For lunch, I wanted something instant and fast...but still something with a kick. Spicy and salty...yes...Mmmm

When I went grocery shopping, I realized I haven't been eating canned tuna for a while, so I just grabbed a 4-pack canned tuna today.

I'm planning to go eat Jjajangmyun later tonight (one of my must-eats now) so eating rice will balance the noodle I'm going to eat later. I'm so planned out with meal plans. LOL.

So anyway...if you ever want to try this here are the things I used:

1-2tbsp Gochujang-Red Pepper paste (I didn't try the sweet kind, bibimbap sauce, but I think that could be better)

1/2 cup Kimchi-chopped (you choose if you want more or less)

A can of tuna

ground garlic (OPTIONAL)

AND steamed rice

*WARNING* This might not be your best lunch menu if you are going to eat at an office....^^ I ate at home so please be advised when eating somewhere else.

I got a small pot and put all the ingredients and just heat it up! That's all!!

I prefer Korean Canned Tuna since it's chunkier and 'meaty' but I guess it won't hurt to use any other canned tuna. Bring it to boil and I stirred it on high so everything gets cooked and mixed well together.

After boiling it and stirring it for couple minutes, it turned out like this.

I just got steamed rice and poured it over and mixing time~ Yummm

I had some Romaine Lettuce so I wrapped some and that was pretty good too.

Now...whew I'm full....a cup of just brewed coffee will be nice!

Related items on ebay:

Korean Red Pepper Paste (Gochujang) 200g (Medium Hot) US $8.08

Korean hot pepper paste gochujang sweet sauce bibimbab 해찬들 소고기 볶음고추장 US $.99

Korean Sunchang Gochujang 200g/sauce bibimbab/SunChang US $19.99

Korean Red Pepper Paste Gochujang Midium Hot 500g + 200g in Plastic Container US $12.63

Nishiki medium grain premium grade WHITE RICE 5 pounds US $18.57

On sale on Ebay:

mason jar #13 1/2 gallon US $14.99

1/2 gallon 2 quart blue #6 Ball perfect mason jar 9 1/4 high US $9.00

SET OF 3, Vintage Blue Ball Perfect Mason Jars, 1 HALF GALLON, 1 QUART, 1 PINT US $29.00

On sale on Ebay:

Valentine Hearts Tupperware One Touch Canister Container with Red Seal US $4.95

TUPPERWARE NIP 4 PC REMINDER CANISTERS WHITE/BLACK US $15.00

Lock and Lock Airtight Food Container 14 Pieces Kitchen US $27.00

Lock and Lock Airtight Food Container 4 Pieces Kitchen US $12.00

Lock and Lock Airtight Food Container Lunch Box BLACK US $10.21

DON'T store them in an air-tight jars since when the fermentation starts the gas might pop out the lid...who knows what might happen...not good.

At first when you let it sit in room temperature it might overflow if you top it off to high. Leave some room so it won't overflow and make your house all stinky~

Now you know how to store Kimchi so follow the links to the kimchi recipes you might want to try!

Hope that helps.

If anyone has any further question relating to kimchi or storing kimchi, don't hesitate to ask!
(Although it may take some time but will post it up!)

ENJOY and eat more Kimchi!

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Friend : need a cup of coffee? grinder your coffee with an antique coffee grinder.

My mom has been suffering from indigestion (something about acid problem) and can't eat too much of spicy foods, greasy, any other strong flavored foods anymore. One of her friends, who was having similar symptoms, told her that regular American (?) cabbage (not Korean cabbage) that you usually use for coleslaw is good for the stomach (acid and lining protection...etc..) and suggested the following EASY recipe.

**When we lived in Denver, Colorado in 90's there weren't many Koreans back there and not enough Korean groceries either. However, Koreans NEED Kimchi and back then we learned that we could use the American Cabbage Kimchi. It does taste different from Regular Korean Kimchi but it had to do.**

In MD we had no problem getting Korean groceries and just forgot about such Kimchi until now. Back in Denver, we just substituted Korean Napa Cabbage with Cabbage but this recipe doesn't involve any spicy red hot pepper but instead use Red bell pepper thus having non spicy yet red Kimchi!

My mom loves this Kimchi now since it's friendly to her stomach and she can eat Kimchi!
Hope this helps other people who has gastrointestinal health issues or anyone who prefers non spicy fermented foods!

Ingredients
1 cabbage (~3 lbs)
1/2 Korean Radish/Daikon (~12 oz)
2 tbs Minced Garlic
1 Red bell pepper-
3 tbs salt

Thinly slice cabbage like so...and...

...also daikon/Korean radish.

Cut Red bell pepper into squares and grind Red bell pepper with 2 cups of water.

Add garlic, salt, scallion, and red bell pepper to cabbage and daikon slices and mix thoroughly.

*OPTIONAL-You can add sugar to your taste
Let it sit in room temperature for maybe half day (depending on how the weather is...) before refrigerating (to promote fermentation) but be careful not to let it sit out too long.

We are done! Since it's not too strong it will be friendly to your stomach (heard it actually promotes its health too!!!) and still have all the fermented food benefits too! Enjoy!

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi

I have really good memories with my mom. I always went wherever my mom went. I was my mom's "leech." I used to be (and still am *^^* ) shy that I didn't like to meet new people so I would always stick to my mom's leg to hide away from strangers. We still like to go shopping, eat, paint, or do something together whenever we can...(right mom?).

If you read my introduction, you know that I LOVE kimchi and one of my favorite mom and me memory is obviously with KIMCHI!

Well...our family used to move a lot. I mean a lot. Before I became first grade we've already moved many times moving to different city, within the city, and even across the street. We weren't running away or anything...I realized much later that my dad liked to 'move.' I even remember when I was in primary school, one day I came back from school (not knowing 'where' we've moved to but I knew we moved) and had to meet my mom in front of our previous house. It turned out that we moved to the one right across the street LOL. Hey, as if Korea wasn't big enough we came to the States. Even here...we moved many times again...even traveled across the States from West to East. We sometimes joked that we moved so many times that the number of move is greater than our age. LOL.

Anyhow... I'm sure my family moved many times before I was born (being the youngest of the family) but as far as I can remember, whenever we moved my siblings were already going to school and dad to work. Only ones left at home was my mom, me, and the piled up boxes. I loved those times. Just mom and me. There were nothing out yet and it was lunch time. If you have Korean friends, many Koreans eat Jjajangmyun when they move. I don't know why but probably because it's the most popular and traditionally delivered food?

But for my mom and me, we would just get out the small foldable round table just like the picture(since our dining table is not yet set) right in the middle of the living room and sit down only with a bowl of rice with water poured in it and old (fermented for long time) kimchi.

The key to this lunch is that you don't chop kimchi with knife. Mom would just rip kimchi in long strands with her hands and put it on my rice.

Please DO try this at home. It's tastier to rip with hands than just cut it with scissors or knife. I know it may sound too simple but to me that was the most delicious lunch I've ever had!

So intimate and so just us... and I didn't mind moving from place to place since I always got to have that special lunch with mom. (She knew I loved to do that ritual with her) Just the two of us.

I'm sure everyone has at least one or two special memories of their own. Please feel free to share.

Let's not make only one day Mother's day, but little by little everyday ^^

Following recipe makes about 4 servings:

Ingredients
2 quarter-head kimchi
1 cup frozen vegetables
3 Tbsp sesame oil(or olive oil, vegetable oil)
4 cups steamed rice
3 scallions-chopped

Well, Let's Start!


Chop Kimchi to your own bite size, but not too big. They should all blend in nicely at the end.

Fry half of 3tbsp (so 1.5tbsp) of sesame oil and Kimchi together first. Fry till Kimchi color turns little deeper and more tender.

Then add some frozen vegetables and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Now Add rice and rest of the sesame oil. Lastly add scallions and fry lightly. Now you are done! That wasn't so bad eh?

***Bonus Tip: You can put a fried egg on the top or scramble and mix with fried rice itself. If you think vegetarian dish is not enough for you, you can add grounded meat, shrimp, or fish cakes. (Or in my case, I sometimes put Spam or hotdogs. Easy fast meat(?) LOL.)***

Well, all you have to do now is ENJOY!

Kimchi related items on ebay:

Premium Sanitized Red Pepper 1kg for Kimchi Korean Food US $89.99

K is for Kimchi - food funny humor lol tee t-shirt NEW US $16.75

K is for Kimchi - food funny humor lol tee t-shirt NEW US $14.25

K is for Kimchi - food funny humor lol tee t-shirt NEW US $14.25

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi

Basically, just like all the other Kimchi recipe, veggies will be pickled, washed, and mixed with spices at the end. Do you start to see the pattern?  So let's start!

Ingredients

 

5 bunches of Yeolmu (Young Radish)

3 bunches of chinese cabbage (slender and greener than Napa Cabbage)

5 red hot peppers
1 RED bellpepper
2 cups water*    for peppers
1/4 onion
10 Scallions
1tbsp ground garlic
1tbsp ground ginger
2.5 tbsp salt*    for mixing
1tbsp rice flour
10cups water*  for rice flour
1 cup Salt*       for pickling

Clean and wash Yeolmu and cabbage. Sprinkle 1 cup of salt and let it sit for about 2 hours. Wash thoroughly and drain.

Grind red hot pepper, bell pepper, and 2 cups of water in a mixer.

Mix 10 cup water with rice flour. Just make sure to stir thoroughly till boiling. Cut onions and scallions into even lengths. Now mix all the remaining ingredients together. Be gentle but thorough while mixing cabbage and Yeolmu.

Enjoy!

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi

Spicy food certainly defines Korean cuisine but there's more to Korean food than all spicy. For example, Jap Chae is a stir fried noodle with lots of veggies, Namul is different veggie salads, Juns are fried mini pancakes(check out our posts of Hobak-Squash Jun and Donguranddaeng-meat Jun), various soups or Gook/Jjigae made with bean sprouts, radish, or beef broth and Kimbap, the rolls. There are so much more. We shall explore them one by one.

Ingredients

1 whole Napa Cabbage (Medium-size)
3 scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths
1/2 oz ginger root, peeled and minced
2 tsp finely chopped garlic, purchase from a store or chop it at home
1/4 cup 'morton' salt (for pickling)
1 tsp 'morton’ salt (for mixing)
1/2 cup hot chili pepper flake
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet rice power OR flour

DON’T wash it yet. Just take off all the dirty (holes..unappealing brown color) outer leaves.

Split Napa into 4 parts. First split into two halves and then into quarters.
Cut each quarter Napa into 1.5 in. length.

Wash Napa once and drain. Now we are ready to pickle Napa.

In a bowl, add Napa little by little while sprinkling salt on it so you can sprinkle salt evenly.

Let it sit for 2 hrs.

WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR NAPA …let's prepare Pul.

Mix 1 cup water and flour/sweet rice powder in a pot and stir till boil. Turn it off when it boils and let it cool. Set it aside. (This porridge like mixture is called “Pul” which is used to pull all the flavors together and helps fermentation process.)

WHEN NAPA IS READY…

Wash Napa and drain.

Combine drained Napa with hot pepper flakes, scallions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and 1tsp salt. Mix well.

Now it's done! You can eat it now or let it be processed at least 24 hrs.

Store Kimchi in a jar, (You should leave some room for fermentation or it will overflow from the jar). Press them down firmly to get rid of any air bubbles. Store in the room temperature for 24 hours and then refrigerate. YAY!!

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi

But we always miss homemade cooking during our busy lives. Don't we? At least I do. I really get sick of eating out and just miss homemade meals.
I miss that special taste you just can't get it from the store bought ones. I'm sure you know what I mean. Koreans call such taste mom's "Sohn Maht." Sohn means 'hand' and Maht means 'taste.' It describes the wonderful taste of homemade cooking that everyone loves. The term implies that whoever cooks for their own family, traditionally the mother of a family, transfers love and care into a unique taste while cooking (with hands). That's why your mother's cooking is always so good!! Mothers want to feed their children something healthy and tasty and we can taste her love. It's her Sohn Maht!

Even Kimchi tastes different in different households and different stores. Not only are the store bought Kimchi expensive, but they lack SohnMaht. Since I was little, I always watched her make Kimchi and I was always the one to try Kimchi first before she stuffed them. If I say OK, she starts to stuff them. Even today she asks me to try Kimchi and sometimes I help her out too. It may seem like nothing much to others but it is something I will always remember. Someday I maybe the one letting my daughter to try some first, doing the same things I did with my mom.

If you are just too busy no one will condemn you for buying one (we buy some too when we run out of Kimchi and just can't find the time to make more), but maybe once in a while making your own Kimchi could be something special for your family! Scroll down to find Kimchi recipes! Let them remember and treasure your Sohn Maht! I know I can't forget my mom's Sohn Maht.

Kimchi Recipes:
Traditional Whole Napa Cabbage Kimchi
Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular

Basically, we will be pickling a napa cabbage and stuff daikon stuffing mix between the pickled Napa leaves. Daikon stuffing mix is all the ingredients combined together.
Let's start!

You will need the following:

Ingredients
Pickling
1 whole Napa Cabbage (Medium-size)
1/2 cup 'morton' salt
4 cup water

Daikon stuffing
12-14oz Daikon/Japanese radish, peeled
3 scallions, cut into 2 inches lengths
1 oz ginger root, peeled and minced
2 tsp finely chopped garlic, purchase from a store or chop it at home
1 tsp 'morton' salt (for Daikon stuffing)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sweet rice power OR flour
1 cup hot chili pepper flake(NOTE: COARSE powder! Not the fine powder!! & make sure it's MADE IN KOREA)

Korean pepper powder on ebay:

Korean Dried Red Pepper Powder 300g - Kimchi, Seasoning + Bonus Ginseng Tea US $22.45

***Young's Tip: You can adjust the amount of ginger, garlic, hot pepper, and scallions based on your taste.***

Directions:

DON'T wash it yet. Just take off all the dirty (holes..unappealing brown color) outer leaves.

Don't cut all the way through. Cut into Napa about an inch and then separate with your hands.

Split Napa into 4 parts. First split into two halves and then into quarters. Now we are ready to pickle Napa.

(**Remember 1/2 cup listed for pickling?) Just mix half of salt (1/4 cup) with water in a bowl first.
Soak Napa in the salt water and take it out right away. Squeeze out excess water gently.

With the remaining 1/4 cup salt, sprinkle in between each Napa leaf. Make sure you control yourself so you'll have enough for all of them. Press Napa down firmly to help salt soak in....Let it sit for 2.5hrs.

WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR NAPA ...we will start preparing radish stuffing.

Mix 2 cups water and flour or sweet rice powder in a pot and stir till boil. Turn it off when it boils and let it cool. Set it aside. (This porridge like mixture is called "Pul" which is used to pull all the flavors together and to help fermentation process.)

Thinly slice daikon (or Japanese radish).

Combine chopped radish, hot pepper flake, scallions, minced ginger, garlic and mix in a large bowl. Next, combine fish sauce, 1tsp salt, and Pul (porridge mixture) and mix thoroughly (but gently) again.

(BECAREFUL!!!:There are 2 kinds of hot pepper flakes. One is coarse flakes and the other one is fine powder. Coarse flakes are the ones used for Kimchi. The pepper powder is for making hot pepper paste.
Also, make sure those peppers are from Korea. You should be able to find that information on the back in English.)

WHEN NAPA IS READY...

Wash Napa thoroughly in the running water. Wash 3-4 times. Make sure to clean between the leaves too. Drain.

Lightly stuff radish mixture into Napa leaves. (Here, you need to estimate equal distribution and don't overstuff).

Put stuffed Napas in a jar, smallest leaves facing up. (You should leave some room for fermentation or it will overflow from the jar). Press them down firmly to get rid of any air bubbles. When you put all Napas in, mix any remaining fallen leaves and stuffing together. Put the mixture in the jar to cover Napas (This is to aid fermentation process). YAY!!

Let the jar sit 24hrs in a room temperature and then store in the fridge.

Enjoy!!!

***Young's Tip: You can start eating Kimchi even before you let it sit for 24hrs.***

Kimchi Recipes:

Quick 'n Easy version Kimchi
Non Spicy American Cabbage Kimchi
Kimchi Fried Rice
Young Radish Water (YeoulMoo Mul) Kimchi
White Non-Spicy Kimchi

Other Recipes:
Bulgogi-Korean BBQ beef
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Korean style Pickl (Oiji)
Fresh Spicy Cucumber Salad
Fresh Tofu Salad
Stir Fried Eggplant
Mini Ground Turkey Pancake
Zucchini Jun

Kimchi Facts:

About Kimchi
Different Tastes of Kimchi
Korean Homemade Kimchi Part I-Most Popular
Homemade Kimchi vs Store Bought Kimchi