Korean Potato Cheese Pancake with Additional Touch of Dried Seaweed Flakes

It's a bit like Japanese cheese korokke but without the flaky crumbs, so perhaps more so a "naked" cheese korokke?

Korean potato cheese pancake with additional touch of dried seaweed flakes - 

Ingredients (about 6 pancakes)?

• 4 medium potatoes
• 125 grams mixed shredded cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried seaweed flakes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Some salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How?

Peel and cut the potatoes to medium chunks.

Prepare a pot of water and add in the potato chunks. Bring the water to a boil then lower the heat a little while still keeping the pot at a medium boiling stage. Cook till the potato chunks can be easily poked through by a chopstick, mine took about 20 minutes.

Once the potatoes are ready, drain out the water and let the steam escape a little longer.

Transfer drained potatoes to a big bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried seaweed flakes, and 4 tablespoons of corn starch. Mash till evenly blended and no more potato chunks throughout.

Taste and see if more salt if needed. I actually added 1/4 more teaspoon of salt in the end. 

It's roughly 1 tablespoon of corn starch per medium/medium small sized potato. However, this might yield a fluffier pancake in the end. So remember to feel the potato mash and adjust the firmness with corn starch.

Pick up about a big palmful of mashed potato and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball a bit and add some mixed shredded cheese in the center, about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Take more mashed potato and cover the cheese filling. Seal the openings and form into a fat pancake with some thickness, make sure no cracks here and there.

Repeat till all mashed potatoes have turned into pancakes. Mine ended up with six pancakes.

Drizzle 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan and switch to medium heat. Wait till the surface gets hot, carefully transfer the pancakes to the pan and leave some space in between. Cook in two batches if the pan is too small.

Sear till the bottom turns golden brown. Flip and sear the other side till golden brown again.

Remove the pancakes to serving plate. I love to enjoy the pancakes when they're still hot in order to get the full oozing cheese effect in the center. 

You can adjust the "firmness" of these cheesy potato pancakes. As you can tell from the pictures, I made these pancakes on the loose fluffy side. If you add more corn starch then you'll have a firmer result.

In fact, the ones you see in Korea are almost like a puffy buns, you can easily hold up the pancakes and eat by hand. If that's preferred, I would say use 1 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch per medium/medium small sized potato instead of 1.

Other oozing cheese recipes:

• Cheesy garlic bread
• Shiso and cheese stuffed tofu in Japanese seasonings

Big Big Servings of Chicken Orzo Soup

I got too greedy again and ended up with a giant pot of chicken orzo soup. So if you're trying to find a one pot recipe to feed a big family, this is it. No need to look somewhere else, I promise this recipe will be be enough to feed even ten people at once.

Chicken orzo soup - 

Ingredients (about 8 big bowls)?

• 1 pack/500 grams orzo
• 2 big pieces chicken breasts
• 1 big onion
• 1 big stalk celery
• 1 large carrot
• 1 lemon
• 1 small bundle flat leaf parsley
• 1 box baby salad greens
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Some salt
• Some black pepper

How?

Basically just the so called mirepoix so destem and cube the celery, peel and cube the carrot, peel and cube the onion. As for other ingredients, peel and chop the garlic cloves, finely chop the parsley.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot, I used a Dutch oven. Switch to medium heat and wait till warm up a bit. Add in chopped celery, carrot, and onion. Also add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.

Mix once a while and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add in chopped garlics. Continue to cook for couple more minutes.

Pour in 8 cups of chicken stock plus 4 cups of water. Also add 2 bay leaves. Turn up the heat a little.

Add in whole chicken breasts and cook in slightly bubbling stock till fully cooked through. Remove the meat from the pot and wait till cool down a little. Use a fork to shred the chicken.

As for the soup, add in orzo after removing the chicken breasts. Use medium heat and cook till the orzo reaches desired texture. Mine took about 10 minutes.

Grate in the zest of one lemon then squeeze in half of the lemon juice. You can use whole lemon juice depending on taste preference.

Add the baby salad greens, also add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Just a quick mix, the leafy greens should be wilted pretty fast. Taste and adjust with any seasonings if needed. I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt here.

Once flavor has been checked. If you can find the bay leaves, pick them out. Add in half of the chopped parsley and give the soup and quick stir.

Scoop the chicken orzo soup to serving bowls and garnish with some of the remaining chopped parsley. You can also crack more black pepper on top for additional spicy note.

If you can't find baby salad greens, any sort of soft leafy greens or even tender peas will do. I simply add the leafy greens for nutritional values, nothing else. 

By the way, if you happen to have leftovers, remember the orzo might continue to soak in the stock. That means you might have to pour in more chicken stock during the reheating process. 

I personally don't mind eating not as soupy orzo soup. In fact, I actually enjoyed the leftover chicken orzo soup without any additional liquid. I even paired that with spicy sausages on the side, like one extra side dish to enjoy together.

Extended reading:

• Dairy-free chorizo and colorful bell pepper orzo

Simple Crêpes with Maple Syrup and Blueberries

For first timers, I highly recommend using non-stick pan and perhaps wear some type of thin but heat resistant gloves when making crêpes. It'll make sure the batter won't stick onto the pan. Also you'll find it much easier flipping the crêpes with your hands instead of using a spatula.

Simple crêpes with maple syrup and blueberries - 

Ingredients (about 7 to 9 medium large sized crêpes)?

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup drinkable water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small pinch salt
• Some powdered sugar
• Some maple syrup or honey
• Some fresh berries (optional)

How?

Melt the butter or wait till it softened naturally in room temperature. Aim for melted but not hot butter. 

Once butter reaches desired consistency and temperature, transfer the butter to a big mixing bowl. Break and beat 3 eggs in a separate bowl then add to the butter. Also add 1 1/3 cups of milk, 1 cup of room temperature water, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix till blended.

Don't worry about the consistency of the batter yet. The batter might look lumpy here and there but once adding in the dry ingredients it'll look way better.

So sift in the flour along with small pinch of salt. Whisk till evenly blended. The batter should look quite smooth now and almost as liquidy as heavy cream. You can adjust by adding more milk or flour if needed. 

Bring out a non-stick pan and turn to medium heat. Once the pan turns warm, use a ladle and scoop some batter to the pan. Quickly swirl the pan to even out the batter before the bottom starts to set. You might have to remove the pan from heat while doing it. 

By the way, there's no need to butter the pan since we added melted butter to the batter, and preferably using a non-stick pan here especially for first timers.

It'll only take about 45 seconds or so, flip the crêpe to the other side and cook for another 40 to 45 seconds. You'll know it's time to flip when the crêpe can be picked up without breaking apart. After a first couple tries you'll get braver and start to cook the batter longer, perhaps even till the center starts to turn slightly golden.

I prefer to work with my hands with gloves. It's much easier to pick up the crêpe and flip it compared to using any type of spatula. When the crêpe is ready, simply move it to a big plate and continue with the next one.

Repeat the steps for the remaining batter. Just stack up cooked crêpes on top of one another, they won't stick so don't worry. In fact, the heat will help the crêpes to keep a bit moisture instead of drying up.

To serve the crêpes, I fold each crêpe in half, then in half again to get triangles. But of course you can roll or fold them into other shapes.

I chose to drizzle some maple syrup then dust with powdered sugar, and served with fresh blueberries. It's more like a refreshing way to enjoy the crêpes. 

However before folding, I think spreading nutella all over one side of the crêpe then roll it up sounds super delicious. Especially once you level up with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries. 

These are two ideas for sweet crêpes, but I think I'll try something savory next time. If you got any great flavor combo for savory crêpes, don't be shy, just leave a comment and let me know. I'll be much appreciated. 

Steak with Japanese Grated Onion Sauce 香煎牛排佐和風洋蔥醬

The photos don't do it justice showing how delicious the steak and grated onion sauce combo can be. So please don't let the darkened sauce all over fool you, that brownish color actually holds the key to flavors. That means I've cooked the grated onion enough, fully brought out the sweetness from the onion, also fully bound the ingredients with seasonings.

Steak with Japanese grated onion sauce 香煎牛排佐和風洋蔥醬 - 

Ingredients?

• 1 medium thickness steak
• 1 onion (I used white onion)
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Small bundle cilantro
• 2 tablespoons ponzu sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Some salt
• Some black pepper

How?

Let the steak rest under room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Salt and pepper on both sides.

Chop the cilantro. Peel and grate half of the onion, set aside for later use.

Have a bowl ready and in there add one peeled and grated garlic, 2 tablespoons of ponzu sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Mix till blended.

Have a pan ready, for steak I would say preferably stainless steel or cast iron. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oile and add in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Switch to medium to medium high heat and wait till the butter nearly all melted.

Transfer the steak over. Don't move it around at first, just wait till the bottom gets a good sear. Meanwhile you can tilt the pan and baste the top with melted butter. Anyways, just prepare a steak like what you'd normally do.

Once the steak is ready and reaches your desired doneness, remove to a cutting board and let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes. After that, slice and transfer to serving plate.

Still using the same pan with residual oil, now switch to medium heat. Add in grated onion and cook till slightly darkened.

Pour in the sauce mixture. Stir and cook till the sauce has been reduced a bit, the color will darken even more. Pour that sauce all over sliced steak and garnish with chopped cilantro.

I used stainless steel pan this time. However, if you've been visiting my blog then you'll know that I often use non-stick pan instead. First of all, different pan works better for certain dishes, so I usually use either stainless steel or cast iron when cooking steak.

Then let's talk about non-stick cookware. There are some voices regarding the dangers of non-stick pan. Especially when use in very high heat or the surface got scratches, some toxic can be released as a result. 

However, the non-stick cookware are so easy to work with, easy cleaning too, so such material is still favored by many people, I myself as one. My point is you have to know what you're dealing with, making sure to use the right utensils like a wooden spatula when handling it, then you can enjoy the goods of non-stick cookware without any health hazards. 

As a result, I'm not against non-stick cookware at all, just the person who uses it have to know how to handle the cookware correctly. And be "generous" to toss the scratched non-stick cookware away. Don't be like one or two scratches are ok, strictly follow the rules then you can be worry-free to use whatever works the best for you in the kitchen. 

Other beefy recipes:

• Braised beef shanks 滷牛腱
• Sloppy Joes
• Pickled chilies and beef stir-fry 剁椒牛肉

Salmon and Quinoa Rice Stuffed Fried Tofu Pouches

Inari age, the "age" part is pronounced as "aa geh" instead of age like talking about how old you are. This Japanese ingredient is basically fried tofu pouches.

I usually use the inari age like a thick sheet of tofu, mostly sliced to strips then add to my dishes. However, to fully utilize its "pouchy" character, it's extra fun when you actually stuff something inside. The pouch can be closed or opened depending on the style of food you're making. As per my recipe here, it's an opened fried tofu pouch stuffed with quinoa rice and roasted salmon.

Salmon and quinoa rice stuffed fried tofu pouches - 

Ingredients (for six pouches)?

• 6 pieces inari age いなり揚げ
• 220 grams salmon
• 2 strings scallion
• Some cooked quinoa rice (or simply white rice)
• Some salt 
• Some black pepper

How? 

Precook the white rice. I added some quinoa mainly for its nutritional value. Destem and chop the scallion. 

Transfer salmon to a baking sheet lined with foil. Season both sides of the salmon fillet with some salt and black pepper. Use more salt and pepper than usual because this will be the main source of saltiness.

Let the salmon rest for five minutes, meanwhile preheat the oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Once ready, transfer salmon to the oven and bake till fully cooked, mine took about 25 minutes.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil then add in the fried tofu pouches.

Cook for no longer than a minute, just to soften the pouches a bit while drawing out some oil at the same time. Drain and pat dry with paper towel. Bring out just one chopstick. Use it like a rolling pin to roll the pouches to further flatten them. However, make sure not to cause any opening holes.

Use a scissor and cut a slit on on side, that way you'll get a pouch with one opening.

By now the salmon should be fully cooked, remove the salmon from the oven and peel-off the skin if any. Tear the fish to smaller pieces and mix with chopped scallion. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Stuff some rice to the fried tofu pouches, about half way through. Then fold in the openings inward, that way you'll get a smoother rounded openings on top.

Stuff in more rice, about 80% full then top the rice with generous amount of salmon and scallion mixture. 

I like the simple taste of it, especially when very good salmon was used. Also this dish doesn't have be to served hot. As long as the quality holds, eating it under room temperature is delicious too. In fact, I think that way you get to enjoy bouncier bite of the rice.

If you prefer something heavier or saltier, you can drizzle some sauce all over, I think Japanese mayonnaise or Sriracha would be two good options, or if teriyaki sauce is available, that would be great too. 

Other recipes using inari age いなり揚げ:

• Pork bamboo shoot and shiitake takikomi gohan 炊き込みご飯
• Hijiki and inari age onigiri 羊栖菜豆皮飯糰