Kimchi Latkes!

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Every year I choose a different culinary tradition to model our Holiday dinner around.  We’ve done Victorian England, with Roast Goose and Christmas pudding, we’ve done Shanghainese Soup Dumplings, once visiting my Sister and Brother in Law we did Puerto Rican Christmas. Bringing in these varied traditions helps to educate me as a cook and to educate my children with the many flavors of our abundant human experience. I can’t remember which year we chose to cook traditional Hanukkah treats but now Latkes always make an appearance in our home around this time of year.  So simple and so good.  And I love how the story of Hanukkah resonates especially around the time of the Winter Solstice.  As the nights get longer and the days get shorter the story of Hanukkah meditates on finding a miracle of light in the darkness and finding freedom in the midst of oppression. And of course the tradition of eating fried foods to celebrate the miraculous oil that lit a single lamp for 8 days…  a holiday that celebrates with fried food!!!!  That is a wonder for sure!

This year I can’t believe that I’ve never thought to replace the onion in the Latke recipe with kimchi before.  It is simply amazing!  You can add more spiciness, more chiles or gochugaru to the mix if you like.  I doubt you can make these and not fall in love.

Wishing you all a great miracle this Hanukkah.

 

Kimchi Latkes

2 cups shredded potatoes (I like em with skin on but either peeled or not is fine)

½ cup of kimchi that has already had all the juice squeezed out of it.

3 eggs

3 heaped Tablespoons flour

Salt and Pepper

More chiles/gochugaru (optional)

Oil for frying (we used peanut oil but your choice of high heat oil)

 

Put shredded potatoes in cheesecloth or nut bag and squeeze as dry as possible.

Cut the squeeze dried kimchi into small dice or tiny strips.

Beat eggs.

Combine potatoes, egg, kimchi, flour, (gochugaru if you want), salt and pepper.

Heat a heavy skillet with a ¼ inch of oil on the base to medium high heat.

Press heaping spoonfuls of potato mixture onto the hot skillet squashing the pancakes down to ¼ – ½ inch thickness.  Cook until brown on both sides…  approximately 3 minutes each side.

Serve hot with apple sauce and sour cream – YUM.

Check out 10 fun facts about Kim chi and find out how to make Ozuké style kim chi at home

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ckHatchLab_Kimchi-216web

Our recent video with Hatchlab is creating quite a buzz! Find out more kimchi secrets (and watch our video) !

Hatchlabs 10 fun facts about kim chi

Where to get the best Ramen and the not so secret Ozuké ingredient

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As you know, ramen is all the rage. It has been for a while now. Ask anyone where to get the best ramen and they will likely have a very passionate response. In fact, finding the best ramen has almost become an urban sport, the winner gaining social status, emphatic pride, and maybe even a few dates.

Unfortunately, when something becomes insanely popular, it can also become insanely expensive. Not all ramen spots are pricey, but there are certainly a lot of pricey options out there. What if you are just as obsessed with ramen as everybody else, but are shackled by your budget?

We are here to tell you that making ramen does not require alchemy—especially with the super power of delicious kimchi. So why not make your own?

Like an embedded reporter, I photographed as a friend made ramen for dinner. I pretended to be experimenting with a new camera as I lined up the ingredients and snapped away. Herein these photos lies the secret to making delicious, easy and inexpensive ramen that doesn’t come in a microwavable cup.

When I walked in the house I noticed two things immediately: An amazing aroma and my growling stomach. The broth had been simmering for some time before my arrival.

This particular cook was rather secretive about his broth, I think because his strategy was to add a little of this, and add a little of that, until the flavor reached its zenith. He did however excitedly use some juice from Ozuke’s Kale & Collards Kim Chi. He poured it right into the broth, right in front of my camera.

Ozuke in Broth

Not pictured: How incredible the house smelled as the broth was simmering.

As I arranged the ingredients that were set out for the meal to “try out my new camera,” there were hints of what the broth contained. Beside the kimchi you’ll notice Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, Sriracha, natural rice vinegar, white pepper, turmeric, black sesame oil, and even Jamaican Jerk seasoning.

Ingredients

We can also see almost everything else that the ramen will include once it is plated: ramen noodles, ginger root, garlic cloves, shallots, carrots, radishes, a lime, a jalapeno, green opinions, cilantro, and shitake mushrooms. Not pictured: four eggs and one cucumber.

Radishes

Isn’t there something so dangerously fun about jalapenos?

Mushroom Close

I confess I didn’t see what role the ginger played in the meal, but I suspect it was used in the amazing broth.

Ginger

While the broth continued to simmer, our chef of the evening grabbed a knife. He cut up the green onions, the carrots, the radishes, the mushrooms, the cucumber, the jalapeno, the shallots, and pulled the leaves from the cilantro.

Green Onion Carrots

After that, there was some cooking to do. Four eggs were cracked and scrambled with black pepper.

Eggs

After that, there was some cooking to do. Four eggs were cracked and scrambled with black pepper.

RamenCooked Shrooms Egg Onion

After all the prep was done, the stage was set like this. Everything is fresh and simple, the signature of a good, healthy meal.

Prepped Ingredients

As our chef for the evening began to plate the food, it was confirmed that he was an artist. He took his time laying each ingredient on each plate at a time so that the patterns matched from plate to plate.

Close up Plated No Broth

And after everything was arranged just so, he poured in the broth we’d been salivating over, making each dish almost complete. The cherry-on-top to this ramen dish was our Kale & Collards Kim Chi—a grand finale indeed.

Plated Above

Yes, it was delicious.

Now let’s review. Making a delicious ramen meal at home is something all of us can do. There is very little cooking involved, there is ample room for creativity, the ingredients are simple and few, and as long as kimchi is involved, you’re going to love it

Cocktail Time

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Bloody Mary
via Michelle Auerbach
My friend Jen is known for many things, including her enormous hospitality. When she invites you for Sunday Brunch (and often at other times) she will have a pitcher of Bloody Mary’s waiting. Hers just taste better than anyone else’s and finally this winter I found out why. Pickle juice.  Or when she is out of pickles, Kimchi juice. This twist gives a probiotic lift to an otherwise not so healthy drink, but it also adds a zing that is hard to define. It’s just good.
1 jigger vodka
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
2 shakes Worchershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 Tablespoons pickle juice
1 shake Tabasco
a few grinds of black pepper
6 ounces tomato juice, no salt
Squeeze 1/4 lemon
Celery stick for garnish
Over ice
This makes one drink. You can make it by the pitcherful and then you season by taste. Hotter if you want it, more pickle juice if you want it.  All you need to do is mix all the ingredients in the glass or pitcher and serve.
Now be careful. It tastes so good that large adult men have needed designated drivers home from brunch. So either don’t make plans, or sip slowly.

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.
800px-Korean_stew-Kimchi_jjigae-01
  • 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.

Pasture Beef at Isabelle Farm Stand

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Isabelle Farm Stand is open for the season! Located in Lafayette, Co on east Baseline Rd. (near Hwy 287 & Baseline Rd.), it offers an array of seasonal farm produce, handcrafted items, locally produced meats, cheeses, jams, pickled things, and more. The term “farm stand” understates the selection and atmosphere of Jason and Natalie Condon’s spacious rustic market. This neighborhood gem is more reminiscent of an old time mercantile. In addition to seasonal farm fresh produce, shoppers will find handcrafted bees wax candles, hand-carved wood cutting boards, unique kitchen textiles, and a small collection of farm antiques. Although the selection of kitchen accessories is irresistible, it’s the food that impresses. On my last visit to the stand, pasture raised fajita beef caught my eye. That’s what’s for dinner tonight!

20130626-080803.jpg20130626-080819.jpgJason and Natalie have a long established relationship with Boulder county rancher, Jim Roberts. Roberts’ cattle are pastured raised. His ranch is just east of Isabelle farm. Being good neighbors, the Condon’s sell Jim’s delicious beef to their CSA members, and now to the general public, at the farm stand. Stop in during store hours to peruse the wide variety of meat cuts. All cuts are frozen, but thaw quickly, and grill well.

20130626-081201.jpg20130626-081207.jpgAt Isabelle Farm, they say, ” Lafayette isn’t as far away as you may think it is, 8 miles east of downtown Boulder.” Look for the big Monitor-style pine barn with the red steel roof.
THE FARM STAND IS OPEN TUESDAY-SUNDAY, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Beef Fajita Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
1 lb beef fajita meat
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced (optional, I didn’t use)
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 juice of limes
1-2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped (optional)
3/4 tsp. Cumin
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
ozuké pickled things Kimchi, Citrus & Ginger, Ruby Calendula

20130626-083210.jpg20130626-083018.jpgDirections:
In a bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If time permits, marinate overnight in the refrigerator. After refrigeration, be sure to bring marinated ingredients to room temp before grilling. It is important to bring beef, chicken, & pork to room temp before grilling. This will ensure cooking at desired temp. Fire up your grill on med-high. Place in grill basket. Toss ingredients with tongs to ensure even cooking. Heat up corn tortillas on grill or stove top. Assemble with all your favorite toppings including zuké pickled things. Try these recipes for naturally fermented pico de gallo or tomatillo salsas too!

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.

 

Green pozole topped with kim chi

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I just returned from a great trip to New Mexico and as always I vowed to eat green chile on everything and wear more big hats and cowboys boots. So far, none of those have been happening- but I was inspired to make some posole for dinner and top it with our zuké kim chi.

I adapted this recipe from Rancho Gordo:

Pozole Verde

1/4 pound Rancho Gordo posole (whole dried hominy)

1 1/2 onions, white or red, peeled and halved

Salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled

15 to 20 tomatillos, paper skins removed ( I used some canned ones from this summer)

2 poblano chiles

1 serrano chile

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

1 1/2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Soak posole overnight in water to cover generously. Drain.

Place it in a saucepan with fresh water to cover generously.

Add 1/2 onion, bring to a simmer, cover partially and cook at a gentle simmer until the corn kernels are tender, 2 to 3 hours; many will split open. Season with salt and cool in the liquid.

On a hot, dry griddle or skillet, roast the remaining halved onions, garlic, tomatillos and chiles, turning occasionally, until they are charred and slightly softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Work in batches if necessary.

Put the roasted poblano chiles in a paper bag to steam until cool.

Transfer the other vegetables to a bowl and let cool, collecting their juices.

Skin the poblanos, discarding seeds and stems. Discard the serrano chile stem but don’t skin or seed.

Put all the roasted vegetables in a blender, in batches if necessary, and puree until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over moderate heat.

Add the vegetable puree and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

In the blender, puree the cilantro, oregano and 1 cup of the broth. Add to the vegetable mixture along with 4 cups additional broth.

Drain the posole and add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and return to a simmer. Thin with additional broth if necessary. Serve in warm bowls.

Top with kim chi.

Chow.

Serves 6

Kimchi Curry

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I love how necessity is often the source of inspiration.  This idiom is more than often the case for me when I’m doing my nightly conjuration of dinner.  Sometimes it’s more “what’s there” than “what do I want”.

Tonight I was ahead of the game.  I wanted to get Halloween dinner done early.  I’d been eyeing the chickpeas I cooked off yesterday and I knew they couldn’t be hummus…  I am out of garlic and there was definitely no time to go to the store.  So Channa Masala they became.  I went with a roasted tomato and heavy cream curry sauce – perfect.  When I came to put the coconut chicken curry together I found myself in a bind.  NO ONIONS!  I used the last onion in the chickpea curry.  HOW DO YOU COOK A CURRY WITH NO ONIONS!?!  Sometimes I stare in the fridge for inspiration…  “what do I have that has garlic, onions and ginger already in it???  (as well as shallots and four kinds of chilli peppers???)  KIMCHI COCO-CURRY was born tonight.  It is SO good.  I usually rarely use that many caps in one paragraph but here let’s just imagine a Japanese television host yelling dramatically and many neon lights flashing.

Well we are pulling the costumes together so I’ll leave you with the recipe…  I think I need a little bit of purple lipstick to finish my hipster witch outfit 😀

would you take cooking tips from this mug?

Kimchi Coco Curry

1 Jar Kimchi

1lb Chicken Tenders cut into chunks

2 Tbs Coconut Oil

1/2 tsp Turmeric, 1/4 tsp Nutritional Yeast, 1/4 tsp Cumin, 1/4 tsp Garam Masala, 1/4 tsp whole Peppercorns, 1/4 tsp Paprika

1 Jar Coconut Milk

6 new potatoes

settle new potatoes to boil in some water and salt, turn down to a simmer.

melt coconut oil in pan and throw in a whole jar of kimchi….  as you stirfry the kimchi start to add spices, turmeric, yeast, cumin, garam masala, peppercorns and paprika.

when you’ve got a nice hot mess add the chicken and brown on all sides.  (approx 5 minutes on medium high)

add coconut milk, bring to a boil then simmer.

add potatoes when they are soft.

serve over rice you could garnish with a wee bit of fresh corriander that would just take it over the top.  ENJOY!

Mojo Recipes- kimchi, rhubarb and more!

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I have nothing but great things to say about Marcie Goldman, local nutritionist and her Mojo Mastery program.  She guides a dozen adults two or three times a year through an adventure in mindful eating.  She looks at the source of many post modern ailments such as food or stress, she does a toxin cleanse and really zeros in on causes of our malaise she spends valuable time coaching her Mojo Masters in simple life skills to make sure that we all get the nutrition we need out of our daily routine and she teaches the priceless skill of listening to our bodies, tuning in so we can truly know what doesn’t always serve us.

www.marciegoldman.com

I guest cheffed for the last three Mojos and I wanted to share with you some of the no nonsense downright good for you recipes that we covered.  I should preface my recipes with the assurance that my amounts are guides. As always I urge you to feel your way to a delicious dinner…  if you have a certain amount of something maybe that is how much you should use.  Freewheeling is always more fun besides you can dance a little when you don’t have your face stuck in a book.

Nut Free Nettle Pesto 

3cups stinging nettles, 3 tbs Lemon Juice,  1cup roasted carrots (or other veg), 1clove fresh garlic or more if there are vampires afoot, 2 tsp honey (optional I just have a sweet tooth), 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt to taste.

Blend. Note: always good to start with denser and wetter ingredients and add leafier and drier ingredients as you go. Get ready to enjoy a tingly tongue 🙂

GadoGado with Boiled Chicken

In Hawaii they say “food so nice you gotta say it twice” Gado Gado is from Indonesia and this recipe is kind of a take on it.  We make the dressing from zuké and leave some things out and put some things in.  Hows about I just list all the things you COULD put in this dish, list the dressing and leave the rest up to you.

Boiled cabbage, blanched cauliflower (same as boiled really but went to a posh school on the east coast), fresh bean sprouts, fresh dark leafy greens, sliced carrot and cucumber, sliced tempeh, twice cooked tofu, nuts like peanuts or sliced almonds, shrimp chips (not for me unless I want to keel over), boiled chicken, (take big ole chicken breast…  boil in “surprise” boiling water for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees…  rest for 3-5 minutes then chop it into your salad.) and other stuffs (plural because I know that your creativity knows no bounds).

THE DRESSING so good it will wave it’s finger, shake it’s head and belt sass at your greens.

Blend zuké kimchi with nuts and olive oil. I used hand ground cashews but you could use peanut butter, almond butter, a handful of soaked brazil nuts, planter’s mixed nuts…  you get the idea, go nuts, use what’s around, wear a monocle, embarrass your kids.

DERISHIOUS RHUBARB TOPPING FOR STEAK

Rhubarb is so NOT a one trick pony. I love to see this spring vegetable in savory applications.

There’s only one way to cook a very sexy piece of meat. The fancy work has already been done, pasture fed, played to sleep every night by silver fox cowboys on banjos, butchered lovingly by a katana wielding poet.  It would be a disservice to put too much clothing on such a nubile steak and so mostly naked it _must_ be.  Seared in good oil (or animal fat) with salt and pepper, then topped with lemon and extra virgin olive oil to serve.  Think of this rhubarb topping as the neglige, serving the same purpose as some sauteed mushrooms or shavings of very expensive cheese they accentuate, leaving a little bit of space for you to discover and uncover, but unobtrusively.

2 Stalks of Rhubarb, 1/2 onion, Balsamic Vinegar, Lemon Juice, White Wine (optional), s+p, Olive Oil.  Saute onion first on medium heat.  If you insist on using the beef pan I won’t fault you. When onions start to brown add rhubarb, season with salt and pepper.  When rhubarb starts to soften you can deglaise the pan with white wine, or just add the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.  Remove from heat, finish with good olive oil.  Dress your pretty steak.  Blow kisses at it.  Devour.

Mojo Graduates… If there are any other dishes that I didn’t cover that really inspired you let me know.  I would love to continue this foodie discourse with you.  <3 mara