Monthly Archives: February 2014

Assimilating

I’ve written some time ago just how difficult it can be to assimilate into a new culture while living abroad. Regardless of if you are a adult or not, everyone has some level of trouble adjusting. While everything is very exciting, it’s also bit overwhelming in a sense too.

This past weekend we met up with a family member that has very recently relocated from the East coast of the US to a smaller town on the outskirts of Seoul here in Korea. Yes! You read that I said KOREA, right? We finally managed to get some family here with us! On a semi permanent basis too! Eeek! We are shrieking with delight!

Kelsey has been getting acquainted with the Korean culture but was already in desperate need of some normalcy. (Insert two eager Bee’s to the rescue!)

The thing we are most excited to introduce to friends and family is definitely Korean cuisine. We typically like the shock and wow factor. However we knew that we needed to give Kelsey a nice healthy balance of what we introduced. After all we didn’t want her on the first flight out of here, especially when we just got her here. So we decided to stick to the foreigner friendly areas around Seoul for the day.

All three of our fitbits were buzzing because we traipsed all over Itaewon and Myeongdong. I am sure from past post you recall trips to both places. But if you are fairly new to the blog, Itaewon is a multi-cultural place full of bars, restaurants, shops, clubs, and Myeongdong  is a large shopping area that features stores like H&M, Zara, and Forever 21.

The Bakers Table
244-1 Noksapyeong daero Itaewon dong Yongsan Gu
Seoul, Korea 244-1
Mon – Sun: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Phone 070-7717-3501
Email mirabakery@naver.com
Website http://blog.naver.com./mirabakery

Backpackbees

Burgers, Spuds and Shakes

Beef, vegetarian, turkey, tofu or chicken.  Burgers are always a food of comfort to us all in one way or another. I feel like they are meant to be enjoyed and savored with good friends. Tonight we had the pleasure of sharing our company with our dear friend Krista and her sweet baby girl while Dave, hubby/dadda was working the night shift. (I’ll take any excuse to snap away photos of our Jilly-bean).

The great thing about burgers is that you can build them with any sort of fun toppings just the way you want!

Tonight we opted for some very healthy choices that included pan-fried bacon and sautéed onions, melted extra sharp cheddar and roasted rosemary spuds in the oven. Then to finish off our light meal we toasted marshmallows over our gas range for nutella milkshakes.

Mr. B kept reminding me that I needed to live on the edge a little and indulge. Obviously I didn’t need that much convincing. . .

You know you want to make it…. just do it!

Nutella Toasted Marshmallow Shake

1/2 Cup milk

2 Cups packed vanilla ice cream

2 Heaping Tablespoons of Nutella

Toasted marshmallows, for garnish (optional)

Huzzah for the weekend!!

What are your favorite burger toppings? Share your delicious creativity with us!

Backpackbees

Pan Seared Tuna Steaks

Well Helloooooo there dinner!

Doesn’t this tuna steak look incredible? Simply mouth-watering, juicy and tender! Yum!

The great thing about this meal is that it all happens quickly, in one pan! (As the party typically responsible for nightly dish duty, this rocked my socks off).

Think only a few minutes to prepare and cook then enjoy! Plus, it is such a healthy option and ideal for a light evening dinner.

Mr. B pan seared these steaks on the stove top in our cast iron pan in a little oil and sprinkled reasonably with blackened old bay seasoning. Turn with a spatula or tongs when the color change shows about 1/4th of the way up the steak, cook the same amount of time of the back side, about 15 minutes.

Don’t forget to pair with a perfect side like some bok choy too!

Have any good tuna steak recipes to share?

Backpackbees

Lighter

The evening sky after we get home from work is staying lighter longer. You know what that means? The perfect opportunity to get out and take a walk! The view from inside looked almost Spring like, however looks were a bit deceiving and it was still rather cold out. That darn groundhog! After the initial miserable shock to my bones, I was still really happy to finally get outside again. Ohhhhh how I have been longing to get out in the evenings again and thaw these bones. (This coming from the lady who posted she wanted state of emergency snow only a few short weeks ago).

Keeping on the topic of lighter, tonight we cooked up a lighter and much healthier version of take out sesame chicken and broccoli. We relied on a good ol’ Martha Stewart recipe and slightly adapted it to share with all of you. Remember, use what you have on hand. Don’t be afraid to get creative, if you don’t have brown rice or multigrain, go with quinoa!

Enjoy!

Lighter Sesame Chicken & Broccoli

Recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 Cups (흑미 찹쌀) heukmi chapssal, AKA Korean multigrain rice

3 Tablespoon clover honey

2 Tablespoon sesame seeds

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Garlic clove, crushed with a garlic press

2 Large egg whites

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 Teaspoon of ground pepper

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons safflower oil

1 Medium yellow onion, sliced thin

2 Pounds broccoli, cut into large florets

Instructions:

Cook rice according. Sorry guys, we cheat and use our Korean rice cooker.

While rice is cooking, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside. In separate bowl, whisk egg whites and cornstarch together. Toss in raw chicken and coat; season with ground pepper.

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 Tablespoon of your oil over medium-high heat. Next add in coated chicken turning occasionally, until golden throughout.  Once cooked, add in the sauce you’ve set aside and chopped onion, and toss to coat chicken again.

Last, steam broccoli to your liking. We prefer slightly undercooked and crispy.  Once done plate rice, topped with chicken and broccoli.

Backpackbees

Spaghetti Squash

image

Ahhhhh another Thursday night save by the spaghetti squash.

Isn’t the spaghetti squash is just a gem of a vegetable? Well then again, i haven’t met a squash i didn’t instantly love. If I recall, I discovered it not long after Mr. B and I got married and it has been a staple in our diets ever since. I think I make an effort to pick one up about every other month or so.

So easy! I mean I’m talking reallllyyyyy easy. Slice it in half, remove a few seeds, pop it in the microwave about 5-10 minutes. After it’s heated, take a fork and scrape the insides of the squash as it falls out like spaghetti. The rest is totally up to you. Red sauce, carbonara, olive oil and spices….endless possibilities and all within a flash. Tonight I added organic ground chicken, fresh baby spinach leaves, fresh basil leaves and some Paul Newmans organic marinara, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese.

It gets better…..check out the nutrition vs. regular pasta here. Thank me later!

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? If not, what’s stopping you?

Backpackbees

Pureed Tomato Soup with Gouda Cheese

Mmmhmmmm…. someone couldn’t resist the temptation of giving the Vitamix a whirl tonight. Luckily no episodes of cyclone explosions of tomato soup on the ceiling, backsplash or floor. I’ll give it to Mr. B, he had a fun list of ingredients that made for a very delicious pureed tomato soup. He also won me over with the cheesiest toasted cheese sandwich on ezekiel bread too! That’s my guy, he knows the way to my heart. Speaking of hearts he also picked me up conversation hearts <3! Remember these little guys? Did anyone else think these were gone for good? Don't worry, I included the VERY difficult recipe if you'd like to enjoy a nice bowl of our tomato soup with gouda cheese tonight. It's VERY difficult. Don't say that I didn't warn you. [shashin type="photo" id="10098" size="large" columns="max" order="user" position="center"] [shashin type="photo" id="10099" size="large" columns="max" order="user" position="center"] Pureed Tomato Soup with Gouda Cheese

Ingredients

1 Jar roasted red peppers
1 Can of crushed tomatoes
1 Qt gallon of Whole milk (Organic)
6 Sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tsp Basil
1 Jar of your favorite marinara sauce (We love Paul Newman’s Organic or Favatas)
8 Slices of smoked gouda cheese

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in your blender or food immersion mixer, minus the cheese. Blend until thoroughly combined. pour into a pot on your stove top and heat, slowly add in the smoked gouda cheese.

I could live on toasted cheese! It reminds me of being a kid, What about you?
What is your favorite soup to accompany a toasted cheese sandwich?

PS: What’s up with Dumb Starbucks in LA? Personally i’d give the seasonal “Wuppy Duppy Latte” a go. Perhaps a franchise opportunity for South Korea? Asia loves their coffee shops and trademark infringement… what’s that?

Backpackbees

Pancake Princess

Overnight we finally got a little taste of the snow I’ve been asking for. Of course you might be getting tired of the powdery white stuff wherever you are, even looking at any photos of it might be daunting, but I’m still not satisfied with the amount that we’ve had this winter. Like most things… it came to an end and has been melting as we speak. Enter sad squishy face here. Perhaps in the next few weeks we will get some record-breaking, state of emergency stuff!

I woke up snapped some photos, yep neighbors I was the crazy lady leaning out the window at 8AM giddy about the snow.

Anyways, I recently thew out some rancid coconut flour that I think I accidentally should have been keeping in the freezer or refrigerator. Oops. Luckily it was only a small amount, so I didn’t feel as guilty. I know this is record-breaking stuff folks. Just kidding, I have a reason to my madness. I was going to make pancakes. Epic fail. Then I found out that a dear friend was able to locate and pick some up for me and saved this princesses Sunday morning pancakes making! Thanks again Sarah!

I think you are really going to enjoy these! Plus check out all the different people’s dietary restrictions this recipe can cater to. Let’s get mixing! Don’t forget some awesome tunes too!

(Above photo showing non-rancid smelling coconut flour)

Coconut Flour Pancakes (Gluten Free/Grain Free/Low Carb/Low Calorie/High Protein)
Slightly altered from Foodie Fiasco

Ingredients

2 Egg whites
1/4 Cup coconut flour
1/2 Cup almond milk
1 Teaspoon vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/8 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 Teaspoon honey or any kind of sweetener such as stevia or agave that you prefer

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat a greased nonstick skillet over medium high heat with coconut oil. Pour desired amount of batter onto skillet and cook until golden or color desired. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried coconut flour? If so, what do you use it in?
Are you a pancake fan? Or princess like me? Mmmmm
Do you enjoy toppings or just straight up maple syrup?

Backpackbees

Plunge

Besides the temperatures taking a plunge…

We took the plunge….and finally purchased a Vitamix!

EEK! A VITAMIX!

I’ve been lusting after this bad boy for almost a year and a half. Even after reviewing all the videos and blogger ratings over the past year, I was still blown away by how powerful and smooth anything you put into the Vitamix in person comes out. I’m talking reallyyyyy smooth! Superrrr smooth!

I’ve been craving hummus, perfect excuse to use the Vitamix, right? Right! The blender box included an entire book of various recipes you can use the Vitamix for. hummus was among them and I already had all of the ingredients. So blend away I did.

The Vitamix was so quick to use and just as quick to clean up afterwards. Seriously topping my favorite kitchen gadgets! I cannot wait to find more excuses to blend in this powerful guy. I’m open to suggestions and recipes please.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget?
Do you blend frequently? If so share some recipes pretty please.

Backpackbees