I am all about garlic, and mushrooms for that matter, and this is one of those random dishes that I really miss from home. A lovely mushroom, coated in garlic butter, breaded and deep fried. Oh my they are perfection, dipped in some garlic mayo or sweet chili sauce what could be finer? I had pretty much forgotten all about my love of deep fried mushrooms until I decided to try them out myself. They were actually super easy to make, and the taste was undeniably amazing. I think mine were far superior to any I have had before, did I get lucky or am I just brilliant? Who could say for sure, either way I nailed it. The best part was that The Fat Boyfriend doesn’t even like mushrooms, so he had one and very generously let me eat the rest. It was the best day ever!

Ingredients

10 – 12 Mushrooms (but feel free to double up, you wont be sorry)

1 stick of butter

5 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley

A pinch of salt and pepper

1 egg beaten

3 tablespoons of flour

8 tablespoons of panko crumbs (or bread crumbs)

1 teaspoon of paprika

500ml of soy bean oil (enough to cover your pan, at least an inch deep)

Directions 

1. To make the garlic butter, melt the butter in a saucepan and crush or grate the garlic into it. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper, and let it cook for a minute before removing from the heat. Add the mushrooms to the melted butter and give it a good stir to make sure they are coated. Let the mushrooms sit in and soak up the butter while you do the next step. Take a plate or tray and put a piece of grease proof paper on it. Then put the mushrooms on the paper and put them in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. The butter will freeze and keep them coated.

2. When the mushrooms have set, sprinkle on the flour and toss them in it a little and then pop them back in the freezer while you prepare the egg and bread crumbs. Put the beaten egg in one bowl and the breadcrumbs and paprika in another. I usually make a nice breadcrumb mix using panko crumbs, nutritional yeast, some oats, and some quinoa. I feel it gives a nice range of textures but just plain panko crumbs is fine too.

3. Put the soy bean oil in a wok or large pan and heat it to about 180 degrees (if you don’t have a thermometer this is about medium on a gas range). Dip the mushrooms into the egg, making sure they are completely coated. Then gently toss them in the bread crumbs. I usually find it’s easier to coat them all first and set them on a tray before frying so you aren’t trying to do three things at once. Fry them in small batches for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown. Then remove and drain on a piece of kitchen roll before serving with your favourite dip. Voilà breaded mushrooms.

Last week we ventured to Everest in honour of my lovely friend Sophie’s birthday. Everest is a real stalwart of the curry community and has been an ex-pat favourite for years. I have visited on various occasions but have now only just gotten around to writing a post for it. Although well known, as being the best Indian in Seoul, there are still plenty of you who have never heard of this gem hidden in a small alley in Dongdaemun. The menu has more or less everything you would expect and more, curries of chicken, mutton, and paneer. Appetisers such as samosa, pakoras, rice,  noodles, and sides dishes galore. There were quite a few of us at the table, but here is what I tried.

I’ve never been able to turn down a samosa or 4 so I was especially glad when I remembered they were on the menu here. At a mere 3,000 for two you could easily get half a dozen orders of them. The samosa skin it’self is quite thick, more like pastry than the thin springroll wrappers that are usually used. But it is no less delicious for it. A nice filling awaits inside and two spicy dips on the side. I only wish I had ordered more.

I was feeling in a chicken mood so ordered up a chicken tikka (7,000). Chunks of marinated chicken breast char-grilled in a tandoori oven. The tikka at Everest has such a wonderful flavour, with a squeeze of lemon it’s the perfect balance of flavours.

You know I can never get enough lamb, so I also had a mutton curry (8,000). Which was wonderfully flavourful without being too spicy. But they do have a vindaloo (10,000) which really packs a punch for those who like it hot, hot, hot. On this occasion it’s was almost too much for the Fat Boyfriend to finish all the sauce.

No curry is complete without naan bread and the garlic naan (2,500) here is to die for. The huge pieces of warm delicious chewy thin bread just perfect for digging into a curry. One is more than enough but it wont stop you wanting more.

I also ordered up a batch of raita (5,000). This refreshing yogurt dip is perfect for dipping all those extra samosas and naan breads into. As well as cooling down a spicy curry. It also comes served in a bucket which I think is pretty bad-ass. Not enough foods come in a bucket for my liking.

I also have to mention  the Nepali chicken set which the birthday girl ordered. A chicken curry, rice, daal, potatoes, naan bread and vegetables. This is the perfect thing for those unfamiliar with Indian food to order as you can try a bit of everything for a mere 10,000. You can still afford to order extras if you want them too.

A mango lassi (3,000) was just the ticket to wash down a curry for those still suffering from weekend hangovers (so not me.) They also have draft and bottled beer for those who know how to take a drink.

Everest is located at  148-1 Changsin-dong, Jongro -gu, Seoul, 110-540 (서울 종로구 창신동 148-1). To get there take a train to Dongdaemun station (Line 1&4) Walk straight out of exit 3 and take the first left next to the pharmacy. Walk straight and take the first right, you should see the sign for Everest in front of you. For more information including a copy of their menu you can check out their website or call them on 02-766-8850.

I whipped up this amazing dish last week for dinner. I’m a huge fan of caprese salad, but now the nights are growing chilly, a salad doesn’t exactly cut it for dinner. I’m very keen to use up my basil plants before the cold kills them off in the next few weeks. I also wanted to use the rigatoni I had bought in Bali and was saving for something special. It was the perfect comforting meal for a chilly autumn night.

Ingredients

250g of Pasta (I used rigatoni but you could use penne)

100g of fresh mozzarella

100g of grated cheddar & mozzarella mix

50g of grated parmesan

10 cherry tomatoes

10-12 basil leaves

Sauce

300g of tomatoes or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 red onion

5 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

100ml cream (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic bread 

1 french baguette

4 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of pesto

Grated fresh Parmesan

Directions 

To make the sauce blend the tomatoes, onion, and garlic until it’s a smooth paste. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, herbs, and salt & pepper, and boil for about 10 minutes. While the sauce is boiling, cook the pasta until it’s soft on the outside but still a little hard in the middle then drain. When the tomato sauce is done stir in the cream if using. Put the pasta in a dish and pour over the sauce. Top with the remaining cherry tomatoes, scatter over the cheese and torn basil leaves, and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

To make the pesto garlic bread, crush the garlic and mix together with the butter and pesto until it is a nice soft paste. Spread generously on the french bread and top with grated parmesan. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the butter and cheese have melted and they are golden brown.

Serve the pasta caprese with the garlic pesto bread and a glass of wine. Warning: your home may be filled with a delicious smell for long after the pasta is gone which may cause you to repeat all previous cooking instructions!

Ah hummus, there is nothing like a big tub with pita bread or chips while watching a movie. Sadly too many people in Korea, are living a life without hummus. I can’t bear to think about the suffering that some of you have to bear, constantly longing for this delicious yet healthy dip. For those living in and around Itaewon, finding hummus is no problem at all. You can even buy my hummus if you are lucky enough to live in Hae Bang Chon. But what about everyone else? You can make your own of course, check out my recipes here or here. But for some, all that soaking and blending is just too much hard work. You shouldn’t  be deprived  of all that chickpea goodness just because your lazy. Don’t worry salvation is here in the form of Hummus In Korea.

Hummus in Korea, delivers hummus directly to your door. Luckily for us delivery companies are setting up all the time, bringing us more and more of the foods  that we miss from home. So now you can have your hummus delivered, and eat it too. So it was about time I got to try some of this fabulous hummus. Coming in 6 delicious flavours (garlic, red pepper, olive, egg plant, jalapeno and spicy),  there is something for everyone. Prices vary between 5,550 – 7,000. You can buy packs of 4 (24,000) to save money or just choose your favourites.

I’m not going to lie, I tried five. After all, fat girls don’t get fat by just choosing one flavour. They were all good, but here are my favourite 3.

My top spot is a close call but I would have to give it to the roasted red pepper. A glorious orange colour and delicious taste of roasted red peppers throughout. Couldn’t get enough of this one. It was just as tasty as I hoped it would be.

Second place was surprisingly jalapeno heaven. It was the one I was least looking forward to, and thought I could just palm it off on my boyfriend. However after one fingerful, I knew he wouldn’t be getting any. It had the essence and flavour of jalapeno without being too hot or spicy. It was perfectly mild and delicious. In fact I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one since and will have to try having a go at making my own. Be sure to add this one to your order.

My third favourite was probably the crazy for garlic. The regular hummus we all know and love with extra garlic. It was well balanced and the garlic was not at all over bearing, like some can be.

To make things even better for you, hummus in Korea sell pita bread too. Sold in packs of 1 for 1,500 or 3 for 4,000 don’t forget to add a few to your order.

Fat girl I hear you cry, how can we get our hands on this wondrous hummus? Well here’s how. Click here to get to the website, fill out the form and click place order. Do a simple bank transfer to pay and sit back and relax while you wait for your delicious delivery. Delivery costs 4,500 and they deliver  Tuesday- Friday and it generally takes between 24-48 hours. Pretty cool right. Visit the website for more details and to place orders.

This recipe is amazeballs. It’s so clever and just perfect for our tiny Korean kitchens. Even the lowest level cooks can whip this one up. Sadly I did not come up with this wondrous recipe, damn you Martha Stewart and all your good ideas. However, I still had to give it a try. The results were so good I had to share it. It’s amazing how everything comes together just perfectly. Is it the best pasta dish you are ever going to have? No. But is it quick, easy, and delicious? Yes. This one will will be my go to dinner list for when I am in a rush.

Ingredients

300g of Linguine (I haven’t tried any other kinds of pasta yet, but it should be fine)

300g of cherry tomatoes

1 onion

6 cloves of garlic

5-6 basil leaves

1 teaspoon of chili flakes

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

A large pinch of salt and pepper

A glug of olive oil

4  cups of water

Directions

Finely slice your garlic and onions and chop the cheery tomatoes into halves or quarters. Put the pasta into the pot along with the sliced onion, garlic, tomatoes, basil leaves, chili flakes, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Then add the water.

Bring to the boil on a high heat and cook for about 10, stirring regularly. Cook until the pasta is al dente, or done to your liking and most of the water has evaporated. Add a little extra olive oil and some grated parmesan to serve. Voilà, easy peasy one pot pasta.

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.

The beautiful vibrant pink of this gorgeous risotto just makes my heart want to sing. It’s the perfect way to make an ordinary dish a little different and have a totally different taste. Years ago I worked as a humble waitress at a rather fancy restaurant back home and this dish was always featured on their summer menu. After I discovered some beetroot in my local supermarket I thought it was about time I recreated that lovely dish. The beetroot gives it such a deep robust flavour without taking away from its overall riosottoiness. You may also be unaware that Korean rice is very suitable for using in a risotto as it’s a short grain. I actually discovered this way back in my first year when I looked at it and said that it looked exactly the same as the Italian Arborio rice. A little research indicated that they were both short grain rices and I decided to give it a whirl. It works perfectly so no need to scour the foreign food mart looking for risotto rice the next time you are in the mood for one.

Ingredients

200g of Korean Rice

1-2 liters of stock (chicken or vegetable)

2 beetroot

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

25g of butter

100g of Freshly shaved parmesan

1 glass of white wine

1 tablespoon  of sour cream (optional)

A small handful of baby spinach (optional)

3-4 walnuts (optional)

Directions

Boil the beetroot in water for about 10 minutes to soften them. Then remove the skins, roughly chop and place in the blender. Heat the stock in a pan so that its gently simmering. Add about a cup to the beetroot and blend until they make a beautiful puree, then set aside. Finely chop the onions and garlic then fry for a few minutes in a little olive oil and butter until softened. Then add the rice and cook for a further few minutes until the rice is translucent. Add the glass of wine and stir occasionally until the liquid has evaporated. Then add 1 ladle-full of stock. When the stock has been absorbed add another ladle-full. You will need to do this for about 15-20 minutes adding one ladle-full at a time and letting it absorb before adding the next. Don’t rush it by adding too much stock. When the rice had become soft or aldente you are almost there. Stir in the beetroot puree then add the butter and half the parmesan and stir. Serve in a bowl and top with the baby spinach, sour cream, walnuts (if using), and top with more Parmesan. Voilà the perfect summertime risotto.

When it rains it pours, and these past few weeks it’s been raining falafels. First Zayd started selling them over at Med food in Korea. Then I had some over at El Grecos. Then finally I made some myself and they are so good that I just can’t stop. I have been making them by the truckload lately and having them in all manner of salads and wraps. I also took a batch a down to the vegan potluck and the whole plate had disappeared within minutes. They are actually surprisingly easy to make if you have a sturdy blender.

Ingredients

2 cans or 800g of soaked chick peas (this is the weight once they have been soaked in water)

1 onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 lemon (zest and juice)

A large handful of parsley

A large handful of coriander (cilantro or 고수 found in many korean supermarkets)

1 -2 tablespoons of cumin

2 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2-3 tablespoons of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Oil for frying (I use soybean because it’s cheap)

Directions

If using dried chickpeas, soak them in lots of  cold water overnight. Drain the chickpeas and blend until they resemble cous cous or bread crumbs in consistency. Next you need to blend the parsley, garlic, and onion. I did this in the blender too until it made a green onion smoothie. Mix together with the chickpeas, then add the salt, pepper, and spices. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and mix.  Stir in the flour and baking soda then cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge for about an hour. When the mixture has had time to rest remove from the fridge and form into ping-pong sized balls. Heat your oil to a medium heat then fry the falafel, they should take about 3 minutes on each side. If the oil is too hot they will not be cooked on the inside. Once they are done let them drain on a piece of kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Enjoy fresh from the pan with lots of hummus and flatbread. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Voilà fabulous falafels.

I’m rather partial to goat’s cheese. The creamy taste, the velvety texture and the gooey inside. Sadly in Korea its not all that easy to come by. In fact I don’t think I have bought any since I have been here. Luckily I visited Hong Kong last week and picked some up. I pondered what to make and decided I would use up the pastry I had sitting in the freezer and would make some tarts. You just cant beat a goats cheese tart. The pastry and cheese are such a winning combination. I always choose this if it’s on a menu.

Ingredients

1/2 a round of goats cheese (about 100g, I think they sell in it in Shinsegae department store)

8 squares of puff pastry. ( I found mine at the foreign food mart in Itaewon in the freezer section)

250g of spinach

4 rashers of bacon(optional)

150ml of tomato sauce (I always keep a jar of homemade in the fridge.)

Fresh parmesan

1 beaten egg

2 tablespoon of onion jam (you can find mine at the Pinoy mart)

A knob of butter

Directions

If using the bacon cook on high in an oven until its very crispy, I had some to use up, which is why I added it, but I think it worked rather well. Finely chop the spinach and then wilt in  a pan in a knob of butter. Once the spinach has wilted take the pan off the heat and crumble in the goats cheese and bacon. Grate in some fresh parmesan and stir well. Add in in a couple of tablespoons of onion jam and tomato sauce (homemade or store  bought).

To make my tomato sauce finely chop an onion and about 5 cloves of garlic. Fry off in a little olive oil until softened. Throw the onions into a blender along with 5-6 tomatoes or a can of tomatoes. If tomatoes are cheap I use fresh, in the winter its usually canned. Add a tablespoon of mixed herbs and blend. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook for about 10 minutes. I usually add a tablespoon of tomato ketchup at this point too, to sweeten it up. I also add glug or two of red wine if I have some open. I change the sauce slightly depending on what I’m making but this is a basic I would use for lots of things.

Take the pastry square and make 4 slices down the middle of two of the pieces being careful not to cut through to the end. Put a few tablespoons of the goats cheese spinach mixture into the piddle of the uncut pastry square leaving a the edges free. Brush the edges with the beaten egg then place the scored piece on top. Press down the edges to make sure it’s joined together. Then brush the beaten egg over the top. Bake in an oven at about 180 degrees celcius for about 15- 20 minutes or until the pastry has cooked through. Be careful to check the bottom layer as its easy to have this under cooked.  If you notice mine on the picture it is a little underdone and I had to put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes. If the tops are getting too brown cover the tarts with foil. Enjoy on their own or with a side salad. Voilà easy goats cheese tarts, a food I never though I would enjoy in Korea.

I love a good a good stew on a Winter’s eve. There’s nothing better than a hearty chicken and vegetable stew filled with dumplings. This is also a great recipe to use up any leftover chicken or turkey you have lying around. Forget the sandwiches and sort yourself out a great big stew. I’m a big fan of dumplings, especially if they come swimming in gravy. At first I thought you couldn’t make dumplings without suet so I got a box sent from home. However I since tried the same recipe with ice cold grated butter and they worked just as well.  This is going to be one of my favourite dinners for quite some time to come as it’s so cheap,easy and tasty.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut up into 4-6 pieces

1 large onion

1 large carrot

5 cloves of garlic

4 potatoes

1 courgette

1 bay leaf

1.5-2 litres of chicken stock

1 tablespoon of mixed herbs

7-8 mushrooms

A glass or 2 of wine (optional)

Dumplings

200g of all purpose flour

100g of butter (ice cold)

5-7  tablespoons of ice cold water

1 teaspoon of mixed herbs

1 teaspoon of sage

A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

Cut your chicken into 4- 6 pieces then coat in seasoned flour and fry in a little oil  for a few minutes until it has browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and throw in the chopped onion and garlic. Fry for about 5 minutes or until translucent then add the chopped carrot to the pan and cook for a further two minutes. Put the chicken, carrots, onions, and garlic into a large saucepan then top with the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Meanwhile chop the potatoes into chunks then add them to pot once the stock is simmering. Add a bay leaf and a tablespoon of mixed herbs and a little pepper. Throw in a glass of wine if you have some lying around, red or white is fine. Leave to cook on a low simmer with a lid on top for about 2 hours. Make sure the chicken is covered in the stock. After about an hour you can add the chopped courgette and mushrooms.

To make the dumplings mix the herbs, salt, pepper, and flour together and then grate the butter into the flour. Gently mix it together. Add the cold water a spoon at a time and very softly bring it together in to a loose dough. Do not work it into a ball, keep it loose then break off lumps and roll them gently to form balls. Add them to the top of the  stew, then cook for another 20 minutes. The gravy may be a bit watery so mix two or three tablespoons of cornflour or flour in a bowl with about a cup of the stock. Mix it thoroughly before adding it back into the pot to let it thicken. Serve by itself or with extra green vegetables.  Voilà a Winter warming stew.