Kimchi Dumplings (Mandu)

Who doesn’t love some good dumplings? You might be familiar with the Chinese Jiaozi or Japanese Gyoza, but Koreans have an equally delicious treat called Mandu. If you don’t know, Mandu is the Korean version of Chinese Jiaozi or Eastern European pierogi. It’s served during the Korean Lunar New Year festivities in a soup along with some rice cakes, to symbolise good luck for the coming new year.

I was trying to re-create the mandu from a street vendor that I used to go to all the time when I was in Korea. I'm happy to report that this is pretty darn close to the one from my childhood! These vegan kimchi dumplings are special because it has a flavour of Chinese but with some Korean touch - kimchi! Plus the sauce is spicy, juicy, and packed with umami, so good!

And I think there is a common misconception that you need meat in order for dumplings to be tasty, and that is definitely not the case!

IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR YUMMY CREATIONS 🙂

Korean-Inspired Eggplant Jajiangmyeon

Noodles are eaten at least a couple times a week at my house. These Vegan Korean-Inspired Jajiangmyeon were thus a welcome new dinner. The sauce is a thick, savoury concoction of crumbled and doubanjiang—almost blindingly salty on its own, but mellowed when tossed with the udon noodles and eggplant.

If you don't already know, jajangmyeon is originated from Northern China. The Japanese version is called Ja-ja-men and I believe the Korean version is call jajangmyeon. The noodle is served usually with ground beef/pork along cooked with the rich thick sauce poured on top of the noodles. Think of it as the Japanese version of spaghetti and bolognese sauce.

I love mushroom and eggplant, and this was perfect for me. As soon as I took my apron off, the sauce splashed all over my T-shirt… But this was so worth it. It was super tasty, and I was happy.

IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR YUMMY CREATIONS 🙂

Oil-Free Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Granola

Every now and again I get inspired to make granola. There is just something better about homemade granola than store bought. Perhaps it is the satisfaction of having made it yourself, perhaps it’s the smell that fills the kitchen as it crisps up in the oven or the fact that it's significantly cheaper than buying a bag of good quality stuff. Homemade just seems more delicious. When did my love for granola begin? I have no idea. I never had it as a kid, and I don’t really remember having it until I was in my 20’s. But once I tasted it, I knew it was a good thing. And I ate plenty of it! Mmmmm, so delicious!

Today, I have a super easy, but delicious recipe for this vegan oil-free chocolate chunk banana bread granola. All the flavours of banana bread, in a clusters of sweet, cinnamony, chocolatey, crunchy oats. This granola is indulgent but it isn’t especially sweet. Granted, the chocolate make it taste more like a glorified dessert, but I'm fine with that. Everyone needs a little chocolate for breakfast.

I’ve wanted to make banana bread granola for ages, but I usually make my granolas with oil. However, on the TV they used the bananas in lieu of butter/oil and it still turned out looking like perfect granola. So, I started experimenting and this was my final result! Think of this super minimal granola recipe as a great introduction to the vast and delicious world of homemade granola. It’s a world of endless possibilities and really long ingredient lists, so this 9-ingredient recipe is here to bring everything down to earth for a second. This granola gives off some solid chocolate banana bread vibes, and can easily be customized to meet all your granola needs. Mashed bananas and maple syrup act as the glue that creates those irresistible granola clusters and eliminates the need for any oil in this recipe.

IF YOU EVER GIVE THIS RECIPE A TRY, DO LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND/OR TAG @FRUITYEMZ AND HASHTAG #FRUITYEMZ ON YOUR INSTAGRAM POST! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL YOUR YUMMY CREATIONS 🙂