K is for:

February has been a month rife with challenges and changes.  There have been a lot of unexpected things come up, and I can safely say that, although it is technically the shortest month, it has been the longest I can remember.  One thing did remain constant, however: vegetarianism.  It might, in fact, be the only thing that remained consistent this month.

Some really amazing things did happen this month, though.  I finally got a job!  A big thrill and a huge relief I can assure you.

It's perhaps a little ironic that I chose 2015 to be the year where I would make changes every month since this might be the year of uncontrollable changes.

But enough about that.  It's time to talk about Kimchi.

(not even the kimchi is the same though, if I'm honest.  If I could only find some good kimchi!)

So, the best recipe from this past week just so happened to be one of my all time favorites when I lived in Korea.  It's simple, it's delicious, it's savory and just a little spicy, it's buttery and cheesy.  It's Kimchi Fried Rice!!

Here's what you need:

Delicious pieces of the puzzle.

• Kimchi
• Salt and Pepper
• Rice
• Eggs
• Butter
• Sugar
• An onion
• Garlic
• (olive oil is pictured because I thought about using it and then remembered that I'd better not.  It's better with butter.  But what isn't, right Gram?!)

This is the recipe, just plus an egg, given to me by one of the coolest individuals I met in Korea, and maybe anyone who lives in Korea.  She's like a 117th degree black belt in Taekwondo and taught the sport in Africa, in the blazing sun, to kids.   On top of a litany of ridiculous skills, she just so happens to be a ninja at making kimchi fried rice.  It was the first thing I made in my apartment (except for magic spaghetti. . . but that's another story)

Here's how you do it!

Cut the Kimchi--this particular kimchi was very raw and very...cabbage-y.  I know that kimchi is cabbage, but this was like salad bar raw cabbage and felt very different than kimchi I used in Korea.  It also had carrots. . .and none of the limp leafy bits.  Doesn't matter.  Cut up your kimchi for optimum kimchi flavor!

Slice your onion-and cry--If you're anything like me, you have a dedicated set of onion chopping goggles that are as important to your culinary tool set as your kitchen scissors.  It might not be the sexiest thing in the world to wear goggles while chopping onions, but who are we kidding.

Slice your mushrooms--I used baby bellas here, but regular button mushrooms work really well, too.

Chop your garlic--you could use already minced garlic if you want, but you're already wearing onion goggles, so garlic fingers aren't really going to hurt you too much.

Fry up your onions and garlic in butter.  When they are nice and brown, add your mushrooms.

You literally need three tools in the kitchen: goggles, scissors and chopsticks.  That's it!

Set those savory fried veggies aside.  Re-butter your pan and start frying your kimchi!

This particular kimchi was very juicy.  I simmered it for a bit and then drained it off to add to the rice later.

Don't forget to add a pinch of sugar to your frying kimchi!  It helps take a little bit of the edge off and mellows it out really nicely.

A note about rice:  I used a rice maker.  Full disclosure: I never made rice one time while I lived in Korea.  Not once.  They have these amazing microwavable bowls full of sticky rice that steam up in 2 minutes and end up perfectly cooked.  These things were basically free and consistently delicious.  They do exist here, but they are not even close to being free, so I decided to try my luck with the rice maker.

So photogenic!

I still need practice making rice.  Mine was a little underdone.

After the kimchi has a chance to cook a little, add in the onion/mushroom/garlic mix!  And the rice!

The kimchi will change from bright red to orange when it's cooked.  And it smells incredible!

 Stir it all together.  If you need to add a little more butter, no one is going to be mad at you about that.

Looks like a mess, tastes delicious!

Fry up a sunny side up egg to go on top.  When you break the yolk it will go into the rice and finish cooking and it adds incredible flavor to the whole dish.

Salt and pepper the egg as needed.

When you are satisfied that there is no longer a single grain of rice that remains white, dish it into a bowl and cover with a little cheese and the egg.

YAY!

And that's it for Kimchi Fried Rice!

If you have never tried kimchi, I can honestly say that cooked kimchi is a great way to approach it.  Kimchi has a long list of health benefits, and although it can be a little difficult to get used to, with any access to it at all I can promise you will begin to crave it.
My first year in Korea I was a little skittish of it.  I tried it cooked and fell in love.  After my first year I ate kimchi every single day.  Kimchi and eggs, kimchi in soup, kimchi with ramen, kimchi pancakes (ooh!  That might be the next recipe!) kimchi with everything, and I miss it like crazy.


February is almost over and I really hope that you guys tried out a few new things this month, whether vegetarian or giving up fried foods, or whatever you wanted to try.  I was certainly not able to post as much as I wanted but I was very happy with how the vegetarian challenge went this month.  I tried a lot of new things and they were all really delicious.

Gluten free month is next month!  (Why did I choose to deprive myself of a nice chicken sandwich for two whole months!?!)
I can't say that I'm sad that a giant juicy steak is gluten free.  It might be what happens March 1st.  ^^

Anyone have any awesome gluten-free recipes they would like to share?  I don't have any experience with it, actually, so it's going to take a lot of prep.  But, it should be a lot of fun!

Thank you for reading!  And good luck the rest of the month!

Brought to you by cottage cheese. . .

This is Day 5 of the 28 day vegetarian challenge and I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying it.  There is a lot more variety in the kitchen these days, more colors, more flavors, and I love it.

Also, for whatever reason this new more colorful diet has completely eliminated my sweet tooth (for the moment.)  I made brownies the other day (my favorite thing) and there they still sit, uneaten and undesired. 
Strangest thing.

Okay, without further ado, let me introduce you to two particularly successful and delicious vegetarian dishes that we lifted from the web and recreated in our kitchen.

Miraculous Spaghetti Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Quiche
The spaghetti squash is the crust!  Genius!

For the crust:

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (2.5lbs)
• 1/2 tsp of thyme
• 1/2 tsp of onion and garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt

For the filling:

• 3 cups of sliced mushrooms (we chose baby bellas, and that turned out to be a good decision)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (hello, onion goggles!)
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed (hello, pizzeria hands for days!)
• 2 cups of kale, chopped and packed
• 2 large eggs  (is anyone else overwhelmed by the amount of egg options there are?  Is it just me?  Is it because in Korea there was one option?  Charcoal fed, tiny, fertilized, brown eggs?  Do they even have that variety in the US???)
• 1 cup egg whites (video fail to follow. . .)
• 1 cup any cheese (or combination) shredded.  
• 2 tsp onion and garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp of dried thyme, divided
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• cooking spray (or butter. . .we used butter)

Directions!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice spaghetti squash in half
3. Line a baking sheet with foil, cook squash face down for 30 minutes.
4. Saute mushrooms until golden brown and set aside.Saute onions and garlic--cook for two minutes
5. Add kale, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper--saute until kale is wilted
6. Transfer to a bowl with the mushrooms

To make the crust!

1. Seed the spaghetti squash, separate the flesh into strands
2. Add to medium bowl along with thyme, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.
3. Combine
4. Transfer to a deep dish 
5. Press evenly on the bottom

On to the rest!

1. Combine eggs with egg whites
2. Whisk for 30 seconds
3. Add cheese, cottage cheese, sauted onions/mushrooms/kale, 1 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of black pepper
4. Mix
5. Pour into crust
6. Bake for 50 minutes
7. Cool for 30 minutes

The big one!

The small cute one!

Aren't they lovely!

Result!

This was exceptionally delicious, I have to say.  And, if you're worried about missing meat, this is something I can recommend!  To me, it tasted like it had sausage in it, a really mild sausage, which is weird because it was so earthy and so yummy and, incidentally, gluten free!

Here's the breakdown:

Prep Time: B- -first chop to first bite, this recipe took about two hours.  Probably not something you could pull off on a work night.

Difficulty: B+ Did take quite a bit of chopping of a lot of different ingredients.  The squash was a little cumbersome, but mostly trying to cut through it while it was raw (I worried for Julie's fingers) and scooping out a hot squash was a little difficult.

Taste: A+  I loved this dish.  It was hearty and earthy and good for my soul.  However, I had very little to do with making this dish as I was busy applying for a job and being stressed out.  So, Julie (the master chef) rates it a solid A- for taste vs effort.

Leftovers: A+ for a veggie-based dish, this reheated very well and was just as delicious as the day before.  We used the oven to reheat, which might have helped preserve it.

Repeat? Jean: "Why do I not have it for dinner right now?"

               Julie: "Fine, it's your turn."

Cost: A This particular squash is not expensive and although there are a lot of ingredients, and the fact that a lot of them are commonly found in the house anyway, I think we spent about $12-$15 on this recipe and we got four hearty meals out of it!  So, that's good in my book!

OVERALL GRADE:   A

Super Fantastic Tex Mex Sweet Potato Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1lb sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 large red bell peppers, diced
• 14 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of corn
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (we diced raw ones. . . I recommend just getting the canned ones)
• 1 Tbsp of cumin, divided
• 1/2 lime-the juice of half a lime
• 1 cup Tex Mex cheese, shredded (we used 1/2 Monterrey Jack and 1/2 extra sharp cheddar.) 
• 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning, divided
• 2 medium avocados (Just slice it into the bowl as needed after you serve.  We just used one per meal.)
• 2 green onions, chopped (we didn't use these)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (we didn't use this either, I hate cilantro.)
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream as you wish) and salsa, for garnish.

Diced red pepper!  Knife skills: over 9000!

Diced tomatoes, knife skill: 0

Julie's finesse is legendary!

How to make!

1. Heat the skillet (or. . .pan) on medium.  
2. Add coconut oil to hot pan-spread with spatula 
3. Add sweet potatoes   

   

   Some orange and some white :-)

4. Add 1/2Tbsp cumin and 1/2 tsp of salt  
5. Cook for 5 minutes
6. Add onion, garlic, bell peppers   

   

   So many colors!  It's like a sunset in that pan!

7. Cook for 3 minutes
8. Add black beans and corn
9. Cook for 2 minutes
10. Add diced tomatoes, remaining cumin, remaining salt, remaining pepper, and taco seasoning.
11. Stir
12. Bring to a boil
13. Reduce heat to low.
14. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft
15. Squeeze lime juice on top
16. Sprinkle with cheese
17. Broil on high for 5 minutes until cheese is golden (we did not do this. . .this step is silly.)
18. Top with avo, green onions, cilantro, and greek yogurt.

Result!  Colorful, tasty result!

Time for grades!!

Prep Time: A Dicing the peppers took half of my life, but I know there are places you can buy those things already diced.  Also, I think I diced them so well a small child wouldn't have known they were there.  Also shredding all the cheese.  But that's also a step you can skip if you choose.  Otherwise, even with several ingredients, things moved right along!

Difficulty: A+ We completed this whole meal while taking general knowledge tests to see if we could become tutors one day!

Taste: A+ I know it wasn't just because we were really hungry that it tasted so good.  It was colorful, flavorful, had so many different textures, and was just an incredible dish.  My only criticism is that it was a little sweet, but that could be remedied by perhaps adding a little spice, or maybe more taco seasoning, or not use coconut oil, maybe.

Leftovers: A+! They reheated well and we had enough to eat two meals each--with a little appetizer size left over!  

Repeat?  Jean: "I feel like we should make it this weekend. . .no one will even notice it's vegetarian."

                Julie: "We will definitely repeat this!"

Expense: B+ In the end it probably cost about $15-$20 (if we don't count the coconut oil.)  We were really lucky to get avocados on a really good sale (Thanks, Publix!) but I think next time we do it we may not be so lucky.  The Greek yogurt was a little expensive, but you could sub it for sour cream.  We have really enjoyed using the Greek yogurt at breakfast though (and also the coconut oil in our coffee!  Greasy, coconutty coffee!)

OVERALL GRADE:  A!!!!

We have not seen the last of this recipe for sure.

What else have we been eating?  Why leftovers, frozen pizza topped with tons of produce, avo on toast, Greek yogurt with berries and bananas with peanut butter, of course.  Trying to keep it as colorful as possible!

What have you been trying?

Bonus: Have you seen that thing where you can remove egg yolks from egg whites by sucking them up through a water bottle?  Well, I tried that.  And it totally worked.  Until I tried to get it on video:

And then the next time it worked.  There was no point in doing it again because the whites were ruined but I had to prove it to myself!

Happy Vegetarian Month!!

Veggie Fruit Fruit!

The name of the game :-)

Today is the day.  Today is the day that we say goodbye to meat, for at least 28 days.

The water challenge went pretty well!  I was thirstier than I have ever been in my life and it was my constant companion.

Oh water, what you have meant to me.  While I was job hunting you gave me plenty of potty breaks.  While I was enjoying a gorgeous day at Magic Kingdom, you gave me a bonus tour of bathrooms in every perfect section of the park.  While I was hanging out at the Scottish Highland Games you exiled me to portable toilets I would have expected at a week-long yard party for frat guys.  You also brightened my skin and made me feel pretty wonderful, so thanks for that.  I'll definitely keep you around, especially the carbonated, fruity version of you.

Now, a new challenger emerges!  Learning how to choose, buy, prepare, and enjoy a whole new set of foods without relying so heavily on meat. . .and snacks. . .and cheese..but there will still be a little cheese.

Today we went to the store to buy our vegetarian starter pack!

So colorful!

Which included, but was not limited to:

• Bananas
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Spaghetti squash
• Avocados
• Brussel Sprouts 
• Shallots
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Arugula 
• Crazy seedy bread
• Greek yogurt
• Peppers
• Kale (cause. . .you have to, I guess?)
• Fresh herbs
• Berries
• Peaches
• Oranges
• Pasta
• Rice
• Oatmeal

We prepared some recipes ahead of time but did not have time to complete any today--that's the plan for tomorrow.  

Tofu is out.  Eggs are in.  I realize that technically they are a by-product of the meat industry, but tofu is not really an option for us right now.  However you want to do it, however seriously, I just don't, for the purpose of this challenge, have an issue with eggs as protein.  

The point of this challenge is to expose yourself to new types of food you otherwise would not have eaten.  It's not to feel PETA guilty about meat or to limit yourself to only cereal and french fries because you couldn't find a way to prepare vegetarian meals on the regular.  I read somewhere that if people substituted regular meals for vegetarian meals two days a week it would reduce emissions more than those same individuals substituting their cars for Prius...es.  So, that's positive.  However, making yourself go broke trying to buy a ludicrous amount of perishable produce is not.

Julie and I have a combined 14 years of vegetarian/vegan experience (most of it hers, all of it to make our fathers angry^^) and we want to take that knowledge and make this fun.  Julie and I also have very little money at this point in our job search so we are also going to do this on the cheap!  That's good news, right?  Fun and cheap!  Let's go!

There is quite a bit of evidence to support that a vegetarian diet promotes a healthier lifestyle.  It claims to help reduce obesity, hypertension, blood pressure, chances of diabetes, and things like that.  That's all good.  But a really good reason to give it a shot for the next 28 days is you will give yourself a chance to have a color pallet on your plate you would not have otherwise--unless that plate were covered in M&M's, and you might just find out you like the flavors of all these colorful things.

So, in your post-Superbowl (go sports!) tummy grumblings tomorrow morning, might I suggest some lovely smashed avocado on toast, or oatmeal with an egg, and join Julie and I for lunch for some amazing looking spaghetti squash quiche--or join us for a well-photographed disaster!  

Either way, should be fun!