Beef Tendon: Recipe

As promised, here is the recipe and instructions for making beef tendon! You will be surprised at how easy it is to cook. Actually, the most challenging part will be finding the ingredients if you don’t have a local Asian store! Try to stick to the authentic ingredients as much as possible because it really makes a difference in the taste. (ie: The soy sauce you find in your Chinese take-out place is not real soy sauce, so don’t use it!)

Follow the pictures below to make your tendon. Basically you just throw everything in a big pot and let it simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours, or until tendon is tender and the water boils down.

This is the tendon. Look for it in the frozen section of your Asian grocery store.

This is the spice pack you will need to season the broth.

Put the tendon in a large pot and cover with water.Add the spice pack to the pot.Now add salt, one clove of garlic, and a piece of fresh ginger.

Now add a few pieces of this rock sugar.

Add about 2-3 Tbsp of dark soy sauce. You can always add more later to your taste.

Cover and let it simmer for a few hours, and this is what you'll get!

There are endless possibilities of ways to eat beef tendon, but today we ate it in a soup with green veggies, bean sprouts, a boiled egg, and udon noodles. Yum!!

Almond Tea Cake

I love when I have an excuse to bake a cake! I feel like I need a special occasion to make a whole cake because I definitely don’t want an entire cake sitting in my kitchen staring at me, waiting to be eaten! Sharing is always better, anyway because then more people get to enjoy.

So because it is such a rare thing for me to bake a cake, when I do get the opportunity, I look high and low for the best recipe I can find. Lately I’ve been into cakes without frosting, because they’re much lighter and don’t leave you with a heavy stomach (and guilty feeling) when you’re done eating. And my occasion to bake a cake was my friend’s birthday, it had to be something she would love, so I chose this almond cake recipe.

It’s really simple to make, and turned out so light and delicious. The orange peel added another layer to the tastes that was unexpected and wonderful. The cake is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea after dinner, or as an afternoon treat! I bet they’d be cute in cupcake form as well for a little tea party.

Here’s my (slightly healthier) version of the recipe:

Almond Tea Cake

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 stick margarine, at room temperature
• ½ cup soy milk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Grated peel of 1 orange
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Combine and beat wet ingredients with the almond flour and orange peel until smooth. Sift flour and salt over wet mixture until just combined. Pour into round pan (or cupcake tins) and sprinkle almond slivers on top. Bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool and sift confectioners’ sugar on top before serving. Enjoy!

 

Beef Tendon

I bet you don’t know how healthy beef tendon is! It’s almost unbelievable how nutritious it is because it tastes so delcious and almost like you’re eating a fatty piece of meat!

Take a look at the Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 100g

Calories 150

Total Fat 0.5g

Saturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 0mg

Total Carbohydrate 0g

Dietary Fiber 0g

Sugars 0g

Protein 36.7g

So basically it’s a super-food consisting of mostly protein and very little else! Unfortunately, it’s hard to find in American grocery stores because it’s most common in Asian cuisine. So find your nearest H-mart and pick some up! It’s also super cheap by the lb.

Stay tuned for a delicious recipe for beef tendon (see picture below)!

 

Chinese Rice Porridge

This morning I was feeling rather ambitious (probably because of post-workout energy!) so I actually cooked breakfast instead of preparing something simple. We had some leftover chicken breasts and rice, so my first thought was to make a savory rice porridge. I’ve never actually made my own congee, so I adjusted as I was cooking to mimic the flavors I remember tasting in Flushing. Then I topped the porridge with a bunch of goodies from the fridge…delicious! It was a nice change from my oatmeal, and it was loaded with protein for a nutritious breakfast!

Chicken Congee:

• Soup:
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup cooked rice
• 1/3 lb chicken (cubed or shredded)
• 2 eggs
• Seasoning:
• salt/pepper
• fish sauce
• dark soy sauce
• sesame oil
• ginger

Toppings:

• salted tofu
• cilantro
• pickled radish
• spicy bean paste

Directions:

Bring water and chicken stock to a boil. Add chicken and simmer until cooked (about 20 minutes). Add rice and seasonings and continue to stir until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Quickly stir in eggs and cook for a minute or so. Pour into bowl and add toppings!

Koryodang Bakery in Fort Lee!

You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this bakery to open! Since the sign went up on the empty store-front window, “Koryodang Bakery and Cafe,” 3 or 4 months ago, I’ve been so anxious! I know I have plenty of other Korean bakeries to choose from in Fort Lee, but this one would include a full cafe with bubble teas, coffee, and dessert drinks. Also, it would have a wonderful large seating area, which many of the other bakeries lacked. And the reputation following this bakery was amazing…they would fly in their chef from Korea!

So for the past few months, as I walked to and from work every day, I would peer in the windows of this bakery to see the progress, and try and get a sense of when it would finally open. A few weeks ago, I started seeing staff training and taste-testing, and I knew it was coming soon! So this morning, I took a walk after the heavy snow yesterday and decided to see if the bakery was open…and it was! It was even greater than I imagined, with cheery staff, a whole wall of various breads, and 3 cases of beautiful cakes. See for yourself!

Thai Curry: Homemade!

Do you love curry as much as I do? It’s filled with so many vibrant flavors and spices, it’s like a surprise in every bite! Not to mention the creaminess of the coconut flavor…I love it!

Last night I made my first attempt to cook Thai curry at home. I am usually intimidated by the large amount of spices and herbs that are in curry recipes, but I found a wonderful curry paste at our local Asian grocery store that makes it so simple! (You can also buy it at Whole Foods if you don’t have an Asian grocery.)

All you do is add coconut milk (I used the light version from Trader Joe’s),  chicken or vegetable broth, and veggies/protein of your choice! Then serve over rice. It’s that easy, so now you don’t have an excuse not to try it yourself!

Here’s my version:

Red Thai Curry

• 1 can Maesri red curry paste
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 lb chicken drumsticks
• 3-4 scallions
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 sweet potato
• handful bokchoy, spinach, and/or beansprouts

Directions:

First, cook onions and pepper until soft and set aside. Then brown chicken in pan. In a separate pot, combine curry paste, coconut milk, broth, and scallions under low heat for a few minutes. Then add chopped potato and chicken. I think it’s best to leave the chicken on the bone while cooking to get the best tenderness on the meat, but you can take it off if you prefer. Simmer until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked (about 30-40 min). Then add remaining veggies for a minute or so and serve over rice or with noodles. This fed only two hungry people last night (we were very sad not to have leftovers), so if you have more to feed, double or triple the recipe! Enjoy.

Hobakjuk: Korean Pumpkin Porridge

Lately I’ve been wanting warm and comforting breakfasts (even though it’s not that cold outside!) So to change it up a little from oatmeal, I decided to make an Asian porridge. I love eating both the sweet and salty versions of porridge or congee, and how they are so thick and creamy, yet still healthy! Of course when I eat it with a crispy, fried bread, it’s not so healthy anymore.

The version I decided to make is a porridge I discovered at H-Mart in the prepared foods section. It’s made with simple ingredients of pumpkin (kabocha), sweet rice or rice flour, sugar, and red beans or pine nuts. It’s pretty easy to make, as long as you watch it and keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pot. And when you’re done, you’ll have a healthy, comforting fall dish! Here’s the recipe:

Hobakjuk (adapted from Eating and Living)

• 1/2 small pumpkin (kabocha), or 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup sweet brown rice, soaked in water for at least an hour
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup red beans, soaked and boiled (you might want to add sugar to these as well)

Pre-soak beans and rice for about an hour. Steam fresh pumpkin or put canned pumpkin in a pot on low heat. Blend soaked rice with soy milk until rice is ground very finely. Pour the rice into the pot with the pumpkin and stir until it becomes thick. Add sugar, salt, and top with cooked red beans and cinnamon if you like. Enjoy!

Super Ramen!

I love to eat ramen! But before you start thinking I’m crazy, I have to explain that this in not the ramen you are probably used to. This is not the ramen otherwise known as the poor-college-student’s meal. This is not cup-o-noodles. This ramen is filled with nutritious goodies, and is the perfect meal when you’re too tired to cook, but want something warm and fulfilling.

Here’s the secret: I add TONS of fresh veggies, like broccoli, napa cabbage, bok choy, and bean sprouts. I also throw in a dumpling, fish cakes, and imitation crab (all found in the frozen section of your Asian grocery store.) Then add a few strips of tofu and don’t forget your fried egg on top! If you have seaweed and cilantro, you can throw that in too as a garnish.

Although this is a great way to get your veggies and protein, most ramen packets are still packed with a lot of sodium, so I try not to eat it more than once a week. But trust me…if you start preparing your ramen like this, you’ll never go back!

More veggies!

It seems as though I’ve been eating a lot of processed snack foods lately. And I really don’t even have the excuse that I’m too busy or too tired to prepare healthy snacks…it’s just that I love eating chips and crackers and cookies!! 😊 But my body is telling me that I need a break from those goodies (for now!) and in the meantime I’ll try to incorporate more fresh foods when I want to snack.

Here’s a great leafy green to give you extra energy for the rest of the week: mustard greens! They have a slight bitter taste and a great chew. I sautéed them with garlic, salt, handashi (seasoning found at Japanese or Asian stores), and a splash of sesame oil. Chop the long stems into about 4 or 5 even sections, and cook the stalks first, before the leaves. This veggie cooks down to about 50% of the volume, so be sure to cook enough! Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Momofuku Milk Bar

A few weeks ago, the famous Momofuku Milk Bar opened a new location on the Upper West Side on 87th and Columbus. Since the weather was so nice today, I decided to walk over there on my lunch break. Here’s your first look inside!

It's a really small place, but very cute and charming

 

There's lots to choose from! The most famous are their pork buns, crack pie, and compost cookie. The head pastry chef is known for mixing together irresistible flavor combinations.

 

Their croissants were very unusual flavors as well, but looked appealing! They had pistachio and barley/rye.

 

The pies are supposed to be amazing, but they looked very rich, so I decided to pass for today.

 

This was my treat for the day: a compost cookie. It's filled with a somewhat random mix of goodies such as pretzels, potato chips, chocolate, butterscotch, graham cracker crumbs, and coffee grounds. (I'm pretty sure I left out a few ingredients in that list.) It had the most delightful chewy texture!