The Japexican Take on Fermented Goodness: Kimchi.

Kimchi can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated, think about it, a little portion of unidentified stinky and spicy vegetables may be a little off-putting for some, but the Koreans have been at it for  hundreds of years, and they seem to be doing alright. 

Fermentation is one of the best ways of preserving food, by creating the right condition for good germs to grow we prevent the growth of nasty and harmful ones, allowing us to keep food for a very long time (the yummy flavors are just a tasty cherry on top of the cake) this was particularly important in Korea, where winters can be really harsh and months can go by without fresh produce.

Even today, many Korean families gather together in November to prepare huge batches of Kimchi to last the whole winter, in summer, lighter less fermented Kimchis are prepared and consumed with salads. Kimchi is so embedded in Korean food culture, that new houses are built and sold with a Kimchi fridge. But hey, I don’t blame them, it is fucking amazing, it goes great with grilled salty meats as its sourness cuts the richness and fat of meat, it goes great on the side of any rice dish, it goes great as part of a nice pork belly stew, it goes great on top of some korean tacos or why not, just on top of a rice cracker (I confess I do this more often than not). So hey, why not give it a chance, after you overcome the funkyness you will discover a nice, complex and delicious little thing that goes well with everything.

And as it turns out, we are now re-discovering the benefits of fermented foods, apparently Kimchi is great for your gut, aids in digestion and is, a real superfood… but honestly, who gives a fuck when the thing is so goddamn delicious? So, without further ado, and before hipsters ruin it for the rest of us, here is my no fuss Kimchi recipe. Thank me later.

Kimchi ready to start fermenting.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

As it turns out, I have a full time job now and not that much time to sit down and write my recipes. Don't get me wrong, I still cook a lot, I just don't have time to prepare the recipes… Anyways, I decided that I should at least be publishing one of these every week. But this weekend I was really lazy, luckily, I still have some backlog of recipes that have the photographic evidence ready and just need me to write down. Hence, this recipe. This weekend has been awfully cold over here, so cold  that it makes you want to crawl under a blanket and consume delicious carbohydrates like there is no tomorrow… The carbo-hangover is something future you will have to deal, you will just have to enjoy!

So, no more excuses, it's time to treat yourself to my Stuffed, baked sweet potatoes.

Look at that deliciousness!!!

Shrimp Tacos and Avocado Sauce

Don't let the word Tacos fool you, this is as far from Mexican as it gets. But I like to take the word Taco as liberally as everybody else takes the word Sandwich. A taco is basically any type of deliciousness enclosed in a tortilla or similar flatbread, regardless of composition. This is where the beauty of the taco lays, the possibilities. So, even if you are a Taco Purist that only consumes authentic "al Pastor" tacos made on a street cart, or you are as liberal as I am, if you give this a chance, you are gonna love it. Get your ass to the kitchen for a few minutes and get this "Shrimp and Pineapple Tacos with Avocado Sauce" going, you won't regret it. 

A sexy taco.

Let's use those leftovers!: Asian Lettuce Wraps.

What's up you guys!? Sorry I've been absent the past few weeks (or couple of months), I recently changed countries and it has been quite hectic. Between moving, immigration stuff, getting a flat, settling down and starting a new job I haven't really have the time to cook, let alone keep photographic record of it all. But well, here I am, back in business baby!

And today we are making something super simple, the other day I managed to make some awesome ribs (recipe here), and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't finish them all. So, it got me thinking: what can we do with some nice leftovers… I mean, this happens quite often right?

And of course the first thing that came to mind was something on the Asian lines, something quite simple to make, and surprisingly simple. So, in like 10-15 minutes you will have a light dinner or a simple afternoon snack. Anyways, let's get to it, here is the recipe for my Asian Lettuce Wraps.

Sexy as Fuck!

Let's Talk Pizza!

I have taken a long time to put this recipe in the blog, for 2 reasons mainly: 1) I wanted to come up with the best simple recipe for it 2) I am lazy as fuck… Hahaha… There are some challenges that every aspiring pizza maker must overcome (like not overdoing the sauce and go thinner on their dough) but they are easy. The point is that home made pizza, even if it is not perfect or authentic (whatever that means) it will taste considerably better than your usual take out and  will be infinitely superior to your frozen pizza. So, don’t be afraid, it will be easy and don't be lazy, it will take you little to no time.

Get your ass off the couch and get ready. Once the pizzas are done, you can sit back and relax and continue binge watching Netflix, but this time, with awesome pizzas to keep you company and making your belly feel all fuzzy and amazing!

So, here is my master Pizza Recipe, from here you can derive to whatever you want, red sauce, white sauce, cream, you can use the same dough to make Focaccia and some beautiful Panini with it, and once you understand how kneading and proving the dough is all about you will be able to get your incursion into basic bread making. Holy fuck, I'm initiating into a world of yummy thing. You are welcome!

Seriously, how awesome does that look?

10 Minute Paleo Friendly Cauliflower Rice

This one goes to those friends out there trying to go paleo but finding a bit difficult to get tasty food on the table. It is also super good for those people who eat with their paleo friends but want to add something extra to their food. This is for you crazy exercise junkies with the soul of a foodie, for you crossfitters that still want to enjoy some quality food.

Every now and then I try to go Paleo (or paleo-ish) for a few weeks, it makes me feel good, my body feels like it is cleaning. It is rather controversial what Paleo-diet really is; there is tons of people saying that is the best way we can eat, and that is what our bodies are design to eat, and there is just as many people that say the opposite. I'm not gonna get into the debate, for me it works and if you use quality ingredients and do it properly it is damn tasty.

So, weather you are trying out the Paleo, you live with a someone who is trying it, you are watching what you eat, or you simply are in the mood for some tasty food that will not make you guilty whatsoever, this is for you… Paleo Friendly Cauliflower Rice, ah! and it will take you like 10 minutes to make!

Paleo and not that Paleo versions.

ClamSalm Chowder

So weather has been a little crazy lately in this part of the world, well, crazy for a foreigner because to be perfectly honest this is a pretty usual thing in Asturias. Whatever, the point is I've been a little depressed with the humidity and the grey skies. So needless to say I needed to treat myself with something warm and comforting. And luckily, the seafood around here is pretty dope. So without really knowing what to make I got some clams and some salmon. And it was when I saw the fresh dill when it hit me: a Fucking Chowder will make you feel fuzzy again.

I love dill, when I get it fresh I put it in everything, but in my opinion it works best with seafood (specially salmon), so I got the idea of a Clam Chowder but with a little bit of salmon as well. And well, it was AWESOME. So, please enjoy this ClamSalm Chowder and thank me later.

Awesome, sexy and delicious.

A treat for the little German inside you. Brezeln (German soft Pretzels)

I know, I know… The tittle sounds wrong, but the taste of these awesome German soft pretzels is so right.

So, the other day I was talking about food with my newly acquired German roommates, while reminiscing about my old times in Germany, I remembered that a good friend of mine gave me his grandma's Brezeln recipe, and it had been a while since I last made them, so I told them, roomies, prepare yourselves for some kick ass Brezeln. Baking them yourself is not a common thing in Germany, or in any other country, I mean, you can always find them cheap and good on the streets or bakeries or even supermarkets. But when you are exiled in a tiny town in Spain, without the access to many of the culinary treats you are used to, well, you do what you have to do.

The day came, and we ended up having Germans over for dinner on Sunday, and they loved them. So, they should be good judges on the authenticity of the taste and texture of this awesome bread. But you will be the ultimate judge. So prepare your taste buds for my German Brezeln. Butter or senf (German mustard) for serving, marmalade or Nutella, try all combinations, get yourself full of delicious starch and fall into a food coma afterwards. Thank me later.

Btw, you can save yourself the trouble of actually making the pretty knots that make up a pretzel and make some rolls, this go awesomely with burgers or any type of sandwich… just saying….

Just look at those bad boys!!!

Asian Inspired Tuna Burgers

Yoh Yoh Yoh people! Sorry I've been away lately. I'd like to say I was busy with a cool project or something, but to be perfectly honest, I have been just extremely fucking lazy, oh and I moved to a different flat and all that boring stuff but no matter, I am back! And I am back with a recipe that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and make your belly full of happy thoughts.

So, the other day I was thinking: "It would be so could if I could get minced tuna steak" So I decided to go to the supermarket and ask. They usually have a pretty sweet selection of fish. However, their answer was no. But before I turned around and left, they told me: " But I can chop it, and it will be pretty much the same", I was skeptical but decided to give it a try. And the result was pretty awesome!

So when I made sure that the texture was right, I proceeded to make this awesome Asian-Inspired Tuna Burgers, sharp, sweet, sour and savoury burgers that will appeal to the adventurous and will surprise the most conservative.

Anyways, enough chitchat, here is the recipe. Enjoy. Thank me later.

Seriously, how awesome does that look?

Comfort food. Mac and Cheese

For the most part, I tend to eat and cook rather healthy. I mean, I try, the most delicious foods in the world are far from  healthy. And every now and then (and to be honest, more often than not) I like treating myself to something delicious, and fattening. Needless to say, I am a sucker for creamy/cheesy things.

Mac & Cheese holds a special place in my memory. And I'm actually talking about the orange and radioactive barely resembling cheese deliciousness that comes in a blue box. An orange powder that somehow is reconstituted into a luscious sauce, it is like magic. That was one of the first things my mother allowed me to cook, and somehow it became some sort of a Sunday afternoon treat. Just the thought of it brings me happy memories of simpler times. And I still eat those bad boys from time to time, just when I feel really homesick, however they are filled with sodium and other nasty stuff, so instead of that, I came up with this recipe, using all natural ingredients and top quality cheese, this is one mother fucker you really don’t want to miss. Enjoy my Mac & Cheese with Spanish Butifarra.

Special for the Sweet Tooth. Oreo Cheesecake

It is no secret that I am not an avid baker, there is something very structured and strict about baking that I really don't enjoy, well, at least that is true for proper baking. Adding the fact that I rarely crave sweets we get to the fact that Minoru Baking is something that happens once in a blue moon. However, when it happens, I try to go to the simple things and the things that don't require the strictness and rigidity that baking usually does.

A few weeks ago, one of my friends turned 27, he enjoys sweets as crazy and I would say any kind of desert is his kind of dish,  so to celebrate him I decided to make my Oreo® Cheesecake. We actually ended up eating the cake without him, but that is another story.

So, if you have never baked, and you would like to try something simple as fuck that would wow all the people around you, this is for you. Enjoy, thank me later.

Look at that ridiculously good looking slice!

Japexican goes Italian, Manicotti.

I have been meaning to write down this recipe for a long time. And this weather and mood seems perfect. Manicotti is a bit of a controversial recipe (Actually, once you have started to cook Italian and you have Italian friends you will realise that virtually ALL dishes in Italian cuisine are subject to controversies, interpretations and the fact that each friend will say that their mamma's version is the best one), some people prepare it with a pasta shell similar to cannelloni, and some other use crespelle (the Italian version of Crepes). I use the crespelle, in my opinion it gives the dish a silkier consistency and that feeling of comfort food that we all need right now!

This recipe was given to me by the mamma of a very good Italian friend of mine, and as such, I regard it as the best, so, if you disagree, you suck!

Anyways, here is my (slightly adopted version of the Mamma's recipe) Manicotti recipe.

Chicken Piccata and Beetroot Risotto

This past few days, since my last visit to the market, an obsession with Beetroots struck as evidenced in my past blogs, I have been cooking over and over with them (these Chips and Frittata are a fine example of this newly developed obsession of mine). So today, bashing my head on the table, thinking what to cook today, the ingredient of choice was of course Beetroot, but I was also craving something tangy and rich, and then it hit me, Chicken Piccata, this originally Italian dish will deliver the perfect amount of tanginess to cut through the rich and starchiness of the risotto.

So, without any more bushtit, here is my Chicken Piccata and Beetroot Risotto.

Celery Root and Beetroot Leaves Frittata

After thinking a bit more about what I could cook with the Fresh Celeriac and Beet Root I got from the farmers market (and while munching on my Celery Root and Beet Root Chips, recipe here) I opened the fridge and saw I had a bit of feta cheese and leeks, and then BAM! It hit me, lets make some Frittata.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe for my rich and creamy Celery Root and Beet Root Leaves Frittata with Leeks and Feta Cheese.

Holly shit that looks AMAZING! Yeah, you can do it too :)

Celery Root and Beetroot Chips

This past Sunday, I finally got my ass up early and managed to hit the farmers market before 9:30 am, which I shouldn't have to say it, was an amazing accomplishment for me… I mean, I hate doing stuff on a Sunday, let alone a Sunday morning, but this was worth it.

I came back home with a bounty that included pickles, different types of olives, freshly baked cornbread, freshly baked chorizo bread, beautiful onions and the stars of the week some gorgeous Beets and Celery Root, I was not sure what to make with them but I had to get them, they were there, being beautiful, looking at me. So I got them. And I was back, 10:30 am on a Sunday, not sleepy anymore after the ginormous cup of coffee I had to help me wake up and nothing to do.

So, I got to thinking what to do with this bastards, then it hit me, lets make some fucking chips to watch movies later on.  So, here is my recipe for Beetroot and Celeriac Chips.

It's getting cold outside: Beef and Lentil Stew

So it is getting cold outside, you are probably starting to get into the winter mood, feeling a little lazy, a little blue. Well, this is the perfect moment to cook some comfort food, something that will warm your belly and will put a fucking smile on your face, by now you know you need something like this. So forget the calorie count and lets prepare this amazing, rich and hefty Beef and Lentil Stew.

The Beauty of Simplicity. Asian Noodles for Lunch.

Today I was wondering why some people consider cooking something hard to master, or why people overcomplicate their lives when it comes to food (well,  they do it for a fuck load of other reasons but I cannot help you with that). My experience living in Asia thought me something important: there is much beauty to be appreciated in simplicity. And let me tell you, they take it to a whole new level, it was just a confirmation of a belief I have had for years: if you have good ingredients and are prepared in the right way, your food will be great and more often than not it will not take a shitload of time or effort.

If there is something that really caught my eye about Asian Food it would be that most of the food joints that serve the best tasting food have a couple of things in common:

1. They are small places. 
2. They have spent years, if not decades, perfecting just a couple of dishes, which means that their menu is often limited to those few awesome things. 
3. Their food is dead simple to make (provided you have the right method and technique)

Anyway, all this reminiscing made me think (and crave) of my favorite breakfast/lunch I had whilst living in Taiwan, 'Cold Noodles' one of those dead simple recipes so I decided to make some, and while gathering the ingredients I recalled some traditional Japanese food that I usually have with my family during New Year's time, 'Mochi' and since I am now stuck in a small village in Spain and getting Mochi  is, to say the least, a complicated task, I decided to make some Mochi inspired noodles (a common dish in Japan as a matter of fact). 

So without further ado, here is my recipe for 'Taiwanese Cold Noodles' and 'Mochi Inspired Butter Soy Udon'.

Butter Udon

Lets Talk Ribs

There are very few pleasures in my life that can top the joy of biting a soft, moist, fall-off-the-bone piece of ribs. Seriously!

The rib is a beautiful cut of meat, packed with flavor and awesomeness, but unless it is prepared in the correct way it could be very tough. That's why must of the people (including myself up until a few years ago) rather have this amazing meat in a restaurant where (must of the times) they serve it properly. But I'm here to change all that, so Fuck the restaurants! (figure of speech; for those of you who like to take things literally) this is simple, fool-proof way of cooking the perfect rack of ribs every time.

So, whether you are entertaining friends during a match of (insert whatever sport you watch, I could not care less) or you want to have some alone time while indulging yourself in the pleasures of meat and TV (my choice of activities) this is the recipe for you.

Fuck Yeah!

Red Curry

Sooooo, after a bit more of a month upon my return to Europe, and after stuffing my face with all the Mediterranean goodness that Spanish food represents, I started to crave a little bit of those spicy, sweet and sour deliciousness that is Asian food. However, I live now in a pretty small town in northern Spain, where people tend to be very conservative about their food and well, as it always happens in small towns, the Asian food is scarce to be the least brutal on the definition (The guys at the Oat Meal have it pretty much figured out: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/asian_food). So, what to do? What to do? Well, I tried to find out where the Asians living in town got their things, most of them ordered in bulk from big places, which to be honest didn't really work for me. It was until after a couple of weeks of continuous research (and by research I mean carefully harassing every single Asian looking person I could find; which is ok, I am Asian-ish myself) that I heard the rumors of a pretty well stock Asian Supermarket in a town nearby. So, armed with the sole promise of Asian goodies and some sort of "directions" I embarked myself on a journey (not really, it was, in fact, pretty easy to find) and the bounty was plentiful:

• Pho Noodles
• Fish Sauce
• Oolong Tea
• Sesame Paste
• Dark Soy Sauce
• Udon Noodles
• Lo-Bao
• Egg Noodles
• Szechuan Pepper
• Dry Chili
• Miso Paste
• Pickled Daikon
• Hard Tofu
• Red Curry Paste
• Rice Cakes
• And fresh chilies (a generous gift from the owner of the joint)

The Bounty

Butternut Squash & Roasted Garlic Soup

The summer is just over, I was walking down the street minding my own business, when suddenly, in the corner fruit stand, I saw it; A magnificent Butternut Squash, an orange coloured reminder that the summer is over, of the fact that even though the sun was still shinning strongly and the temperatures are nice and warm, any minute now, it can all go to shit without so much as a 'how do you do'. Holly shit, its Fucking Autumn! 

Without giving it much thought I get that magnificent bad boy. To be fair, I spent around 4 to 5 days having an internal debate about the future of the squash. Everything sounded appealing but somehow I could not make up my mind, would I make a pasta? Roast it and eat it like a mash? Soup? And then, my fears of the bad weather came true, I wake up to a fucking storm, gray skies, rain and lightning… and then, it stroke me… not the lightning(duh!) I was in the mood for a fucking SOUP!!!!

So, without further ado, here is my recipe for an Awesome Butternut Squash and Roasted Garlic soup with a bacon, nut and Gamoneu Asturian cheese (Awesome and smoky).

Plate it.