Sunday, March 7, 2010

Kimchi

Hey, the kimchi tastes great!  It's a spicy cabbage and carrot based condiment that can be used to top sauted chicken or it could be put in a sandwich (instead of lettuce) or you can eat a few tablespoons on the side to compliment just about any meal.  This lacto-fermented food adds live enzymes to your digestive tract which makes movement and delivery of nutrients much more effective.  And since good health comes from the gut, it's worth seeking out foods with live enzymes.  Here's the recipe I used from the book "Eat Fat, Lose Fat" by Sallon Fallon and Mary Enig.  Thanks to everyone who has given me suggestions to help carpel tunnel syndrome.  It's been very helpful.

Kimchi
    1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
    1 bunch green onions, chopped
    1 cup carrots, shredded
    1/2 cup daikon radish, grated (optional)
    1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
    3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
    1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
    1 tablespoon sea salt
    4 tablespoons whey (or, if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

Place vegetables, ginger, garlic, chile flakes, sea salt, and whey in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transfering to cold storage.

Number of Servings: 10

2 comments:

Andrea said...

That sounds pretty easy! And cheaper than buying from L. Miller, huh? I hadn't wanted to add another thing to my plate but since we're eating so, so much ferments right now, I've just gotta try this one!
Do you think it'd be okay w/o the radishes (never liked them for some reason)?
Thx!
Andrea

Amy said...

Andrea, I have never cared for radishes myself. In fact, I have a name for their flavor... I think they taste like "hot dirt." That's all I can think of. Anyway, the daikon radish is totally different. It's much more mild but has a juicy cruchy texture and it is a white root which looks almost like a wide carrot. I got mine from Green Circle Organics at Lancaster Central Market. But the kimchi would taste just fine with out it. This kimchi is quite spicy due to the red pepper and fresh ginger. I piled some of it on a chicken salad sandwich today and it was great.