Dinner DeeAs recipes: Quick Korean Cooking

Today, Korean cuisine you can try at home as we cook speedy and simple but without being bland and boring. Chef Janice Carte is Founder and Owner of Tiny Spoon Chef, providing meal prep and personal chefs to busy families across the country. She joined us to show how to make some quick Korean cuisine.

Click here for a printable version of the recipes below. If you make any of them, send us a photo and let us know how they turned out! 

And let us know if you have a Chef or recipe request! Email DinnerDeeAs@fox.com or message us on Facebook or Instagram.

See more Dinner DeeAs every weekday at 1pm on FOX13. 

Korean Beef (Bulgogi)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb flank steak or skirt steak, sliced very thinly at an angle
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds (crushed slightly in mortar and pestle, if possible)
• 1 ½ tbsp sesame seed oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 Asian pear, grated
• sticky rice, lettuce leaves (optional, for serving)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl and let sit at room temperature for an hour.
2. Preheat skillet to high heat, add oil, and wait until shimmering.
3. Cook beef in batches over high heat, waiting 3–4 minutes before stirring for first time to let sugars caramelize.
4. Serve with rice in lettuce wraps (optional)

Korean Cucumber Kimchi

Ingredients

• 2 English cucumbers, ends removed, halved and thinly sliced (between ⅛ - ¹⁄₁₆ inch)
• 1 ½ - 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 1 small onion or ½ medium onion, ends removed, thinly sliced to ⅛ – ¹⁄₁₆ inch thick
• 1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
• 3-4 tbsp gochujang paste (depending on heat preference)
• 2-3 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp good soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (crushed slightly in mortar and pestle, if possible)

Directions

1. Toss cucumbers and salt to coat and set aside for half hour on counter. Do not refrigerate.
2. Heap wilted cucumbers into clean tea towel and wring out over sink until most of water is gone. Clean bowl and dry it out. Return cucumbers to bowl.
3. Add onion, carrot, garlic, gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and sesame seeds to cucumbers. Mix well.
4. Enjoy within next 3-4 days (if you can make it last that long).

Notes: Crushing sesame seeds before cooking enhances flavor. If you don’t have a carrot, you can still make this; carrot adds color and texture but is not necessary.

Pajeon (Scallion Pancakes)

Ingredients

• 4 bunches scallions, cleaned and cut into 5" lengths
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp gochujang paste (or mild soybean paste)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Vegetable oil for frying

Dipping Sauce

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar

Directions

1. Combine flour, water, soybean paste, and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 3 tbsp vegetable oil. When oil shimmers, add half of scallions to pan, laying them in same direction in a single layer.
3. Drizzle half of batter evenly over scallions and press down evenly as pancake cooks.
4. When bottom browns, flip pancake and cook another minute before removing to a serving plate.
5. Enjoy with dipping sauce.

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