Last week, Meg was home and we were talking about cooking and blogging. I remembered out loud that the original idea for DebsPotsBlog was to consolidate my recipes and food ideas in one place for my grown kids, neices and nephews, and their friends and loved ones (hi Max and Amanda!).

Toward that end, I plan to experiment with taking a slightly new direction. I’m going to try to post more frequently and include more of what I’m cooking.

So, dear readers, please leave me comments and let me know what you think as I flail around trying to find a format that makes us all happy!

I’ve fallen in love with Gochujang lately and want to share two fabulous dishes in which it features prominently. Mapo Tofu is on repeat around here. If you google around, you’ll find many different recipes. This one is my very own and it’s splendid. I hope you love it. Korean Chicken Salad is brand new, from Milk Street. It’s easy, healthy, and so satisfying.

Mapo Tofu

This dish is delicious on its own, with rice, rice noodles, or rice cakes.

Serves 4

1 lb. ground pork, preferable humanely raised, organic
1 block firm or extra firm tofu, drained, cubed
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbs. neutral oil
2 tbs. gochujang
1 tsp. Korean hot pepper (gochugaru)
½ small head napa cabbage, sliced
1 scallion, sliced
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
¼ cup water

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, and water, and set aside.

Sauté the onion in the oil for a few minutes. Add the pork and cook for 4-5 minutes over high heat or until the pork starts to firm up and brown in spots. Add the gochujang, gochugaru, and cabbage and continue to cook until the cabbage begins to soften.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce thickens. Add the tofu and warm through.

Top with scallions, and serve.

Korean Chicken Salad

Serves 3-4

This is a slightly scaled down version of Milk Street’s wonderful one-bowl salad meal. Terrific with leftover grilled chicken.

4 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut in half
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, plus 2 tbs. for garnish
1 small persian cucumber, sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 scallion, sliced

1 large cooked chicken breast (grilled is great), shredded
1 ½ tsp. gochujang
1 tsp. yellow mustard
2 tbs. water
2 tbs. lemon juice

salt to taste

Dressing: Place the 1/3 cup pine nuts in a mini food processor and grind to a paste. Add the gochujang, mustard, water, and lemon juice and blend.

Mix the chicken with half the dressing.

Cook the green beans for 4-5 minutes in salted water, drain, and shock in ice water. Drain again and pat dry.

In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, cucumber, cabbage, and tomatoes. Add the remaining dressing and toss well. Mound the chicken salad on top. Garnish with the scallions and reserved pine nuts. Serve.