Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

Obviously this is NOT a Korean recipe, but the MR is out with his boys tonight which means I get to eat WHATEVER I want to eat! No Korean food! =P

Total Cooking Time: 1 hour

This is a recipe I first tried sometime last year when I saw it in Redbook (the magazine) and I have since tweaked it to my liking. =P




Obviously you will need some shrimp and asparagus. In this case about 3/4 lb. of shrimp and 1/2 a bunch of asparagus.



Wash, clean, and chop both of the items up like so...



In a pot heat 1 TB butter, 1 TB olive oil, 1/2 TB minced garlic.



Add your asparagus first and cook it for a couple of minutes.



Then go ahead and add the shrimp...



Remove it from the heat while the shrimp is still translucent...it will cook more later.



Then add about 2 TB butter and 2 TB olive oil...



Saute some onions and mushrooms (1/2 onion and 2 mushrooms).



Then finally add 1.5 cups of Arborio rice...



Mix the rice around and add about 1/2 cup of dry WHITE WINE (not pictured).



Then add about 1 cup of this 1:1 ratio of chicken broth and water.



Keep stirring and keep a close watch over this. Keep adding the liquid every time you feel you need it (every 5 minutes or so). I ended up using 2 cans of chicken broth and 3 cups of water.



When the risotto is almost done (45 minutes), add the shrimp&asparagus mixture.



Let it cook until all the liquid is pretty much gone and at this point add some salt and pepper to taste.



Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving...



Finally top it off with some Parmesan cheese and ENJOY!

Salsa

To accompany the steaks, I also made some salsa. This is just a basic salsa recipe that I'm sure everyone already has a variation to, but I thought I would share this anyhow. =)

I used about 1 lb. of tomotoes, 2 jalapenos, 1 large white onion, 10 garlic cloves, 1 bunch of cilantro, 1 lemon (and lime if you prefer) and 1 Anaheim chile (so it said at Ralphs).

Begin by chopping up your tomatoes like so and adding them to a large mixing bowl.




Finely chop all your peppers (I like de-seeding them, because when they're raw like this it has quite a bit of kick...even for my Asian tastebuds) and add them to the mix also.



I actually prefer to destem 1 bunch of cilantro (if you're lazy, you don't have to) and then I add it to the mixture.



Finely chop up your garlic and add it also.



Chop your onions and throw that in as well...




Then I added the juice of 1 whole large lemon, 1 TSP of salt, a dash of pepper and 2 TB of vinegar.



Mix everything around thoroughly and you're ready to serve!

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I actually didn't have time to write down and take pictures of the rest of the food that we had for dinner, so the creamed corn, Sangria and basmati rice (Persian style) will have to wait until the next time. Even when cooking non-Korean food, I still don't really use measurements and such so there's no way of me explaining things unless I actually make it and MEASURE each thing out. Until next time!

Tonkatsu (Pork) - (돈까스)

For dinner last night, we had Tonkatsu. This is actually very simple to make, but I thought I would share it anyhow. =P



Go ahead and buy some lean pork steaks (you can also use chicken or beef). I bought this at the K-market and they have it labeled as "Tonkatsu" meat.



I then make myself comfortable on the kitchen floor and grab my meat tenderizer and a cutting board. Just pound away on the meat until it spreads out and becomes very thin.



Like this.



Continue with the rest of your meat...I ended up using 9 patties. We eat a lot here~



Organize some panko crumbs, Korean pancake batter, and egss on the countertop in plates.




Season the pork on both sides with some salt and pepper and then dip it into the Korean batter mix first.



Then take that coated piece and dip it into the egg mixture.



Finally take the egg drenched meat and dip it into the panko mix and coat it thoroughly.



Fry it in oil (I used grapeseed) on medium-high heat until it is golden brown on both sides.



Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel...



And plate it with some rice, shredded cabbage with Thousand Island dressing, and dan-mooji.



We enjoyed it with a side of cream of corn soup....from the bag. =) Enjoy!



PS. This is the brand of tonkatsu sauce that I'm currently using. I haven't attempted to make this at home....YET. =P

Chicken Noodle Soup

Total cooking time: 90 minutes

Every so often, I will buy a Rorisserie chicken from the market and we will eat about 1/3 of it for dinner and then I use the rest for some chicken noodle soup.



I like buying the chicken flavored with some herbs.



Tear apart the meat and save the bones on the side.



Then I get out one of my trusty tea bags and fill it with about 10 whole garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of peppercorns and a few bay leaves.



I also place the smaller bones and some seasoned chicken skin into the bag.



Then throw everything into a pot with roughly 12 cups of water and 1 TB of chicken bouillon and let it boil for about 30 minutes or longer.



After 30 minutes, the broth will become rich and then you can throw in the shredded chicken pieces and let it boil for about 10 minutes.



Chop up your veggies...about 1-2 cups of each. I tend to use less carrots because I'm not a fan. =P



Add them in the following order: carrots, celery and onions last and let each boil for about 5 minutes before adding the next vegetable. Then finish it off with about 1 cup of egg noodles.



When the noodles are done, you're ready to serve. Season it with some SALT (I used about 1 TSP) and PEPPER to your taste.