Bacon wrapped dduk

Dduk  is made from rice.
It comes in many different forms
sweet and plain. Dduk is a Korean word.
Sometimes you might hear it being called
Mochi which is simply Japanese.

The rolled out cylinder shapes are often
associated with a street food called Dduk-bok-gi.
Dduk / Rice cake is cooked rice that is rolled out and
then made into many different shapes.
They can be used as a protein because they are really
hearty.  You will have a hard time just eating one skewer.

Of course when you add bacon to it...
it makes it even better. Bacon. Enough said right?

These are SUPER easy to make.
Purchase some dduk (rice cake)
that is in the cylinder shape. (already cut that way)
Take the bacon strips that are not cooked and cut it into thirds.
Wrap the bacon around the rice cake and use a wooden skewer
or a toothpick and skewer 2  together.

Turn your frying pan on medium high and cook until
the bacon is crispy. (about 3-4 minutes on each side)
You don't have to add any oil because of the oils from the bacon
will be more than enough.

It's best when you drizzle a little sweetened soy sauce on top
right before eating!

Sweetened soy sauce is soy sauce with a drizzle of any sweetener.
You can also  garnish with some chopped scallions too.


Roll it,  Let's Cultivate Food

Apple Banana Fritters

I recently heard someone say that taking something that's already
good and then wrapping it up and then frying it makes it.....
EVEN BETTER!
So....  I thought why not take an apple and my-
starting to go brown banana and make a fritter-like egg roll.
The only ingredients needed is a banana, an apple egg roll wrappers
and a sprinkle of cinnamon (the cinnamon being optional)

I've found that it's a lot easier using a melon baller to take the
core out rather than using a paring knife.

You simply dice and then let the apple sweat in the pan with
a little butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I add the banana after the
apple has softened a little since the banana is already soft.

Spoon your filling on to an egg roll wrapper and then fry it in a 

deep fryer or in a pan with oil.

Once your fritter/egg roll is golden brown, take it out and lay it onto 

a paper towel to let some of the excess oil drain and then cut it in half 

on a diagonal to make it look a teeny weeny bit fancier.

An Apple Banana Fritter is a good easy dessert to make especially if
your bananas are starting to brown!


​
Chop it like it's hot,  Let's Cultivate Food

Types of Tofu

I think  many people realize there is more than one
type of tofu especially as far as texture and soft or firmness.

Here is a picture of the different types.
The firmer they are it is easier to saute or fry
for they won't fall apart on you whereas the softer
or silken/silky they are- the better they are for soups.

Everybody is TOFU-fighting,  Let's Cultivate Food

How to hard boil eggs perfectly.

How to cook hard boiled eggs perfectly every time.

Start with filling your sauce pan with cold water... 
enough water that your eggs are completely covered in water.


Turn your stove top to medium high 
with no lid on your pot and when the water 
comes to a  rapid boil,  let the eggs sit in the hot water 
for at least 10 full minutes with the lid on.
After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, carefully pour 
the hot water out and  run cold water over all the eggs.
You can also place the eggs in a bowl of cold water and ice cubes. 
Ice water will literally shrink the eggs away from 
their shells, making it super easy to peel.

No more ring around the yolk, Let's Cultivate Food

SUPER HERO themed Catered Company Lunches

Our company catered lunches always have a fun theme.

This week's theme is  "Superhero Lunches"

Some of the food items that go into our personalized boxes this week are:

Super strength spinach and blue cheese burgers...

If you'd like it veggie friendly - we can make it with black beans, 

spinach and blue cheese as well! 

French onions and mushrooms sauteed for  Superman's French 

onion- shroom melt 

Wonder woman's Greek yogurt with fruit topping  

Here is a picture of  'Wonder dog's pepperoni pizza bites' 

our 'Kryptonite sweet potato fries

the 'Kryptonite sweet potato fries in the sauna...

Superman's French onion shroom melt.

KEEP CALM and be a SUPERHERO,  Let's Cultivate Food

Sugar can be sneaky!

Have you noticed as the time goes on-
our food becomes more and more unhealthy?

There are so many additives and sugars and preservatives
in food these days that it's really, really not healthy!

Today, I wanted to just talk about sugar.
You should ALWAYS read the labels.
If sugar isn't listed in the ingredients section
but listed in grams... often it can be natural sugar.

BUT! There are sneaky words for "added sugars"
BE on the look out for these words below.
These are ADDED sugars.

Agave
Barley malt
Beet sugar
Black strap molasses
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Cane juice
Cane  sugar
Caramel
Carob sugar
Coconut sugar
Coconut palm
Confectioner's sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Demerara sugar
Diatase
Date sugar
Dextrin
Dextrose
Diastatic malt
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit sugar
Galactose
Glucomalt
Glucose
Grape juice concentrate
Grape juice
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Maple syrup
Palm sugar
Raw sugar
Rice syrup
Refiner's syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum syrup
HSucrose
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Xylose



Stay naturally sweet,  Let's Cultivate Food

How to tell if your eggs are still good.

Do you know how to test the approximate age of an egg? 
When is it time to throw your eggs out?

All you need is a glass cup and cold water. 
Gently drop the egg into the water and if the egg:

~ sinks to the bottom and decides to stay there, 
    it is about 3-6 days old (good) 
~ if it sinks,  but floats at an angle, it's more than a week old  (ok)
~ your egg sinks, but then stands on end, it's about 2 weeks old (still ok)
~ if it floats, it's too old and should be discarded (not good)