Tangy Korean Tacos

I occasionally watch Studio 5 - a local TV show. It has a cooking segment that often gets my attention. Someone demonstrated these Korean Tacos and I had to try them. It was Greg's Birthday on Sunday--perfect time to try a new food! I had some of my kids home so the timing was great.  Now, I am no stranger to Korean food. My brother spent a two year mission for our church (the Mormons) there. He often cooks Korean Feasts and invites us to share. Korean is delicious. Give it a try!

Tangy Korean Tacos

Korean Salsa
1 pint cherry tomatoes (very plentiful right now)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Turn your broiler on, with the rack in the upper third. On a foil lined baking sheet toss the tomatoes and  onions with the olive oil. Broil for 15 minutes, stirring half way thru until the onions are soft and the tomatoes have collapsed and are browned. Watch closely. You don't want to burn things and start over (how do I know?) Place the cooked onions and tomatoes in a tall sided container. Add the gochujang, garlic and fish sauce. Using an immersion blender--blend till smooth. Salt to taste.

Korean BBQ Sauce
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup gochujang
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic--pressed
Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, lower temperature and simmer for 5 minutes.

Korean Cabbage Slaw
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3-4 cups of finely shredded Napa  Cabbage
2 finely diced scallions
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
In a large bowl whisk the oil, lime juice and fish sauce Add the rest of the slaw ingredients and toss. Allow to sit at least 20 minutes or as long as 6 hours before serving.

Now what do we do with all this?? To make tacos grill chicken breasts or tenders--baste with part of the Korean BBQ Sauce. I used thawed tenders--about 12-14 on a cookie sheet. I broiled them about 4 minutes on each side basting often. I then put them on a cutting board and sliced them. Meat is ready.
Warm or grill corn tortillas, we like the little ones--look for a fresh package (they bend easily). Put some meat on your warmed tortilla, add some slaw and a decent amount of Korean Salsa. Enjoy!! And do it again and again. You might also want to add a little more of the Korean BBQ Sauce. All of the flavors work so well together. It really is one of the best meals we have had in ages!   Printable Recipe 

 FYI, you can use Rotisserie Chicken and just add the BBQ Sauce to it--I have done both. I personally prefer cooking and basting the tenders. But the Rotisserie Chicken gets dinner on the table quicker! The sauces can be made days ahead; the slaw the day of. So it really can be a quick meal.
Don't be afraid of fish sauce--it is stinky no doubt but it gives a wonderful flavor that adds to the deliciousness of this dish. The gochujang (Korean Red Pepper Paste) was purchased at a Korean market. Walmart has a Korean BBQ Sauce that may be close but it has other ingredients not found in the gochugang from the Korean Market. Read labels the Korean Market gochujang has Glutinous Rice, Hot Pepper Powder, Soy Beans, corn syrup, salt and water. That is what you are looking for! I found some on Amazon--it's pricy about triple what you would pay at the Korean Market. So look for a Korean market!

I also think this would make a great salad. Put the slaw on your plate, top with BBQ sauced chicken. Add salsa to taste--yummy!

Martha's White Choclate, Cranberry Cookies

I have both the Martha Stewart Cookie and Cupcake Cookbooks. They consistently contain winning recipes. I am happy to say I made another delicious recipe. White Chocolate Chunk Cookies was the original recipe. My sweet little neighbor chose the recipe. All went well until we read 'golden raisins'. I don't do raisins and my little friend didn't want raisins so we eliminated them. I tried to talk her into using dried cranberries--she was not happy with that addition either. So we made cookies minus dried fruit--delicious. I sent her home with a plate of cookies and then added some dried cranberries to the remaining dough--perfect. So any way you make these cookies they will be delicious. Even with golden raisins!

Martha's White Chocolate, Cranberry Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups (8 ounces) good quality White Chocolate Chunks--I used a Ghirardelli White Baking Bar, chopped
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries (if desired)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Beat butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating for a minute after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter. Keep on low speed. Stir in the oats, coconut, white chocolate, dried fruit and walnuts.
Using a medium scoop drop on parchment covered stone. Bake at 350 for about 12-14 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Printable Recipe

Enjoy these delicious chunky cookies. I love that they have all the good things in them--chocolate, nuts, oatmeal, coconut, dried fruit----yummy!

Butter Chicken

I have never really eaten Indian Food--like at a restaurant. It is on the eating out bucket list. But...we have come up with a few Butter Chicken recipes--I'm sure they are not authentic but I do know they are delicious.
If I want a very quick version I make Skillet Chicken Tikka Masala. It is delicious and makes up in 30 minutes all in one skillet.. It is a family favorite, try it soon.
Next we tried several more involved recipes--they were excellent but a little more work than we care to take. We do love to cook--but not all day.
The last recipe Candise gave me was one that she had played with and made it to her liking. The chicken is melt in your mouth delicious and the sauce is perfect served over rice with Nann .

Indian Butter Chicken
 2 lbs chicken tenders--I cut each tender in 4-6 pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne

2 tsp. garam masala

1 whole lime, juiced

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 whole onion, diced

4 tablespoons butter

1 can 14oz tomato sauce

1 can petite diced tomatoes 14oz

1 cup whipping cream

1 bunch cilantro- chopped

basmati rice

Combine first eight ingredients and marinate overnight, or for the afternoon!

Saute onion in butter until soft, add marinated chicken and brown on both sides. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, cook for 30 minutes over medium low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream and cilantro just before serving over basmati rice

Printable Recipe.

Serve this yummy dish over basmati rice. A fruit plate is a great addition to this meal as is Naan. If you are energetic you can make your own naan--it is delicious. But I purchase it at the market and it is good too. So do what you please but do serve Naan.

I also made a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe--it was good too. So many choices--just try one!

1 Year Ago--------Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
2 Yeara Ago-------Raspberry or Blueberry Squares
3 Years Ago-------Smokey Potatoes
4 Years Ago-------Broccoli Salad

Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Brown Butter is so trendy right now--and it should be. Most anything made with browned butter is delicious. But it is certainly not a new flavor. 50 years ago my Mother made a delicious butterscotch cookie with a browned butter frosting. Mom didn't make them often because they were a lot of work. My Dad loved them so she made them for him--often hiding them in the back of the freezer. The point being brown butter has really been around for awhile. I will get Moms recipe and blog about them someday.
Today we have a simple oatmeal cookie turned epic. Yes I think brown butter glaze raises these cookies to the epic status! Enjoy this yummy recipe.

Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cups baby oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently just until incorporated.  Drop dough using a 1 Tablespoon scoop and bake for 8-9 minutes at 350.  The cookies do not brown very much and they will look slightly underdone.  Cool.  Top with browned butter glaze.

I made this recipe in my food processor—it is so quick. Combine butter, sugars, egg and vanilla in bowl. Process with metal blade for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients in bowl. Pulse 10 times. It will still look under mixed—this is fine, just use a spatula and stir together. It is that easy and it works! This is my favorite way to make a small batch of cookies.

Browned Butter Glaze
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned.  There will be brown bits in the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. Be careful—don’t multi task while doing this. Butter goes from brown to black in seconds! (I really know). Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Mix in the remaining ingredients adding milk until desired consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cookies. I put frosting in a Ziploc baggie, cut off the corner and drizzle. I like plenty of frosting/glaze so I make wide drizzles-or plenty of skinny drizzles. Use your creative license!

Makes about 2 ½ dozen small cookies

Printable Recipe 

Look at my cute helper--my grandchildren live states away so my darling next door neighbor is happy to fill in. She likes making (and eating) cookies as much as I do!
This recipe was inspired by Jenn's recipe on Eat Cake For Dinner--one of my favorite blogs.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Mini Muffins

Tis the Season--for Zucchini! Now this is probably the best way to eat zucchini ( and maybe breaded and fried)! These mini muffins pack a lot of flavor, cocoa and mini chocolate chips combine with zucchini, of course, for one delicious bite. This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour--one of my favorite recipe sites and online baking shops. The original recipe makes a loaf of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, but I really don't have the patience to wait 70 minutes for a loaf of bread to bake. Mini muffins cook in about 12-15 minutes and are much easier to share--trust me.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 2/3 cup flour
2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed
1 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs, honey, oil , sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and flour. Mix until just combined.
Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.
Now you have a choice!
Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 inch loaf pan or muffin cups or mini muffin tin.
Bake at 350 till a pick comes out clean. Loaf will take about 65-75 minutes, muffins about 22-25 minutes and mini muffins about 12-14 minutes. Don't over bake. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes and remove. Enjoy! It really says to cool completely before slicing--but I can never wait!
Now I love to frost, drizzle and glaze but these stand on their own, I promise! 
Printable Recipe

1 Year Ago------Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread
2 Years Ago-----Summer Fruit Galette
3 Years Ago-----Skillet Chicken Tikka Masala
4 Years Ago-----Pasta Chicken Cashew Salad
 

Quick Caramel Sauce

Want a caramel apple quick? Sometime I do and this is the perfect recipe for a quick caramel sauce. Delicious as a dip for apples, pears or any kind of fruit. Also a yummy topping on ice cream. Or just eat it by the spoonful--any way it is delicious.
I always have the ingredients to whip up a quick batch and who doesn't have a few apples hanging out in their fridge. It is perfect. I don't know where the recipe came from, I have been making it for years and can't believe it has taken me almost 500 posts to get it on my blog!
Enjoy--now!

Quick Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light Karo
1/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
Combine in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Caramel will thicken as it cools. 
Printable Recipe

Ghirardelli Clasic Brown Sugar Brownie

I will often make the recipe off the back of a product. They want you to have a successful experience and continue to purchase their product. So it really is in their best interest interest to have a delicious recipe. I needed a brownie, now I only have about 50 brownie recipes on my blog  but I saw this recipe and was intrigued--it was made with all brown sugar. I had to make it. You will find the recipe on the back of their Semi-sweet Ghirardelli wrapper it goes something like this:

Classic Brown Sugar Brownie
4 ounces Semi Sweet Ghirardelli baking bar (chopped)
1 cup brown sugar (7 ounces)
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter--cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup Ghirardelli semi sweet chips
Mix 4 ounces chopped chocolate and butter pieces in a heavy saucepan. Heat on low til butter and chocolate are melted. Stir till smooth and cool to room temperature. When cool add brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time stirring well after each. In a small bowl mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly add to chocolate mixture. Add chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired.
Pour in an 8 inch square pan that has been sprayed and lined with parchment paper and sprayed again.Smooth batter with an offset spatula. Bake at 350 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
Printable Recipe

This was one delicious brownie--I always have the ingredients to make this yummy dish.