Grilled Tilapia with Makgeolli and Doenjang (Korean Rice Ale and Soybean Paste) paired with

For two years now, several friends and I have held a tradition of exchanging gifts on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The idea originated from my friend Gabe after none of us got our act together to do a gift exchange during the typical holiday season. So, we chose the next holiday everyone would be in town for, a tradition was born. This year I was chosen by my Korean friend Dolim to be given a gift. She knows how much Brit and I love to cook and to try new recipes, especially after we made Jengban Mak Guksu, and got for me a Korean inspired cookbook: The Kimchi Chronicles. I randomly decided I wanted to cook some fish, went through the index, and found this recipe. We decided against using a whole fish and instead just bought frozen fillets from TJs. Brit found a great recipe for sautéing portobello mushrooms and also made some brown rice on the side. The fish was cooked wonderfully and had a really great flavor to it. Overall a great meal.

Grilled Tilapia with Makgeolli and Doenjang (Korean Rice Ale and Soybean Paste)
(adapted from The Kimchi Chronicles)

Serves 4

1.5 lbs tilapia fillets (adapted from the original suggestion of whole black sea bass)
3 tbsp doenjang (soybean paste) - we bought from Maxx's
3-4 tbsp rice vinegar (I added a little bit more to balance the marinade)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine (adapted from the original suggestion of makgeolli, a Korean rice ale)
2 tbsp shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
Scallions, thinly sliced

Whisk together the soybean paste, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, shallots, and ginger. Generously cover the fillets with the marinade for at least 20 minutes at room temperature or 4 hours in the fridge.

Pre-heat a grill pan until it is hot. Grill the fish for 5-6 minutes on each side while basting with additional marinade. You can tell that the fish is fully cooked with a knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the fish. Let the fish rest for a few minutes and garnish with scallions


Sauteed Portobello Mushrooms
(adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe)

4 Portobello mushrooms, gills removed and diced
3 shallots, chopped
1.5 tbsp butter
Scallions, sliced
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Melt the butter in a saute pan and cook the shallots for 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the liquid given off by the mushrooms is mostly evaporated, about 10-12 minutes later. Meanwhile, mix the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar together. Once the mushrooms are done, stir in the sauce and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with scallions

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Have you ever wanted to make a dish that appears so fancy, yet is actually quite simple? I occasionally like to try out a complicated dish just so I can improve my skills in the kitchen, but this is not that dish. This dish is easy. So incredibly easy. 

I had found this recipe last November while looking for Thanksgiving meal sides to make. I had printed the recipe out, stuck it in our horribly disorganized recipe binder, and nearly threw it out a week ago while telling Brit that I didn't think we would ever make it. I'm so glad she convinced me on the spot that not only would we make it at some point, but that we would be making it the following week.

Harvest-stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

(originally posted on The New York Times' 2010 Vegetarian Thanksgiving website)

serves 6 (we made 4)

1 onion, diced small

1 cup cashews

2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for brushing)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 can lentils, drained and rinsed (this was actually an ordeal for me... let's not talk about it)

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp thyme

6 portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (we used 4)

1 tomato, sliced thin (i'd now recommend 2 after making this dish)

salt

black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a skillet, saute the onion and cashews in the olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the onions are soft and brown add in the garlic and cook a few more minutes.

Combine the onion mixture with the rice, breadcrumbs, broth, basil, and thyme. Mix well and season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Brush both sides of the mushroom with a little olive oil and place top side down on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet. Use at least 1/2 cup of the stuffing to fill the mushroom cap. Layer a tomato slice on top and bake for 30 minutes until the mushroom is browned and releasing some juices.

YUM!

After making this dish, Brit suggests (and I highly agree) that at least two slices of tomato should be placed on top of the mushroom and stuffing mix. Also, place a slice of cheese on top of the tomato/stuffing/portabello goodness. DOUBLE YUM!