Wednesday Kitchen - Korean Sauce

Welcome back to Wednesday Kitchen, featuring favourite recipes and healthy eating tips from members of the JET Team! This week our team member Lynn of UrbanPearlStudio has discovered Korean food!

"Foodies all know that trends become smoking hot once they catch on. Restaurants pop up, books are written and chefs become 'stars'. My best friends from Sydney visited during the holidays this year, and one of them is a born-and-bred Korean. Not only a Korean, but one that has studied at the CIA and traveled the globe seeking new food experiences. So what have I seen in the restaurant periodicals this past month? Korean food! From food trucks to bricks and mortar restaurants, Korean food is hot and trending!

What I have learned is that while the Korean palette loves food scorching hot in red chilli flavor, the recipes can all be calmed down for a Western palette. The foods are fresh and very healthy, and are based around vegetables with the proteins in smaller portions. The flavor profiles are multi layered, yet very simple on their own.

Photo credit: Restaurants Magazine

The traditional Korean table will be set with many small dishes, each filled with usually pickled foods like kimchi, pickled Korean radish and garlic sautéed spinach. The main meal starts with a bed of rice, and then you add your preferred sautéed vegetables and proteins, and top with a sauce of choice.

Garlic lovers unite! Korean BBQ is also a lovely meal and if you are lucky to find a restaurant that serves bulgogi beef, you must try it. It's usually cooked right at your table, and served with fabulous sides with loads of flavors and textures. While Korean food is quite simple and straight forward, you can usually order a milder chilli heat level.

With all the experimenting going on in my kitchen these days, I have developed a "Basic Korean Sauce" recipe derived from multiple recipes I found online. I think it's a hit!

Photo credit: Restaurants Magazine

• 4 TBL Gochujang Red Pepper Paste
• 1 TBL Honey (you may add more if you have a dish that needs a sweeter sauce)
• 2 TBL White Vinegar or Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 Tsp Sesame Oil
• 2 Cloves of Garlic - Use Garlic Press
• 1 TBL Toasted Sesame Seeds

"The gochujang red pepper paste can be found in an Asian or Korean market, or is easily found online. I suggest you do not buy the "hot or spicy" version, so you can add your own heat. Combine all the ingredients. Here is where you can start adjusting to your taste. If you want it hotter, Siraccha is the best to use. Want more or less vinegar, sesame oil etc, the sky is the limit. We will make a dish and add a small side plate of this sauce for adding to the rice or vegetables.

The JET Team members love to share healthy recipes, and while this is not for everyone, it's a fabulous way of introducing new and exciting flavors to your table! You'll find lots of very easy recipes online with step by step photos."

Lynn