Tasty Food on the Go!

We have decided that this week The Foodie Friends will be honoring the tastiest food trucks and mobile treats in preparation for the Mobile Food Rodeo this Saturday!

Kimchi Fried Rice

Marination is one of the first food trucks to make it big in Seattle and open up a sit-down location: Marination Station in Capitol Hill. Their cuisine is a combination of Hawaiian and Korean cuisines featuring shredded kalua pork sliders, tacos with kalbi beef and even a Korean-fusion quesadilla. Our favorite menu item is their kimchi fried rice which makes the perfect lazy dinner full of spicy bits of kimchi mixed with a sunny side up egg-Luke prefers an extra egg with his order for the maximum saucy dish!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
4 cups of prepared kimchi, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp red pepper paste
4 cups cooled, cooked white rice
1 Tbsp sesame oil
4 eggs
4 green onions, chopped
seasoned seaweed crushed for topping
pepper to taste

Directions:
Pour two tablespoons of the oil into a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil heats up, add the kimchi. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kimchi is heated through. Be careful not to burn or char the kimchi! Add the butter and the red pepper paste. Stir well until both are incorporated.

Add the rice, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Stir until it is evenly mixed in with the kimchi. Pour the sesame oil evenly on top of this mixture. Spread the rice and kimchi out as much as possible in an even layer, and let cook for a few minutes until it gets a little crispy on the bottom. The rice should be a vibrant red color. Turn off the heat, and divide the mixture between four bowls.

Pour the remaining one tablespoon of oil into a non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. When shimmering, crack in the eggs, cover the skillet, and cook until the whites have set (I take mine out a bit early to ensure I have a very runny yolk to crack into the fried rice). When each egg is done, use a spatula and set one egg on top of each bowl of rice. Garnish with the crushed seaweed, scallions, and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Classic Crepe Recipe

There are many crepe trucks, like Crisp Creperie, now on the Seattle mobile food scene and tons of small crepe shops in the greater metro area. My love of this French treat comes from making this classic recipe (with some of my own modifications) for the family on Saturday mornings. Fillings for breakfast ranged from butter, syrup, jam, powdered sugar or fruit and whipped cream. For savory fillings, omit the sugar in this crepe recipe!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour (I substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour when I want to give the crepes texture)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp margarine or butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg, optional
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Beat until smooth with minimal clumps. Grease and large, flat skillet and set to medium heat. When pan is hot, ladle 1/4 cup of the batter just off the center of the skillet and rotate immediately to form the flat, paper-thin crepe. When the edge begin to brown, flip the crepe and do the same for the opposite side. Remove the crepe from pan and repeat the ladle step. Makes 12 crepes. Serve warm with favorite fillings.