Chef Roy Choi is proving that healthy food doesn't have to mean bland food.
In his new cookbook, "The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life," the Korean-American chef -- known as the founder of the Kogi taco truck, bestselling author of "L.A. Son," and star of Netflix's "The Chef Show" -- shares 100 bold, inventive recipes that make healthy(ish) eating flavorful, fun, and totally doable.
On Tuesday, Choi stopped by "Good Morning America" and "GMA3" to demo three standouts from the book: Cold Bibim Noodle Salad with Watermelon Glaze, Soy-Garlic BBQ Baked Chicken Wings and a Kimchi Philly Cheese-Steak.
Designed for cooks of all levels, these dishes aim to nourish the body without sacrificing taste.
Check them out below.
Makes 5 or 6 servings
“I didn’t grow up eating a bowl of lettuces and other raw greens as a meal,” Choi said. “A little handful of cold noodles, a savory sauce, and tons of vegetables on top: Now, that was a salad. I’m sharing my version of a salad with you now, so you can make this part of your world of salads, too.”
He continued, “It’s a great dish to take on picnics or to work for lunch: Pack everything separately, then toss it all together when you’re ready to eat (which is why we’re calling this bibim noodles: bibim means ‘mixed’ in Korean). Or you can do what teenagers in Korea do and have bibim noodles between work or study sessions or as an afternoon snack. A bowl of these noodles, a few small bites like kimbap and tempura, and you and your friends at 4 p.m. just talking, talking, talking like there’s no tomorrow: That’s the best way to eat this.”
Ingredients
1 pound somen noodles (see Get In Where You Fit In)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic Pinch of salt
1 cup Magic Sauce (recipe follows)
2 to 3 Persian (mini) cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
1 bunch perilla leaves, thinly sliced (see Get In Where You Fit In)
1 cup chopped kimchi
Toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions and let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, minced garlic, and salt. Set aside.
3. To serve, add a handful of noodles to each serving bowl and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the Magic Sauce right on top. You can add the toppings to the bowls any way you want. I place the sliced cucumbers and shredded romaine right on top of the sauce, followed by ribbons of perilla and a pile of kimchi. Finally, I very lightly drizzle the sesame oil/garlic mixture over the bowl and garnish with toasted sesame seeds all over. However you build your bowls, serve them with the rest of the Magic Sauce for the table, so anyone can add more if they want.
Your bowl, your rules. This salad is super customizable, so depending on what you like, use more or less of any of the things I have, or throw in other vegetables like, say, raw snap peas or blanched mung bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, or add soft- boiled eggs or tofu.
If you can’t find perilla, you can swap it out for a shiso or mint.
Somen noodles are very thin Japanese wheat noodles. If you can’t find them, you can use thin rice noodles, angel hair pasta, soba, or even udon instead.
Use shirataki noodles, or omit the noodles altogether and outfit your bowl with even more sliced vegetables.
Makes about 3 cups
“I grew up with my mom saying this soup or that dish had her magic sauce,” Choi shared. “But you see, it wasn’t ever the same sauce, except it kind of was. That magic sauce changed constantly; it was never the same twice. She was truly concocting magic in her blender.”
He continued, “This is my version, and it’s my homage to Mom. Like hers, this sauce goes everywhere: It goes with the Cold Bibim Noodle Salad, but you’re going to find it as a dip with steamed pork belly (page 218) and on tacos (Kimchi Steak Tacos, page 234). When you’re on your own, spoon it over some roast vegetables or toss it with some rice. Make enough for now and the rest of the week because you’re going to use it.”
Ingredients
1 cup gochugaru
½ cup gochujang
½ cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup beef broth or water
6 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
1½ tablespoons chopped garlic
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
Directions
1. In a blender, combine the gochugaru, gochujang, ½ cup water, onion, beef broth, fish sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce.
2. Puree until smooth, then it’s ready to use.
3. Keep it in an airtight jar or container and refrigerate; it’ll keep for at least a month. Note that right out of the fridge, it may be a little thick; you can add a splash of water to loosen it up before using.
Tips from Choi:
If sauce too thick just loosen with splash of water.
Keep veggies/fruit as cold as possible to keep them crisp cold.
Always over-sauce, err to the side of flavor!
This salad is very customizable.
If you cant find perilla, you can swap out for shiso or mint.
Any noodles is fine -- somen, rice, angel hair pasta, soba or udon all work.
Makes about 24 pieces
“This is my version of Korean- style fried soy- ginger wings,” Choi said. “But instead of frying, we’re going to do something easier: We’re going to bake the wings and baste them with a glaze to give the wings their crispiness.”
He continued, “The goal is to give you really munchable, bomb- ass wings that you can take to any party and satisfy any wing craving. If you have an air fryer, you can always air- fry these instead. And if you want these spicy, add the chili garlic sauce to the marinade.”
Ingredients
3 to 4 pounds chicken wings, drumettes and flats split
Sweet Garlic Teriyaki Sauce (recipe follows)
3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek (optional)
Flaky sea salt
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
2 bunches scallions, sliced
Directions
1. Place the wings in a shallow baking pan, or split them among a few double- bagged resealable bags. Measure out ½ cup of the teriyaki sauce and set aside (you’ll need it for basting later). If you’re going for the heat, add the chili garlic sauce to the rest of the marinade and give it a stir, then pour over the wings. Place the wings in the fridge and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Refrigerate the marinade you’ve set aside for basting, too.
2. About 1 hour before you plan to make the wings, preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. Place wire racks on two baking sheets. Remove the wings from the marinade and divide them between the wire racks (discard the marinade). Bake the wings for 20 minutes.
4. Baste both sides of the wings with the reserved marinade and bake until they’re cooked through and the skins are crispy and crackly, 20 to 25 minutes longer.
5. Remove them from the oven and glaze them one more time with the sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt, sesame seeds, and scallions and wing it!
Makes 3½ cups
“If you let it, this sauce can take you many, many places,” Choi explained. “On one journey, it’s a stir- fry sauce (Green Bean and Chicken Stir- Fry, page 202). On another trip, it’s a marinade and a glaze for wings (Soy-Garlic BBQ Baked Chicken Wings, page 206). It’s best to make it ahead of time, so it’s ready to go when you are.”
Ingredients
1¼ cups soy sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 serrano peppers, coarsely chopped
½ cup whole garlic (15 to 20 cloves), sliced
½ cup sugar
½ medium yellow onion, sliced
½ cup chopped scallions
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
1. In a medium pot, combine 1 cup water, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, orange juice, pineapple juice, serranos, garlic, sugar, onion, scallions, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Skim the scum from the surface of the liquid with a spoon. Gently simmer until the garlic softens, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. It’s ready to use.
2. To store it, cool it completely, then pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. You also can freeze this in clean ice cube trays: Cool the sauce completely, then strain and discard the solids, and pour it into the tray. Frozen, it’ll keep for 3 months.
Tips from Choi:
Glaze the wings while they’re fresh out of the oven and super crispy.
Follow the poaching and baking with all your heart. Simple dishes have nowhere to hide. Devote all you got to the process.
Makes one 12-inch-long sandwich
“I really love the category of sandwiches where it’s compact enough that you can take just one bite and get a little bit of everything in that one bite,” Choi said. “A Philly cheesesteak is exactly that kind of sandwich. When the craving hits, I like to build my own; I make mine with a blast of acidity from kimchi, and I also use the meat you use for shabu shabu, because it’s sliced super, super thin, making it perfect for a cheesesteak.”
He continued, “I think it’s worth going out of your way to a Korean or Japanese market to pick up a pack, but if you can’t get to one, that’s fine; use really thinly sliced rib eye instead. Because the beef is so thin, it’s pretty delicate, so you want to be gentle with it as you cook it. If you have the time, it helps to freeze the meat briefly (think more along the lines of an Otter Pops level of frozen than an ice cube) so it won’t tear so easily.”
“And even though I put the sandwich into an oven to melt the cheese right at the end, you can microwave it for a few seconds instead,” he added. “And check my Power Up suggestions for a few ideas on how to riff on this recipe to fit you.”
Ingredients
1 (12- inch) hoagie roll, preferably Amoroso’s brand, split
Unsalted butter, at room temperature
Extra- virgin olive oil
½ pound sliced beef cut for shabu shabu, or very thinly sliced rib- eye steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
⅓ to ½ cup Butter Kimchi Jam (recipe follows)
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
4 to 6 slices provolone cheese
Cheez Whiz
Minced fresh chives, for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-l ow heat. Slather the inside of the hoagie with butter and add it buttered- side down to the pan to toast.
3. In a medium skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. When the oil gets glossy and begins to shimmer, add a single layer of beef to cover the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just this one side for 1 minute, undisturbed, then remove the slices to a plate or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices of beef.
4. Add the onions to the pan, season them with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté. Once they’ve soaked up the drippings from the beef, about 1 minute, add the butter kimchi jam and stir for 20 seconds. Return all the beef to the pan. Be gentle— the slices are thin and will tear easily, so take the time to add them one by one to the pan. Cook for about 20 seconds, then carefully flip them to finish cooking. Squeeze in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
5. Check on the bread. It should be golden brown and toasty by now, or close to it. Place the roll on a baking sheet and layer the beef, onions, and kimchi in the roll. Add the provolone and spread some Cheez Whiz on top. Pop the whole thing into the oven for the cheese to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. The bread should be hot but still soft.
6. Place a large piece of butcher or wax paper on the work surface. Put the cheesesteak right on top, garnish with a handful of chives, and close up the sandwich. Roll it up in the paper, slice it in half, and serve it up.
• Make this a meal for two by splitting the sandwich in half and serving it with a salad like Cacio e Pepe Caesar Salad.
• If you prefer, omit the Cheez Whiz.
• Remove the top bun and serve the cheesesteak open- faced with a salad.
• Remove the bread component altogether and serve the filling over a salad, with grilled vegetables, or stuff it inside a bell pepper or portobello mushroom.
Makes about 1½ cups
“Kimchi is always great on its own, but warm it up with a little bit of butter and sesame oil and it becomes a brand- new side dish,”Choi said. “It’s great with everything from tofu to pork, and it can be served at room temperature or even cold right out of the fridge.”
Ingredients
Toasted sesame oil
Generous 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups chopped kimchi, plus ¼ cup kimchi juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup minced scallions
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. In a small pan, pour in enough sesame oil to coat the bottom of the pan and set over medium- low heat.
2. Add the butter and when it starts to foam, brown, and smell a little nutty, add the chopped kimchi.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Stir until the kimchi softens and lightly caramelizes, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the kimchi juice, scallions, and sesame seeds and remove from the heat.
5. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and it’s ready to go. To store, cool it completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Tips from Choi:
Get the thinnest slices of meat you can find, use a hot pan, cook quickly.
If you have time, it helps to freeze the meat briefly so it wont tear as easily.
I like to add a pop of acidcity with the kimchi.
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