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SIMPLE  RECIPES

TASTY AND EASY TO MAKE KOREAN DONUT RECIPE

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TASTY AND EASY TO MAKE KOREAN DONUT RECIPE

I enjoyed eating this treat soooo much as a kid and I love that I now get to make them with my own children! This recipe requires only 7 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.    It is a traditional Korean dessert, pronounced Kwaa-bae-gi.  It is crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with the perfect level of sweetness.  It goes great with a mug of coffee,  a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of milk.  What it doesn't go great with is your favorite pair of skinny jeans, if you indulge in too many!
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Ingredients:
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 cup of milk (whole milk is best but low fat works, too)
8 tbsp of sugar (set aside half of that)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 egg
1 package of yeast
3 cups of flour (plus set aside 2 tbsp of flour for dusting)

**if you have cinnamon, add 1 tsp to the set-aside tbsps of sugar to sprinkle on the donuts.  Ignore this extra step if you don't like the taste of cinnamon.**

Heat a large pot of oil (about 5 cups of canola oil) to 350 degrees.  Nervous Mom Tip: *Keep pot handles facing in and away from the edge of the stove when working with little ones in the kitchen.
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In a medium size pot, over  medium heat, melt the unsalted butter.  Remove from the stove and add the milk, 4 tbsp of sugar, the salt and whisk together.  Then crack in the egg and whisk.  Then add the yeast and whisk.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.  Add the flour and mix and knead by hand until it looks doughy and starts to stick to your hands.

In a bowl, set it aside (covered) and let it rise for 1.5 hours.  When the time is up, knew some more, cover it again and this time let it sit for about 45 minutes.  Knead it again, gently, and then begin dividing the big block of dough into even halves until you have 16 small balls.  My kids added food dye to some of them!
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Now it's time to make them into the twisty donuts!  Sprinkle lightly some flour onto counter surface to keep the dough balls from sticking.  Then roll out each ball into a line, resembling a breadstick.  Take the palms of your hands and roll them each in opposite directions as you knead the ball into a rod-like line about 12" long.  Then pick it up by the tips of each end and fold up (it will automatically twist the donut as you bring the two ends together).  When the two ends meet as you fold the long donut twist in half, pinch the ends together to secure that the twist doesn't unravel.

Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, turn the heat down to medium heat so as not to burn the donuts.  Place the first batch of donuts into the oil and watch them float!  About 2 to 3 minutes into the frying, flip the donuts and cook for another 2 minutes until the outside is hard and crispy and the donuts have a golden brown coloring.  Remove them and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel to catch any excess oil.  Do not use a plastic ziplock baggy (the heat from the donuts can melt the plastic).

Once the donuts are cooked to a golden brown, place them, one by one, into a brown paper bag or simply roll them on parchment paper that contains the 4 tbsps of sugar (and cinnamon, if you want to add it).  Gently shake the donuts in the bag or roll them on the parchment paper and coat them thoroughly.  

Enjoy!

From my family to yours,
MANGAMom​

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SIMPLE AND EASY FRUIT DIP

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SIMPLE AND EASY FRUIT DIP

Okay, I can't believe this 2 ingredient fruit dip is  a whole blog post, either, but let's face it - we moms always need simple and easy recipes for potlucks, unexpected pop-in visitors and bring-a-dish gatherings.  Here's a little something for your bring-along-food recipe arsenal.  This  simple 2 ingredient fruit dip is quick and easy to make last minute and goes great with fruit platters.  

My family usually eats fruits nice and naked but if you're looking for some 'bling' to dress up your mid-day snack, this is tasty and fun to make with young kids.  Fair warning: it is v-e-r-y sweet.  It's a pretty simple recipe that they can follow all by themselves while you prepare the fruit.  And if you have some food dye in the pantry... you know what I'm getting at.  And if you happen to have some mini-chocolate chips, sprinkle some on top as a garnish.

Simply combine the 8 oz. cream cheese packet and the 7 oz. jar of marshmallow creme in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.  I don't recommend trying to mix by hand - it comes out clumpy and tastes uneven, the electric mixer is key.
*
Optional: add food coloring.  

Yup.  That's it.  My recipe page ain't called "Simple Recipes" for nothin...

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SUPER SIMPLE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BITES

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SUPER SIMPLE PEANUT BUTTER OAMEAL BITES

Here is a super simple, tasty, and nutritious snack recipe - peanut butter oatmeal bites.  My kids refer to it as "bird food".   They're easy to make and pack for day trips (tip: taste best cold so keep them cool when traveling) or mid-day snacking during study days.  No baking involved and a fun 'cooking' activity to do with little ones.  It requires minimal prep and clean-up (YAY!)  If you're very busy and want to just get it done, you can make them yourself in under 15 minutes (not counting the chill time) and store in the fridge overnight, ready for the next day.  Large Family Tip:  you can double/triple the recipe and store any extras in an airtight tupperware and chill - will stay fresh and tasty for days!  ​ I don't recommend freezing them - my kids say the peanut butter gets too hard to bite down on and the oatmeal bits taste yucky when frozen.
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Ingredients:
2/3 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of old-fashion oats
1 1/2 Tbsp of honey
1/4 cup of chocolate chips (the mini chips work best)
1/4 cup of flax seed

Set aside a 1/8 cup of the old-fashion oats and a small handful of the chocolate chips.

Mom Confession:  I don't use exact measurements for this recipe.  I just "eyeball"  whatever I want more or less of in the mix and add the ingredients accordingly.
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In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and then cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Take the chilled mixture and scoop spoonfuls and roll them each into a bite-size ball.  Take the set aside oats and chips and sprinkle onto a large plate or wax paper on the counter and then roll the sticky PB Oatmeal bites until they are lightly covered with oats and mini-chips.

I know, right?!  Super easy!
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SUPER EASY SHRIMP TEMPURA RECIPE

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SUPER EASY SHRIMP TEMPURA RECIPE

Here is another simple dinner recipe that requires just 2 ingredients!  All you need is shrimp (this recipe is for 50 medium sized shrimp) and tempura or panko (absorbs less oil) batter mix.  If you like shrimp with a little more 'zing', mix into your batter some finely chopped jalapeno peppers or go simpler and milder with a couple of dashes of black pepper.
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Heat up the cooking oil in a pan or pot on medium-high.  

​In a bowl, pour 1 cup of dry tempura mix.
In another bowl, combine 2 cups of tempura mix with 3 cups of water. 
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*The thinner the batter, the crispier and lighter the readied shrimp tempura.  If you like a thicker batter, like fish and chips style, add less water until the batter has more of a pancake batter consistency.
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Gently pat dry the prepared shrimp and toss them lightly in the dry mix until they are completely covered.  Then transfer them into the prepared batter and cover thoroughly.  Place them, one at a time, into the oil and gently tease them apart while cooking so as not to let them stick together in the pan.  Transfer them onto a large plate.  Tip: line the serving plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.  That's it!  Done!

If you have soy sauce, it makes a great dipping sauce.  If you want to add some spice to it, mix a little wasabi into the soy sauce for an amazing explosion of tasty spice.  Soooo good...
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Variations on a Tempura Theme:
If you're not a fan of shrimp, vegetables and white fish also make yummy tempura.  Sliced zucchini sticks tempura, sliced potato tempura, and baby carrot tempura are my favorites.  I've never tried onions but the thought of it is appealing - let me know if you try this!

We eat this tasty shrimp alongside rice, and vegetables of the day.  Simple and tasty.
Pro Mom Tip: prepare and pre-cook shrimp and freeze for future meal preps,   When you know you'll need it for dinner that night, simply sit the frozen shrimp on the counter in the morning to thaw or zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to defrost.  Then, when it's time to cook dinner, no lengthy shrimp prep, just batter and cook, right away.

I hope you enjoy this simple meal hack as much as my family does!
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Sincerely,
MangaMom

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SIMPLE HOMEMADE CROCKPOT CURRY RECIPE

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SIMPLE AND EASY CROCKPOT CURRY RECIPE

This simple and easy crockpot curry recipe makes use of recipe staples that most of us moms have on hand for meal making.  The only extra ingredient may be the curry.  I've tried different brands and this one, by S&B, is
my absolute favorite.  We like to eat a bowlful (or two) for lunch and then finish off the rest of the pot for dinner.  You can keep it vegan-friendly by using tofu (so tasty!) or you can add meats and shrimp.  
*When the kids want to cook this with me, I say a little prayer (I know y'all feel me) and I opt to use a large pot, instead of the crockpot, and we have an impromptu cooking lesson.  It's messier, louder, takes longer, and I am plenty tired by the end of it but I never regret it.
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Large Family Portions for the Ingredients.  Halve the recipe for a family of 4.
Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped carrots
2 cups of chopped potatoes
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
2 cups of chopped onions
1 block of firm tofu
2 cups of baby shrimp unchopped or you can use larger shrimp, chopped
*When I am running low on shrimp, I use a classic Korean meal ingredient: Spam.  Chopped chicken, pork and beef are also good add-ins.  Cut the meats into small pieces, otherwise they can cook a little on the "tough" side.

Chop everything up the night before and place in the fridge (spinach stays in the freezer).  Soak the tofu and potatoes in water overnight so they don't dry out or brown.  

In the morning, toss everything into an extra-large crockpot along with plenty of water and the entire box of curry bars (*reminder: halve the recipe if you're feeding fewer bellies).  Set the crockpot to high setting at 7:00 am and you've got lunch and dinner set for the day!  You are now free to run errands, do school, play with the baby, clean the house, and carry on all the other countless tasks we mamas do every day!
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Set a pot of rice (I use 8 cups of white Asian rice for my family of 8) to cover both lunch and dinner.  Asian Mom Tip: use sticky Asian rice.  The American rice is not good with this recipe.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do!
From my family to yours.

Sincerely,
MANGAMom


BEST KOREAN SNack secret...

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this sea vegetable's got me like...

This sea vegetable is super low calorie, tasty, and chock full of good minerals.  Roasted seaweed is a great stand-alone snack for anytime.  If you like chips, pretzels, or anything salty and crispy, roasted seaweed (aka laver or "gim", in Korean) is an awesome substitute - no preservatives, fully organic, vegan, and gluten-free).  It is waaaay healthier than many of the salty foods you find in the snack aisle and it's only 5 calories per sheet!  It's also a great side for meals served with rice.  Growing up, I had this every day as part of dinner and often with breakfast and lunch, too.   My kids love it!

The health benefits are undeniable (keep reading for a listing).  And you don't have to make it from scratch!  (although you can - when I was little, my mom and I used to roast our own on the weekends).   My Simple Recipes blog page is all about simplicity and ease, not about reinventing the cooking wheel...  You can get them fully prepared and roasted in large sheets (about 6"x8") and cut them down to small squares or you can buy them pre-cut in snack size packs.  Pack them in the diaper bag for an easy on-the-road snack or use them to wrap rice in  during meals - fair warning, they can be crumbly...  A simple Korean meal for my family would include rice wrapped in roasted seaweed squares, a side vegetable (or kim-chee) and fish or chicken.  Simple.  Nutritious.  Filling.  Delicious.
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​This is my absolute favorite brand.  
​It has all clean ingredients and tastes great!  
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Top health benefits of roasted seaweed:
1.  High in potassium - helps to lower blood pressure, and lowers risk of stroke and heart disease.
2.  Vitamin B12 - supports healthy nervous system and brain function.
3.  Iodine - this mineral is essential for proper thyroid function and good metabolism.
4.  Low-calorie and low fat food to support healthy weight and lifestyle.

You can find it in the international foods aisle in many supermarkets or on amazon.  
This post contains an affiliate link.  Click on the pic if you'd like to learn more.
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FRIENDSHIP CAKE

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A delicious chocolate pudding cake recipe that is simple to make alongside little ones. It's a family favorite to take along when we visit with friends. ProMom Tip: it's pudding so if you're taking it for a ride, make sure to chill it first and that the ride is nice and cool.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans (this makes a great add-in but we usually opt out because of food allergies)
8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of powdered sugar
8 oz. container of frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
(2) 3.5 oz. packages of instant chocolate pudding (banana pudding is a nice substitute)
4 cups of milk (whole milk is best but 2% works, too)
A dump truck load of sprinkles (courtesy of my kindergartner). We are partial to rainbow, unless it's a holiday: red and green for Christmas, pink and red for Valentines Day, green for St. Patty's Day, red/white/blue for Independence Day, black and orange for Halloween (candy eyeballs are also fun) and of course, pastels for Easter!

In a bowl, combine the flour, butter and pecans (optional). Mix well and then press into the bottom of an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan (don't press it too firmly, otherwise the crust will bake very hard). Bake at 350 for 15 minutes and allow to cool fully. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and one cup whipped topping; spread over baked layer. Whisk together the dry pudding mixes and milk per the package directions and make this the next layer. Cover and chill for a couple of hours(I usually set it overnight). Spread with remaining whipped topping and as my kids like to say when sprinkling the sprinkles, "MAKE IT RAIN!"

Cover and chill overnight and cut into tiny squares so the kids feel like they’re indulging in multiple sweet treats (another a ProMom Tip!)
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TOO-EASY BAKED BBQ CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

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​TOO-EASY BAKED BBQ CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

This easy to bake dinner favorite is delicious and so unbelievably simple to make!   I actually feel  guilty that I don't work harder to make this meal.  

Ingredients:
28 oz. Bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Award-Winning Barbecue Sauce 
16-20 Chicken drumsticks

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.  

Remove the skin from the chicken drumsticks.   Rinse the skinned chicken in cold water and pat them dry, one by one and set aside.  Squirt 1/2 the bottle of barbecue sauce into a large Ziploc bag.  Place the drumsticks into the Ziploc bag.  Seal it tight and gently shake and massage the bag of chicken until all the drumsticks are covered in sauce.  Then arrange the drumsticks on a lined 17" x 12" baking pan and sprinkle with a little pepper and 1/2 the bottle remainder of bbq sauce.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil.  Slide them into the oven for 1 hour.  Flip at the 30 min. mark and squirt on the remainder of the bbq sauce bottle and slide back into the oven for final 30 minutes with the aluminum foil over top to keep the chicken from drying out.  After one hour, remove from the oven.  To thicken the tasty sauce, let cool for 10 minutes before serving and have plenty of baby wipes on hand for small sets of sticky hands around your family dinner table!  Enjoy!

There are lots of great recipes out there to make your own delicious barbecue sauce but I prefer to keep this the ultimate easy chicken recipe so I stuck with our family favorite ready-made sauce.

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2 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MINI CAKES

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2 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MINI CAKES

As the primary cook for our family of 8, my ears perk up at the sound of "Simple 2 Ingredient Recipes".  These pumpkin spice minis are great in the fall but we eat them anytime, really.  They are super moist and crazy-easy to make and bake.  You can make a boatload of them (like me) and freeze them or just whip up a single-serve batch to enjoy piping hot.  For tired, overworked mamas,  they go down easy with that first morning cup of coffee or a mid-afternoon cup of tea.  For my kiddos, they usually grab several to inhale with a tall, cold, glass of cloud juice (aka MILK).  I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does!



​Ingredients: 

(1) 15.25 oz. box of Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix Spice
(1) 15 oz. can of Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
 If you are a large family, like us, or are a freezer mom, try doubling or tripling the batch.  Just make sure you have enough muffin tins on hand.

Mix the pumpkin puree and the cake mix together.  Mix well.  You can use a mixer but my kids prefer to use good old-fashion elbow grease to make this recipe.  If you want to glam up the mini cakes, toss in some oats, nuts or raisins.  If you want to make them truly mouth watering moist, add a little applesauce.  *The original recipe with only the 2 ingredients is delicious all on its own, too.  That's our favorite way to make them.

Spoon or ice cream scoop them  into a non-stick muffin pan or you can use liners.
Bake at 350 degrees for 16-20 minutes.  Voila!  DONE!
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SIMPLE BAKE BANANA OATMEAL BALLS

SIMPLE BAKE BANANA OATMEAL BALLS

Two foods we always have on hand, year round, are oatmeal and bananas so we decided to see what we could come up with using just those two ingredients.  This simple bake recipe is b-a-n-a-n-as good!  We've eaten them with no "sides", as my kids call them, and we've also had them topped with chocolate chips, sprinkles,  and a dash of vanilla.  I think honey might be tasty, too.  Crushed walnuts sound good but due to allergies, we've never tried it.  Let me know if you do!  ​
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
2 cups of quick oats
4 large over ripe bananas (old, squishy, speckled bananas are ideal in texture and sweetness but yellow ones work "okayish" if you're in a pinch)
Making these cookies reminds me of rice krispies treats -top with whatever sides you like or have on hand (honey, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, carob chips, sprinkles, or a heaping scoop of peanut butter).  Just have fun!

ProMom Tip:  If you are having little helpers mix the bananas and oatmeal, use a tall bowl or big one to minimize spillage.  If you are blessed to have multiple helpers, you can split the ingredients into separate bowls for mixing and then combine them one your helpers are done.  This will shut down any fights about "who gets to mix!"  Mix the bananas and oatmeal with a fork or masher.  Mix well until all the dry oatmeal sticks to the banana.  Next, toss in your sides of choice.  Drop spoonful sized balls onto a greased or lined baking sheet.  You don't have to space them too far apart as they do not spread as traditional cookies do during bake time.  Each ball pretty much keeps to himself in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Eat and enjoy!  

Sincerely,
From MANGAMom's Family to Yours

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