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Bean Sprout & Cucumber Kimchi

Posted on August 16, 2013 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 6 comments

This is a very light and tasty side dish that can double as your salad. I love it served alongside my Kimchi Soup as well as with Korean Ssambap (lettuce wraps filled with rice, seasoned beef or pork and ssamjang).

Hmmmm….Ssambap….I think I’m going to make some of that for dinner, now that I’ve made myself drool thinking about it!

Give my recipe a try…I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Click on the photos below to open up a larger version of the photo.

Bean Sprout & Cucumber Kimchi

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A delicious and healthy spicy salad made with bean sprouts, cucumbers, and Korean seasonings

Ingredients

16 oz mung bean sprouts
2 English cucumbers
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup water
2 tablespoon Dashida Korean beef flavored seasoning
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon sesame oil
5 stalk green onions
1 tablespoon Korean ssamjang hot bean paste
1 tablespoon pepper flakes

Instructions

PREPARE THE CUCUMBERS

Cut the cucumbers in thirds or quarters, depending on how long it is. Cut each piece in half then remove any seeds.
Thinly slice the cucumbers then cut the slices into very thin strips.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the cucumber slices. Place the cucumbers in a strainer or colander, then place the colander over a bowl. Let the cucumbers sit for about 5 minutes, allowing the water in the cucumbers to drain into the bowl.
After the cucumbers have drained, squeeze out any excess water then place into a large mixing bowl.

PREPARE THE BEAN SPROUTS

Place the bean sprouts in a mixing bowl that is microwave-safe. Rinse the bean sprouts in cold water then drain.
Mix the remaining teaspoon of salt plus ½ cup water with the bean sprouts. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out any excess water from the bean sprouts.

MIX IT ALL TOGETHER

Add the bean sprouts to the bowl of cucumbers. Add the green onions and garlic to the bowl.
Add the sesame oil.
Add the Dashida and sugar. Stir to combine.
Mix in the Ssamjang and pepper flakes (omit this if you don't want it spicy).
Stir to combine. Cover the mixture then refrigerate about 15 minutes before serving; this will allow the flavors to combine.

SERVE & ENJOY

Serve alongside your favorite dish and ENJOY!

Posted in ETHNIC, Korean, SIDES, VEGETABLES

Grilled Eggplant with Coconut Milk

Posted on August 11, 2013 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 22 comments

I just love eggplants — stir fried with beef or chicken, sautéed with onions and scrambled with eggs, eggplant parmesan, and a favorite — grilled eggplant with coconut milk, lemon juice, green onions and hot pepper. DELICIOUS!

The Chamorro name for this dish is Padu’ Lalu’. It’s what my dad (in his 80’s) calls it, but since I don’t hear it called by this name anymore, I’m assuming it’s an antigu name. Nowadays, you hear this dish called Eggplant Fina’denne’, or it’s named by what it is–eggplant with coconut milk. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious. Add it to your fiesta table menu. 🙂

Grilled Eggplant with Coconut Milk (Padu’ Lalu’)

Ingredients:

6 eggplants (see note 1 below)
1 can coconut milk or cream
1 tablespoon lemon powder (see note 2 below)
1 teaspoon salt
Hot pepper, to taste
4 stalks green onions

Directions:

1. Prepare the eggplants for grilling by pricking them all over with a fork. This is so it won’t burst during the grilling process as the natural water in it heats up.

2. Grill the eggplants, turning them over frequently to ensure even cooking. Grill until the skins are dark brown, even black and the eggplant is soft to when you touch it.

3. Soak the grilled eggplant in a bowl of water to cool it down. Peel the skin off the eggplant. Place the whole eggplants in a shallow dish (my mom actually cuts the eggplant into small, bite-sized pieces).

4. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the coconut milk or cream, lemon powder, salt and hot pepper. Mix until the lemon powder and salt dissolve. Taste, then adjust the amount of lemon powder, salt and hot pepper to your liking. Pour the mixture over the eggplant. Sprinkle the green onions over the eggplant and coconut milk. Stir gently to combine. Serve and ENJOY!

Note 1: I like to use the long, skinny Japanese eggplants for this dish. Buy eggplants that are still firm and not too fat, with very little to no blemishes on the skin. You can use the large, oval eggplants common in grocery stores, only use 1 or 2 smaller ones. You’ll need to grill or broil these longer as they are thicker and will take longer for the middle to cook through.

Note 2: If you don’t have lemon powder (on Guam, a favorite is Yours Brand lemon powder), you can use unsweetened Kool-Aid lemonade mix.

Grilled Eggplant with Coconut Milk, served with BBQ ribs, White Rice and Fina’denne’

Posted in CHAMORRO DISHES, Chamorro Sides, SIDES, VEGETABLES tagged with Coconut Milk, Eggplant

Chicken Kelaguen & Flour Titiyas

Posted on July 29, 2013 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 89 comments

Kelaguen and Titiyas ~ both staples on a Chamorro fiesta table. But you don’t have to be invited to a fiesta in order to enjoy these tasty dishes — they are so easy to make that you can have it anytime you get the craving!

My two daughters (ages 11 and 15) prepared the dishes pictured in the photos below; if THEY can do it, so can you!

Give my super easy recipes a try. I think you’ll like them! 🙂

Annie’s Chicken Kelaguen

Ingredients:

1 small rotisserie chicken
6 stalks green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon powder plus 3 tablespoons water (or use the juice of 1 large lemon)
2 teaspoons salt (more or less, to taste)
Hot pepper, optional
Freshly grated coconut (unsweetened), optional

Directions:

1. Debone the chicken; shred or cut into small pieces (I used a food processor to roughly chop the chicken).

2. Thinly slice the green onions then add it to the chicken.

3. Add the lemon powder, water, salt and pepper to the bowl of chicken; mix to combine. Taste; adjust seasoning if required.

4. Stir in the grated coconut (optional).

5. Serve with my super easy sweet flour titiyas (see recipe below) and enjoy!

Annie’s Sweet Flour Titiyas

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut milk (see note below)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup cream of coconut (the sweet one, used for mixed drinks)
(see note below)

NOTE: If you don’t find or have any cream of coconut, just increase the coconut milk to 1 cup, and add 1/2 cup white granulated sugar. Follow the rest of the instructions below.

This is what the can of cream of coconut looks like. This is incredibly sweet so you do not need to add more sugar. Cream of Coconut is NOT the same as coconut cream (thick coconut milk).

Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the coconut milk, melted butter, and cream of coconut (start out with 1/4 cup; increase to a total of 1/2 cup, depending on how humid your day is–more humid means less liquid). Mix together until a dough forms; knead gently to form a smooth ball of dough.

2. Break off golf-ball sized pieces. Flour your rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll out the piece of dough into a flat disc (about 1/8-inch thick). Place the titiyas on a dry skillet; prick all over with a fork to prevent bubbling during the cooking process.

3. Pan-fry on a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the bottom begins to turn a golden brown; flip over and cook the other side until it turns a nice golden brown. For thicker titiyas, cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes on each side; the titiyas is done when you gently press down on the center and it feels somewhat firm to the touch.

4. Place cooked titiyas on a plate covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Serve with my delicious chicken kelaguen. Enjoy!

Posted in Åggon (Starch), CHAMORRO DISHES, Chicken, Christmas, Easter, Flat Breads, Kelaguen, SIDES, Thanksgiving tagged with Kelaguen

Lumpia

Posted on July 28, 2013 by AnniesChamorroKitchen 36 comments

Lumpia is a staple at most Chamorro gatherings. There are fried and fresh versions, both of which are extremely popular.

There are so many variations to the types of filling you can use. I’ve used ground beef with vegetables, ground pork with vegetables, added noodles and diced potatoes to the mix, used shrimp (especially when making fresh lumpia), and for dessert, banana-brown sugar lumpia (or Turon).

Lumpia is delicious eaten as-is, without some type of dipping sauce. But while I’m on the subject, let’s talk about some of my favorite lumpia dipping sauces: garlic-vinegar, garlic-lime-sugar-fish sauce (don’t knock this one until you try it), sweet and sour, and the ultimate Chamorro favorite–fina’denne’.

No matter what your filling or dipping sauce, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your next gathering.

Click on the photos below for my recipe and step-by-step instructions for making Fried Meat-and-Vegetable Lumpia.