Monthly Archives: September 2015

Korean Inspired Leek Salad Recipe

Korean Leeks

Korean Inspired Leek Salad

I got these awesome Korean Leeks from my local Asian Market.

Korean Leeks

Korean Leeks

Last time I picked these leeks up I made whole wheat Korean Leek & zucchini pancakes that came out really well but this time I thought I’d make something different. It turns out that this salad came out FORKING Delicious. I’m beginning to think anything with gochujang can turn anything delicious. This salad is light, slightly sweet and not too spicy with a tasty mild veggie  garlic onion flavor.

I googled Korean Leek recipe and came across something called Seasoned Ramps (Dalae) Recipe by Naomi Imatome-Yun who is a Korean Food Expert. I sort of followed her recipe as a guild but didn’t have all the ingredients and made very slight changes for my taste. I am also assuming that kochujang and gochujang are the same because she used kochujang (a Korean Pepper paste made with rice flour) and I used gochujang that also is described as the same.  I also dropped the addition of salt, pinenuts and substituted Korean shredded red pepper for Korean Kochukaru pepper that I didn’t have. I also winged the proportions since it started out way different.

Other changes that I made were cutting the Korean Leeks in small bite size pieces instead of one inch cuts.

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Ingredients

1 Korean Leek (mine made around 4 cups)

2 Tablespoons gochujang

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 apple sliced up

big pinch Korean shredded red pepper

Directions

Clean and smash the bulb end of Korean leek to release flavor.

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Cut into bite size pieces and soak in a water filled bowl to release any dirt that remains.

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In another bowl mix up the gochujang, sesame oil, rice wine and vinegar. Set to side.

Toast your sesame seeds in either a pan, the oven or just microwave toast them 30 seconds at a time till done. (they take about 1 1/2 minutes this way)

Now pull out your leeks to drain. Throw out the water and put leeks back in bowl. Slice up your apple and add that bowl

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to your dressing bowl and mix. Lastly mix in your toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.

Korean Inspired Leek Salad

Korean Inspired Leek Salad

I also found this salad is delicious with cooked chicken. Just heat up your chicken in this salad with a little chicken broth or water and it’s just delicious.

It's GOOD and that's The Forking Truth

It’s GOOD and that’s The Forking Truth

 

 

Falafel Inspired Paprika Carrot & Chickpea Baked Vegetarian Balls Recipe

Falafel Inspired Paprika Carrot & Chickpea Vegetarian Baked Patties

Falafel Inspired Paprika Carrot & Chickpea Baked Vegetarian Balls

I was inspired to put these flavors together when I remembered one of the best lunches I ever had at the now closed Centurion Restaurant that was located in down town Phoenix AZ. My three course $15.00 lunch included this paprika parmesan hummus that went so delicious with carrots. It came with other vegetables but sort of popped with the carrots so I put together similar flavors in a baked vegetarian balls.

Paprika Parmesan Hummus Plate from Centurion Phoenix AZ

Paprika Parmesan Hummus Plate from Centurion Phoenix AZ

A true falafel is fried and made with dried chickpeas so this patty is falafel inspired. I will call it a falafel anyway. This falafel isn’t going to win a prize for crispiest or fluffiest falafel and is more meatball like in texture with flavors are spot on. This is a very easy delicious recipe that anyone can prepare.

Ingredients to make about 19 meatball sized balls that are about 9 servings set oven to 350 degrees

2 carrots shredded

1 15oz. can garbanzo beans low sodium variety rinsed a few times (because they are very close to fresh made and are better than the dried out old ones from my local grocery store)

1/2 large sweet onion grated

3 garlic cloves grated

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 beaten large eggs

1 Tablespoon tahini

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (fruity mildly spicy red pepper)

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 Tablespoon honey

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

fresh ground sea salt for finishing

fresh ground black pepper for finishing

nonstick spray for your baking sheet

Directions

Using a blender blend up your eggs and slowly add your chickpeas. Once blended then add onions, garlic, tahini, honey and dry spices. Scrape out mixture to a bowl. Hand mix in your carrots, now hand mix in your flours and baking powder. Mix in your parsley. Spray your baking sheet with nonstick spray and shape the mixture into meatball size balls somewhere around a walnut size. Bake about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

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 It's Great and that's The Forking Truth

It’s Great and that’s The Forking Truth