Korean scallion and egg fried rice (bokkeum bap)

We had a craving for a mildly seasoned fried rice, so we tried this: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/egg-fried-rice-gyeran-bokkeumbap/ We found this recipe simple to make and delicious. It was reminiscent of chaufa blanco, a Chinese-Peruvian fried rice tossed with egg white, asparagus, and toasted sesame oil. Our only modification was to add 1/2 cup frozen peas. This was…… Continue reading Korean scallion and egg fried rice (bokkeum bap)

Japanese curry with cabbage and thinly sliced beef

We stumbled upon this version of Japanese curry, and it was delicious: https://www.japanesecooking101.com/pork-and-cabbage-curry/ Our modifications: first, instead of 12 oz thinly sliced pork, we used 10 oz thinly sliced beef. Second, we used less than 1/2 head of a small cabbage – probably closer 1/3 head. Third, we used 1/2 package of S&B hot curry…… Continue reading Japanese curry with cabbage and thinly sliced beef

Kimchi fried rice, version 2

We made this recipe based on pantry ingredients: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018097-kimchi-fried-rice?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share Our modifications: first, we used whole radish kimchi (chonggak kimchi), which we diced. Second, we omitted meat from this version. Finally, at the end of cooking we garnished with chili crisp (house made by Hanabi Ramen). (Aug. 2025) Note: Another time, we browned diced spam (approx.…… Continue reading Kimchi fried rice, version 2

Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style

In our household, we routinely freeze extra pieces of raw chicken, including bits of fat and skin (e.g., chicken backs leftover from packages of chicken quarters). Today we made chicken soup from frozen, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (3 wings, 1 chicken thigh, 2 drumsticks, 3 chicken backs and leftover fat / skin trimmings); carrots, celery,…… Continue reading Matzoh ball soup from frozen chicken, pressure cooker style

SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

My husband and I had a craving for Hamburger Helper from our childhood, but we wanted to make a healthier, scratch version. We tried this SkinnyTaste recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/. Our modifications: first, instead of beef, we used 3/4 lb of minced turkey and 1/4 tsp Kashmiri low-heat ground pepper (instead of paprika). We also sopped up…… Continue reading SkinnyTaste’s Hamburger Helper with minced turkey

Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard

We had an extra bunch of Swiss chard, and we decided to try this recipe for the leaves (no stems): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026680-japanese-curry-with-chicken-meatballs?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was a delicious dish, with an unexpected combination of sweet potatoes and greens that worked well. Our modifications: first, for the meatball mixture, we followed reader suggestions to increase the panko from 1/2…… Continue reading Japanese curry with chicken meatballs, sweet potato, and Swiss chard

Chicken broccoli rice casserole

Craving homestyle comfort food, we tried this recipe: https://www.recipetineats.com/one-pot-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/ We found this recipe especially appealing because it calls for a roux with flour and milk, rather than canned soup. Our modifications: first, because my husband prefers white meat, we used 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 pieces) instead of thigh, and we diced it…… Continue reading Chicken broccoli rice casserole

Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)

We threw together this dish on a whim, drawing from multiple sources and utilizing our pantry. First, we made jasmine rice in our rice cooker, enough to yield 3 cups cooked rice. Second, using a large nonstick pan, we heated 2 Tbsp unsalted butter on medium and then added 1.5 cups kimchi (reserving kimchi liquid).…… Continue reading Kimchi fried rice with omelette (omurice)