Dynamite!... Part 1: Spicy Baked Mussels

This is a recipe I love to make. Its simple, but... it isn't something I would recommend eating all the time. But it goes great with rice, or just as a simple "happi"tizer. =P

I have another recipe for "Dynamite," but that's for next time. But today, I have Dynamite: Baked Mussels. I want to thank my friend, THARY!!! for this recipe. It was yummy, and thanks for teaching me how to make it. Sankyu, Supermodel! (^.^)o ~♥ You are love.

So what is Dynamite? Well... Explosion? Lol! But seriously, I think the name comes from the spiciness the dish has. I'm not sure the origin of the dish, but most likely a Japanese/Asian American recipe. Srirachi (the most recognized Asian "tabasco" brand) and mayonnaise... but no, not just any mayonnaise will do. No sir~ you need Kewpie Mayo. What? That's right! Kewpie Mayo <- click the link if you have never seen it before. What's the difference between this mayo and regular mayo? Kewpie has a sweeter taste, as to regular mayo like Best Foods or Miracle Whip has a tangy taste. Only difference. But you can find the hot sauce at any Asian supermarket (and I think mainstream supermarkets like Safeway carries it now). Kewpie mayo can be a little difficult, I tried my local Chinese/Vietnamese-based supermarket and they didn't have it. But then I went to my local Japanese-based and Korean-based supermarkets, and they have it. So don't despair if you can't find it in one place, try another. If you really can't find it... buy online? Or just try using regular mayo (I never tried it though, because I only have Kewpie in my fridge).

I changed the recipe ever so slightly by adding small bay scallops (click for little picture and description from Pike Place Fish Market), and lots of Tobiko (way smaller than ikura, way bigger than masago. Read this quick wiki for more detail and images). You can have both Tobiko and Masago in the recipe, it just adds different depth of crunch that tiny fish eggs gives when you munch into them.

*My color chart of Sriracha to Mayo mix Spicy level:

Light peach = more mayo than Sriracha -> Not spicy

Peach = little more Sriracha than mayo -> not spicy but has a light Sriracha taste 

Peachy-salmon = bit more Sriracha than mayo -> a good kick of heat

Orangy-pink/beyond = More Sriracha than mayo -> Spicy!

Don't that just look awesomely delicious? "Happ"itizer!

Ingredients:

2 dozen mussels on a half-shell (New Zeland green lips are the best)

1/2 - 1 cup bay scallops (optional)

1 tbsp milk (my friend used milk, some recipes says half and half, but I used heavy cream. All works same.)

1 pinch hon dashi (Dashi "MSG" pellets (my opinion of course)! Curious? Read at Kobi's Kitchen.)

3/4 cup Kewpie mayo

1/4 cup Tobiko (remember to reserve some to garnish)

Sriracha (add enough to your own taste)

How-To:

- Clean mussles, and wash bay scallops. Drain to dry. Cut scallops in half or quarter.

- In a bowl, add milk/cream and hon dashi. Mix to dissolve the pellets.

- Add mayo. Mix to incorporate into the milk/hon dashi mix.

- Add as much Sriracha as you like. *(See my color chart of spicy above) Mix. 

- Add some Tobiko, and add some scallops (if using). Mix.

- Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.

- Line a pan with aluminum foil, top each clean mussel with some mayo-scallop mix, and sprinkle some more tobiko.

- Place mussel-filled pan into the oven, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes depending on oven (or until scallops are cooked... if using scallops of course).

- Make sure you rotate the pan of mussels every 5 minutes for even cooking.

- After 15 - 20 minutes are up, take out of oven and enjoy!

Hella good, I say. This is a must try, because there is so little ingredients needed and so simple to put together. Please enjoy guys! d(^_^)b

Lazy day? Shepherd/Cottage Pie!

Hello! To make up for the many absent posts, here is a new one!

First time I had Shepherd/Cottage pie was Freshmen year of college in SFSU. The special every Friday, and it was worth the amusement park line wait. Then the next time I had it was when my friend made, as he calls it "Cowboy Pie" because he used beef. Since then, I always wanted to make it... and became curious about what Shepherd Pie was. I tried the recipe from Simple Recipes. It really is easy. And if you are cut for time, semi-home make it. Here, I cut the work by buying the mash potato. It still works, but if you are really all for making it from scratch, follow the recipe from Simple Recipes (as linked in the pervious sentences). I think I've made this dish a good 5 to 6 times now, and each time my family requests for more veggies. I use frozen veggies like peas, carrots, and corn. You can simply find this mix in the freezer section of your supermarket. It came to point where I ended up using a bag and a half of frozen veggies in the dish. Interesting thing is that all that veggies made the dish little moister and had that veggie sweetness. I added some tomato paste for that little hint of tomato acidy. The recipe didn't call for it, but what to do with some leftover tomato paste from Mom's spaghetti sauce?

Little tid-bit: Shepherd Pie uses ground lamb. Cottage Pie (aka: Cowboy Pie) uses ground beef. But both are topped and broiled with mashed potato.

I know it is Summer right now, but it is such a good dish to keep in mind when Autumn and Winter rolls around. My family likes it since I first made it, and it is so filling. Seriously, it is really filling because of the potato. Haha!

Potato and meat... so simple, so good~

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (I used 97/3 for a leaner, healthier option)

1 - 2 tub pre-made mashed potato (I've used Country Crocker)

1/2 - 1 bag frozen vegetable mix

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 onion (chopped)

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup beef broth (Optional: I used it first, but ended up nixing it)

1 - 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)

1/2 - 1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

salt (optional / to taste)

How-To:

- Heat mashed potato as directed on package.

- In a large pan, heat with some oil. Brown garlic. Cook onion until translucent.

- Add beef, and cook throughly. Break the ground beef into chunks with your spatula.

- Add frozen veggie mix of your choice.

- Give the pan a good mix.

- Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Mix well to get the tomato paste dissolved.

- Add some cracked pepper.

- If the meat looks a little dry, add a little more beef broth.

- Sprinkle with salt to taste.

- In a casserole pan, spread the beef-veggie mix into a nice layer. Top with the pre-made mash potato into an fairly even layer. Make little spikes on the potato so when browning in the broiler it looks pretty.

- Turn on the broiler, and place the casserole pan in.

- Make sure you're watching the browning, because some broilers are shallow and can brown foods faster. So watch out. Not all broilers are made the same. I've learned.

That's it! Easy yeah? Hope you guys like it! Good luck and enjoy!!!!!!!!! (^0^)/

Long Overdue: Soon Doobu! (without the hot stone pot)

Hey everyone! I'm sooooooo~ sorry! I've been 1) lazy, 2) lost internet around at home, 3) micro SD reader died, and 4) just got a new one and is bumming internet connection at my uncle's house. Loving my new USB reader... cuz 1) its pink, and 2) IT ACTUALLY  WORKS!... Not bad for $2 from Ichiban Kan. XD 

Anyways... ON TO THE FOOD!!!!! (o > Д<)⊃

So as I had promised, Soon Doobu (Spicy Tofu Stew/Soup)! Story? Ummm... Okay~? *Thinks*... My mom and I are the only ones who eat it when we get a stone pot of it at Korean BBQ places. The only time we eat spicy tofu soup is when we go to K-BBQ... and it was only a treat. And how often do we eat K-BBQ? Once or twice a year for special occasions, and sometimes never! So! I was like "Mom! I'm going to learn how to make Korean tofu soup... you know, the spicy one from the BBQ places." My mom was so happy... then again, she's happy whenever I say I'm going to make food. 

I make this often when I first learned it... now... not so much. I don't want to get bored of it, ya know? I love spicy tofu stew/soup. I know its summer right now, and who in their right mind would be eating hot soup now? Well, Winter is only around the corner, and being that it is San Francisco... anytime is a good time for a bowl of hot/warm soup. But definitely great for Winter... especially a rainy Winter. A big hot bowl of spicy red broth, little bits of broken up tofu, chunks of veggies, a nibble of meat and seafood.... oh yum~! I learned the recipe from Maangchi, but altered the veggies to match the ones I eat from the BBQ places. Little more steps, a little longer to make, but it is well worth it if you love this soup/stew as much as my family and I do. Bit of caution though... do a little research before making. According to Maangchi (and I highly suggest reading her blog on hot pepper flakes), there is 2 types of hot pepper flakes: Maewoon Gochu Gaaroo (very hot) and Deol Maewoon Gochu Gaaroo (less spicy). Personally, I used the brand Wang in Maewoon. And according to Maangchi, there is a ranking of spiciness in tablespoon-form (keep this in mind for later)... it goes like this:

Pepper Flake Table of Spiciness

2 tbsp = mild

3 tbsp = medium

4 tbsp = hot

5 tbsp = SUICIDE!  Σ(;>Д<;;)o

Personally, I go beyond 5 tbsp, about 7 tbsp... and it isn't so suicidal at all. Then again, my family likes spicy food. So experiment how hot your tongue can take, just don't start off with 5 tbsp right off the bat when making this. ALSO, I don't use the screaming hot stone pot what this dish is normally cooked in. I just use regular everyday pots. But use a pretty big pot for Pot #2: Everything Else. My recipe has lots of stuff in it and can overflow easily. But just be careful. (^-^)

Really wish I made the shot look better, but this was the best I could get while holding my family (whom were getting snappy) back from devouring it as soon as the pot got to the table.

Ingredients:

stock:

12 dried anchovies, "gutted" (check Maangchi for how anchovies look like and to "gut" is to remove the belly and dark nub in the cavity)

1/3 cup dried kelp (soak off excess salt in warm water)

1/2 onion

5 cloves garlic

3 caps large dried shitake or 6-7 caps small dried shitake (partially rehydrated)

everything else:

2-3 large zucchinis, washed, peeled (optional), and cubed

1 stalk large leek, washed (to get out the sand) and chopped

1/2-1 medium onion, diced (optional, but I added it for more stuff to eat)

1-2 jars medium oysters (optional, or you can use other types of seafood)

1/4 pounds (or less) beef, cut into bite size strips or pieces (I use flank steak, cut on a bias)

2-4 tubes tofu (Unfamiliar with tofu in a tube? Click the link from My Korean Kitchen for image, or substitute with regular silken tofu)

2-5 tbsp Korean hot pepper flakes (I used the brand Wang: Maewoon Gochu Gaaroo)

2 tbsp fish sauce

salt (to taste/optional)

egg (optional to crack into your soup)

How-To:

Pot #1: stock

- In a cheese cloth bag, add gutted anchovies and kelp.

- In a medium pot filled with water (about 5-6 cups worth), add cheese cloth bag, onion, garlic, and dried shitakes.

- Boil on high heat for 10 minutes.

- After 10 minutes, lower heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes. (Tip: half-cover pot with lid to prevent boiling over)

- After 20 minutes, fish out shitake to let cool for handling and chop into pieces, and set aside pot of stock.

Pot #2: everything else

- In a large pot (and I mean LARGE), add a touch of oil (or sesame oil for a punch of flavor), and cook beef.

- Add shitake, leek, zucchini, and onion. Stir ingredients to brown a little.

- Add hot pepper flakes. Stir to coat everything... it should look like a bit mass of red blobs.

- Ladle in 2-3 scoops of stock. CAUTION FOR SIZZLING! Once sizzling dies down, ladle in the rest of the stock into the pot or as much that the pot can take (REMEMBER TO LEAVE ROOM FOR MORE INGREDIENTS AND TOFU!). Stir so everything is bathing in the brothy goodness.

- Add the oysters or seafood.

- Add fish sauce.

- Give a little stir. (Be gentle if using oysters, don't want to break them.)

- Add tubes of tofu into pot. Gently break tofu with ladle or spatula (whatever you're using to stir the pot). It okay if some tofu pieces are bigger and some smaller.

- Let boil a bit, so the flavors can marry and be yummy.

- Give it a taste, and add a touch of salt if needed.

- Serve in a bowl with raw egg, or eat as it plain!

Whoo~ that's a lot right? But its so good. If you want more heat in your food and the hot pepper flakes just isn't cutting it, add a few slices of fresh jalapẽnos before or after adding tofu. I hope you all will try this recipe! Please enjoy! o(^-^)o