Making Korean Food! 🇰🇷

Hello! How are you doing? I’ve missed this space, I know it’s only been a week but I’m excited to be writing again 😊. Are you ready to join me on my most recent cooking adventure? You know how I really get into cooking, I’ve shared enough cooking posts on here with photos of the food I’ve made (you can check them out HERE: Part 1, HERE: Part 2, HERE: Part 3 and HERE: Part 4). At the beginning of the year I went a bit wild and was in the kitchen almost every day making something different from library recipe books. I find it very therapeutic to cook and I love trying new things. Have you ever heard the saying to try one new thing each week? I took it and ran with it, forgetting the saying but following through with the sentiment.

Last week I picked up a Korean Made Easy cookbook in tkmaxx, it was on sale for a tenner and I was drawn to one of the recipes in it that will feature later on in this post. Looking back, I’m so happy that I got this book because it’s already brought me some delicious feasts! 🤤 I can’t wait to share them with you so I’ll do just that!!

Firstly I made ‘Royal Court” Korean Rice Cakes which sounds like it’s just the nice squishy korean rice cakes on their own but it was actually a full on meal with beef and vegetables! I LOVE Korean rice cakes, they’re so soft and doughy. We had some that were a month out of date I think hiding in the fridge but they were still perfect to use. I’ve really gotten back into eating beef, I never fell out of love with it, we just never got it so it was always away at a distance but I started buying some for new recipes and am even more enamoured than I was before (yes I’m dramatic using enamoured when I talk about beef, sue me 🫡🤣.

The ‘Royal Court’ korean rice cakes tasted delicious. It had ground black pepper in it which took over the fragrance it held and reminded me of a black pepper beef recipe I made last month but with the rice cakes this time around it was simply beautiful! I need to get more Korean rice cakes, they’re sold in a local Asian shop and as I’m currently typing this out I’m thinking about how I’ll be passing the shop tomorrow so I may as well go in and buy some more. I’ll get some more kimchi too, which leads me onto the next recipe from the Korean Made Easy cookbook that I want to make again and again!!……

One-Pan Kimchi-Fried Rice with Spam!! Omg can you fangirl over food because I think I’m gonna go a bit over the top on this one 😯. I like kimchi and I introduced my family to it but I’d never been crazy about it until I tried this wonderful recipe! 🙌 I made enough that I was able to have the rest of it for dinner the next day too. I’m not one to eat the white of eggs and I’ve only just gotten into it this year with having poached egg on avocado toast with bacon but this kimchi made me really give egg white a chance as you’re meant to have a full fried egg on top and I mix it in and behold, the deliciousness is something to write home about…if you’re away from home I guess 😂. I’m rambling but if you ever get the chance, try kimchi fried rice with spam, go for it!! I’ll even post the recipe if you want it, let me know! I was missing out before I tried it myself, seriously!

Next up is the recipe I mentioned at the very beginning that drew me towards purchasing the Korean cookbook in thr first place. “Comforting Beef Porridge” and no its not normal porridge, it’s rice, before you get the wrong idea! Storytime: I once felt compelled to try maple syrup and bacon on real Porridge and I didn’t keep it down is all I’m gonna say. I don’t know what compelled me to eat it in the first place, it was one hell of a mistake and I still gag thinking about it 😬. Anyway, back to non-disgusting stuff! Maybe I shouldn’t have told that story on a post about food I’m trying to compel you to try but it’s done now so imma just live in regret if it puts you off the good stuff hut I hope it doesn’t, you’ve seriously gotta try kimchi fried rice with spam and egg 🫣 if I do anything in this life, let it be to make you try it!

Anywho, where was I? Oh yes, Comforting Beef Porridge. Like the kimchi recipe I had to start this out by making the books Perfect Steamed Rice which takes a little while but is worth it. It has you letting the rice soak for ten minutes, cook for ten and then leave to steam for ten again so I just set a time on my watch and bring a book in the kitchen with me to settle down each time 🤣📚. In this recipe I had to marinate ground beef for another 15 minutes, I get the feeling that this might be my first time cooking ground beef but I could be wrong, I’ve made tacos before 🌮🤣. I love it when a recipe starts coming together and just the other day my sister came through from the sitting room saying what I was cooking smelled nice and that she wanted some if at all possible as it was only a small amount and that’s what I aim for, someone wanting to try something I’ve cooked 😄 I’m easily pleased 😂.

As always when I’m cooking I multitask and kick the ball for my dog Toby who never stops bringing it over. The beef porridge was certainly comforting when it was done, it had been marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil so it had a faint nutty taste to it that I liked. And the smell! It smelled so flavourful but i will admit it was a bit bland 😢. I grabbed a bowl of it for dinner anyway and felt content in only the way that cooking can bring on. Like there’s something to show for it. I used to be so annoyed with food by the time I’d cooked it and it got round to the 3ating part but I was obviously making all the wrong things at the time because now I’m going about the task craving the final dish, not feeling sick of the sight of it 🤣.

What about you, Do you like to cook? Did any of the recipes mention today spur you on to get cooking? I encourage you to try something new this following week and be sure to let me know what you do, I’d love to hear it!

Thank you for checking out this post 😉. It means a lot that you took the time to do so! I have really enjoyed cooking Korean food so far, I hope to make loads more. The book of recipes is a real gem and I’m glad I grabbed it,  maybe I could see it sparkling! 🤣💎 I’ll see you again next week but until then, stay safe, take care and buh-bye ✨️💗.