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Simple Homemade Kimchi

Posted in Savory, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2014| 9 Comments »

Simple Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Last week my little blog had an anniversary!  I’ve been occupying this small corner of the internet for three years now.  Goodness time has flown by!  I’m so very thankful for the friends it has brought into my life.  It is such an amazing feeling to find people that share my interests– people that give a damn where their food comes from and believe that it makes a difference.  Making food does more than just nurture my body, it nutures my soul.  Thank you for stopping back week after week to see what I’ve been doing– I am truly grateful.

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

I suppose you’re expecting a celebratory cake recipe, but no, today I’m marking the occassion with…kimchi!  You know I’m a sucker for fermented foods (they are so ridiculously healthy for you)– this  homemade sauerkraut gets made ever month in our house.  Kimchi is along the same lines– it’s also lacto-fermented– but it’s made with a different type of cabbage and a couple of other vegetables. The red color comes from a Korean ground red pepper called gochugaru.  It has a wonderful flavor.  Finding gochugaru can be a bit of a hunt, even in a large city.  Definitely check an Asian specialty store.  I found mine at United Noodles in Minneapolis.  You can also order in online at Amazon.  A package will last you awhile, so you won’t have to reorder very often. Kimchi is easy to make and doesn’t take very long to ferment.  It’s as simple is mixing up a flavorful paste with garlic, ginger, and the gochugaru and tossing it with the vegetables.  If you love kimchi, there is absolutely no reason not to make your own.

Simple Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

Simple Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

The big question is, what do you do with kimchi once you’ve made it?  The possibilities are endless, really.  Toss some into a batch of fried rice, throw some into your stir-fry, put it into soups, eat it with dumplings, or straight out of the jar.  I love to eat it on a pizza with spicy ground pork.  It adds that extra “oomph” that some dishes need.  Make it.  You’ll be happy that you did!

Homemade Kimchi | Relishing It

The Recipe: Homemade Kimchi

(makes nearly 2 quarts)

1 /3 cup kosher salt

1 (3 1/2 pound) head napa cabbage, remove core and cut cabbage into 2-inch strips

water

7 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

12 ounce daikon (white radish) peeled and cut into matchsticks

7 garlic cloves, smashed

3 tablespoons fish sauce (or water, if making vegetarian)

1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

5 tablespoons gochugaru (less to taste)

To prepare the cabbage:  Place the cut cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Massage well so the the cabbage starts to soften and become watery.  Then add enough filtered water to cover the cabbage.  Weigh it down with a plate and then place something heavy on the plate.  Let it stand for 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the red pepper paste.  In a small bowl, add the ginger, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and gochugaru.  Mix until uniform.  Set aside.

When the cabbage is ready, rinse it with cold water about 3 times.  You want to thoroughly wash the salt off of it.  Then drain in a colander for 15 minutes and gently squeeze out any remaining water.  Return to the bowl that has since been cleaned.  Add the daikon, green onions, and red pepper paste and gently mix with your hands (use gloves, if you want) to coat all of the vegetables.  Pack the kimchi into clean jars and press down until the brine covers the vegetables.  Leave about an 1-inch space at the top of the jars (you will just be shy of 2 quarts for this recipe, so space shouldn’t be an issue).

Let the jars stand at room temperature for 1-5 days ( I generally do 5 days, but it’ll depend upon the temperature of your house).  There may be some bubbling action and you may want to open the jar to release some of the gas, so it doesn’t bubble over and create a mess.  Taste it along the way, when it is fermented to your liking, put it into the refrigerator.  The flavors will continue to enhance when it’s been in the refrigerator for a while.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from The Kitchn

Thanks for stopping by!

Laurie

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Seasonal Frittata

Posted in Breakfast, tagged , , , , , , on August 3, 2011| 5 Comments »

I love when I can make a meal entirely out of ingredients that I have on hand.  No trip to the market required.  I love it even more when everything–with the exception of the olive oil and curry powder–is organic and locally-produced.  For today’s post I made this delicious, hearty frittata by raiding only my refrigerator and pantry.  This dish works well as either a breakfast or dinner option.  Even better, its both filling and healthy.

The two major components are vegetables and fresh eggs.  The vegetables can be easily adapted to fit taste– like I did, you can use whatever you have on hand.  I used onions, potatoes, and broccoli, though summer squash or asparagus would make a tasty variation.  Since I  seem to always have ricotta salata cheese on hand, I relied on it as well.  It added a nice creaminess.   Goat cheese or feta can be substituted as well.  Finally, I wanted something a little out-of-the-ordinary, so I turned to curry powder.  The spice added a nice complexity to this dish.  We really enjoyed this simple meal, and I hope you do too.

The Recipe:  Seasonal Frittata

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,  plus more for drizzling (melted butter would work, too)

1/2 onion, chopped

8 ounces new potatoes, unpeeled, sliced very thin

8 ounces chopped broccoli (or any other seasonal vegetable you prefer)

4-5 green onions, thinly sliced

9-10 large eggs, well beaten

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or goat or feta)

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a ovenproof 12-inch skillet (cast-iron worked great) over medium – high heat.  Stir in the onions and potatoes and a big pinch of salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just cooked.  About 5 minutes.  Stir in the broccoli and green onions and cook for a few more minutes until they are soft and to your liking.    Remove half of the mixture from the pan.

Whisk the eggs together with the curry powder and pour the eggs into the skillet.  Cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are just set and there isn’t much liquid in the pan.  To make sure this happens, run a spatula underneath the perimeter of the frittata and tilt the pan so the undercooked eggs run to the underside.  You want to avoid browning the bottom of the frittata.  Top with the set aside vegetables and sprinkle with the cheese.

Place under a broiler for a couple of minutes, until the top of the frittata is puffed and set and it has a somewhat golden look to it.  Keep a watchful eye, as it can burn quickly.  Remove from the broiler and let rest for a couple of minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve either warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Source:  Adapted fro Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day

Thanks for stopping by today — see you soon.

Laurie

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Savory Green Pancakes with Cilantro Lime Butter

Posted in Breakfast, Savory, tagged , , , , , on July 27, 2011| 8 Comments »

This recipe blew me away!  How’s that for an opening?  When I read about these savory pancakes, I figured they’d be delicious– the flavors sounded like they really worked well together.  But I had no idea that they would meld into such a heavenly combination.  The first bite was, honestly, a revelation.

This dish comes from the amazing Yotam Ottolenghi.  He owns the highly-regarded Ottolenghi restaurant in London’s Notting Hill district.  This recipe can be found in his latest cookbook– devoted to vegetables– called Plenty.  Both the recipes and presentation are brilliant.  The photography, ingredients, and flavor combinations of his creations are an inspiration.

Aside from their incredible flavor, these pancakes are also a perfect way to get more greens into your day.  I used rainbow Swiss chard, along with green onions and cumin in the batter– they combine into a wonderful flavor.  But the real showstopper in this dish is the cilantro lime butter.  It is not subtle– more like a ‘flavor punch’ to your tastebuds.  You won’t need to use all of the butter on your pancakes, but you should make the entire amount. Once you taste it, you’ll see why.  I’m already thinking of other foods to put it on, like grilled sweet corn and sweet potatoes.  These pancakes make a fantastic star for any brunch menu, but work just as well for dinner, given their savory flavor.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

The Recipe:  Savory Green Pancakes with Cilantro Lime Butter

Serves 3-4

Cilantro Lime Butter

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft, but somewhat cold

grated zest of 1 lime

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

dash of chile flakes, to taste

Savory Green Pancakes

1/2 pound (8 ounces) Swiss Chard, washed, stems removed

3/4 cup self – rising flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 egg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup milk (I used 2%)

5-6 medium green onions, finely sliced

1 fresh green chili, thinly sliced  (more if you prefer heat)

1 egg white

olive oil for frying

(Note: to make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt)

To make the cilantro lime butter: Place the somewhat chilled butter in a medium bowl (I liked working with the butter slightly chilled, because it was easy to roll into a log — it does take a little more muscle to get the ingredients mixed into it).  Mix in the rest of the ingredients until the butter mixture is creamy and uniform.  I formed the butter into a log using the wrapper from the butter,  you could also use plastic wrap and twist the ends of the wrap.  Chill until firm.

Wilt the Swiss chard in a hot frying pan with a splash of water.  Drain in a colander and when completely cool, squeeze out the remaining liquid using a paper towel or your hands.  Chop well and set aside.

Place the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin, and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.  Add the green onions, chiles, and Swiss Chard and combine with a spoon.  Whisk the egg white to soft peaks (I used my electric mixer, but you could do it by hand) and gently fold into the batter.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into a heavy frying pan and place on medium-high heat.  For each pancake, ladle 2 tablespoons of the batter into the pan.  These are meant to be small pancakes, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/8-inch thick.  Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until you get a beautiful golden color.   Enjoy with a small slice of the cilantro lime butter placed on each pancake.

Source:  Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Cookbook, Plenty

Thanks for stopping by today — hope you all have a glorious weekend!

Laurie

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