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Korean Kim Chi Stew: Gettin Jjigae with it.

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More goodness from our favorite guest blogger, Michelle Auerbach:

Ok, so my husband seems to have had a parting of the ways with the owner of the local Korean restaurant. I don’t usually think of Korean food and fisticuffs in the same sentence, but let’s say we got awfully close.  He was defending my honor. It involved appetizers. Long story. The problem is I love Korean Food, and though the restaurant where I live is a pale imitation of Steve’s Lunch in Ann Arbor, Michigan where I cut my teeth on Bibimbop with tofu, it was what we had. Well, no longer. So I have been exploring the world of Korean food via cookbooks and the internet. This is a little recipe I cobbled together from several that involved pork and a few other things I don’t eat. It tastes like the best Korean restaurant food without the threat of violence.
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  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • three small potatoes cubed in a large dice (You can use carrots, zucchini, and greens too if you want)
  • 2 cups kimchi (the kind made with Napa cabbage), roughly chopped
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp kochujang (this is Korean chili paste that you can get at Asian groceries. It’s not essential, but it helps.)
  • 1 Tbsp kochukaru (this is a Korean chili flake powder. You can substitute chili flakes for it.)
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 block of tofu, cubed
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  1. Saute the kimchi in the sesame oil till it smells crispy, just about three minutes.  Add the potatoes, the onion, the kochujang, kochukaru, and the soy sauce. Mix till combined.  
  2. Add the water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the tofu. Cook until the potatoes are soft. 
  3. Serve with the scallion on top. You can serve over rice, quinoa, or just eat it with a spoon. For condiments you can use more sesame sauce, more soy sauce, or sriricha. 
 
Enjoy in the peace and comfort of your own house.

Leftover Rice? Quick and Easy Kimchi Fried Rice

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Blog post by our blogoddess, Michelle Auerbach.

This is perfect for when you have left-over rice and a jar of Ozuké Kimchi, the napa and garlic kind. It’s now really winter out there, and something hot and spicy and a little oily will warm you up right away. Plus, it is fast and can be made with any of the proteins listed, so it’s flexible. The recipe is very loosely adapted from Quick And Easy Korean Cooking by Cecelia Hae-Jin Lee.

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (sesame is good, as is coconut)

1 onion, chopped

4 oz of chopped pork loin, 1 package of tofu cubed, or 2 eggs

1 more Tablespoon vegetable oil (or more if you need for sticking)

3 cups of cooked rice (brown, white, whatever you have)

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup kimchi with a lot of kimchi liquid

Salt to taste

Heat the oil (depending on the protein, you may need more than one Tablespoon – tofu does not give off it’s own fat). Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add protein. If you are using pork or tofu, fry it for about 5-8 minutes, until cooked through, and for tofu a little golden. If you are using eggs, scramble the eggs.

Add more oil and then the rice, green onion, kimchi and kimchi liquid and cook until it is all warmed through. Salt to taste and serve hot in bowls. Eat with your fingers wrapped around the bowl and maybe some extra kimchi or chili-garlic sauce for the top.