You may be well aware by now that we are big lamb lovers in our house. We just can’t get enough of that sheepy goodness. However, lamb options in Korea are sadly rather limited. So when I discovered a bag of New Zealand leg of lamb shavings in the Foreign food mart, I just had to have it. I would more or less describe them as lamb sam gyub sal. It cost about 10,000 for 1kg. I decided to make some home-made lamb gyros and they went down a storm. Quick and easy to make, a great dinner on a hot summers eve.

Ingredients

Gyros

500g of frozen lamb shavings

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of coriander

A pinch of chili powder (or as much as you like)

4 tortillas

1/2 a red onion

1 tomato

1 small handful of lettuce

1/2 a cucumber

Tzatziki

250g of plain yogurt

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/4 of a cucumber

1 clove of garlic

12 mint leaves

A small pinch of salt.

Directions

To make the tzatziki put the yogurt in a bowl, add the lemon juice and salt, and stir. Finely chop the mint leaves and cucumber and add to the yoghurt. Crush the garlic and  stir into the tzatziki. Leave for about 20 minutes to marinate.

Wash your salad leaves and slice the tomato, onion, and cucumber and set aside. In a dry frying pan, fry the lamb shavings for a minute or two before adding the cumin, coriander and chili powder. Fry until the lamb has cooked through. Warm the tortillas by cooking on each side for one minute in the frying pan.  When everything is ready, assemble and devour. Voilà homemade lamb gyros.

Seoul is experiencing a major heat wave at the moment. It’s almost hotter than the fiery depths of hell out on those streets. But don’t worry, salvation is here in the form of Kirin Ichiban beer garden! As well as offering up a shady spot for you to rest in whilst supping on a frosty cold beer they have gone one step further, frozen beer! Yes you read it correctly, frozen beer. A cool refreshing beer with a frozen head. It kinda looks like an ice cream but it actually works. The head stays intact while keeping your beer icy cold despite the 30 degree weather. A nice sweet spot nestled in amongst the shops of Sinsa its the perfect place to blow the froth off a few after hitting the shops. They also have a pretty cool deal on right now where you can get a beer, a burger, and fries all for 10,000.

Get there while you can, the Kirin beer garden will only be open until July 2nd!

The Kirin beer garden is located in Sinsa. 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, the beer garden is located on the left side, just after the Fossil Store.

Today is Gay Pride in Seoul, a chance to celebrate equality and freedom for all.  So in honour of all my wonderful gay friends I designed this fabulous drink. It’s perfect for  Summer-time drinking. Fresh and fruity just like me and exactly what you need on a hot Summer’s day. It goes down a treat. Not that I ever need much of an excuse to get a bit more cock(tail) in my mouth. But if you can’t do it on gay pride, when can you?

Ingredients

50ml Pear Absolut

2 tablespoons of mixed berries

1 tablespoon of simple syrup

crushed ice

100-200mls of soda water

A few mint leaves (optional)

A wedge of Lemon (optional)

Directions

In a tall glass muddle together the vodka, berries, and simple syrup. Fill the glass with crushed ice and then top up with soda water. Garnish with a wedge of lemon and a sprig of mint. Voilà the pearberry vojito!

Since learning how to prepare tofu properly we have been eating it by the truckload. I just can’t get enough of that squishy white goodness. This recipe is adapted from one I tried while at the Seoul Vegan Potluck. It was first devised by  the lovely Claire Harrison,  Queen of the Vegans or The Quegan if you will. Sadly she is departing the peninsula but don’t despair tofu fans I am picking up the tofu torch and continuing her good work. The Seoul Vegan Potluck is still going strong, so if you want to see more vegan recipes, check out their website or facebook group for more details.

This is a bit of a doubled edged sword on the vegan front, while the tofu can be adapted to be completely vegan friendly the ranch dressing is less so. These babies are so good we had them three times in one week and when I had run out of tofu I made them with chicken instead. However my boyfriend and I both agreed the tofu version was far tastier.

Ingredients

Tofu Wings

2 blocks of tofu

100g flour

100g nutritional yeast (i-Herb)

2 tablespoons of Mexican or BBQ seasoning

A pinch of salt and pepper

300ml of milk (I used regular but you could change to soy)

4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce (In a pinch you could use bulgogi marinade)

Oil for frying  (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

Ranch Dip

100g of buttermilk powder (i-herb)

2 tablespoons of dried parsley

2 teaspoons of dried dill weed

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of onion powder

2 teaspoons of onion flakes

1 teaspoon of dried chives

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 tablespoons of sour cream

Directions

The tofu needs to be prepared in advance. Buy your blocks, pour away the water, and then put them on a plate and top with a board and put something heavy on top for a few hours. You may need to remove the water every hour or so. This helps remove the water from them. Once they have been sufficiently dehydrated wrap them in cling film and put them in the freezer. They need to freeze at least overnight but you can leave them in there as long as you like. Take it out the day you want to use it and let it defrost. You will notice that the tofu has now become much firmer and spongier. Squeeze out as much extra water as you can. Then cut it into chunks.

Mix the flour, nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of your seasoning and the salt and pepper together in a bowl and set aside.

To make your marinade, mix together the milk, barbecue sauce, and one tablespoon of your chosen seasoning. Then pop your tofu chunks into it to soak. Leave them for a minute or so then take out and shake off the excess. Then roll them in the flour and nutritional yeast mixture so they are completely coated.

Heat the oil in your frying pan and then cook the tofu chunks in batches, turning them so all of the sides are cooked and are golden brown. Repeat until they are all done.

To make the ranch dip. Measure out all your dry ingredients and mix together in a tub. This will make much more seasoning than you need so you can pull it out any time you need it.

Mix two tablespoons of the ranch spice mix with 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of sour cream, then mix thoroughly

Serve your delicious dips with your totally terrific tofu. Voilà the best vegan barbecue chicken wings you will ever have!

I am a bit of a chicken wing addict and I have been eating a bag a week lately. I found an awesome little supermarket near my house which sells 1kg bags for 10,000. They are so quick easy and cheap to make at home that I have been saving myself a whole lot of cash. Just make up your favorite marinade, chuck it on and bung them in the oven. They are a great snack to share with your friends or to eat by the plate-load by yourself.

Ingredients

Spicy Wings

500g of chicken wings or as many as you want

2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning

BBQ Wings

500g of chicken wings

5 tablespoons of BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon of  brown sugar

1 teaspoon of soy  sauce

Directions

Mix the marinade ingredients together for which ever variety you are making. Coat and toss the wings in the sauce. If you can bear to wait to eat them, then leave for up to an hour for the flavours to soak in. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown and the chicken is well cooked and piping hot in the middle. Voilà easy tasty wings.

Last week I made this cake in honor of my friend Sarah’s birthday. It is a coconut and mango cake  (aka the Princess Sarah) in tribute to a costume she once wore at a fancy dress themed birthday. I had been longing to make this for a while now. I made a coconut sponge and coconut cream cheese frosting and it’s filled with mango curd. It was nice change from my usually chocolate or coffee creations and will swiftly be added to my repertoire. I once again made the sponge in the rice cooker. I just find that they bake a lot more evenly than when I do them in the toaster oven as the heat is more evenly distributed.

Ingredients

Cake

2o0g of all purpose flour

200g of white sugar

200g of butter

3 eggs

4 tablespoons of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mango curd

200g of frozen mango (you can use fresh, but it’s very pricey in SK)

85g of butter

4 egg yolks

100g of white sugar

1 tablespoon of corn starch

200ml of orange juice (you could also use mango juice)

1 lemon (juice and zest)

Frosting 

200g of cream cheese

1 stick of butter

400g of sugar powder

3 tablespoons of coconut cream (the thick white stuff at the top of the can of coconut milk)

Directions

Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs. Stir in the coconut milk then mix well. In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder. Then fold into the coconut mixture. Take your rice cooker pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Then put the cake mixture inside. Press the cook setting and then continue to keep checking it every time it pops up. You may have to go though several cycles depending on the make and model of your rice cooker. However you will get there in the end so hang in there. You can tell when it’s done when the top is spongy to the touch. Remove the cake from the pan and leave to cool for a couple of hours.

To make the mango curd blend the mango and the juice until the mango is completely pureed. Put the pureed mango in a saucepan along with the sugar, cornflour,  lemon juice and zest and whisk together. Turn on to a medium heat. Continue stirring, until it starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue to stir until the butter has melted, then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When the mixture has completely combined, turn the heat back on to low and stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Allow to cool completely before using in the cake. You can store any remnants in an air tight container and keep in your fridge for weeks.

To make the frosting, let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature and mix together in a bowl. Stir in the sugar powder bit by bit  until none is left and you have a very thick butter-cream consistency. Add the thick coconut cream from the top of the can a spoonful at a time. Add as much as you need but don’t let the frosting get too runny, you can add more powder sugar if you need it.

To assemble the cake cut the sponge into two halves. Pipe a circle of frosting all the way around the edge then fill with the mango curd.

Top with the second half of sponge then add another layer of frosting on the top and sides so it is completely coated. You can decorate the cake however you wish. I made my pretty frosting flowers on the top and decorated the sides in desiccated coconut. Once you have finished decorating pop the cake back in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Voilà a fruity delight of a cake, perfect for any princess or birthday girl.

I have to admit that one of things that makes this fatgirl fat is portion control. Once I make something I have to keep eating it until it’s all gone. Whether that’s a burger, a bag of chips or an entire cake. Restraint is not one of my strong points. I often make up big batches, of stews, soups, curries, etc. But often they don’t last as long as they should. If they stretch for 2 days then I’m lucky.

I am completely and utterly obsessed with Pinterest at the moment. Looking at picture of delicious foods and DIY crafts has actually become an addiction. I love getting ideas from all the amazingly creative people who are out there. Its insane what some people are able to do when it comes to presentation, and its a skill I long to have. On one of my many scrolls I came  across a post for making burritos in large batches. I’m crazy about burritos but only have them once in a while as I usually end up eating them all the same night.

This time I made up a big batch and they are all now proudly sitting in my freezer just waiting to be eaten. This batch made 8, pretty much because that’s how many tortillas I happened to have. But you could double or even quadruple the recipe if your freezer is big enough. I usually buy the 40 packs of tortilla wraps at Costco but always end up using them for different things. Now my freezer is stacked and ready to go with chicken burritos the next time I’m too tired to make dinner. I also made them so they are on the healthy side. It only took about an hour to do everything so it saves time in the long run. If you are a fan of burritos but not of cooking you can always order some from Gringos burritos. Delivered straight to your door you wont even need to get up off the sofa.

Ingredients

8 tortillas

2 chicken breasts

2 red peppers

1 small bunch of spinach

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

300g of brown rice (1 cup)

2 cups of water

4 eggs

3 tablespoons of taco or burrito seasoning

200ml of salsa

1 bunch fresh coriander leaves

200g of grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Directions

Put the cup of rice in the rice cooker along with two cups of water and set to cook. Finely chop the onions and garlic and fry off in a little olive oil. Finely chop or shred the chicken and add to the pan along with the finely chopped red peppers. Cook until the chicken is no longer raw then add the burrito seasoning and fry for a few more minute making sure it is has cooked through. Chop the coriander and add it to the frying pan along with the salsa. Stir the mixture to make sure its fully combined and leave to cool.

Once your rice has cooked, break the eggs into a bowl and beat them together. Pour the eggs into the rice cooker and mix with the rice. Set it back on to cook for a minute or two until the eggs have cooked. Leave this mixture to cool slightly too. In a third bowl grate the cheese.

Take your tortilla and place a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture, topped with the rice and then sprinkle on a little cheese.

Roll the burrito and then tuck in the ends. I used a little sour cream on the end of the flap just to make it stick down. Repeat until all your mixture has been used. Roll the burritos in clingfilm and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer . To cook them just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes or remove the cling film and cook them in the oven. Voilà easy chicken burritos to grab and go.

I think most of you know I enjoy a cheeky morning drink on a weekend morning. There’s nothing like a good old breakfast cocktail to get your weekend started. I am obviously a big fan of the Bloody Mary and also the Vodoffee, my own invention. However sometimes I like something a bit fruity. We all know that its important to get our five portions of fruit and veg a day,  raging alcoholism is no excuse for bad nutrition! So I came up with this fruity delight. You may also drink it at any other time of the day.

Ingredients

50ml Absolut Grapevine (you may substitute with any other fruit infused vodka)

100ml pineapple juice.

frozen raspberries

frozen mango

Directions

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until all the fruit has been pulverized. Pour into a glass and serve. Voilà the perfect way to start your morning right. Warning not recommended on weekday mornings unless you are trying to get fired.

So, as Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching it’s time to start making those holiday recipes. For all you lazy ducks out there, they currently have cranberry jelly/ sauce in the Foreign Food Mart in Itaewon . So get your ass down there fast. This is the fist year I have ever seen it, although I have been making my own for the past three years. You can use dried or frozen cranberries. Frozen ones are sold at Homeplus, and Emart, and the dried Ocean Spray ones are at Costco, and the Foreign Food Mart.

The cranberry jelly is a lot like jam, and it lasts incredibly well. I usually make a batch for Thanksgiving, although I am not American, I am more than willing to celebrate any occasion that involves food. Then if there is plenty of  it left over I have it all ready for Christmas.

We were hoping to go to Ireland this year but we have to work on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, which made it a no-go for us. Before you feel too sorry for us though, we shall be jetting off to Hong Kong on the 27th to celebrate New Years Eve.  So, all of my friend that are not going anywhere for Christmas should count themselves very lucky that I shall be here to cook them a lovely Christmas dinner. I might even stretch to a turkey this year.

Ingredients

300g dried cranberries (you can also use the frozen ones from Homeplus)v

600ml of orange juice

1 orange (zest, and fruit)

8 tablespoons of sugar

1 glass of red wine (optional)

Directions 

Put the cranberries in a saucepan then add the orange juice , and sugar, and bring to the boil. Pu the orange zest, and orange segments into the saucepan. Pour in the wine, and continue to simmer on a low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Or until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened. When the sauce is done put into a container and leave to set in the fridge for a few hours. The jelly will keep in an airtight container for several months, if you don’t use it all. Voilà, home-made cranberry sauce. Happy Holidays!

So last week I actually achieved the impossible. I finally managed to find puff pastry in Korea. I am a huge fan of puff pastry but no matter how hard I looked, I have never been able to find it until now. I did have a go at making some rough puff pastry last year, but sadly it didn’t puff up in my oven and just burned a little on the top, it still tasted good, but didn’t really come out like I hoped.

So perusing the aisles at the foreign food mart, I came across a clear bag which what looked like squares of puff pastry in it. “Could it be?”, I wondered. I asked the man how much they were and he told me the small bag was 6,000. “I’ll take it!”, I exclaimed and ran home eager to try my delicious new treasure.

I have to say that they don’t puff up amazingly but you do get a rise out of them and I am happy to take this rather than have a go through all the rigmarole of making my own pastry every time I want some. If I was making my own large pie then I would make my own but for these little ones it works out pretty darn well.

Ingredients

500g lamb mince

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 carrot (grated)

2 tomatoes (finely chopped)

1/2 beef Oxo cube (stock cube)

5 drops of worcetershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon of mixed herbs

10 tablespoons of cheesy mashed potato (I wont insult you by writing how to make this)

8 puff pastry squares (defrosted)

Directions

Fry off the onion and garlic then add the mince. Fry until the lamb has browned then add the herbs, worcestershire sauce and the oxo cube and cook for another two minutes. Throw in  the carrot and tomatoes and stir on a low heat until the tomatoes form a sauce and the carrot has softened. Allow the mixture to cool.

Take one of your puff pastry squares and roll it out to make it a little bigger. In the middle of the square put a tablespoon of the mashed potato then a tablespoon of the mince.

Bring up the four corners to meet in the middle like a pyramid.

You can use a little egg wash if you have trouble making them stick. Stab a few holes in the pastry to help it rise, then egg wash the outside to help give it a little color. Bake in the oven for around 10 minutes or until the pastry has cooked and is lovely and golden brown. Voilá shepherds pie meets pasty.