Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

Ingredients

• 2-3 servings of jjajangmyeon noodles (boil and drain according to package instructions just before serving)
• 1/2 pound pork belly, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups’ worth) 
• 1 cup Korean radish (or daikon), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 cup’s worth) 
• 1 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1 cup potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 
• 1 1/2 cups onion chunks 
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/4 cup and 1 Tablespoon black bean paste (chunjang)
• 2 Tablespoons of potato starch powder (or cornstarch), combined with 1/4 cup water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl, set aside 
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 
• 1/2 cup cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks for garnish 
• *Water for boiling the noodles 

Directions 

1. Make the jjajang sauce: Stir-fry the pork belly in a large, deep wok with 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil for about 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
2. Pour out the excess pork fat. 
3. Add radish and stir fry for 1 minute. 
4. Add potato, onion, and zucchini and keep stirring for about 3 minutes until the potato looks a little translucent. 
5. Clear a space in the center of the wok by pushing the ingredients to the edges. 
6. Add 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil to the center of the wok, then add 1/4 cup of black bean paste and stir it with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to fry it. Then mix everything in the wok and keep stirring.
7. Add 2 cups of water to the wok and let it cook with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. 
8. Open the lid and taste a sample of the radish and potato. If they’re fully cooked, stir in the starch water little by little. Keep stirring until it’s well mixed and thick.
9. Add the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
10. Serve with noodles (jjajangmyeon) or steamed rice (jjajangbap). 

Make jjajangmyeon: (Noodles for jjajangmyeon can be found at Korean grocery stores. The noodles are thick and chewy.) 

1. Boil and drain the noodles. Rinse and strain in cold water. 
2. Put one serving of noodles onto a serving plate and add the jjajang sauce over top. Garnish with cucumber strips and serve immediately with kimchi or yellow pickled radish. 

Make jjajangbap (Rice in Black Bean Sauce)

1. Make one serving of rice, and add the jjajang sauce over top.
2. Garnish with cucumber strips on top of the jjajang sauce and serve it with kimchi or yellow pickled radish.

Pina Colada Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup toasted coconut, divided
• 1/2 cup diced, dried pineapple

Rum glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (can use more coconut extract if you don't like rum)
• 1-2 Tablespoons milk
• 1-2 Tablespoons pineapple juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Stir in egg, vanilla and extracts until light and fluffy. Add in dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Scrape the edges of the bowl and mix again to ensure cookie dough is mixed evenly. Stir in 1/2 cup toasted coconut and the small pieces of dried pineapple. Scoop onto prepared cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes until cookies have spread and edges have become lightly golden. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
3. For the glaze, stir powdered sugar with rum extract and milk until it's the consistency of elmer's glue. Drizzle over cookies and top with remaining toasted coconut and maraschino cherries if desired.

Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)

Ingredients

• 3 large egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar just until pale yellow and creamy, then whisk in cornstarch and flour. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat milk, vanilla pod, and vanilla seeds on medium heat just to a boil. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while simultaneously whisking constantly until smooth.
3. Transfer mixture back into saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and vigorously so that the eggs won’t curdle, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent it from creating a ‘skin’. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
4. Creme patissiere can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well. Whisk before using to get rid of any lumps.

Orange Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• Zest of two oranges
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Icing

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

Candied Oranges

• 1 blood orange
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 8.5 inch x 4 inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. With the mixer on running on low, add in the dry ingredients into just combined. Then pour the vegetable oil into the batter and mix until it’s combined well.
4. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. To make the candied orange slices, wash and dry the orange thoroughly. Cut the orange in half lengthwise, then use a sharp knife to make very thin slices of orange. Poke out any seeds using a toothpick. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange slices to the mixture so that they are in a single layer, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer about 20 minutes, turning the slices at least once so both sides are candied. Remove from the heat. Let air-dry on a cooling rack (place some paper towels underneath the rack to catch the syrup drips) until ready to garnish.
6. When the cake is completely cool, combine the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a small bowl and whisk to blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency as needed with additional juice or confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and garnish with the candied orange slices. Let stand briefly until the glaze sets. Slice and serve.