• In a heavy saucepan, heat the low-fat spread.
• Add sliced mushrooms and finely chopped onion.
• Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 3 minutes.
• Add flour to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Gradually blend in the vegetable stock, then the milk, sweetcorn.
• Return to the heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the soup gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish each serving with a swirl of low-fat single cream.

• In a saucepan, combine diced potato, carrot, onion, and celery with vegetable stock and dried herbs.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth.
• Return the mixture to the pan.
• Add grated low-fat Cheddar cheese and skimmed milk to the pan.
• Heat gently until the cheese melts.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.

• While the rice is cooking, cut the fillings into long, narrow strips, creating two different combinations.
• Place a sheet of nori on a cutting board with the long side facing you.
• Spread 1/2 cup of warm rice on the bottom one-third of the nori sheet.
• Sprinkle the rice with a little vinegar.
• Place three fillings on the rice, forming three narrow rows across the width of the rice.
• Gently press the filling into the rice.
• Starting at the edge near you, roll the nori away from you, enclosing the fillings and forming a tube.
• Make the nori roll tight and secure.
• If the end of the sheet does not stick tightly, dampen the edge with a little water and seal well.
• Repeat until all nori sheets have been filled and rolled.
• At this point, rolls can be chilled for later use.
• With a sharp knife, cut the nori roll into 1-inch pieces.
• Serve with vinegar soy or mustard sauce

• Rinse the black and red beans and place in a large saucepan.
• Cover with water and bring beans to a boil over high heat.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Take the pan off heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
• Drain beans.
• Rinse beans, drain again, and add 3 cups water.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
• Stir barley into the bean mixture and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Stir millet into the mixture.
• Cook for another 20 minutes.
• Mix in rice and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, checking after 10 minutes to see whether you need to add a little more water.
• Cook until rice and beans are tender.
• While grains cook, toast pine nuts in a dry skillet until golden.
• Serve in a large bowl garnished with pine nuts.

• Slice beef thinly into 1⁄2 x 2-inch pieces.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. garlic.
• Add meat, mix well, and set aside for 15 minutes.
• While beef marinates in the soy sauce mixture, cut mushrooms in half.
• Peel carrots and cut into 1⁄2 x 2-inch pieces.
• Cut green pepper and onion into 2 x 2-inch pieces.
• Set vegetables aside.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and garlic, and set aside.
• Preheat oven to broil, or have an adult start the charcoal grill.
• Thread one piece of meat onto a skewer, then one piece of carrot, one piece of mushroom, one piece of green pepper, and one piece of onion.
• Repeat sequence until five skewers are filled.
• Dip filled skewers into the sauce, turning to coat all sides.
• Broil or grill the meat and vegetables 6 to 8 minutes, or until meat is brown and vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Turn skewers often so that all sides are cooked evenly.
• Serve hot from skewers.

• Soak rice cake slices in cold water for 1 hour while preparing beef.
• With a sharp knife, slice beef into thin strips.
• Combine soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Mix beef and soy sauce mixture together.
• In a large soup kettle, stir-fry beef until meat begins to brown.
• Add broth to beef mixture in the kettle.
• Bring to a boil, then lower heat.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
• To keep your hands from sticking to the rice cakes, wash thoroughly, being careful to get under your fingernails.
• Using your clean hands, separate each individual rice cake from the frozen clumps; this helps rice cakes cook evenly.
• Add rice cakes to the soup along with sliced onions.
• Cook just until rice cakes rise to the surface of the soup, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Do not overcook; rice cakes should be chewy.
• Pour beaten egg into the bubbling soup; stir well.
• The egg will cook immediately.
• Serve hot.

• Prepare filling for dumplings.
• Place one wonton skin on a flat surface.
• Cover remaining skins with a slightly damp kitchen towel (not terry cloth) so they won’t dry out.
• Have beaten egg and a pastry brush ready.
• Place one wonton skin on the work surface with one corner pointed upward.
• Brush all four edges with beaten egg.
• Place about 1 tbsp.
• of filling just above the center of the skin.
• Fold wonton skin in half over filling to form a triangle or semicircle.
• Press edges together to seal.
• Repeat with remaining skins.
• In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Carefully place six dumplings into oil with tongs.
• Fry 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Turn and fry the other side 2 to 3 minutes.
• Keep fried dumplings warm in a 200°F oven while frying the rest of the dumplings.
• Serve with quick dipping sauce.

Korean Delight:

• These wonderful folded dumplings are usually served at winter celebrations.
• Making this treat will take less time if someone can help you by frying the dumplings after you fill them.

• In a large frying pan or wok, cook meat or tofu for 3 to 5 minutes.
• If using beef or pork, use a fork to break into small chunks, and drain off fat.
• Set meat or tofu aside.
• Wash the pan and dry thoroughly.
• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat for 1 minute.
• Add onions and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
• Add cabbage and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until cabbage is crisp-tender.
• Add bean sprouts and green onion, mix well, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Remove the pan from heat and pour vegetable mixture into a colander to drain off excess liquid.
• Return vegetables to the pan.
• Add meat or tofu, salt, and black pepper, and mix well.

• In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, black pepper, garlic, green onions, and sesame seeds.
• Slice beef thinly into 1/2 x 2-inch pieces.
• Add meat to the soy sauce mixture in the bowl and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to broil, or have an adult start the charcoal grill.
• Broil on a broiler rack or grill meat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until brown.
• Serve with vegetable side dishes, such as zucchini or spinach, and rice.
• Korean Grill Fusion:
• Next to kimchi, pulgogi may be Korea’s best-known dish.
• Thin strips of spicy beef are cooked over a pulgogi, a dome-shaped charcoal grill.
• Although it is often eaten during the summer as picnic fare, this dish is good any time.
• Thinly sliced pork loin or tofu can be substituted for the beef.

• Slice the tofu into 1/2-inch slices.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Let the salted tofu stand for a few minutes.
• Using a paper towel, pat the tofu dry.
• Mix the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, pepper, green onions, garlic, and water in a 1-cup measuring cup.
• Stir this sauce until the sugar dissolves.
• Swirl the oil in a large skillet.
• Heat over medium-high heat.
• Fry the tofu slices until golden brown, turning once.
• One by one, dip the fried tofu slices in the sauce and return them to the skillet, making layers.
• Pour the rest of the sauce over the tofu.
• Cook the tofu and sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tofu soaks up the sauce.
• Serve with rice, vegetables, and salad.

Korean Harmony:

• The mild, cream-colored bean curd called tofu takes readily to the typical Korean flavorings: garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, and soy sauce.