inducing) young singers dressed as cheerleaders, schoolgirls and the like. It is one of the odd-yet-completely-at-home touch you find in Asian restaurants in the area. It was filled mainly Asians, with a few other tables of young people (although as I get older, anyone younger than me suddenly qualifies as a "young person").

We ordered a pitcher of pear soju. It tastes like a fusing of pear nectar and a liquor, and was sweet and easy to sip, although technically one is supposed to drink the entire shot at once. For those unfamiliar with soju, wikipedia has a great summary of the etiquette required to drink soju in a group gathering (although according to the rules, it would be impossible to drink alone as one cannot fill their own glass).

The waiter brought out a variety of small complimentary dishes, including sauteed greens, fish cakes, kimchi and radishes.

We ordered a basket of mini dumplings to start. I had read some rave reviews about these little morsels, but found myself unimpressed with the fried pork and vegetable filled morsels. Great in idea, so-so in execution.


photo from: http://muze.exblog.jp/

I ordered bimbimbap for my main dish. To call it stir-fry would probably anger some, but the set up reminded me of that. Julienned vegetables were placed in a sizzling hot stone dish, surrounding a large scoop of white rice. Thinly sliced beef was placed atop the rice and an egg was broke over the top of the dish. I love, love when food is interactive. The egg came out sunny-side up but I was able to neatly flip it over to cook it to a little more than over easy. I used some chili-garlic sauce to give it a bit of a kick. The dish was simple, elegant, tasty but not too filling. Bimbimbap. Try saying it a few times; fun, isn't it?

Quinoa with Charred Vegetables and Queso Fresco

Some days the sun just seems to shine brighter-you know, the days where everything seems to go your way, you fit into your skinny jeans and your heart seems to swell with happiness. Last Saturday was one of those days for me. I was in the midst of a 3 exam, 2 paper and 1 presentation week at nursing school, but I got up early, cleaned my room, went for a massage and saw Shutter Island with Carlos (highly recommend this film!!) and cooked dinner.

I decided to make quinoa with charred zucchini, bell peppers, queso fresco and a smoky-spicy tomato sauce. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results-healthy, refreshing and simple to prepare.


To Make:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian dish!)
1 quart whole milk
2 limes
3 bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow)
2 small zucchini
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with diced chiles
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 small diced tomatillo
4 cloves minced garlic
1 small diced onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Heat up milk in heavy sauce pan over medium heat until steaming, but not quite simmering. Add juice of 1 lime and stir as milk curdles. Turn heat to low and let cook additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add salt and let sit 20 minutes.

As milk is cooking, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, tomatillos and garlic and turn to medium. Stir constantly until you are sure that the garlic is not browning (if it is, remove from heat and let cool for a minute). Cook about 5 minutes until onions become translucent.

Add spices and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir into tomatoes/chiles into mixture and cook 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour milk over a cheesecloth-lined colander. If you do not cheesecloth, a very fine strainer will do. Once liquid has mostly drained, form curds into a ball and twist cheesecloth over the ball so that the pressure from twisting causes excess liquid to drain. Hang over sink or a bowl for 2 hours so that cheese may dry out.

Slice bell peppers and zucchini lengthwise into small strips.

Heat up remaining olive oil in a cast-iron grilling pan over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and zucchini (you will probably need to do this in 2-3 batches) and cook until lightly charred, adding extra olive oil if necessary. Remove from heat.

Heat up quinoa and broth over high heat. When it begins to simmer, turn heat down to medium-low and cover. Cook 20 minutes, stirring a few times to fluff quinoa.

Serve quinoa with vegetables, cheese and spicy tomato sauce to taste.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

For Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pepper to taste

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until tender. Let cool slightly; peel. Mash to desired consistency with maple syrup, cinnamon, milk and chicken stock. Add pepper if you like.

Serve with Turkey with Cashew-Mole. Drizzle some extra mole sauce over potatoes for a sweet and spicy combination.

Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Chorizo and Caramelized Onions

Lately I have been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I suspect that my methods may be considered a bit, well, unorthodox by some. I have been sneaking produce into my meals...a big bowl of pasta+some frozen spinach or diced zucchini...ice cream sundae+a handful of berries, well, you get the idea. Brussels sprouts. I imagine that many of you shudder reading those two words. Parents force their children to eat vegetables and children rebel, it's only natural. But once you try them again, you may discover that brussels sprouts are not the evil green monster you had previously imagine. In fact, they are pretty damn good. In this recipe, I use chorizo (drool) to compliment caramelized onions and brussels sprouts. 2 vegetables, not too shabby...at least, I think an onion counts as a vegetable, right?

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra-just in case!
6 ounces cured spicy Spanish chorizo, quartered lengthwise & sliced crosswise into 1/3'' long pieces
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced into long, thin pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 6 minutes. Remove brussels sprouts and place in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes (this stops the cooking process). Drain Brussels sprouts and dry with a paper towel.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and turn heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally to prevent pieces from burning/sticking. Cook about 20 minutes, until onions caramelize-they should be golden but not brown. Remove onions from pan, reserving them in bowl.

Add chorizo to pan and turn heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn to medium, adding more olive oil if necessary, and add the garlic, stirring for 2 minutes as it cooks.

Transfer chorizo mixture to a bowl. Increase heat to high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and brussels sprouts. Cook until the sprouts are brown and tender, about 8 minutes, flipping once or twice to ensure even browning. Add reserved onions and chorizo mixture.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peanut Noodles with Shrimp and Mango

After work I set out on the mission of finding rice paper to make summer rolls. I had a recipe in mind, presentation all set...and no rice paper! (D@mn you Shaw's, Foodmaster and Trader Joe's!). Disappointed but not defeated, I had to alter my recipe a bit...rice noodles in place of rice paper...and the plum dipping sauce was out, peanut was in.

Salad Ingredients:

1 pack wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped mango
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined and de-tailed
2 green onions (about 1/2 cup chopped), cut horizontally
1/3 cup diced cilantro
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
1 lime

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix peanut butter with coconut milk in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5-10 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly, stirring to prevent the sauce from burning. Remove from heat. (Add more spice according to your personal preferences!)

Heat up a large pot of water. Add rice noodles to boiling water and cook according to instructions. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Toss noodles in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Toss cold noodles with 1/2 cup sauce. Add more until noodles are thinly coated with peanut sauce. Add shrimp, mango and cucumber and toss salad. Squeeze lime over salad. Top with cilantro, green onions and crushed peanuts.