Seaweed Side Dish | Miyuk Moochim (미역무침)

I'm convinced that in a past life, I was a mermaid. For one, I love to swim. I'm actually a pretty strong swimmer (despite what you may think when you look at my small, chunky frame) and snorkeling is probably my favorite leisurely activity ever. I also added some pink streaks to my hair and I think that's a desire that only mermaids have. And, the final clincher is that I've always had a thing for seaweed.

When I was a kid, miyuk guk (seaweed soup) was always my favorite. And despite being flavored with beef stock, I would pretend I was just drinking a bowl of warm ocean water; if that's not an indicator of mermaiditis, then I don't know what is. Oh, and of course, toasted seaweed (which has become a pretty popular snack) is still served at my dinner table all the time.

I haven't been as into dealing with seaweed lately, mostly out of laziness. My mom only ever used seaweed for soup but here and there, I've had it in a spicy side dish at restaurants. While digging through the pantry to see what needed restocking, I found a package of seaweed and decided to give the spicy side dish a go. It's not the prettiest looking dish, but it's yummy and seaweed is super healthy.

Ingredients:
½ oz. dried seaweed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon hot pepper paste
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
+ sesame seeds

Start by soaking a generous handful of seaweed in water for 10 minutes.

Then, boil the seaweed for about 5 minutes to soften it and then drain.

Grab a big bowl and dump in all of the ingredients and stir together.

It's that easy.

Spoon the seaweed into a bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

The seaweed is slightly spicy and a little sweet. It's a little slimy but that's what I love about it. It's also a superfood that contains lots of Vitamins A and C, iodine, and calcium, It's awesome and this little mermaid loves it.

Here's the recipe page: