Anyone for Korean?

[Nickole]

Bump!  Need some help HB!  My cabbage is curing!

[healthybratt]

Bump!  Need some help HB!  My cabbage is curing!

Yes.  The ground red pepper in the seasoning isle is the stuff.  If you don't have enough, you could throw in a pinch or two of the cayenne to spice it up. 

[Nickole]

ok.  And can I use honey instead of sugar?  Hurry hurry quick quick!   

[healthybratt]

ok.  And can I use honey instead of sugar?  Hurry hurry quick quick!   

Couldn't hurt but I'm not sure how well it would mix. 

[Nickole]

Ok, I used the *GULP!* sugar.  We will be on pins and needles for two days before we may sample this beautiful concoction. 

[healthybratt]

Ok, I used the *GULP!* sugar.  We will be on pins and needles for two days before we may sample this beautiful concoction. 

You don't have to wait that long.  You can eat it now, although it's usually best the next day so the flavors have some time to mingle.  mmmmmm  I think it tastes better fresh, but it's healthier when it's sour.  Go figure.

[Nickole]

OH MY GOODNESS THIS KIMCHEE FELT LIKE WE WERE BREATHING FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Gee, no wonder the baby, whom we fed it to first (mixed with rice and Korean steak, but still...) kept fussing through her meal.  DUH!   

I used the minimum pepper and it was way too hot to eat, and I swear we are used to spicey stuff!    My husband can eat it - he must be half dragon. 

I  have some Chinese cabbage left over - would it be good just fried in butter and salt???  Any other suggestions?  The Korean steak was delic! 

[boysmama]

  I used only a couple tbsp. of crushed cayenne and it is hot but edible. Next time I am going to use even less cayenne. I also used a little ginger. The flavor is great and dh has taken to eating it straight out of the jar  which is quite the breath-enhancer without any other food to tame it down! Glad he likes it though because it is something flavorful to serve w/ plain rice and no-sauce meats...

I love stir fried Chinese cabbage! Go for it. Also like it raw w/ peanut butter smeared on it

[Nickole]

I used only a couple tbsp. of crushed cayenne and it is hot but edible. Next time I am going to use even less cayenne. I also used a little ginger. The flavor is great and dh has taken to eating it straight out of the jar  which is quite the breath-enhancer without any other food to tame it down! Glad he likes it though because it is something flavorful to serve w/ plain rice and no-sauce meats...

I love stir fried Chinese cabbage! Go for it. Also like it raw w/ peanut butter smeared on it

Hey, I didn't ask YOU!    Just kidding, inside joke from another thread, hope you get it, if not read my signature  .

Ok, I used almost 1/4 cup ground red pepper b/c I halved the recipe JUST IN CASE it didn't turn out  .  Glad I did!!!  I really do want to try again, so maybe I will use less next time.  For tonight we are having the cabbage plain ol' fried then!  Thanks for the help!

Not doin' the peanut butter thing  .  I know, you're going to say don't knock it till you try it.  Maybe I will and get back to you.  My kids would probably love it - they like eating weird things. 

[ShabbyChic]

Peanuts are not weird in that context.  I make peanut sesame sauce all the time, for tempeh mostly.  I also use peanut butter and soy sauce as 2 of many ingredients in hoisin sauce.  It's really tasty. 

[Nickole]

Peanuts are not weird in that context.  I make peanut sesame sauce all the time, for tempeh mostly.  I also use peanut butter and soy sauce as 2 of many ingredients in hoisin sauce.  It's really tasty. 

Sauce rather than plain peanut butter seems to me like it would taste totally different.  Those kinds of sauces sound yummy, but I may try the *gulp* plain peanut butter thing too, first on the kiddos. 

My husband says the kimchee does not get a star beside it, as in "make it anytime!".   I told him it's so healthy though (still I need to lower the pepper amount) and he said "then find something half as healthy to make, and then we'll eat twice as much." 

[boysmama]

Hey, I didn't ask YOU!   

[/quote]   Wait...did I do that 

just playin'

[Julia]

Peanuts are not weird in that context.  I make peanut sesame sauce all the time, for tempeh mostly.  I also use peanut butter and soy sauce as 2 of many ingredients in hoisin sauce.  It's really tasty. 

Can we have the recipe for the peanut sesame sauce?

[Ami H.]

OH MY GOODNESS THIS KIMCHEE FELT LIKE WE WERE BREATHING FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Gee, no wonder the baby, whom we fed it to first (mixed with rice and Korean steak, but still...) kept fussing through her meal.  DUH!   

I used the minimum pepper and it was way too hot to eat, and I swear we are used to spicey stuff!    My husband can eat it - he must be half dragon. 

I  have some Chinese cabbage left over - would it be good just fried in butter and salt???  Any other suggestions?  The Korean steak was delic! 

I know you didn't ask me either..............but I don't care!      Healthybratt came over and helped me make her kimchee, so  I know what went wrong.  The red pepper she uses is different than cayenne pepper.  She buys her red pepper from an asian food store and it is not as hot.  I unknowingly bought cayenne pepper too and we used it and wooowheee, it was spicy!   But it was very good for the sinus cold our family got about a week later.  It cleared those sinuses right up.  I still haven't made it with the asian red pepper because I havent gone to an asian food store yet.  But I hope too soon.  Since then, I have made it, but I have just used a couple of tablespoons of cayenne in a full batch.  It still tastes very good, but I don't get that pretty red color.  I tasted healthybratt's kimchee and I thought it tastes better than mine with her kind of red pepper.  Her's has more flavor and mine was just hot.

[Nickole]

Yeah, she told me not to use cayenne and she confirmed that my spice that says "ground red pepper" is the correct one... ?  OK, WHERE ARE YOU HB?
JK!  I think I just need to use less next time, but I am also wondering if this was Target's (my spice brand) messup and maybe it was cayenne?  Maybe they don't know what stinkin' cayenne is!    I am wondering if the ground red pepper is still this hot? 
 

[Ami H.]

Yea, I don't know about the target brand either.  There are lots of different kinds of pepper out there.  I grew about 6 diffent kinds of red peppers in my garden this past summer.  I thought it would be fun this summer to put some fresh red pepper in it and see how that turns out.  HB's kimchee wasn't overly spicy in my opinion, of course that is all relative.  But my seven year old ate her's with rice and he loved it.  And he doesn't eat a ton of hot stuff.  Her kimchee was very red too.  BTW, my son didn't like my kimchee with the cayenne, even though I thought it was ok.

[Nickole]

I think then that this red pepper was cayenne.  It was totally unbearable.  Need to find an Asian market then!  Or use less "ground red pepper" wink wink.

[ShabbyChic]

I feel so dumb because I got this by googling "hoisin sauce" so I can hardly take credit for it.  I only modified it a little.  I spread it on home made pizza dough and then top with pineapple tid bits, chicken, and a little finely sliced green onion (chives) or red onion; whatever is on hand.  It's SO good.

Everything is approximate!
Hoisin Sauce
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic oil*
2 teaspoons sesame oil
20 drops hot sauce (I use tabasco or what this site calls tonic)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
A dash of white sugar

*I buy minced garlic in the big jar, so it has a lot of garlic oil juice in it, so I just use that.  

Using all natural smooth peanut butter is best as long as it isn't too oily, but JIF would probably work, too.  It doesn't look like it's going to mix at first, but just keep stirring and stirring and it'll come together.  And it tastes best after it cooks (I think) but my husband says it tastes the same...

Sesame Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup broth*
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 T honey
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup toasted peanut pieces

* I use broth from whatever I am cooking (usually chicken) or just coconut milk or canned broth if I am serving it over tempeh or something without broth.  

This is modified from Food Network.  For this one, just make sure you mix all the ingredients and then stir in the sesame seeds and peanuts last.  Toast regular plantars (or whatever brand) peanuts under the broiler for a few seconds.  And this is very good on a cold chinese noodle salad (or spaghetti), with water chestnuts and mandarin oranges and cabbage.

And on a side note, sometimes I just slather tempeh in all natural peanut butter and fry it and serve it over rice.  I add a little ACV sometimes.  Y'all enjoy!

[healthybratt]

I feel so dumb because I got this by googling "hoisin sauce" so I can hardly take credit for it.  I only modified it a little. 

I get recipes from Google all the time.  I use whatever knowledge I have to make sure it's gonna be a good one, but there's hardly any shame in locating, using and creating a masterpiece from someone else's recipe. 

[healthybratt]

Yeah, she told me not to use cayenne and she confirmed that my spice that says "ground red pepper" is the correct one... ?  OK, WHERE ARE YOU HB?
JK!  I think I just need to use less next time, but I am also wondering if this was Target's (my spice brand) messup and maybe it was cayenne?  Maybe they don't know what stinkin' cayenne is!    I am wondering if the ground red pepper is still this hot? 
 

It's supposed to be the one, but maybe you're right and Target doesn't know the difference. 

I do get mine at the Asian Market.  It comes in a big vaccuum packed plastic bag.  I buy 3 lbs at a time.  If you buy it, keep it in the freezer or it will mold.  I know it's not supposed to, but it does.  I kept some in a coffee can outside the freezer and it took several months, but I had to throw it away.  There's no "scraping it off". 

[Nickole]

I HAVE TO SHARE A PRAISE ON BEHALF OF THIS MAGIC KIMCHEE!!!!

The attempt alone at making this stuff (er, fine delicacy) has led us to the perfect church for our family!  Yes, while talking cabbage to a total stranger (while shopping at my local Food Lion for the ingredients) I happened to find out about a church fellowship which we attended last night.  It is a miracle because:
1) It is less than 20 minutes from our house
2) It is the exact kind of fellowship we have been looking for
THOSE ARE TWO MIRACLES, BELIEVE YOU ME!!!!

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!

SO, lesson for today:  Eat (or at least prepare) some KIMCHEE.  And all of your dreams will come true.

Then you can throw it away.  No, kidding, HB.  I'm determined to try again.  Heck, I can't afford NOT to with all the luck it brings! 
 

[healthybratt]

Then you can throw it away.  No, kidding, HB.  I'm determined to try again.  Heck, I can't afford NOT to with all the luck it brings! 
 

Why would you throw it away?  Did it taste bad?

[Nickole]

Then you can throw it away.  No, kidding, HB.  I'm determined to try again.  Heck, I can't afford NOT to with all the luck it brings! 
 

Why would you throw it away?  Did it taste bad?

Remember?  I made it way too spicey?  Luckily we didn't have to throw it away b/c hubby managed to eat it.  I'll try again I promise!     

[healthybratt]

Then you can throw it away.  No, kidding, HB.  I'm determined to try again.  Heck, I can't afford NOT to with all the luck it brings! 
 

Why would you throw it away?  Did it taste bad?

Remember?  I made it way too spicey?  Luckily we didn't have to throw it away b/c hubby managed to eat it.  I'll try again I promise!     

hee hee.  If I get it too salty or too hot, I usually just try to whip up another batch and mix them together.  This only works if you have more stuff on hand, but it's better than throwing it away.  You can also cook with it.  You can throw it in a pot with some bland chicken or beef or something (chicken is the best) and boil it until the chicken is done and eat it together.  Cooking dulls it down a bit and spices up the meat.

[Nickole]

You know, I did have more cabbage on hand....duh.

That is so great to hear about cooking it!  My husband actually commented that he thought it would be better cooked.  In fact, he started heating it up!  Thanks for the idea about cooking it with meat.  That sounds yummy!   

[Nickole]

I just read on another forum today, totally not health related at all, that someone was cured from their upper resperatory infection in two days by eating (store bought) kimchee.  Interesting!

[healthybratt]

I just read on another forum today, totally not health related at all, that someone was cured from their upper resperatory infection in two days by eating (store bought) kimchee.  Interesting!

I suppose, I should have mentioned that we all dose up on Korean food when we have colds.  Clears the sinuses and bronchial tubes.  Helps boost the immune system and drain the airways.

[Nickole]

I just read on another forum today, totally not health related at all, that someone was cured from their upper resperatory infection in two days by eating (store bought) kimchee.  Interesting!

I suppose, I should have mentioned that we all dose up on Korean food when we have colds.  Clears the sinuses and bronchial tubes.  Helps boost the immune system and drain the airways.

Yeah, I think you mentioned that on this thread earlier.  Makes sense with all those spices.    

[jaemom]

Bulgogi (Korean Steak)

Also called Pulgogi

All ingredients are approximate

4 lbs Beef (usually roast) sliced thinly
¼ - ¾ cup soy sauce  (careful it's salty)
roasted sesame seeds
3 cloves minced garlic
6-10 chopped green onions (whole)
approx ¼ cup olive oil (or other cooking oil) – you may substitute sesame oil and leave out the sesame seeds if desired.
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper

Marinate overnight in smallest bowl possible.  Cook in sauce pan, fry pan, broiler or grill until brown.  Serve with rice and Kimchee.

I had a Korean aunt while I was growing up and they lived close to us for a while.  She always was making Kimchee and it stunk up the house sooo bad.       Several times she made Korean steak and I loved it.  I don't eat spicy foods much, but I have been wondering for years what the meat was, but couldn't find anything about it.  I asked my mom and she didn't know.  I never thought of looking up Korean steak.  ha ha  I knew it had a Korean name, but didn't know what it was.  Since my aunt and uncle are no longer married, and I have no contact with that side of the family since my Dad's death, I didn't know who else to ask.  Thank you so much for this recipe!!!  I am definitely going to try it, and I can't wait. 

[healthybratt]

A friend of mine recently gave me a bag of various greens.  Spinach, kale, swiss chard and tot soy.  I really didn't have a chance to cook them the standard way so I made kimchi out of them using the same recipe as I do for the cabbage.  I would also add just a splash of vinegar because these greens didn't "juice up" the way cabbage does, so it was a little dryer.

But hubby liked it and it's very good simmered with canned salmon (about equal parts) and some onions, salt and pepper thrown in.  Simmer until greens are somewhat tender and salmon is hot.  Serve with rice.