Korean-Inspired Sautéed Tofu

RECIPE

Serve this as a first course for an Asian-themed meal, or make brown rice and steamed spinach to go with it for an entrée. Draining and pressing the tofu yields a crisp crust when pan-fried; it also helps the tofu absorb more flavor from the zesty pan sauce.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed soft tofu, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and julienne-cut
3 tablespoons diagonally sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Preparation
1. Combine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Cut tofu crosswise into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Arrange tofu on several layers of paper towels. Top with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove tofu from paper towels. Cut tofu into (1-inch) cubes. Sprinkle tofu with remaining 1/8 teaspoon red pepper.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until crisp, carefully turning to brown on all sides. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in pan. Add ginger and green onions to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds or just until golden. Add ginger mixture to vinegar mixture; stir well. Pour vinegar mixture over tofu; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sesame seeds.

Nutritional Information
Calories:128
Fat:9.1g (sat 0.9g,mono 3.9g,poly 3.7g)
Protein:6.3g
Carbohydrate:4.9g
Fiber:0.5g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:208mg
Calcium:135mg

Korean cooking@home
by cooking lover

Korean-Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

RECIPE

Yield
12 servings (serving size: 1 roll)

Ingredients
Filling:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour (about 18 ounces)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare filling, combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage; cook 4 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Remove from heat; cool completely.

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, honey, and canola oil, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to flour mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16 x 12–inch rectangle (about 1/4-inch-thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 (4-inch) squares. Working with 1 square at a time (cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into center of each square. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Lightly brush tops of dough with egg white mixture; sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until rolls are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information
Calories:247 (20% from fat)
Fat:5.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:9.1g
Carbohydrate:40.7g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:10mg
Iron:2.8mg
Sodium:564mg
Calcium:152mg

Korean cooking@home
by cooking lover

Pork and Kimchi Dumplings

RECIPE

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 3 dumplings and about 2 teaspoons sauce)

Ingredients
Dumplings:
1/2 cup finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps
1/2 cup finely chopped Shang Kimchi
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
4 ounces ground pork
24 gyoza skins
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cooking spray
Sauce:
1 tablespoon minced green onions
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Preparation
To prepare dumplings, combine first 10 ingredients. Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining skins to prevent drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cover loosely with a towel to prevent drying).

Arrange half of the dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer coated with cooking spray. Steam dumplings, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.

To prepare sauce, combine 1 tablespoon onions and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with dumplings.

Nutritional Information
Calories:131 (24% from fat)
Fat:3.5g (sat 1g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.8g)
Protein:5.8g
Carbohydrate:17.7g
Fiber:1.2g
Cholesterol:12mg
Iron:1.3mg
Sodium:466mg
Calcium:29mg

Korean cooking@home
by cooking lover