Doenjang jjigae (Korean Soybean Stew)

Store-bought Doenjang and Gochujang

Korean hot pepper - gochu 

home-made Doenjang

tofu

Ingredients:

• 2 Zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced (Baby Bella, Enoki, King Oyster, Oyster)
• 3 - 4 tbsp Doenjang paste 
• 1 tbsp Gochujang paste 
• Korean pepper (gochu), sliced
• tofu (medium or firm)
• green onions, chopped, 2 stalks
• 3 cups of water

Method:

1. In a medium pot on high heat, add zucchini and mushrooms to 3 cups of water. Once boiled, cook for 8-10 minutes.
2. Then turn heat to medium, add Doenjang and Gochujang pastes along with gochu and tofu (add as many pieces of tofu as you would like).  Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Turn heat up to high and add green onions.  Once it boils, stew is ready to be served. Enjoy!

Notes:

• For the sake of authenticity, buy the korean products (Doenjang, Gochujang, gochu, tofu) at a korean/asian grocery store.  
• Ann Arbor: We like shopping at: Galleria Market and Manna
• Troy, MI: E-Mart Asian Grocery   
• Germantown, MD: Lotte Plaza
• Grand Rapids, MI: Lee's Oriental Market and Asian Delight Market Place

Zucchini Potato Cakes

adapted from The Yellow House

Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 medium zucchini, grated 
• 1-2 carrots, grated
• 1 yellow squash, grated
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup chives, chopped
• zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, pounded to a paste
• sea salt

Method:

1. In a large pot, bring the cubed potatoes to a boil.  Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until very tender, 20 minutes.
2. Remove potatoes from heat and drain.  Mash with potato masher (I used a rice scooper).  Salt to taste (optional). If the mixture is crumbly, add a little water and mix it in.
3. Using your hands or a cheese cloth, squeeze the extra water out of the zucchini, squash, and carrots.
4. In another bowl, mix parsley, chives, lemon zest, zucchini, squash, carrots, olive oil, and garlic.  Add a pinch of sea salt.  Add this mixture to the potatoes.  
5. Form circular patties from the mixture and put onto a baking sheet and place in the refridgerator.  Allow to chill for 40 to 60 minutes.
6. On medium high heat, put enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  When the oil shimmers, add potato cakes.  Cook each side for 3-4 minutes (flip once only). Then transfer to plate.
7. Repeat directions for the rest of the cakes, adding more oil as needed.  
8. Serve and Enjoy!

Note:

• We make a dipping sauce instead of serving with lemon wedges. 
•  Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce or gochugaru, and a pinch of sesame seeds.

Vegetable Lasagna

Serves 6-8

basil

Delicious!

 Ingredients:

• Fat free ricotta cheese (Miceli's brand is amazing!)
• 2 tubs of (3 cheese blend parmesan - 365 brand Whole Foods)
• 1-2 jars of pasta sauce (Rao's homemade brand is my favorite)
• 1 yellow squash, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• lasagna pasta sheets (fresh)
• extra virgin olive oil
• basil (hand-torn)

Method:

1. Use your biggest pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the sweet onion, zucchini and yellow squash for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften.
2. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a bowl, mix the fat free ricotta cheese with the parmesan.  Save a handful of parmesan for later, as topping.
4. Layer in pyrex pan as follows:  pasta sauce, fresh pasta sheet, cheese blend, cooked vegetables.  Repeat 2 to 3 times as ingredients allow.  On the final layer, place hand torn basil on top of the cheese blend before putting down final layer of vegetables and sheet pasta.
5. Bake in Oven for 40 minutes.  Then take out of the oven and sprinkle a handful of parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Enjoy with homemade garlic bread!

Garlic Bread

1. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top of any fresh bread (we like french baguette).
2. Bake for 350 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
3. Using a fresh peeled garlic clove, rub onto bread.  Then spread some vegan butter on top and enjoy!