Sesame Chicken

Today’s recipe is a guilty pleasure treat. Chinese food! I really enjoy getting sesame chicken when back home in Canada, but it’s a lot harder to find in Korea, although not impossible. There are a few places that have popped up this year in Seoul. Both Panda Express and P.F. Changs now have locations in the city if you’re looking for a quick fix. However, if you’ve got an oven or toaster oven then try out this delicious recipe below.

Sesame Chicken
Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 ̊F or 160 ̊C. Cut the chicken breasts into one inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch to the chicken and stir until all the pieces are well coated. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together with a fork. Dip the coated chicken pieces into the eggs. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok, over medium high heat. Cook the chicken pieces until browned. Place the chicken in a greased baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine both vinegars, sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder and ketchup. Wisk until well mixed. Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 45 minutes. Stir the chicken every 15 minutes. Serve over white rice and broccoli. 

Fish Tacos

The Simmering Seoulmate and I have been eating a lot of Mexican food lately. We only have one month left in Korea and we are trying to hit up all of our favourite spots. We have been to Coreanos, Gusto Taco, and Vatos over the past couple of weeks.

Vatos was a big favourite of ours about three years ago when we first lived in Seoul, back when it was at its small back ally location. We enjoyed munching on Kimchi Carnitas Fries and sipping on margaritas, while hanging out with friends. Over these past three years, many Mexican fusion restaurants have popped up all over the city and we’ve sort of forgotten about Vatos because we’ve found a few other places we prefer. This past month, we ventured back to Vatos and it has become a new favourite again, so we’re glad we went back.

Fish tacos are something we’ve tried at several of the restaurants, but both of us enjoy the Vatos ones the best. The fish to taco ratio is perfect and the fish is moist with a crunchy batter. We decided to try and make our own fish tacos and they turned out fantastic! Check out the recipe below and enjoy!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients 8 tortilla shells cherry tomatoes purple cabbage red onion lettuce

Fish 2 tilapia fillets 1/2 cup flour 3/4 soda water 1/2 tbsp cornstarch salt to taste

Sauce 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp dried dill

Directions

For the slaw topping, chop about one cup of red cabbage and place in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and stir until well mixed. Spoon two tablespoons of the sauce into the cabbage and mix. (Keep the rest of your sauce for another dinner. It pairs well served over both chicken and fish.) Set slaw aside. Chop and prep the rest of your desired toppings and set aside, as these tacos should be served immediately. For the fish, cut each tilapia fillet into four equal strips. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour the soda water into the dry ingredients and stir gently. Heat a large pan with an inch of canola oil, over medium high heat.  Dip your fish pieces into the batter and fry in pan, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on a dish lined with paper towel. Build your tacos and serve immediately!

Makes 8 fish tacos.

Check out my chicken taco recipe here!

Potato Latkes

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I spent my vacation in Phuket, Thailand and had a fantastic time. I’ve decided that I love Thai food and I’m going to attempt to make some of my own at home, using spice packets I picked up at the airport on my way back to Seoul.

I’ve only got a few months left in Korea before I move back to Canada for good and the week that followed Christmas was a whirlwind of craziness. I decided to relax this weekend, so I made something that I’d been craving; Potato latkes. These delightful fried potato pancakes have been a favourite side dish of mine since I was a young girl. I remember my mom making them for dinner and me eating several of them!

We ate them for lunch, but they make a great side dish to any main course. Give them a try or let me know below how you like to make these delicious potato treats!

Potato Latkes

Ingredients
4 medium potatoes peeled 1/2 onion fined diced
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
vegetable oil

Directions
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and place about a tablespoon of oil in the pan and cook onions until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Grate the potatoes with a cheese grater into a medium bowl. Place the grated potatoes in a tea towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. Place them back into the bowl and add in flour, onions, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the egg yolk and stir until all ingredients are combined.

In a large skillet, heat about an inch of vegetable oil over medium heat. Take about two tablespoons of the potato mixture and press flat into the hot skillet.  Cook for about two minutes or until they edges appear brown. Flip and cook for another two minutes. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.

Makes about 12 – 15 medium latkes.