Caramelized Onion Dip

2 small onions, diced

2 tbsp. olive oil 

2 tsp. kosher salt

350 g. (about 1 1/2 c.) sour cream

125 g. (about 1/2 c.)  mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

dash of Cajun seasoning 

dash of Mrs. Dash

1 tbsp. parsley

Caramelize onions with olive oil and salt over medium heat. Stir occasionally. This will take 20 to 30 min. Allow to cool. 

Then, stir all ingredients together. Store in refrigerator. This dip is best the next day. I found it still a bit heavy on the mayo still. I may use even less next time. 

Great dip for veggies, chips, crackers, etc. 

Inspired by Alton Brown's Onion Dip from Scratch.

Korean Pancake

Easy to make & delish! 

From what I've read on the internet, this is a traditional Korean-style pancake called "Pajeon". It's so easy to make and really yummy. I made the most basic version with just scallion (green onion), but you can also make Hae-Mul Pajeon which has oyster, clams and shrimp.

I used to beg my friend E. to make them for me because they were so yummy. She looked at me one day and said "You can make these you know, it's so easy." She gave me her recipe, which I unfortunately lost, but here's my Americanized version. 

Pancake:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. water
• 1 egg
• 4 or 5 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder (hey, I told you it was my Americanized version)
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together flour, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Make a well in the center. Add the egg, water, and sesame oil and whisk together. Stir in the chopped scallion. Let the batter set for about 15 min.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a few teaspoons of canola oil.  

Add about 1/2 c. of batter to the pan. Flip it over when you can see it's cooking through. You won't get the bubbles you get that tell you to flip an American pan cake. You should have a nice golden brown color on both sides. I got 4 small pancakes out of this batch.

If you want to make Hae-Mul Pajeon, add about 1/4 of each: Oysters, chopped clams, chopped squid or small shrimp over the batter in the pan as you are cooking the pancakes. I've never tried tried this version, but I'm sure it's great if you like sea food. :)

Dipping Sauce

I really like to eat mine plain, but if you want to serve a dipping sauce along side your pajeon, This recipe got  good reviews from my husband:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ tbsp rice vinegar (or plain white vinegar)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds*

Stir all these together. The longer it sits the more the flavors will marry...

*Easy. Place the raw sesame seeds in a clean wok or pan over high heat. Toss around a few times to make sure they don't burn. You can get rather inexpensive ones on the "ethnic" aisle at the grocery store in a little plastic bag rather than a shaker.