The best solution? =>KOREAN CUISINE!!! As we know that a korean meal usually consist of many cold side dishes, it allows us to exploit one additional day for cooking!
PRESENTING:
Princess Christine and Sir Woodblock's
Sa ran hae yo Dinner Menu
- Ginseng Chicken Soup- Chicken Bulgogi
- Black Sesame Spinach Side Dish (this is adopted actually from a Japanese Restaurant)
- Soya Bean Sprout Side Dish
(Bear in mind this is just a dinner for 2 not a family so it is not recommended to add in too many dishes)
I will usually get the China spinach type but do keep in mind that you can be adventurous and try out the different types of spinach too. I have so far tried the Malaysia and Singapore ones but since the Japanese restaurant that I have dine at in Somerset 313 uses this particular type of spinach so I also choose to use it too.
Cut, rinse and wash the spinach well. Do pick out any rotten spinach.
Next boil a pot of hot water and cook the spinach for a minute.
During the cooking of the spinach, prepare a big bowl of ice water at the side to get ready for the cold bath.
Immerse the cooked spinach into ice water.
While the spinach is taking its nice and cool bath, open up the packet of bean sprout and wash it. I need to remind u pals that this is SOYA bean sprout not the usual green bean sprout =)
Since we are career woman cooking, there isnt much need to remove the tail of the bean sprout. I like this particular brand of soya bean sprout as you notice it doesnt have those black bean skin! Saves us lots time and effort to remove it from the stack!!!
It is a good tip to use a basket with a basin for washing the vegetables as it makes it easier to dry it.
Cooked the beansprout in the hot boiling water use for the spinach earlier on (save water lah). Leave it to cooked/boil for 30 minutes as you will need to cooked the bean part of the soya bean sprout.
Once the soya bean sprout is left cooking in the pot, use both palms to squeeze try the spinach and remove as much water as possible.
You probably end up with stacks of dry spinach like this.
Ensure that you have try to remove all moisture as you find that it is too wet you will make it difficult for the seasonings to adhere to it later and it wont taste nice.
Oh yes introducing the seasonings. I bet most of you have sesame oil and light soya sauce at home. The only additional seasoning you will need to purchase it the black sesame powder => 3 sachets for $2 plus.
Chopped garlic finely. I am quite good at mincing garlic. My hands is as good as a grinder machine!
Use your knife, scoop and add the garlic to the spinach. Please dont use a bowl or a spoon as you will end up doing more dishes. Remember you are a career woman NOT a dish washer.
Add a table spoon of soya sauce.
Add 2 tables spoon of sesame oil.
Add about 1/2-2/3 a packet of sesame powder as you deemed fit according to your sweetness tolerance. I have a sweet tooth and I will add like almost 2/3 of a packet.
Finally sprinkle sesame seeds (this bottle of sesame seeds has been pan fried before and put aside in a bottle so that whenever any dishes requires sesame seeds, it is already ready for use)
Place spinach into lunch box and put in fridge.
Now the SOYA bean sprout should be almost ready. Same thing put it through a cold bath.
Same procedure as the spinach, dry it and add in 1 tablespoon of soya suace and 2 tables spoon of sesame oil. You may add some rice wine vinegar if you happen to have it at home. For me i dont and i cant be bothered to purchase it as i dont use it often for my cooking.
Finally moving on to the bulgogi. Purchase the ready marinade.
Some chicken fillet and PLEASE remember to keep the plastic carrier bag!!
Process the chicken and remove the tendons etc and cut into smaller pieces(but not too small as it will no longer feel shiok in chewing tiny pieces of chicken)
Career woman short-cut tip: When you marinate meat, pour the marinade and put the meat into the NTUC carrier bag and mixed it well. Then tie it up and leave it in the fridge. So when you are cooking on the next day => you have 1 LESS dish to wash => YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Put everything into the fridge and wait for Friday to come.
BUT WAIT HOW ABOUT THE KOREAN GINSENG CHICKEN?????
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OPS i forgot to mention that, it is ready cooked ones? The cost? Let me see..... in the restaurants outside, a large bowl of korean ginseng chicken like this cost about $20 plus minimally . If you purchase this from Giant, it costs about $14 (wah so cheap?!?!?!)
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But WAIT AGAIN
This is bought from NTUC and the price? $6.80 (inclusive of real 1/2 chicken inside)
I have tasted this brand many times and it taste really superb even though it doesnt contains any MSG at all. I cant believe my fav KOREAN GINSENG CHICKEN has now been slashed in price by more than half!!!! This is a rare item that woodblock and me will always be looking out for as NTUC doesnt sell this previously.
The price of the whole meal??? LESS than $20 for a full and delicious and LUXURIOUS KOREAN SET DINNER for 2. This is better then dining out isnt it?
So get your hands into the kitchen and whip up this oishhi Korean Set dinner! I am very sure your partner will feel touched by your effort to save up for the wedding (it is always good to put out some bait to hooked a bigger fish isnt it?) and it will soften any tension build up during the planning of the wedding.
3 Cheers for CAREER WOMEN!!!! woohoo!!
p.S.: I will post the final pic of the dinner soon.
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