Acorn Jelly Salad

Here's some dotori muk (acorn jelly) salad that I enjoyed today. Dotori muk is popular in Korea and it's generally thought of as a 'diet food' since it's low in calories. It's not exactly full of nutrition though, so I make sure to include lots of healthy greens to compensate!

For the dressing, I just used what I had on hand:

1Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs water
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
sesame seeds sprinkled on top

I just mixed all the ingredients together, poured it over the salad, and then topped it with some sesame seeds. Koreans typically include other ingredients like chopped spring onions, garlic cucumber, red peppers, etc, but I couldn't be bothered... Simple is good.

Pumping iron in and out

One of the goals on my 101 List this year is to donate blood. I've never done it before and really want to give it a shot. I love the idea of giving a part of yourself (literally) to help someone else. It's quite amazing. And apparently, many people in Korea are reluctant to donate blood, whether it be due to fear, or lack of information. Therefore, I'd like to do my part in raising the number of Korean blood donors. :) For more info on donating blood in Korea, go to the Korean Red Cross website.

So last week, I headed to a blood bank near my neighborhood, filled out the lengthy questionnaire, and was ushered into the doc's office. I was really excited about it. All was going according to plan... until the doc pricked my finger, tested my blood, and declared that my iron/hemoglobin levels are low. Rejection! The doc didn't tell me my specific level, but she said that apparently, low iron levels are common in girls, and that a lot of them get rejected. Just another upside of our lovely monthly cycle, right, ladies?! So in the end, I had to walk out of the blood bank with all my blood still in me. Blast.

Needless to say, I was disappointed. I like to think that I'm a generally healthy vegan with good levels all-around, and I take a certain amount of pride in the fact that I eat a healthy, varied diet of whole foods, and exercise regularly. But I guess when it gets down to the nitty gritty numbers, there are improvements to be made.

So my question is, have other vegans had this problem while trying to donate blood? What are some things that I could do? Seriously, I welcome any advice. The doc said to take in more iron, and come back in a week or two (I'll probably give myself more time- up to one month, before I try again). She also gave me a card with some tips on raising iron-levels, but it was very meat-oriented in its suggestions (and I didn't tell her I'm vegan). I've been doing a lot of research on this, and while there is a lot of good information out there, there is also just as much confusing, contradictory information. That said, I'm trying to eat a lot of beans, lentils, tofu, dark leafy greens, oats, raisins, and blackstrap molasses, since they are all listed to be good vegan sources of iron. I'm also trying to take in more vitamin C, which apparently helps with iron absorption, and avoid drinking tea or coffee with my meals, which inhibits absorption. I could take supplements, but I've had bad experiences where I get nauseous after taking vitamins containing iron. Besides, I want to get the majority of my nutrients from whole foods.

Anyway, here are some foods I've been eating that are supposedly high in iron.

Curried Lentils & broccoli with hot sauce (not ketchup! hehe)


Mapo tofu with swiss chard, and huge green peppers.


Chili-style kidney beans cooked with celery, corn, onions, and tomato paste, & broccoli on the side


My favorite breakfast: hot oat porridge with flax seeds, blackstrap molasses, and raisins, eaten with some clementines for vitamin C.


Rice mixed with some lentils and seaweed, vegan kimchi, spinach, and black beans.


Dark leafy greens with some beans and seaweed, dressed with some soysauce/sesame oil

Anyway, hopefully things will go better the next time I visit. I don't like the idea of having blood unsuitable for myself, let alone other people, so I'm gonna try everything I can to eventually pass the finger-prick test. I guess it's now more about having healthy iron-levels than actually donating, but at least being able to donate will be a good indicator or goal to reach.

Ok, that's all for now. Eat your iron, people! :) Tootles~

Tomatillo #2

A few friends and I hit up Tomatillo last weekend. My second visit since the rather disappointing first one. hehe. This time, I ordered their Tostada Salad Bowl (vegetarian version), without the sour cream and cheese that normally comes on top. This time, I noticed that there were more beans in it. :) I will say though, it could do with a little more flavor, and maybe replace the sad pile of iceberg lettuce with some real greens. All in all, I guess it was okay in the end. I was hungry and I ate it all- including the greasy taco shell!


Here are the beans, onions, & potatoes peeking out from all the iceberg lettuce.

Not Eating Animals

I bought a copy of 'Eating Animals' at Kyobo the other day! :) I've heard about this book from so many different sources, I'm hoping it lives up to all the hype (and price-22,390 won). Since I'm already vegan, I sometimes think that reading books on this subject is kind of like preaching to the choir, but I still like hearing about how other people are led to this lifestyle, and their perspectives on humanity and our relationship with animals. I'm looking forward to learning something new.

Anyway, I've also been eating some good vegan grub~ I wish I could be like those bloggers who post everything they eat every day, but I'm not that dedicated... So you guys just have to be satisfied with sporadic images. :)


This is a bowl of homemade bibimbab. The rice is hiding underneath a bunch of lightly sauteed cabbage & carrots, chopped perilla leaves, and crushed seaweed flakes (gim). Super simple, but also delicious and healthy.


Here is a simple, light, cabbage side-dish. It's a quicker, less spicy, non-fermented version of kimchi. And totally vegan, ofcourse.

{ Ingredients }
1/4 head of cabbage
1 Tbp vinegar (I used apple-cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp sugar (actually, I used a pinch of stevia)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more, if you like it more spicy)
pinch of salt (or to taste)

{ Method }
1. Chop cabbage into thin slices
2. Add other ingredients and mix together.

Random question: Has anyone noticed that I haven't been baking much lately? In the past, I was baking almost every other day, and the majority of my posts were about vegan baking. But this January, I only baked once. I realized that baking so much is not so good for the waistline, even when I use low-fat recipes. So I'm trying to reduce the oven-use. I think I was a little addicted to the baking process, but I'm finding better outlets for my energy, such as nutritional eating and exercise. It's all good~! But don't worry, I'm still gonna bake from time-to-time.


Here's a lazy Bunny shot. Please excuse the tacky red/pink comforter.

Discovering your inner-child

Last week, I dragged a few friends with me to check out the Bologna Children's Book Illustration Exhibit at the Seoul Arts Center. Since being an illustrator is a little dream of mine, I absolutely had to go to this.



It was really great! There were sooo many different illustrators from all over the world, all with unique styles. We weren't allowed to take photos of the exhibit, but I rebelliously snuck a few, just for you. Hip shot!



See anything familiar in this photo? :) Look here.


Go see everything for yourself! The exhibit is open 'til March 1, 2010.

Fur...

For those who don't know who 'Ajumas' are, they are older, married, Korean women, generally past the age of 40. The reason why I bring up the topic of ajumas, is because I want to address what seems to be one of their staple fashion items (in addition to the essential visor, giant brooch or ring, and LV bag)- The Fur Coat.

Yes, I'm talking about the tiny ajuma, drowning in her full-length fur coat. Granted, these ajumas are a little special, even among their own kind- they reign in the upper-echelons of Ajumadom. They are the high-class, elitist ajumas. When I see them, I can't help but picture Cruella DeVille- pale skin, wrinkly rouged lips, and tattooed eyebrows. The only thing missing is the cigarette quivering between their fingers. Okay, I guess I'm stereotyping- not all ajoomz wear fur. And they're not all crazed subway-seat chasers either. There are plenty of kind-spirited, jovial, generous ajumas to compensate for the mean ones.

But make no mistake, these fur-wearing ladies are out in droves this frigid winter season, intent on proving to the world that their choice of outerwear is a relevant fashion statement. The other day, I was literally sandwiched between TWO fur coats on the subway. It was so unnerving, I had to give up my precious subway seat for fear that I would have a physical reaction (ie. barf all over). It's a shame that they simply do not realize they are wearing death. That's right, I said it- death. I'm not implying that I'm gonna get all Peta on their asses and throw red paint on them, but I also won't say that the thought hasn't crossed my mind. However, anyone who knows anything about ajumas, knows not to mess with them. They will floor you with a single sharp elbow jab.

All jokes aside though, I really hope people here will soon become more aware of the cruelty that goes into the fur industry. At least in the US it is talked about in the media to some extent, but here, it's rarely (if ever) discussed. And it's not only ajumas that love fur- they're just an easy, obvious target. In actuality, practically every other person wears a coat with a fur-lined hoodie, or with inner fur-lining. Fur is apparently very 'in' right now, and when something is considered trendy in Korea, literally everyone follows. It's quite heartbreaking to think about just how many animals suffer all in the name of 'fashion.'

So, how can we bring more awareness to this issue here in Korea? It's something that's been on my mind lately.... Perhaps if people saw video clips on the fur industry, they might think twice before donning a skinned animal.

"Green" Tea Cake

Would you believe me if I said that this was meant to be 'Green Tea Cake'? What happened, you ask? Well, my mom and I were trying the 'Green Tea Cake' recipe from the new Korean Vegan Baking book I gave my mom for Christmas, and we did two things wrong. First, we used dark brown sugar, instead of light brown sugar. And second, the green tea powder we used was not the right kind of powder... It was this special green tea granule mix from Japan, made specifically for dissolving quickly in water. Therefore, the green color was very weak to begin with. So those two errors resulted in this "brown" tea cake.


But as the late MJ would say, it don't matter if you're black or white your cake is green or brown, because it will still taste ah-may-jing. And it was just that. We added walnuts, which was genius on our part. Very soft and fully scrumptious.


Anywayyy. I really want to try the recipe again, but correctly next time. There are quite a few recipes in that book that I'm excited to test out. One thing though, the measurements are in grams, rather than in cups, so it's pretty essential to own a measuring scale.

New Start Veg Buffet

Wow, this blog now has 50 followers! Thank you everyone for your interest~



The last time I went to 'New Start' Vegetarian Buffet was about a year ago, so I figured it was time to revisit the restaurant and the kind old man who runs it. When my friend and I walked in, we were surprised at how empty the place was. Maybe it was because it was a weekday, but there was literally only one other customer in the entire place. Has their business gone down over the course of the year? I really hope they're doing okay cuz it would be a shame to lose a veg restaurant in Seoul.

I hate to say this, but the food was wasn't as good as I remembered it to be. I couldn't help but wish that some of the dishes were warmer... It seemed that a lot of the food had just been sitting out for a while, getting cold and crusty. Aside from that, there was still plenty to eat and we walked out with our bellies filled to the brim. Here are our plates:





My favorite dish was the syrupy sweet potatoes with sunflower seeds sprinkled on top. They were soooo yummy! I also liked their stuffed cabbage rolls, whole wheat bread, and mini quesadillas.

Price: 12,000 per person.

Directions (copied from happycow.net): Subway Line 2 (green line) or the Bundang (yellow) line get off at Seolleung Station, from Exit 2, walk 50m past BurgerKing to the top of a small hill where you will find an intersection, on the left is an office supply store, Link O, turn left and walk until you see Hollys Coffee on your left, the restaurant is across the street (4th building on the right from intersection) and is located on the 2nd floor.