Well well, we had quite the traditional Thanksgiving day over here...if Asian food is your traditional Thanksgiving!!! And I bet it's NOT! I guess if you're not eating turkey, nor seeing your family, and you and your spouse are lazy and busy with an infant, it makes sense that we ended eating a few Asian appetizers for the Day Upon Which We Give Thanks.
So, I made a couple of Korean dishes that I love, and one very interesting take on a traditional Thanksgiving appetizer, courtesy of Veganomicon {a book I don't (but need) to have!}
This spinach salad was really good. The only alterations I made is that I salted the boiling water, and I left the spinach in a tad longer than indication. Also I toasted the sesame seeds before using. This is one of my favorite Korean appetizers and I was so happy to make it myself!
This cucumber salad is so refreshing and delicious. Alterations is that I doubled the recipe, I cut the cucumbers into half moons by cutting it lengthwise and scooping out the seeds and then chopping each half. I didn't use cilantro because I despise the stuff in general. I marinated in the fridge for a while before adding sesame seeds. And I added a dash of sesame oil to taste.
So, I made a couple of Korean dishes that I love, and one very interesting take on a traditional Thanksgiving appetizer, courtesy of Veganomicon {a book I don't (but need) to have!}
This spinach salad was really good. The only alterations I made is that I salted the boiling water, and I left the spinach in a tad longer than indication. Also I toasted the sesame seeds before using. This is one of my favorite Korean appetizers and I was so happy to make it myself!
This cucumber salad is so refreshing and delicious. Alterations is that I doubled the recipe, I cut the cucumbers into half moons by cutting it lengthwise and scooping out the seeds and then chopping each half. I didn't use cilantro because I despise the stuff in general. I marinated in the fridge for a while before adding sesame seeds. And I added a dash of sesame oil to taste.
The piece de resistance was truly the panko stuffed mushrooms. I've had some panko breadcrumbs in my cupboard for a while now so it was a perfect way to use them. I didn't use much daikon but it didn't matter -- this was really a treat! I probably could have cooked the mushrooms a bit longer but I thought the stuffing was getting dried out/burnt. If I was less distracted I would have tested to make sure. Oh, and I used red pepper flakes instead of white pepper and it was fine, with a nice tiny kick.
Next year we'll do the usual. Having a baby and no family for thousands of miles has sure shook things up a bit. But next year Baby V will be more aware, and I like the traditions because they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside -- turkey corpse be damned.
