June | 2013 | A Fat Girl's Food Guide to Eating in Korea

29
Jun
2013

Soju Pop Cocktail

categories: Drinks & Cocktails

Summer is here, and things are hotting up. We all need to cool off and also make sure we are still getting our daily soju allowance. Enter the Soju Pop Cocktail. Recommended to me by one of my good friends this was too good for me not to share, even if I can’t really take much credit for it. It’s the perfect drink to refresh you on a hot Summer’s day when you’re sat outside your local convenience store. Choose your favourite ice-lolly ( I used a strawberry and apple 스그류), grab a bottle of cider and a bottle of Soju, and you’re ready to make delightful summer drink. If you are a classy kinda drunk like me, feel free to replace the soju with your favourite flavoured vodka.

Ingredients

300ml of lemonade/cider/sprite (UK/ROK/USA)

100ml of Soju (or vodka)

1 ice lolly (Popsicle)

Directions

Take one large glass, a 1 pint beer glass pilfered from your local bar works perfectly. Add the soju and top up with lemonade. Unwrap your chosen ice lolly and put it into your drink, and keep stirring until the ice lolly has melted off the stick. Drink and enjoy. Repeat if necessary. Voilà the Soju Pop Cocktail. Sweet Summer salvation.

27
Jun
2013

Rainbow Cake

categories: Baking, Recipes

It’s my birthday!!! Today, A Fat Girl’s Food Guide is 1 year old. I am amazed at my staying power and the fact that I have managed to keep it up all this time. It is thanks to you dear readers for all of your comments and support that has kept me going all this time. I would also like to thank all my friends, family, and dining companions that have accompanied me on various meals out and have graciously let me take pictures of all the food before tucking in, no matter how hungry they were. lastly I want to thank my boyfriend, for his numerous trips to supermarkets and shops to buy endless ingredients, for his patience and support when I have been up all night cooking and lastly for editing each and every post. I am in awe of what I have managed to achieve in the past year, it has surpassed all my expectations of what I ever thought I would accomplish. In the past year I have written 227 posts. I have gained 971 likes on Facebook, gotten over 117,000 hits and 1 mention in The Korean Times. Numerous recipes have been made and tonnes of restaurants visited. I have gained 4lbs in the past year that can only be accredited to the endless amount of baked goods I have been forced to eat all in the vein of this blog.

So to celebrate my one year of blogging I had to make myself a cake. It’s not a birthday without cake is it? I had been planning on making this rainbow cake for some time now but hadn’t managed to get around to it. Actually, that’s a lie, I have been putting it off, as baking a cake is a lot of work, especially in 30 degree weather, but the time had come so I rolled up my sleeves and got to it. If you want to make this a whole lot easier on yourself then buy two boxes of the white cake mix from the foreign food mart. I would have done this myself but I couldn’t bear to spend 10,000 on cake when I already had all the ingredients all ready at home. I just used a plain vanilla sponge recipe, that I have been making since school. I also bought little foil containers to bake all the sponges in and they worked like a dream. I only have one cake tin so it would have made the process a whole lot longer had I had to re-use it over and over again. The frosting I used was half cream cheese half butter, so it didn’t make the whole thing too sweet. I am immensly proud at how this cake turned out, possibly the best one I have ever made. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Ingredients

Cake

4 sticks of butter (550g)

550g grams of white sugar

5 eggs

550g of flour

2 tablespoons of baking powder

a pinch of salt

200ml of milk

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Food colouring to make red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Frosting

500g of cream cheese

4 sticks of butter (550g)

650g of icing sugar

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Directions

I made my cake mixture in two batches, so if it’s easier for you, split the ingredients in half and do it over twice. Or, if you’re short on time buy two boxes of cake mix.

To make the cake, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a separate bowl and mix the vanilla extract with the milk in another. Start off by folding in a third of the flour mixture, then adding half the milk, then adding the second third of flour, then the second half of the milk, then the flour. Make sure your mixture is combined well, then share between 3 bowls. Add your colouring until you reach colours that you are happy with. It has been suggested that the gel food colouring provides a better result but I was out of red so I just used liquid and I was pretty happy. Yes, I could have added more but I didn’t want to eat a cake that tasted of food colouring. I filled my tins with each of the different colours and baked them one by one. Oh the joys of having a toaster oven! If yours is big enough cook a few at a time. The layers are thin so they don’t take too long, about 12 minutes each at 175 degrees Celcius. Whilst the first 3 colours were baking I started on making the second batch of mix for the last 3. Remove them from the heat and allow to cool. I left mine overnight.

To make the frosting allow the butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. In this heat it shouldn’t take too long! Then mix together with the vanilla extract until combined. Add the icing sugar a bit at a time until all the icing sugar has combined and the frosting is a good consistency. You can add more or less icing sugar depending on how sweet you like it.

To assemble the cake. Place your sponges in the fridge or the freezer for an hour to let them harden. They will be much easier to work with. Put the purple sponge at the bottom and add a layer of frosting then top with the blue one. Add another layer of frosting and top with the green then put the whole thing back in the fridge for about an hour to let it harden. If you try to assemble all the layers at this point it will end up being very wonky or could collapse. After an hour add a layer of frosting to the top and place the yellow sponge on top. Add another layer of frosting, then top with the orange. Top with another layer of frosting and finally top with the red sponge. Give the top of the red layer a very thin coating of frosting. Then do a fine crumb coating around the edge of the cake trying to fill in any gaps between the layers, then put the whole thing in the fridge for at least another hour. When it has been chilled, coat the whole cake in another layer of frosting to make sure you cant see any of the colours shining through. Try and make the edges as neat as you can. My skills arent really up to much but there are some amazing ones I have seen online. Decorate the top with sprinkles or any decorations you have. I have seen a cake that is completely coated in sprinkles that looks spectacular, however I didn’t have the foresight to visit the bakers mart to get them. It’s not really the outside of the cake that counts here though, the surprise is inside. When you have finished decorating leave in the fridge for at least another two hours to let it set properly. Once set, slice into your beautiful cake, give yourself a pat on the back, and taste the rainbow. Voilà the truly fabulous rainbow cake. Happy birthday to me, feel free to send presents! x

25
Jun
2013

French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich

categories: Recipes

This sandwich is the holy grail of grilled cheeses. It requires a lot more effort than a regular grilled cheese but boy is the pay off worth it. The spectacular taste of French onion soup all contained in sandwich form. It was so good that the second I finished mine I looked over to my boyfriend to see that he had half of his left. I almost ripped it right out of his hands it was so good. Now sadly this sandwich doesn’t come cheap as the Gruyère and proper bread can set you back a fair whack, about 20,000. It also takes a good 30 minutes to caramelize the onions, but every second spent by the stove will be worth it when you bite into this glorious creation.

Ingredients

4 slices of really nice bread

2 onions

120g of Gruyere cheese

1 glug of olive oil

1/2 a stick of butter

1 tablespoon of white sugar (optional)

Directions

Start by chopping your onions into thin slices. Heat your frying pan to medium then add a glug of olive oil and a a knob of the butter. When the butter has melted add the onions.They will take around 30 minutes to caramelize so be patient. Never leave your pan’s side even for a second. Stir them regularly to make sure they are getting an even coverage. They should be golden brown when they are done but not burned. While your onions are cooking, grate your Gruyère. I find that the Korean onions don’t brown as much as I would like, so if you want add a tablespoon of white sugar about 20 minutes in to help them out a little. When the onions are done remove them from the pan and place in a bowl. Butter one side of each piece of bread Then put two slices of the bread butter side down in your frying pan. Then top each slice with a quarter of the grated cheese.

Then add the caramelized onions.

Finally add the last of the cheese and place a slice of bread on top butter face up. Heat your pan to medium, and cook for a few minutes on one side before carefully flipping it over to cook the other side. The bread should be golden brown and the cheese should have melted. When they are ready, serve and devour. Voilà the best cheese sandwich you are ever likely to have.

21
Jun
2013

Mixed Bean Salad

categories: Recipes

Well would you believe it, I am keeping up with the health kick. I am even down a couple of pounds. Who would have thought it? I even decided to forgo my Friday vanilla latte in favour of my usual hazelnut americano in a bid to stay on track. Although I am sure the second I have a few cocktails tomorrow those pounds will jump right back on. So this is my salad of week. It’s just so quick and easy to make I can’t stop making it. Although the boyfriend has requested that we go back to falafel next week as he is growing tired of it after eating it for almost 8 days straight. I keep making it though as all the veg is already cut up and in the salad so all I have to do it put some on one of the lettuce bases I have ready made in the fridge and lunch is ready to go.

Ingredients

100g dried chick peas or 1 can

150g of black eyed beans or 1 can

1 can of kidney beans

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 cucumber

1/2 a red onion

20 cherry tomoatoes

1 large bunch of fresh herbs (cilantro, mint or basil all work)

4 tablepsoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

Directions

If using dry beans, soak over night then cook. The chickpeas take around 3 hours, the black eyed beans around 1 and a half hours. When the beans are cooked put them in a colander and run cold water over them. If you are using canned beans empty your cans into a colander and run with cool water to wash them then leave to drain. Chop the peppers, cucumber, and onion into small pieces. Then place in a large container. Add the beans and mix. Chop your fresh herbs, then add to the bean salad. Then top with the salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Voilà easy 3 bean salad.

20
Jun
2013

7 day meal planning

categories: Recipes, Shopping, Uncategorized

Last week my lovely friend Miles asked me to help him to learn to cook. To say he is a novice is an understatement. He can’t even tell the difference between a courgette and a carrot. So I decided I would impart him with some of my wisdom and try and help him make a few meals. He is on a diet to help him lose weight, so we prepared some of my skinnier recipes. I only had so much time to give so we decided to spend one night cooking and make meals for the whole week. I have now realized what a wonderful idea this is. Especially for those who find cooking a chore. A few devoted hours on a Sunday and you will have a fridge and freezer full of healthy meals to last you the whole week. So this week I even decided to have a go myself. It’s really up to you what you want to make but here are just a few of the different things we made.

5 salads, consisting of lettuce, cucumber, whole cherry tomatoes and sliced red peppers. If you don’t add the dressing and you seal them in airtight containers they should at least last for 5 days. That’s one lunch every day of the week.

12 chicken burritos for easy dinners. 3 minutes in the microwave and dinner is served. Cut the cheese and sour cream out of my recipe and they are a pretty healthy dinner.

A giant batch of my roast vegetable couscous. You can then just eat it by itself or add it to one those salads.

A batch of gazpacho which could be served as a meal in itself, or used to top wholemeal pasta and a can of tuna. Tasty and easy, they can also be made in advance and used to top the salads or eaten as a hearty dinner.

A big batch of my Cajun chicken casserole. We portioned it out into individual containers and added brown rice and broccoli to each one. Just like a home-made version of a microwavable meal.

I also had a BBQ to attend at the weekend to which I was bringing a potato salad and a coleslaw. I made twice as much and put the extra into containers in the fridge. That way I had quick sides all ready made for dinners or something fun to add to my salads.

I also marinated a packet of cut up chicken pieces using one of my favourite marinades. Then I can just put a couple of pieces into the oven when I get home and serve with the coleslaw and potato salad and have myself a home-made BBQ for dinner.

There are so many things you can do to save time, if you do them in one go. Slice your vegetables and put them into separate containers then you can just take a few of each to make a quick and easy stir fry. Or roast those veggies in the oven if you have one. You can also portion out fruit into zip-lock bags in the freezer, ready to use in a quick smoothie for breakfast. The possibilities are endless and a bit of forward planning will definitely help you to stay healthy if you’re on a new Summer diet. So get down to your nearest Daiso and buy yourself as many containers as you can carry. Miles’s shopping for the week cost around 65,000 and that made 28 meals. He had virtually nothing in the way of condiments in his cupboards so if you keep a well stocked pantry it will be even cheaper.

18
Jun
2013

Spinach Hummus & Homemade Tortilla Chips

categories: Recipes

After making a big batch a dips last week I found myself chip-less. How was I to enjoy my delicious dips? Walking to the store in the blistering heat seemed like such a big effort so I thought why not try and make some myself. I had plenty of tortillas in the freezer so I set about making some tortilla chips to go with my lovely scrummy spinach hummus. I also took these to the Vegan Potluck and they went down a storm.

Ingredients

Spinach Hummus

300g dried chickpeas or 2 cans of chickpeas.

3-5 tablespoons of Tahini (buy it at the foreign food mart in Itaewon or make your own, it’s really easy just blend sesame seeds with olive oil)

200g of fresh spinach

200 – 300ml Olive oil

3 – 5 cloves of garlic

The juice and zest of 1 or 2 Lemons

2 -4 tablespoons of cumin (foreign food mart or Gmarket)

1-2 tablespoons of paprika (foreign food mart or Gmarket)

Lime and Coriander Chips

4 tortillas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of Mexican seasoning

1 bunch of coriander (cilantro)

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

Directions

Soak your chickpeas over night or for several hours in cold water, do not add any salt. Cook your chickpeas in boiling water for 2-3 hours or until they mash easily with the back of a spoon. I use my rice cooker to cook them as you don’t have to worry about topping up the water, just give them a lot at the beginning and they will be fine. Once your chick peas are done, strain them but reserve some of the water for later. If you are using the canned chickpeas you can skip the cooking stage.

If you are making your own tahini, blend the olive oil and sesame seeds until they form a paste. Then add the garlic and blend again. Finally add the spinach. Keep blending until you have a lovely vibrant green paste. I prefer to use fresh spinach as frozen or cooked is too stringy and will cause problems for your blender unless you have a very good one.

Blend the chick peas in your blender with a little of the extra water, until they start to resemble the consistency of hummus. Everyone has a different preference about how they like their hummus, some like the runny oily kind whilst others prefer it thick. It’s really up to you, whatever floats your boat, so add more or less water depending on how you like it. Once your chickpeas are blended, add the tahini and lemon juice. Then you can start to add your salt and spices, a little at first stirring them in until you get the taste you want. You also might want to add more tahini and lemon juice too. Hummus is one of those recipes that is hard to pin down. I generally make it the same each time but the results always seem to vary. As long as you get all the basics in there though it should turn out well.

To make the chips cut your tortillas into triangles. The tortillas I use, are the large ones from Costco so I usually get about 10-12 chips from each one. Place the olive oil, lime juice and coriander in your blender and blend until you have a green paste. Then stir in the salt and Mexican seasoning. Using a brush or the back of a spoon coat one site of the triangle then lay on a baking tray. Try not to overlap the chips. Bake in the oven for about 2-4 minutes. Times will vary depending on the size so make sure you keep checking on them. They are done when they are golden in colour and the paste is dry. Store in an airtight container and they will keep for at least a week if you can resist eating them. Voilà home-made chips and a dip. Perfect for any party.

16
Jun
2013

Malteaser & Toblerone Cheesecake

categories: Recipes

It may have taken me 29 years but I have finally made the best dessert ever. I have found true heaven in cheesecake form. I know I claimed the same when I made my lemon cheesecake but this one is even better. My lovely boyfriend brought me a rather large stock of Malteasers back from Hong Kong, when he went on a boys’ rugby trip last month. I fancied making a dessert with them and was rather tempted by the Lorraine Pascale cake, but making a cake is such a lot of hard work in this weather. So I had a quick search on pinterest for Malteasers and came across a picture of a Malteaser and Toblerone cheesecake. Sadly I am not the genius who came up with this winning combination. However when I clicked on the link there was no recipe to be found. So I created this one myself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, I devoured the last one in mere hours and I’m pretty sure that the same thing will happen the next time I make it. It may seem a little cruel to include Malteasers in a Korean food blog but Whoppers are available here which are very similar, if not get your friends and family to get you some or order them online, they are amazing.

Ingredients

3 tubes of oreos

2 bags of malteasers

3 small Toblerones (100g)

300g of cream cheese

200ml of whipping cream

2 tabelspoons of peanut butter

1/2 a stick of butter (60g)

1 tabelspoon of vanilla extract

100g of icing sugar (sugar powder)

Directions

Crush the Oreo’s into fine crumbs. I used a blender as it’s mush quicker as they are all in separate packets. Melt the butter in a saucepan then mix in the Oreo crumbs. When combined pack into your tin. Soften your cream cheese in a bowl then mix in the peanut butter. Grate the Toblerones into this mixture, and crush 1 bag of the Malteasers and mix it in too. In a separate bowl whip the cream until its thick. Add one tablespoon of vanilla extract and the sugar powder and stir until it has dissolved into the cream. Add the cream cheese peanut chocolate mixture to the bowl of cream, and make sure everything is mixed together. When ready, spoon the mixture on top of the Oreo base. Flatten the top with the back of a spoon. Take your second bag of Malteasers and push them into the top of the cheesecake so only half of each one is showing. Put in the fridge and leave to set for at least 4 hours.Voilà the devilishly decadent cheesecake of your dreams.

14
Jun
2013

Pearl Couscous Salad

categories: Recipes

In keeping with my new plan to bring you a few healthier recipes, here’s one I whipped up the other night. We have regular couscous quite frequently for lunch or dinner in our house but I fancied a change. Whilst browsing on iHerb I came across this pearl couscous. It’s very similar but much bigger and has a slightly different texture. It’s quick and easy to make and the perfect side dish to take to all those barbecues you will be invited to this summer. If you are unfamiliar with iHerb then I urge you to check it out, they have all manner or grains, herbs, spices, etc which can be delivered straight to your home. You can also use my code MRV792 for $10 off your first purchase.

Ingredients

1 cup of pearl couscous

1 1/4 cup of water

1/2 a courgette

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 aubergine

8 cherry tomatoes

1/2 a red onion

5 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of mixed herbs

A few fresh basil leaves (optional)

Directions

Chop your vegetables into small pieces, then put them in an oven pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with mixed herbs. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius. After 10 minutes check if they are done, if not give them a good mix and put them back in for another 5-10 minutes. To make the couscous bring your cup and quarter of water to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the cup of couscous to the pan, turn down the heat and put on a lid. Cook until all the water has evaporated and the couscous is soft. Stir in the roasted veg and serve. Top with fresh basil if you have some. You can eat this warm or cold, as a side, or on its own. Voilà pearl couscous salad.

13
Jun
2013

Chicken Alfredo

categories: Recipes

Every now and then you just have one of those days, that nothing but a calorie ridden bowl of pasta can make you forget. Sometimes only butter, cream, and copious amounts of cheese can cure you of your woes. Enter the chicken alfredo, just perfect for such an occasion. I don’t think my recipe is particularly authentic but this is how I always make it and it always hits the spot. It’s comfort food at its finest, quick and easy to make, and extremely satisfying.

Ingredients

200g of dried pasta

1 chicken breast

1/2 an onion

3-6 cloves of garlic

5-6 mushrooms

200ml of cream

100ml of milk

1 -2 glugs of white wine

1 chicken stock cube

1 knob of butter

1 glug of olive oil

1 teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley

Freshly grated parmesan (as much as it takes for you to feel good again)

Directions

Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in the olive oil for a few minutes until they have softened and become translucent. Chop the chicken breast into pieces and add to to the pan and fry until it has cooked. While the chicken is cooking put your pasta on to boil. When the chicken is done remove everything from the frying pan and put it in a bowl to the side. Drop your knob of butter into the pan and add the mushrooms, cook for a few minutes until they are done, then add the cream, milk, and wine and bring to the boil and reduce the heat so it’s simmering. Crumble in the stock cube and stir until its dissolved and the wine has cooked off. Drain your pasta once it is done. Then add the chicken and onion back into the pan with the sauce and mix together. Pour the chicken and sauce on top of your drained pasta and make sure it is evenly coated. Sprinkle with your chopped parley and grated parmesan. Serve in a bowl and top with more parmesan. Pour yourself a glass of that wine and say ahhhhhhh. Voilà my everything will be okay chicken alfredo.

12
Jun
2013

Sognare

categories: Restaurant Reviews

A lovely day off last week afforded me to do some of my favourite things, shopping, eating, and drinking in the sun. Whilst indulging in some shopping in Sinsa, we got rather peckish. We spotted this cute little restaurant which looked ideal for a leisurely lunch.

The menu is Italian, consisting of salads, pastas, pizzas, risotto’s and several main dishes. The decor is cute and chic. With the doors opening right out on the street, a conservatory and a small patio outside it’s the perfect lunch spot for a sunny afternoon. There are also several imported bottled beers on the menu, but at 10,000 a pop it’s not the place to get drunk. They did have a pitcher of sangria which I would have liked to have tried, if my financial situation had been better.

After a browse of the menu, we decided upon a Ceasar salad (16,000), as a nod to healthy living. Although there was lettuce, parmesan shavings and chicken, they were missing a few of the key ingredients. There were no croutons or bacon. However, that didn’t really bother me so much, but if you were hankering after a traditional Ceasar salad you might be disappointed. The chicken was warm and marinated well and full of flavour. I did enjoy this salad but it was a little small for two to share.

Since we had been so healthy by ordering a salad, I thought we deserved a treat. So we got a pizza as a reward. They have quite the variety but we settled upon the margarita (15,000). The base was thin and crispy, just the way I like it. It had lots of cheese and pieces of fresh tomato. It certainly hit the spot. I only wish there had been more fresh basil and a little less olive oil on top.

Overall I think its a great spot for lunch if you are in the area. I wouldn’t travel miles to come, but the food is good and a reasonable price given the area. Sognare is located at 546-8, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa station (line 3). Come out of exit 8 and walk straight until you get to Tous Le Jours and make a left. Keep walking straight along that road until you reach the Diesel store, Sognare is opposite on the right. You can call them on 02-514-3398 for more information.

June 2013 archive