Hello! I wanted to share a very very healthy, simple, inexpensive vegan Korean meal...
I mentioned in my last food post that I like cheap, healthy food. I also like to eat vegetables b/c I like to eat a lot, and eating veggies let's me eat more quantity.
This here is called "kongnamul bap" 콩나물밥
"Kong" is the name of the bean sprout, "namul" means any seasoned veggie dish, and "bap" means rice (you may now "bibimbap")
Most people think Korean food is just bbq ribs and beef. Very understandable. But, that's like thinking Russians only eat piroshkis, or Thai people only eat pad thai.
Recently my coworker asked me if Korean food is very greasy, and if it's mostly meat. I was astounded at first, as my mom's (she's Korean) Korean meals are vegetarian 99% of the time and far from greasy! We don't call it vegetarian, but that's just how they come out. But, given the fact that 80% of Korean restaurants feature tableside cooked meat, I totally understand why she asked me that. So, I wanted to share a very delicious, but not so well known dish that I always ask my mom to cook.
This meal I want to share with you is so simple. It's just steamed soy bean sprouts, and sauce. You must make sure to get soybean sprouts, and not regular sprouts.
Can you see the difference? On the top is soy bean sprouts, which have the yellow oval bean at the ends. They have more nutrition and flavor than the sprouts on the bottom.
Cooking instructions:
1) Wash sprouts, and pick off the tail end (personal preference). As for amount of sprouts ~ I am huge on veggies, so I would cook an entire pot full and eat all of it.
2) Cook 1 cup of rice. I consider 1 cup of uncooked rice 2 servings.
3) Bring water to a boil and cook sprouts for 5 minutes. Drain water, and
4) Throw a pinch of salt and black pepper on the sprouts and mix with chopsticks
5) Make seasoning ~ soy sauce, chopped green onion, sesame seed, sesame oil, Korean red chili powder if you have it (gochugaru http://bit.ly/awtHMW). Add in amounts to your liking.. some people prefer more or less sesame oil, etc.... I would not put more than 1 tblsp of sesame oil per person though..
If you are on a low sodium diet, you can eat this without the soy sauce, or use low sodium soy sauce, or just use it very sparingly. I love soy sauce and use it quite liberally, and it has no affect on my weight. I'd rather have a well seasoned meal versus a very fatty and rich meal.
For some healthy vegetable side dishes to go with your meal, please refer to Maanchi's recipes:
My mom usually has "kimchi muchim" (seasoned radish) and seasoned spinach:
Cooked sprouts:
Seasoning:
Mixed sprouts, seasoning + rice:
View from inside
Holy moley. I parked next to this car earlier in the week when I was grocery shopping. Upon realizing what kind of car it was I went bat shit crazy and made my bf take pics (came out crappy b/c it was nighttime). Growing up, I watched all the James Bond movies b/c my dad is a fan. Ingrained in me are the following~ "vodka martini, shaken, not stirred", cheesy inuendos, Omega watches, and Aston Martins. So in my mind, Aston Martin is the epitome of cool. I'm so not into cars, but I do appreciate luxury sports cars. When we pulled up next to this beauty, I knew immediately that I had to check it out because I didn't recognize the insignia on the back. My first thought was Bentley because of the wings, but the telltale "B" was missing, so my curiosity was piqued. Upon closer inspection, we could make out in small letters "Aston Martin". And what a coincidence to see the exact same car again this morning on the way to brunch. It's a sign or something right? ... that I will one day end up with this car? ^_~
And here's me in the W Hotel bathroom with my everyday straight hair. I thought the carved side of the mirror was cool. 
Didn't realize until looking at this pic how much my hair has lightened since dyeing it with the Palty. It's growing on me. I also love how much the dye has dried out my roots, and given them more volume and texture. My natural hair is sooooo incredibly oily it's disgusting, and makes my roots plaster to my scalp. I've tried everything from CO washing, to shampooing every other day, shampoo with sulfates, shampoo w/o sulfates... dyeing my hair is really the best and lowest maintenance way to battle the oiliness.
Hit #2:
Miss #1: Looked small online, so I figured it would be nice and loose on me, which I love! I love baggy clothes! Alas, it was TIGHT. Like suck in your tummy all night kind of tight. UGH.
Yea, it's kinda cute.... maybe I'll keep it....
Miss #2: Well, the pendulum must swing the other way right? As if to make up for the dress, this shirt was super wide and baggy. Def a preggers woman shirt. I could hide some triplets in here! Orrr, this could be my new buffet shirt ^_~
I didn't purchase b/c I would probably only wear once or twice. I adore the bf jacket look, but just not on me. I find it hard to pull off masculine outfits with my face and body type. And it looks "mature", which I hate on myself. Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining or looking for sympathy. I'm okay with not wearing it, and I accept that it looks better on other people. I actually really like to see certain styles on other people and browsing lookbooks and stuff. 
