Date and Ginseng Tea

It's finally fall here in Minnesota which means I am in full out Tea drinking mode.  Korea has some great teas and last year I tried my had at making one.  I would classify it as a semi success.  This recipe was a semi success because it was a labor intensive recipe and took forever to prep, it tasted ok but at the end of the day I don't think it was worth the time.  That being said had I used pitted dates (instead of doing ti myself) and owned a food processor (I used a immersion blender that gunked up something awful)  I think it would be worth it to try again. 

This Recipe comes straight from Maangchi she has a lovely video on how to make this tea as well as a second recipe.  I think the next time I try this I will try the traditional method.  I suggest going to Maanchi's site to view the video and use her recipe but I will write out what I did below... so you know what not to do ;)

Here is what you will need:

1/2 pound of Dried (pitted) dates that have been washed and patted dried and sliced

   *These are different that the dried dates you can get at most grocery stores, you will want to go to the Korean market to buy these.  Look for/ask for jujube's, if you can't find the pitted kind go and check out Maangchi's recipe for the traditional tea (trust me)

2 Ginseng roots with the tops removed (supposedly if the top of the ginseng root isn't removed it can give you a fever. My mother-in-law frantically called me after sending the hubby and I fresh roots because she was worried that I would make us both sick.  Lucky I had already removed the tops)

1/2 cup Honey

How to Make It:

Cut the dates and Ginseng into small pieces and grind into a paste (do not use an immersion blender) using a food processor.

Mix in 1/2 cup of honey and place mixture into jars.

The tea keeps up to a month when refrigerated. 

Add 1-2 Tablespoons to a 12oz cup of boiling water stir and enjoy!

Kimchi Fried Rice

Looking for a quick weeknight dinner?  Look no further this Kimchi fried rice is a great way to use up any leftover rice you may have from dishes earlier in the week (or you can use fresh rice)
This dish reminds me of my first few weeks in Korea when I was taken out to a little hole in the wall place and treated to a big skillet of fried rice.  It was sooo good.  Since then I have been trying to replicate the dish.  This recipe comes quite close.
I think this is the prefect dish for someone wanting to try Korean food for the 1st time because it is so easy and really carries all the quintessential Korean flavors.

You will need:

1-2 Chicken Brest cubed

1 Carrot finely chopped

¼ of a small head of Cabbage sliced

2-3 servings of Rice

½- ¾ cup of chopped Kimchi

1 TBSP butter

Prep all iningredientsnd in a large skillet melt 1 TBSP of butter over medium high heat. 

Add chicken to the pan and sear the outside 1-2 min.

      Add Kimchi and carrots and sauté for 3 min.

Add Cabbage and sauté till cooked down and semi soft.

Finally mixed in cooked rice (if you are using old rice warm it up a bit before adding to pan.)

If you want a crispy bottom to your rice spread it evenly around your pan and turn heat up to high and let it sit for 2 min (keep a close eye on the rice you want it crunchy and brown, not burnt)

*Extra Stuff: This dish is a great way to use up the last bit of kimchi in your kimchi jar.  Onions and garlic are also a great addition to this dish. 

*Serving Suggestions: I always serve this with pickled radish and some extra kimchi and a nice cold glass of cider(sprite or 7up)

Hope you all enjoy!