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The Korean Vegan

Category

Sauces

Gluten FreeSauces

Mouthwatering Braised Tomatoes

braised tomatoes in white pot on windowsill

Mouthwatering, savory tomatoes blend with the bite of balsamic vinegar and garlic and the sweet of shallots to make a beautiful braised tomato dish that is perfect for dipping in with crusty bread, or topping pasta.

This Mouthwatering Braised Tomatoes recipe resulted from sheer laziness. I think many great recipes are a result of an unwillingness to complete “all the steps” of a traditional recipe and this is exactly how this recipe came to be.

My husband loves tomatoes. Marinara sauce is to him what gochujang is to me (if you’d like to see how I marry these two loves, check out my Red Sauce recipe here). This means that I usually include one marinara based pasta dish during my weekly rotation of meals.

braised tomatoes in white cast iron

But you know how it is. Better yet, you know me. I like simple and easy and not a lot of steps in my recipes. My favorite recipes, in fact, are those where you dump a bunch of things into a pot and let it simmer while you do more important things (like playing Animal Crossing or watching Itaewon Class). So, I came up with a “dummified” version of my red sauce, which included nothing but the basics:

  • Lots of fresh tomatoes
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 shallot
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dried Italian herbs
  • Bay leaves
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Olive Oil
tomatoes in white pot

So, that right there is the ingredient list. And you rough chop everything (no need to make it look pretty) and stick it in a pot and let it simmer for an hour or so, until the tomatoes are so sweet, they taste like jam. Then, I let the whole pot cool for about another hour and take an immersion blender to it in order to achieve a rustic, chunky sauce for our pasta dish.

Well, the other day, feeling even lazier than usual, I thought, “well, what would happen if I just didn’t bother to blend it?”

WITCHERY is what happened.

I fished out the bay leaves and grabbed a hunk of ciabatta bread (store bought, because we are at quarantine level lows of flour and yeast here in Chicago). I dove in, sweeping the bread right through and parting the rubied sea of tomatoes. My first bite was a sweet, garlicky explosion and I knew, then and there, that no immersion blender would take to these tomatoes.

tomatoes in white pot next to green herbs

These tomatoes are an excellent substitute for the more al fresco “bruschetta” or fabulous poured over some gnocchi. The Korean in me would mix it with a bowl of rice and roasted seaweed. The point is, you make enough to last you a few days and your meals are essentially done. What’s more? Your family will think you are the best cook of all time.

You see guys, as I often tell my clients, my job is to make YOU look good to YOUR clients. And trust me—these Mouthwatering Braised Tomatoes will do just that.

Mouthwatering Braised Tomatoes

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6

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic minced or thinly sliced
  • 1 large shallot sliced
  • 1 carrot small diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 18-24 small tomatoes can sub 7-8 heirloom tomatoes, rough chopped
  • 2-3 bay leaves

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot (I like using a massive Dutch oven pot), add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.
  • When oil is hot, add garlic, shallots, and carrots. Allow the shallots to “sweat” (i.e., cook until they start to grow translucent). Add ½ tsp of salt, a little cracked black pepper, and 1 tbsp Italian seasoning.
  • Stir the veggies using a wooden spoon. When the garlic starts to turn brown around the edges, deglaze the bottom of the pot with a balsamic vinegar. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits.
  • Add chopped tomatoes to pot, together with another healthy pinch of salt, and stir together the contents of the pot (so that the veggies are not all at the bottom). Next add a couple bay leaves.
  • Tomatoes will begin to release liquid immediately—continue to stir gently. When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to low and allow tomatoes to simmer for approximately 1 hour, until tomatoes have broken down (though still retaining some shape).
  • Drizzle another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread or pasta.
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Mouthwatering Braised Tomatoes was last modified: June 23rd, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Gluten FreePasta and NoodlesSauces

My Korean Vegan Red Sauce.

In summer time, the tomatoes are as fat and sumptuous as the days are long and sultry.  There is thus little excuse to use tomatoes out of a can or box.  I don’t care if you paid $100 to have them shipped from some small village in Modena, Italy. Fresh, local tomatoes–when in season–always beat out the fancy schmancy stuff they seal into jars.  This easy, peasy vegan recipe for my red sauce with a spot of Korean spice will make you the goddess of your kitchen.  A couple jars of this in your fridge, and you’ll be whipping up all sorts of dishes (pasta, stews, soups, sauces) in minutes.

Spaghetti happens to be one of my favorite foods of all time.  I honestly believe that I could actually be competitive in a spaghetti eating contest.  It’s one of those foods that never leaves me feeling full.  We use Jovial gluten free pasta in the KV Kitchen, and we love the stuff.  It’s made entirely out of brown rice and to us, it tastes better than regular pasta.

One of the things I like about this sauce is that it’s not watery and flat like the stuff you find in the grocery store.  The tomatoes retain some of their texture even after you blend them (especially if you use an immersion blender), and the carrots also give the sauce both a depth and brightness that makes you happy as you slurp your noodles.  The texture also helps with the “sticky” factor–as in, the sauce doesn’t just slide off your noodles.  The sauce cleaves to even the smoothest spaghetti, ensuring that each forkful is as delicious and satisfying as Nonna’s.

My Korean Vegan Red Sauce.

...for when you want everyone to know you make your sauce from scratch...
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6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup carrots chopped
  • 2 tbsp gochujang*
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup white wine can substitute vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 6-7 ripe tomatoes chopped

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to large sauce pot over medium high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add red onions and cook until they become translucent and soft. Next add garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.
  • When veggies begin to brown (and the bottom of the pot begins to brown), add gochujang and stir until all veggies are evenly coated. Then, deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of the white wine. Scrape up all the brown bits and cook over low heat until the liquid reduces.
  • Add tomatoes and remaining white wine. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to allow the tomatoes to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
  • Once the tomatoes have broken down from cooking, remove from heat. Add contents of pot to a blender or blend with immersion blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta of choice, together with some fresh basil.
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My Korean Vegan Red Sauce. was last modified: May 11th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Gluten FreeSaucesSoups, Stews, and Side DishesTraditional Korean Recipes

Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme.

Ok, so the other night, my boyfriend was out and it was just me for dinner.  Normally, on nights I don’t need to cook for anyone but me, I stick to something easy–like bread and almond butter (sadly, this is not an exaggeration).  But, there was a ripe old jar of kimchi calling my name just sitting in my fridge, so I decided it was a great opportunity to make some kimchi chigae.  My boyfriend–an Italian American–has been a real trooper about trying all the different veganized Korean foods I make, but the one thing that hasn’t quite enthralled him (yet) is kimchi [guys, no one is perfect stop judging him].

Kimchi chigae is basically like many other Korean recipes–it’s aimed at making sure nothing goes to waste.  Like bibimbap, it’s about taking what’s in your fridge that you would otherwise not serve at the table and putting them into a pot until they become delicious again.  The trick with any chigae (stew) is to make a kick ass broth.  Here, that starts with good kimchi [duh]. But I also add some red onions (which are healthier than the white variety), garlic, and shiitake mushrooms to do some of the legwork.  The final piece to the puzzle, though, is my mom’s Korean BBQ Marinade.  I use this delicious concoction to take basically every savory dish I make to that next level.

If you like spicy food, you will love love love this recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and healthy to boot!  You can find a step by step video demonstration of this recipe (along with a bunch of others) here.  

Kimchi Chigae.

...for that time you don't know what to do with all that left over kimchi that's too sour to eat...
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4 people

Ingredients
  

Chigae

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion diced
  • 6-7 shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup kimchi** overripe
  • 1 1/2 tbsp gochujang*
  • tbsp Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade see below
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 3 oz. extra firm tofu sliced
  • green onions for garnish

Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce use Tamari sauce for GF version
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 Korean apple pear
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup optional
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients for Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade in blender, until smooth and slightly frothy. It will smell freaking delicious and you will want to use it in everything you cook.
  • In a medium size pot (I use the traditional Korean stone pot, but you can also use a dutch oven), over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add red onions and mushrooms. Cook until brown. Add garlic and salt and stir until garlic softens.
  • Add kimchi and some of the kimchi juice. Feel free to slice the kimchi into bite sized pieces if it doesn't come that way already. Make sure the kimchi is overripe--as in, not the kind that you want to eat raw. The kimchi should be a dull orange (as opposed to the beautiful bright orange you see when served at a meal) and smell like your brother's dirty socks. If you use underripe or even just ripe kimchi, the stew will not come out as good.
  • Add gochujang and Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade and stir until all the veggies are evenly coated. It should smell like heaven in your kitchen.
  • Add water and bring to a boil. Then add black beans, tofu, and a little green onion for garnish. Do not let your stew cook too long--the longer you cook, the soggier your kimchi becomes. You want your kimchi to retain a nice satisfying "crunch" even when the stew is done cooking.

Notes

  1.  You can get gluten free gochujang here.  If you have no probs with gluten, you can pick up a few other brands of gochujang that I really like here and here.
  2. If you don't have an awesome mom who makes you vegan kimchi (like my mom), you can buy vegan kimchi here.
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Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme. was last modified: May 11th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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Sauces

Kickin’ Gochujang Pesto.

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Recipe Difficulty: Very Easy
Servings Amount: 4

Recipe Lead: …for a little bit a kick to that pesto.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups basil
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp course sea salt
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp gochujang sauce*
  1.  Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until you reach desired consistency.
  2.  Slather over bread, add to pasta, or use as dressing for salad.

* You can get vegan and gluten free gochujang sauce here.

Kickin’ Gochujang Pesto. was last modified: July 23rd, 2017 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
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About Me

I veganize Korean food. I Koreanize everything else.

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The Korean Vegan, Esq.
This is one of my earlier TikTok videos, back when This is one of my earlier TikTok videos, back when this sandwich was on trend. Reposting it because sometimes I need to listen to my own advice. ❤️
Advice from 고모: Heartbreak. Advice from 고모: Heartbreak.
Earlier today, I watched a video of a white man en Earlier today, I watched a video of a white man encourage his 3 year old son to “make fun of his Asian uncle” by pulling the corners of his eyes back into slits.  When confronted by a number of Asians explaining how offensive the video was, he grew defensive, claiming it was “just a little fun.”
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Several years ago, someone asked me what the big deal was about white people making fun of my eyes.  He claimed, “people make fun of my appearance all the time, I guess I’m just not as sensitive as you.” Being bullied for one’s appearance is always wrong and can definitely be traumatic no matter what. But when that appearance is tied to your ethnicity, and when that ethnicity is outnumbered, that kind of bullying can take on a different level of harm. If someone makes fun of my nose, I may spend the rest of my life hating my nose. But if someone makes fun of my eyes—an attribute tied to my Koreanness—then I not only hate my eyes, I also hate my Koreanness.
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Bottom line, I never thought that in 2021, I’d have to explain why making “Asian eyes” to an Asian is offensive, inappropriate, and insensitive.  But apparently, it’s a message that continues to be in demand. In lieu of yelling at people, though, I thought I’d just share a story.
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Finally, a couple translations: “Dominick’s Language” is what I used to call English, because it was the gibberish my Dad spoke at the grocery store. “Sohknehbok” is Korean underclothing, something my grandmother made me wear in summer, lol, because she was always afraid I would catch my death.
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You can find the recipe for Tteokbokki (or its popular sister recipe, Rabokki) on my blog.
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