BiBimBap

Whew..... We all have been so busy the past week - getting ready for school to start, KB spending nights off, summer cleaning around the house, OH... and I started a new job!!!

We have been cooking at the house though, I just didn't post it. We've had amazing pulled pork sandwiches, beef ravioli with homemade marinara sauce, lamb stew, and a charcuterie, cheese, and toasties platter.... They were all so delish!!

As I've said before, Asian food is my absolute fave cuisine. I like to try new dishes all the time. Earlier this year, Tim and I went to a noodle house in downtown Augusta. Although the service was terrible, the food was good. It was the first time I tried Saki...... aaaaaannnnnndddd it was the last time!!!!!

I did enjoy their BiBimBap though. It was the first time I've had it. I didn't know anything about it or what to expect, but it was great. So I started my research for a good recipe. And then I had to research some of the terms and ingredients.... I knew I would never find some of those things at Kroger - HAHA... I gathered a good list of ingredients that I knew I had already or could easily find.  

The List:
Beef skirt steak, prepared short grain rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, oyster sauce, mirin, sriracha sauce, honey, sliced veggies - mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, lettuce, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, fried egg

First and foremost - the meat and marinade!!!

 Skirt steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic, coriander, and lime juice

I also clipped some lemongrass for the marinade!!!

For this dish, the skirt steak need to be thin sliced against the grain. The pictures below demonstrate this.

On the left, the "grain" is going away from me. I sliced perpendicular to the grain. It's best to freeze the steak for about 30 mins prior to slicing. It helps to make thin, even, and precise cuts.

While the meat was soaking in it's yummy marinade, I chopped my veggies and prepared the gochujang sauce. The recipes all had a varying array of veggies to choose from. I used what I had in the fridge. I also knew I would never be able to find gochujang sauce anywhere but an Asian grocery. So I made my own!!

Mushrooms, onions, peppers, water chestnuts, carrots, and spinach were all sauteed with sesame oil, garlic, and S/P. Cucumbers, lettuce, green onion, and cilantro were added to the final dish as is. And of course, I couldn't find fresh bean sprouts. That would have made a huge difference!!

 I love the colors of fresh veggies!!!

For the gachujang sauce I put mirin, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, and garlic in a small saucepan. I reduced by half to thicken it up.

                  Before                                                                               After

I seared the beef slices in small batches.

Then combined all the beef back together with the marinade and let it baste for about 1 hour.

Now to assemble the bowl - a good serving of rice in the bottom topped with the sauteed and fresh veggies.

 Almost ready!!!!

 The over easy fried egg was the best part!!!

 The final product topped with all the goodies!!!


I was so happy with the results... I am definitely gonna try more.

ENJOY!!!

I Like to Drink..... Alot!!!

OK,OK....... Before you send me to rehab, let me clarify that statement. 

I do like to drink BUT.... I drink all different kinds of beverages, not only adult. 

My "liquid addiction" starts early in the am and doesn't stop until I go to bed. There are several different phases throughout the day, and some can intermingle.. I know this sounds confusing, so let me explain my day in drinks..

8am:

 I always start my day with coffee. No matter what!?! It's "liquid gold" in my life. Even KB knows not to engage me until I've had at least half a cup. I set the timer to brew about 20 mins before I get up. That way the lovely aroma can entice and coax me out of bed (we all know I'm NOT a morning person). I take my coffee with a bit of flavored creamer, doesn't matter what brand or flavor. While I have my preferences, there's only been 1 flavor I just could not handle - it's has since been discontinued.
Hmmmmm, I wonder why - yuck!!

Anyway, I usually use a breakfast or morning blend coffee. It's medium blend - not too strong, not too sissy! When I feel a lil fancy I'll make Chai Coffee. It's a really good way to spice up regular coffee. After a good 2-3 cups, I'm ready to conquer the day!!!

My fave mug with KB's drawing.

10am:

Mid-morning starts what I call "Operation Rehydrate"..... Water is being consumed at a high rate to counterattack the coffee and the adult beverage from the night before :)  Plain, filtered water with lots of ice in my big Tervis cup with a straw.... Why yes, I am a creature of habit... how can you tell???? If we have errands to run, I bring that cup with me. Again if I'm feeling a lil fancy or I'm bored with plain water, I'll add a slice of lime. But all the new rage is flavored water - so I jumped on the bandwagon with just a few of my faves - Lemon Lavender Water, Apple cider vinegar with honey water(apple-cider-vinegar), or a berry and mint water(homemade-flavored-water-roundup). 

12 noon - 5pm:
Because I usually eat lunch at home, I'm still in "operation rehydrate" with water. If we go out for lunch, Tim and I may get a beer (or 2); but I always order water. I never drink sweet tea - which is sacrilegious living in the South!!! While it's not that often, if I have a soft drink, it's always Coke Zero or at least diet. I grew up on Diet Coke. My Mom drank it all the time. I've never liked or drank regular Coke. By the late afternoon I've slowed down on the water. I usually get busy with KB or stuff around the house.


6pm:
Now the evening time is a whole 'nother story...... I am so not ashamed to admit I enjoy at least 1 adult beverage everyday. I call them adult beverages, not alcoholic!!! I also say adult beverage store, not liquor store. It just sounds classier, more refined, and I feel like it suits me better!!!

HAHAHA...... just kidding!!
I just don't want to sound like a "wino"....

My choice for adult beverage is beer or wine. I love all kinds of beer - light, porter, stout, lager, etc... One item on my bucket list is to try a new beer once a week for a whole year. With all the new local and home breweries, it really wouldn't be that hard.  My faves and in my fridge right now are Rolling Rock, Bud Light Platinum, Yeungling, and Corona Light. I take a splash of lime juice(this kind only) with my Rock and Corona. And I always use a coozie!!! again... creature of habit :/

Wine is something I'm slowly getting into. I've been a lil scared to experiment with wines. Before I met Tim, I only drank whites. He introduced me to reds, now that's all I drink. As I've said before, we usually go for a nice Shiraz or a red table wine. I've never liked the sweet stuff or the really bitter variety. I think that's why we like wine tastings so much. It's a great way to try before you buy!! It doesn't hurt anyone's feelings if you don't like it. Everyone has their preference and opinion.

I'm a big baby when it comes to hard liquor. I prefer to make drinks at home because I don't like them too strong. With that being said.... I do have my preferences!!! I like Grey Goose vodka, Captain Morgan Black, Fireball cinnamon whiskey, and Camarena tequila. Goose for my dirty martinis and cranberry juice; Captain with Coke Zero; Fireball with a splash of Coke Zero; and Camarena for our fresh, homemade margaritas. I recently experimented with mojitos but they were not good :(

I have beer or wine while I'm cooking or with dinner. The liquor drinks are usually for after dinner. I take a glass of water to sit on my bedside table when I go to bed. I'm telling you - it doesn't stop!!!

 On my front porch with my Yuengling


Now I hope I've explained it well enough when I say "I like to drink....alot"  you'll know what I mean!!! Check out the recipe section to find more great drink ideas....

ENJOY!!!

Southern Cooking at its Best

First of all... I love fresh, locally grown produce, handmade crafts, and other locally resourced goods. 

So as soon as I was able to, I visited the Saturday Market in downtown Augusta. I was impressed by how much it has grown since last year and by the caliber of vendors this year. I went there looking for specific items and was lucky enough to find them.

My spoils from the market....
 Green tomatoes (toms), local honey, chocolate mint, lemongrass, 3 pairs of earrings, a bracelet for me and a bracelet for KB.
(I LOVE jewelry!!!)

So I started on my menu for that evening's dinner.

Of course the green toms had to be fried, and I had already picked up some Mahi-Mahi filets. I love a combination of sweet vs. spicy. It's one of my favorite flavor combos. After doing some research on Pinterest (I also LOVE Pinterest!!!) I had my menu completed.

Honey Cajun Mahi-Mahi, fried green toms, spicy remoulade sauce, and "clean out the fridge" salsa!!

I was so excited. Tim had been on call (and worked) the entire weekend. He deserved a great meal, and I wanted to show off a little.

I started the assembly process for the green toms, chopped my veggies for the salsa, seasoned the Mahi, and whipped up the remoulade.

I fry veggies/meat in a traditional Southern method - flour dusting, egg wash, breadcrumbs, hot oil...

I also prefer a good crisp!!!

I seasoned the filets with Tony Catcher's Cajun seasoning. It's my "go to" along with Nature's Seasoning.

Isn't that bubbling honey beautiful??

"clean out the fridge" salsa is something I've done to use up leftovers in the fridge. I also do it with hot and cold pasta, rice and casseroles. For this salsa I had cooked fresh corn (sliced off the cob), raw snow peas, red toms, yellow pepper, cucumber, and jalepeno. A little salt and pepper (S/P) and fresh squeezed lime juice and it was done...... Easy, right??

The finished product!!!

I can always tell when Tim enjoys my cooking/food/menu. He does this "mmmm" "mmmm" "mmmm" sound every other bite!! It makes me feel good knowing I can make something so beautiful and taste so good.

Enjoy!!!