amazing spicy tuna (for crispy rice, rolls and bowls!)

i'm a fan of good spicy tuna...sushi gen's spicy tuna, crispy rice at katsuya and definitely the spicy tuna bowl at teriyaki me in glendale (i miss teriyaki me!).  i feel like a lot of places make their spicy tuna too spicy so you can't taste the tuna or it's just really bland.  after experimenting and trying all sorts of variations of spicy tuna at home, here is a tried and true recipe for the best spicy tuna you'll ever have!

ingredients:

- 1 pound sashimi grade tuna

- 2 teaspoon mayo

- 2-3 teaspoon asian chili paste/sauce (ie: sriracha. i recommend the chili garlic sauce with the green cap and rooster)

- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (ie: japanese rayu)

- dash of soy sauce

- 4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon smelt roe *optional

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil *optional

-  lemon *optional

- rice and nori (for rolls or handrolls; see below)

- 4 tablespoons of butter and rice (for crispy rice; see below)

directions:

- mix the mayo, 2 teaspoon chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sliced green onion and sesame oil in a bowl.  taste the sauce.  if you want it spicier, add another teaspoon of chili paste

- dice the tuna into small pieces; add the tuna to the bowl with the sauce

- mix carefully. add a spritz of lemon if you want to add some acidity to the taste.  refrigerate immediately

- use the spicy tuna mixture in a handroll (rice and tuna rolled up in nori), in a roll (you know...a sushi roll!), over a bowl of rice or over some crispy rice!

crispy rice directions:

- create rectangular blocks of rice (approximately 4"x1"x1")

- over a hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple dashes of soy sauce

- when the butter starts to bubble, add the rice blocks and cook on each side until the rice gets crispy; remove

- let it cool a tad then spoon some of the spicy tuna mixture on top (garnish with a slice of jalapeno if you'd like!)

xoxo,

kara

spicy grilled chicken, korean style

i'm overly obsessed with my grill, and throughout the year (since it's always sunny in LA), i get to create fun recipes and grill all the time!  here is an easy and delish spicy grilled chicken recipe korean style...plus, it's perfect with tacos too, like kogi truck!

ingredients:

- 1 cup soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 1 tablespoon korean chili paste (kochuchang)

- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

- 6 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 green onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1.5 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

- 1-1.5 pound chicken, i recommend chicken breast

directions:

- cut the chicken in half and pound slightly to flatten a tad

- mix the rest of the ingredients together

- marinate the chicken for 4-8 hours or overnight in the fridge

- grill the chicken for 10 minutes on one side on medium heat

- grill the other side of the chicken until done...and enjoy in a taco, sandwich, with rice, anything!

xoxo,

kara

japanese sukiyaki

for those of you who don't know what sukiyaki is (other than that 90s song), it's one of my favorite japanese dishes.  sukiyaki is a delicious one pot meal that is usually cooked at the table (like shabu shabu), and the flavors from the beef and vegetables mixed with soy sauce and mirin are out-of-this-world delicious.  and the best part is the leftovers!  i love piling the leftovers on top of a warm bowl of rice...yummy!!

ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds thinly sliced beef, cut into large bite-size pieces

- 1 package shirataki noodles, washed and drained

- 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed then halved

- 1 package enoki mushroom, bottom trimmed

- 3 stalks green onion, washed and sliced into 2 inch pieces

- 1/2 napa cabbage, washed and cut into 2 inch wide pieces

- 1 package of grilled tofu or firm tofu, drained then cut into 1 inch pieces

for sukiyaki sauce:

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

- 3/4 cup water or chicken stock

directions:

- mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock in a bowl

- heat a japanese style hot pot or a le creuset type of casserole over medium-high heat (or on a table-top stove)

- add a tablespoon of oil

- add half of the beef slices and saute for a few minutes until browned

- add the sukiyaki sauce mixture to pot

- move the beef over to one side of the pot, then add the vegetables, tofu and noodles in neat sectons

- let the broth come to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes

- reduce heat to a simmer; once all the ingredients are softened, it's ready!

- serve with rice (if you want to be super traditional, also dip ingredients into a bowl of raw beaten eggs).  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

japanese-style chicken curry

i'm really not a big fan of instant, pre-made mixes or frozen, microwaveable foods...but when it comes to japanese curry, i always use curry sauce mix because it's so much easier, takes less time (30 minutes versus 3 hours?!), and it's soooo delicious! i have, of course, made some tweaks to the directions you can find on the back of the box to make this curry recipe the best you've ever had. 

ingredients:

- 2 brown onion

- 2 russet potatoes

- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks

- 1.5 pounds chicken thigh, cut into chunks

- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

- 1 package japanese curry mix (i highly recommend s&b tasty curry sauce mix in med hot) 

directions:

- first, cut the 2 onion into halves.  dice one of the halves into small pieces; cut the other 2 1/2 onion into chunks

- peel the russet potatoes and cut into large chunks so they won't disintegrate during the cooking process

- in a large pot, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat and add the diced onion

- add chicken pieces into pot and cook until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes

- add the rest of the onion chunks, potatoes, carrots and zucchini into the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes, still over high heat until lightly browned

- add chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil

- lower heat as soon as it comes to a boil; cover pot and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until the veggies are cooked

- turn off heat, then add in curry squares and melt into broth

- simmer for an additional 8 minutes and gently stir occasionally

- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

dry aged prime rib

my family loves prime rib, so i always make it during the holidays.  it's super delicious, juicy, tasty and pretty much amazing (better than lawry's!).  last holiday, i gifted some of my friends a jar of "kkp's amazing dry seasoning rub" for this recipe...and now i have listed the ingredients of my special rub mix here for you.  please enjoy!

ingredients:
- 6 rib beef roast, bone in, approximately 10 to 12 pounds
- 1 package cheesecloth, cut in half (approximately 1 yard)
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 roasting rack AND a roasting pan
- kkp's amazing dry seasoning rub (ingredients below)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 carrots, washed, ends trimmed and cut into 3-inch chunks
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 2 cups beef stock
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

"kkp's amazing dry seasoning rub" ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoon freshly cracked tri-color pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon coriander, toasted and cracked
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

directions:
- remove roast from packaging, rinse well
- pat completely dry, wrap with 3 layers of cheesecloth. place roast on a rack on a sheet pan in the back of a refrigerator, fat side up
- after 24 hours, remove, unwrape, discard cheesecloth and wrap with a fresh piece.  place back in refrigerator for 6 to 9 days undisturbed (trust me, it's worth it!)
- remove roast from refrigerator. remove cheesecloth, cut away the fat and trum the ends and any discolored parts of the roast
- preheat oven to 500 degrees
- place roast on a rack in a large, heavy roasting pan
- drizzle roast with olive oil, then rub with kkp's amazing dry seasoning rub. let rest for 20 to 30 minutes
- prepare vegetables. make a bed in the roasting pan with the vegetables and pour in the water
- (be sure to check the liquid level in the pan occassionally and add additional water, if necessary)
- place roast on top of vegetables and place in hot oven
- roast at 450 degrees for 40 minutes (and try not to open the oven!)
- after 40 minutes, reduce heat to 275 degrees and continue to roast for approximately 2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches at least 130 degrees (see chart below). stay away from the bone while checking
- remove from oven, remove from roasting pan, loosely tent and allow to rest for 15 minutes while making the au jus

au jus directions:
- strain dripping from roasting pan, skim fat from drippings.  try to collect about 1 1/2 cups of the drippings
- place roasting pan over 2 burners, heat on medium high and add in drippings, stir to deglaze, add in wine and stock, reduce by 1/3, about 5 minutes on a steady boil, stirring occasionally
- turn off heat, add in butter.  season with s&p
- serve with the amazing dry aged prime rib. enjoy!!!!!

xoxo,
kara

korean-style spicy chicken

being half korean, i grew up eating korean food occasionally with my family.  one of my favorites was this spicy and super delicious chicken dish that my mom would make.  here is my take on my mom's spicy chicken dish; i've added various ingredients to add more "umph," and potatoes and onions to make it more hearty.  it's super super easy to make, and i think you're going to love it!

marinade ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon soy
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
- 1 tablespoon (or more if you want it spicy!) of kochuchang (korean style chili paste)
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper (korean style)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic, about 3 garlic cloves
- 3 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

other ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken thigh, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 red potatoes or 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 green onion stalk, sliced

directions:
- mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl
- add the chicken and onion to the marinade and let it sit for 10 minutes
- heat a large skillet with a dash of vegetable oil over high heat
- add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes
- add the chicken, onion and some of the marinade to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes
- lower the heat to medium, gently stir the ingredients, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through
- once done, turn off the heat, add the green onion slices and transfer to a plate
- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara

seafood and chicken paella

i fell in love with paella when i was 14 years old at a friend's backyard paella party.  as soon as i had my first bite of the toasted rice with chorizo, chicken and shrimp, i was head over heels...and i was determined to one day create an amazing paella recipe of my own.  after trying various recipes and making a number of batches over the years, here is my super delicious, easy-to-make paella recipe that will wow any crowd, trust me :) 

ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 2 chorizo links, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped/cubed
- 1 green pepper, chopped/cubed
- 1 red pepper, chopped/cubed
- 2 celery stalks, chopped/cubed
- bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 12 cloves of garlic (or 3 tablespoons), minced
- 3 tablespoons saffron
- s&p
- 3 cups chicken broth (add more if needed)
- 3 cups paella rice
- 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3/4 pound tilapia
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges

directions:
- heat olive oil in a paella pan or a le creuset wide pan over high heat until the oil is very hot
- saute and caramelize chicken thigh for 7 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- saute chorizo chunks for 5 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- lower the heat to medium and saute onion, carrot, green & red pepper, celery, parsley and garlic in the pan for 3 minutes
- fold in the rice and stir to coat each grain
- add chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently stirring so the rice absorbs the stock evenly
- add saffron, some s&p, chicken and chorizo into the pan and mix
- cover the pan, give it a good shake, lower the heat, let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice has a bite to them (aka al dente...do not overcook!)
- tuck in the shrimp, tilapia and peas into the rice.  add more chicken broth if needed
- cover and cook for an additional 5 more minutes until the shrimp is pink, rice is fluffy and the peas are cooked through
- serve with lemon wedges.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara

buta no kakuni, aka japanese style braised pork

this japanese braised pork dish is originated/inspired by the chinese dongpo pork dish.  tender and delicious, the pork belly (or pork shoulder/butt, which i personally like using for this recipe) is braised for a few hours in a yummy broth of soy sauce, mirin, sake, ginger, garlic and star anise.  the outcome is an amazing dish that melts in your mouth.  very easy to make (just takes a little time)...and perfect with a hot bowl of rice :)

ingredients:

- 2 pounds pork butt or pork belly (skinless)

- 1 japanese white radish (aka daikon), sliced into 1-inch rounds then halved

- 2 tablespoons brown sugar

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/2 cup soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon salt

- a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thick rounds

- 3 garlic cloves, smashed

- 1 piece of star anise

- 1 stalk of green onion, thinly sliced

directions:

- cut the pork belly or pork butt into large chunks

- heat a medium dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat

- add pork and brown all sides

- once browned, push pork chunks to one side of the pan; add sugar to the other side of the pan and caramelize

- stir and combine the carmelized sugar with the pork

- add the water, mirin, sake, soy sauce, salt, ginger, garlic, star anise and daikon slices

- cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to super low and simmer for 3-4 hours

- check the pot every hour or so to gently stir and to make sure there is enough braising liquid (ingredients should be submerged); add water if needed

- after about 3-4 hours, check the flavorings and add soy sauce if needed

- once done, sprinkle the green onion slices on top and serve with warm white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

rosemary chicken with potatoes and zucchini

lately rob has been creating a lot of one pot meals with our le creuset dutch oven.  here's one of his delicious (and super easy) recipes...with just a few fresh ingredients, you can make an amazing meal for up to 4 people in less than an hour!

ingredients:

- 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch slices

- 1 lb chicken breasts and/or thighs, boneless & skinless

- 8-10 small red potatoes, quartered

- 4 yellow or green zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices

- 10-12 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed

- 4-6 fresh rosemary sprigs (but if you can't find fresh rosemary, use 1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary)

- olive oil

- s&p

directions:

- preheat oven to 450 degrees

- coat a cast-iron dutch oven with olive oil and spread with paper towel

- scatter onion slices in the pot

- place chicken on the onion, followed by the zucchini, potatoes and mushrooms

- season with s&p

- tuck rosemary sprigs into crevices

- cover and bake for 45 minutes; serve immediately and enjoy!

xoxo, 

kara