Korean Beef and Tofu Soup

I grew up eating all kinds of Asian Foods since my Mother is Chinese and she particularly liked Korean food. I remembered a soup that she used to make that I was always afraid would be too hot because of the red color that came from Korean Chili Powder, but she made it mild for us kids. I was thinking about that soup tonight and decided to recreate it having had a similar one at a Korean Restaurant recently. I remembered that my Mother would marinate sliced Beef in a mixture of Korean Red Pepper Powder, Soy Sauce and Garlic. Korean Soy Sauce is always gluten free, by the way and if you don't have it, use Tamari instead. The Soup Base was Beef Broth and the vegetable was sliced Zucchini. Sometimes she would cook Eggs in it too.  The Soft Tofu was wonderfully creamy and would soak up the flavors of the soup. At the end of the cooking time, she would pour in some Sesame Oil and sprinkle it with Green Onions. It was easy, fast to make and delicious. I'm happy to say that it turned out just right. I must remember to make this more often! 

Korean Beef and Tofu Soup

1 pound of Beef Steak, sliced very thin into about 1 inch pieces

3 Tablespoons Korean Red Pepper Powder

3 Tablespoons Korean Soy Sauce or Tamari

3 Garlic Cloves, minced fine

1 Zucchini, ends cut off, cut in half and cut into thin slices

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

4 cups Beef Broth

1 - 2 packages of Soft Tofu (Soon Tofu), removed from package and cut into squares

2 Green Onions, trimmed and cut into small pieces

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

Optional: 3 - 4 Eggs

In a mixing bowl, mix together the Red Pepper Powder, the Soy Sauce and the Garlic. Add the Beef and mix thoroughly. 

In a soup pot, heat the Oil and add the Zucchini. Cook, stirring often until he Zucchini softens. Then add in the Beef and cook until it is no longer raw. Then add in the Beef Broth and the Tofu. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes and then add in the Eggs carefully and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Then drizzle with the Sesame Oil and Green Onions to serve.

Five Element Analysis

Beef belongs to the Earth Element and so does Zucchini, so this soup is rather Earthy, but soups by nature are always part of the Water Element too. More of the Water Element comes from the Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil and the Eggs if you use them.  The Metal Element is represented by the Tofu Garlic and Green Onions. The Korean Red Pepper Powder makes sure that the Fire Element is also present. Only the Wood Element is missing so be sure to serve some Banchan (side dishes) like Korean Spinach or Kimchi, which has the Wood Element's sour flavor so that the meal is balanced.

Korean Mung Bean Pancakes

My Mother used to live near a Korean Market and whenever I would go and visit her, one of the treats I would pick up for us to eat was Korean Mung Bean Pancakes. These are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a delightful little crunch that comes from all the vegetables that make it a very healthy snack. It is often made with Kimchi and also meat, usually pork. I knew that they couldn't be hard to make, so one time I bought some Mung Bean flour to make them and they were good, not great.  So, I eventually asked a Korean friend how to make them right and she informed me that these pancakes need to be made with soaked and ground Mung Beans and that was the secret to perfect Korean Mung Bean Pancakes. I've been making them for years now and never thought to put them on this blog until I made them today when my son asked me if I had posted this recipe yet.  This was after he devoured his first two pancakes and was reaching for more. So here's the recipe that I make. It's pretty simple once you remember to soak the Mung Beans ahead of time - usually overnight. I don't usually add Kimchi as I like to use shredded Napa Cabbage more, although Kimchi is certainly very tasty and gives it some heat and even more authentic flavor. I also add in Bean Sprouts, Red Pepper and Carrots along with Garlic and Green Onion. I like to chop everything up as the Pancake stays together better, but the traditional way is to have the vegetables cut into shreds.  Meat can be added or not if you prefer to keep them vegetarian. I serve it with a simple Tamari and Sesame Oil Sauce although adding Rice Vinegar to this is good too and so is adding Chili Oil. I've included that recipe below. This a delightful and delicious snack that I make even for breakfast!

Korean Mung Bean Pancakes

2 cups dried yellow Mung Beans

Water to  cover by 4 inches

1 1/2 cups or more Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)

1 1/2 cups Bean Sprouts, chopped

1 cup chopped Napa Cabbage leaves

1/3 cup chopped Red Pepper

1/3 cup Carrot, peeled, sliced, cut into shreds about 1 inch long and then cut in half

4 Green Onions, cut into small pieces

2 large Garlic Cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Salt

Vegetable Oil for Cooking - 1 Tablespoon per batch, about 1/2 cup

Optional: 4 ounces of cooked Pork, 4 ounces of chopped Kimchi (instead of Napa Cabbage)

Soak Mung Beans in a large bowl overnight. Drain and rinse and then return to the bowl and add Boiling Water to cover.  Drain and add to the food processor. Add in the 1 1/2 cups of broth and Puree until smooth. Add in an additional 1/4 cup of broth if the mixture is too thick. Remove to a bowl.  Add in all the vegetables and meat if using and stir to mix up.  

Heat oven to 250 degrees.  Heat a large frying pan and add 1 Tablespoon of Oil, heat and using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop up the Pancake mixture and make 2 large pancakes. Use the spatula to pull in ragged edges.  Cook on medium high heat until the bottom is golden brown and turn carefully. Cook until the other side is completely browned. Don't worry if the pancake breaks, just pull it back together. This will take about 4 -5 minutes per side. Place cooked pancakes onto a large baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you complete the other pancakes.  Add an additional 1 Tablespoon of Oil before cooking each batch of pancakes. Remove from the oven when you are done and serve with dipping sauce or a drizzle of Tamari and Sesame Oil.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup Tamari or Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Seasoned Rice Vinegar

1 teaspoon Roasted Sesame Oil

1/4 teaspoon Chili Oil or more to taste

Five Element Analysis

Mung Beans belong to the Water Element and the Pork if you are using it adds even more as does the Tamari and Sesame Oil in the Dipping Sauce. The Napa Cabbage contributes the Wood Element and so does the Kimchi, if you use it and the Vinegar in the Dipping Sauce adds even more. The Red Pepper makes sure that the Fire Element is present as does the Chili Oil in the Dipping Sauce and the Carrots do the same for the Earth Element. The Metal Element is represented by the Green Onions and Garlic. Korean Mung Bean Pancakes end up being a balanced Five Element Savory Snack!

Korean Bulgogi Marinade

At our Asian dinner party the other night, we made Bulgogi with a more authentic recipe than the one that was previously posted, as we added Asian Pear to the recipe. It adds a lovely sweet note that makes the marinade more complex. Bulgogi is a great meat to serve at a party as it takes such a short time to cook as it is very thin slices of beef. So, when everything else is ready, you can cook these in just a few minutes and the meal is ready.  Be sure to marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Longer is better I think to get the most flavorful meat! 

Korean Bulgogi

1 pound beef tenderloin, semi frozen and sliced thinly into about 2 inch long by 1/8 inch wide pieces. 

1 small Asian Pear (or 1/2 of a large one)

1 small Onion

3 Garlic Cloves

1 teaspoon minced Ginger

2 chopped Green Onion

3 Tablespoons Tamari

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

pinch of Black Pepper 

1 Tbsp toasted Sesame Oil

1/2 peeled Carrot, cut into slivers

Optional:  2 Tablespoons toasted white Sesame Seeds

Puree the Asian Pear and Onion together in a food processor or blender.  Then mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the sliced beef and mix well. Marinate for at a minimum of ½ hour, but overnight in the refrigerator is best for maximum flavor. To cook the Bulgogi, remove the meat from the marinade and grill on the BBQ, broil in the oven or pan sear the meat on a hot, greased cast iron skillet until the beef is no longer pink and the edges are browned. Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds and serve with rice or as lettuce wraps and Korean hot sauce - Ssamjang. 

Five Element Analysis

This is a sweet marinade made so you now that it has some Earth in it and the Beef, Carrot and Asian Pear make it even Earthier. The Onion, Garlic and Green Onion contribute the Metal Element. The Tamari, Sesame Oil and Sesame Seeds add the Water Element and the Black Pepper and Hot Sauce bring in the Fire Element. Only the Wood Element is missing, so be sure to serve it with some green vegetables, like Spinach to create balance. 

White Kimchi

I think everyone is finally getting the idea about how important fermented foods are for your health. Kimchi is one of those foods that enhance the microbiome of the digestive system. This particular version is made without dried Red Pepper, which makes it much easier for those who have trouble with Spicy foods. White Kimchi is very similar to the Pickled Cabbage of Northern China, where my Grandfather comes from and they too like garlic in their Pickles. It is believed that this method of preserving Cabbage came down the Korean Peninsula where it met their fiery red Chili and became the Kimchi that most people recognize. This style is much milder and I personally think it is even more delicious! It gives you a faint fizz on the tongue when you first eat it and it is wonderfully crunchy, juicy and only mildly salty. I think it is the perfect accompaniment for a meal that is heavy on meat. This is my favorite way to add Probiotics to my diet - naturally!

White Kimchi

4 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

4 cups Water

½ Large Head of a large Napa Cabbage or whole small one, root end cut off, leaves separated

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

4 cups Water

1 Asian Pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch julienned pieces

1 pound Daikon Radishes (as narrow in diameter as possible), stem and root ends cut off, peeled and cut into 1 inch by 1/3 inch pieces

6 Green Onions, ends trimmed, root end removed and cut into 1” lengths

4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced

In a large bowl, mix together the 4 Tablespoons of Salt and the 4 cups of Water and put in the Napa Cabbage leaves. Place a plate on top and something heavy (I used my stone Mortar) to weigh it down to keep the cabbage under the brine.  Let sit in a corner of your kitchen counter for 24 hours.

Then, drain and rinse the Napa Cabbage leaves and cut into 1 inch pieces. In the same large bowl, mix together the Salt, Sugar, Fish Sauce and Water until blended. Add in the Napa Cabbage pieces, the Asian Pear, Daikon, Green Onions and Garlic.  Mix together thoroughly and put the plate back on top of the mixture and press down with your heavy object so that all of the vegetables are in the brine and the brine comes over the top of it all. Let the Kimchi sit at room temperature for another 24 hours.

Take the Kimchi out of the bowl and put into a large jar. Pour in brine to cover completely and toss out the extra. Put in the refrigerator for at least one day before eating. 

Optional ingredients:  Sliced Red Pepper, Slivered Carrot, Jujubes – Dried Chinese Dates, Pine Nuts, Chinese Chives, etc.

Five Element Analysis

Kimchi because it is fermented and therefore considered sour is part of the Wood Element. However, the Napa Cabbage belongs to the Earth Element, the Fish Sauce and Salt contribute the Water Element and the Garlic Cloves, Asian Pear and Green Onions, as well as the Daikon Radish bring in the Fire Element.  The only element that is missing is the Fire Element, usually present in the Red Chili so it would be a good idea to add some Red Pepper or serve this with some other Fiery food or sauce as part of your meal to create a Five Element balance.

Kalbi - Korean Short Ribs

Korean food has always been one of the few cuisines besides Chinese that my mother like sto eat. She particularly enjoyed going to the restaurants where you grilled your own meat and her personal favorite was Kalbi or Korean Short Ribs. With the Banchan assortment of different little vegetables, such as Spinach (previous post) and Mung Bean Salad along with Kimchi  (previous post) and Rice, she was always happy. I love Korean food too and although there are many good Korean restaurants here in Seattle, I am trying to avoid Soy Sauce in the marinades and dried Shrimp in the Kimchi. So, I mostly make Korean food at home. This recipe is the classic marinade for Kalbi. These Short Ribs are precut at Asian Markets, but if you can't find them, you could also use strips of steak, which make it more like Bulgogi (a previous post). Kalbi is very tender and flavorful and is most often served in LA (where my Mom lives) with lettuce and Gochujang Sauce, which often has wheat in it . I serve my Kalbi with Sriracha instead. It is best cooked on a grill, but I don't have one so I cook it in the broiler and it turns out wonderfully - Korean Short Ribs make a delicious dinner!

Kalbi – Korean Short Ribs

1 ½ pounds Short Ribs (with small Bones and sliced thin)

¼ cup Tamari

1/4 cup Rice Wine

3 Garlic Cloves minced

1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons Sugar, depending on how sweet you like it

2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil

1 inch chunk of Ginger, peeled and chopped fine

5 Scallions, trimmed and chopped

3 Tablespoons Chopped Asian Pear (or Apple)

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Then add in the Short Ribs. Massage the marinade into the meat and then put carefully into a large Ziploc Bag with the Marinade.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least two hours and preferably overnight - the longer you marinade it, the more flavorful it is.  

Heat broiler and put on a broiler pan and cook on one side until it is browned and sizzling. Turn over and cook the other side until done.

Serve with Lettuce, Gochujang Sauce if desired or Sriracha, Steamed Rice and Kimchi and other vegetables.

Five Element Analysis

Beef belongs to the Earth Element and the sugar in this recipe adds even more. The Asian Pear along with the Ginger, Scallions and Garlic contribute the Metal Element.  The Tamari and Sesame Oil bring in the Water Element and the Fire Element is represented but the Rice Wine and either the Sriracha or Gochujang Sauce. The Wood Element is missing, which is why this dish should be served with Kimchi and/or Spinach for more of the Wood Element to create a Five Element flavor balance!

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

I am obsessed with making various types of Kimchi and my latest experiment has been with Cucumbers. Usually Cucumber Kimchi involves slicing the sides of the Cucumber and stuffing in the seasonings, but I like my vegetables to be in bite sized pieces. And, it also takes longer to ferment that way. I didn't feel like waiting several days before I could eat it - I only lasted until the next morning to try this version and it was so good that I am going to go ahead and post it. I'm sure it will get more authentic as the days go by - if it lasts that long!  I have to admit though, I like how crunchy the cucumbers are this way and I didn't make it too spicy either. It basically is a salad until it ferments. Either way, this would make a lovely side dish to a Korean meal of Bulgogi or a Tofu Hotpot.  As with all Kimchi recipes, the only exotic thing is to buy Gochugaru, which is coarse Korean Red Pepper Powder. You can get it at an Asian Market and I've even found it on Amazon. Anyway, I will let you know how it turns out when it actually ferments a few days from now.  But in the meantime, try this, I think you'll like it too.

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

1 pound Persian Cucumbers cut into slices about 1/4" thick (can also use regular Cucumbers - peeled, cut in half and deseeded and then cut into slices)

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

3 Green Onions, stem removed and cut into small pieces

1 heaping Tablespoon Gochugaru - Korean Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Tamari

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

1 Tablespoon minced fresh Ginger

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

Put the Cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle them with the Salt. Let them sit for about 15 minutes.  Then add the Garlic, Green Onion, Korean Chili Powder, Tamari, Fish Sauce, Ginger and Sugar.  Toss to coat and place in a glass container.  Put in the refrigerator and let sit overnight (at least) before serving. Will keep for several weeks and ferment as time goes on.

Five Element Analysis

Cucumbers are an Earth food so that element is covered and the Napa Cabbage and ginger add even more and some of the Metal Element too. The Garlic and Onions contribute even more of the Metal Element.The Water Element is represented by the Fish Sauce and  Tamari and the Wood Element is seen in the fermentation process. The Korean Chili Powder contributes lots of the Fire Element so this dish becomes perfectly balanced!

Daikon Radish Kimchi

I grew up eating Kimchi and I really love it.  But, I've been having trouble finding any without dried shrimp in it. I have a terrible allergy to shrimp, crab and lobster and it's been preventing me from enjoying something that I crave frequently.  So I have to make my own!  I'm particularly fond of Radish Kimchi as it is so crunchy.  I enjoy eating it as a side to rice and mixed into Korean Mung Bean pancakes too.

Kimchi was one of the ways that Korean people preserved their vegetables over the cold winter months. It is an amazing fermented food, like Sauerkraut, that's so good for you.  It's full of probiotics and has been show to kill the SARS virus and possibly other viruses too so it's something we should all be eating during the winter months. It's also got a high vitamin content and because it is made from vegetables in the Brassica family, is also considered an anti-cancer food.   

It's really quite easy to make and the only equipment you will need is a big glass jar. It can eventually smell and taste quite strongly of garlic as it ferments so glass is definitely the best way to go. I make mine not-too-hot and I add some Asian Pear to sweeten it a little bit naturally.  I also use Fish Sauce and throw in some other vegetables too, like a little bit of Napa Cabbage and Carrots to make the flavor more complex.  think it is good to eat after only one day.  If you haven't made it before, try this version. It's pretty mild as Kimchi goes and it is really delicious!

Daikon Radish Kimchi

3 cups peeled Daikon Radish cut into chunks (about 2 large Radishes)

1 cup Napa Cabbage stalks , cut into bite sized pieces

1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1/3 cup Fish Sauce

2 Tablespoons Tamari

¼ cup Korean Chili Powder (more if you like it hotter)

2” piece of Ginger, peeled and sliced

8 cloves Garlic, sliced

¼ cup Green Onions chopped

¼ cup chopped Yellow Onion

¼ cup chopped Carrot

1 Asian Pear, peeled, cored and grated

1/4 cup water + more to cover Kimchi if desired

Put the Daikon Radish and Napa Cabbage into a bowl and add salt, mix to combine and let sit for 3 hours.  Then Mix together the Sugar, Korean Chili Powder, Fish Sauce and Tamari with the water and make into a paste.  Add in the Ginger, Garlic, Green Onions, Yellow Onion, Carrot and Asian Pear. Then add the Radish and Cabbage to the vegetable mixture and stir to coat.  Pack into a half gallon glass jar or several smaller jars and pack down.  Add a small amount of water to make a thinner sauce that nearly reaches the top of the vegetables and refrigerate.  Keep pushing down each day so that the vegetables eventually get slightly covered with juice.  Kimchi will get fermented over time and will smell and taste stronger. It can be kept for months if desired.

Five Element Analysis

Daikon Radish is one of the few Metal Element vegetables and the onions and garlic add even more so that element is covered. The Napa Cabbage, Carrot and Asian Pear bring in the Earth Element. The Korean Chili Powder brings in lots of the Fire Element. The Water Element is represented by the Salt, Fish Sauce and Tamari. And, the fermentation that occurs contributes the Wood Element. This then is a perfectly balanced food!  

Chap Chae

I'm visiting my Mom as she is having a health crisis and the only thing that she wants to eat is Asian food, so I have been making many of her favorite dishes that I have already posted. But here's a new one for you - Chap Chae. It's a Korean stir fried noodle dish made with beef, spinach, cabbage, carrot, green and white onions and sweet potato noodles that are slippery and wonderfully chewy. The sauce is salty and a little bit sweet and redolent of toasted sesame oil. I added some Mu'er - also called Cloud Ear or Wood Ear Mushroom - a Chinese fungus that is really good at thinning the blood, which my mother needs, but you could use Shitake Mushrooms instead. The only thing that may be hard to find is the potato starch noodles, which are usually only sold in in an Asian Market. If you can't find them, bean thread noodles are a good substitute and can be found in many regular grocery stores. If you have ordered this before in a Korean restaurant, you will be surprised at how easy it is to make at home and you will be happy about making something so delicious.

Chap Chae

1 pound beef flank steak, sliced into thin strips (easier if frozen)

2 Tablespoons Rice Wine or Mirin

2 Tablespoon Tamari or SoySauce

2 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 small white onion, cut into slivers

2 garlic cloves sliced thin

2 carrots, trimmed and peeled, julienned

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage

3 green onions, cut into 2 inch thin strips

1 bunch spinach leaves, stems removed

1/4 cup dried Mu'er soaked in boiling water for 45 minutes and sliced thin or 6 - 7 Shitakes

1 pound sweet potato noodles, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes or longer

Mix together the Rice Wine, Tamari, Sugar and Sesame oil.  Put the beef strips into a bowl and put in 2 Tablespoons of the sauce. Reserve the rest.

Put 2 Tablespoons of oil into a wok or large frying pan and heat until the oil shimmers. Add in the white onion and garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Then add in the cabbage and carrots and cook until limp.  Add the meat in a single layer and let cook on one side and then turn to cook the other side until no longer pink. Remove from the wok and put on the serving plate for later.   Wipe out the wok and put in the additional 2 Tablespoons of oil, then put in the spinach leaves, the Mu'er (or Shitakes) and the sweet potato noodles.  Cook until the spinach is wilted.  Then pour in the remaining sauce and stir until the noodles are heated through. Put the beef and vegetables back in and stir to mix.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Five Element Analysis

The sweet potato noodles, the cabbage, the carrots and the added sugar make this a fundamentally Earthy dish.  However, the Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds and Mu'er contribute the Water Element.  The white onion, green onion and garlic bring in the Metal Element.  The spinach contributes the Wood Element and the Rice Wine adds only a little bit of the Fire Element.  To create a more balanced meal, serve with something else that is Fiery or since this is a Korean dish, serve with something else that is spicy - so pass the Kimchi or serve with Korean Chili Sauce!

My Mother's Crunchy Cabbage Kimchi

I was teaching a friend the other day how to make vegetarian potstickers (that recipe I will post tomorrow) and it left half of a big Napa Cabbage unused and the part that was left was the bottom half composed of the white part of the stalk. So, in order not to waste that much cabbage, I decided to make Kimchi.  Now, I happen to like my Kimchi crunchy so using the stalks is my best solution for using up something that might other go to compost and to give me the crunchiest Kimchi.  Most commercial Kimchi uses more of the leaves. So, I called my Mom to get her recipe again as I forget the proportions and her instructions weren't very clear - it's hard to pinpoint the amounts when they are give to you as a pinch of this and a hunk of that....  The most important information I got was that she used to use dried shrimp until I became allergic to it so her Korean friend told her to use fish sauce instead and to use more than a little because that seafood Umami flavor underlies the Kimchi's flavor. Now if you want to be even more authentic, please add the shrimp, but my allergy is also why I need to make my Kimchi unless I read the labels of the store bought kind very very carefully.  Also, I can make it more or less spicy or more or less garlicky.  I like having that kind of leeway and food always tastes better homemade.  

A few notes:  I only leave the Kimchi out to ferment for 2 days in a cool place (only for a day if it is hot weather) but if you like a more sour taste, you can go even a few more days before you refrigerate it.  I also recommend glass jars as the chili powder definitely stains plastic containers and I'm just not sure if you want to ferment food in plastic. I don't like to salt it too much as you can always add more salt if you want when you serve it.  I wrote before (in the Radish Kimchi post) about how amazing and wonderful Kimchi is for you health so I won't say it again.  But if you like Kimchi, try making it at home - it's fun and so delicious too.  So here is my Mom's recipe for Kimchi that I've adapted for you.

Crunchy Cabbage Kimchi

Bottom Half of Napa Cabbage – end trimmed off and cut into 2 inch pieces (or use 1/2 of the cabbage including the leafy part)

4 cups water

3 Tablespoons Salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch chunk of ginger, peeled and minced -squeezed in a garlic press to extract juice

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (can also substitute dried shrimp or shrimp paste)

3 Tablespoons Korean Chili Powder

4 green onions, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths

5 inch piece of Daikon Radish, peeled sliced into matchstick pieces or grated

½ teaspoon sugar

Optional:  2 Carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces

Mix salt and water in a large bowl or pot.  Soak cabbage in the salted water for 4 – 5 hours.  Drain and squeeze dry.  Mix the other ingredients together in the bowl, add cabbage and rub the spiced mixture into the cabbage with your hands.  Pack into a large glass jar (or two smaller ones - I used an old pickle jar) and pack down to remove air bubbles and put the cap on.  Let sit for 2 days in a cool place (1 day if it is very warm) and then put into the refrigerator.  Kimchi can be eaten immediately, but is better after a few days.  It will keep for months, but will get stronger tasting over time and then is better added into dishes rather than eating it by itself.

Five Element Analysis

Fermented things are sour so they belong to the Wood Element. The Chili Powder adds the Fire Element.  The Napa Cabbage and carrots, if you use them, bring in the Earth Element.  The Daikon radish, the green onions, garlic and ginger add the Metal Element and the Salt and Fish Sauce contribute the Water Element  Guess what?  This is a pretty balanced food all by itself!  And, it is so good for your digestion and protective for your immune system, you should add it to your diet for health reasons alone!

Radish Kimchi Salad

Today is a special day for 5 Element Food - it's the 2 year anniversary and my 3rd Chinese New Year's posting! I still make most of the same lucky foods each year, but this year I made sure to make a Chinese Chicken Salad as lettuce is lucky and also a whole fish along with the Buddha's Delight, the Potstickers and Radish Kimchi Salad that's a brand new recipe that I created. I'm actually celebrating on New Year's Day (tomorrow) instead of New Year's Eve this year because I've been so busy unpacking and needed the extra day to get ready.

In order to recap, here are the lucky foods that you are supposed to serve for a traditional Chinese New Year celebration:

Bamboo Shoots for Wealth and Happiness (in the Buddha's Delight dish)

Chicken for Happiness in Marriage or Relationship (Chicken Salad dish)

Dried Bean Curd for Happiness (in the Buddha's Delight dish)

Eggs for Fertility and Creativity (in the Braised Pork Belly dish)

Greens for Abundance (Steamed and served with a drizzle of Oyster Sauce)

Potstickers and Egg Rolls for Wealth (always make these....)

Lotus Root for Continuing Wealth (in the Buddha's Delight Dish)

Lychees for Close Family Ties (canned, chilled and served for dessert)

Meatballs for Reunions (made steamed Pearl Balls)

Noodles for Long Life (made a noodle salad)

Tangerines for Luck and Wealth (always have these....)

Whole Fish for Wealth (baked a whole one in Terriyaki sauce tonight)

Peanuts for Long Life (in the Chinese Chicken Salad)

Daikon Radish for Good Omens (Radish Kimchi Salad)

Watermelon Seeds for Having lots of Children (skipped them this year)

Over the next several days, I will give you the recipe for some of these foods. But since the Radish Kimchi Salad needed to be done the day before, it is the first recipe I am giving you. My son Stephen and I love Kimchi of every kind whether made with Napa Cabbage, Daikon radish, cucumbers or Bok Choy. My only concern in buying Kimchi is that I have to read the ingredients very carefully as many of them contain dried shrimp or shrimp paste that I cannot eat because of my pretty severe allergy. So, we were craving Kimchi today and we decided to make it ourselves. Now my mother has always made Kimchi as she loved it too. She was also convince that the precursor to the Korean kind was made in Northern China where her father's family is from. She also had a Korean friend who showed her how to make it and I grew up with it as a perfectly normal food and so did my kids.

So I bought a large Daikon Radish last week with the express purpose of making Radish Kimchi but forgot to make it enough days ahead for the more traditional kind that is served in big chunks. So, I improvised today and made a quick Radish Kimchi salad that ended up being so good that I'm sharing the recipe. Now, you can ferment this salad for more days than I am (I just let it sit for one day) and it will become more authentic. Kimchi often gets a bad rap for the strong smell and its' spiciness. But, if you make it yourself, you can control these aspects. And, Kimchi is extremely good for you. It has been shown to kill the Bird Flu as well as increasing immune function! So, make this salad and let it ferment for one or a few days and eat it for your health. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Radish Kimchi Salad

1 large Daikon Radish peeled

2 teaspoons Salt - divided

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

3 Garlic Cloves, minced fine

3 Tablespoons Korean Chili Powder

To garnish: A small handful of Green onion pieces and a few Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds

Cut Daikon Radish into thin shreds (you can use a Mandoline for this or a special shredder) and put into a colander. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt, mix and let drain for 15 minutes. Squeeze dry and place in a glass bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together remaining salt, sugar, fish sauce, garlic cloves and Korean Chili Powder. Add to radish and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for 1 - 5 days. When ready to serve, drain excess liquid and put on a plate and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.

Five Element Analysis

Radishes are very pungent and Daikon is also white so they belong to the Metal Element and that element is covered. The garlic adds even more. The Water Element is represented by the Fish Sauce and Salt. The fermentation makes Kimchi a Wood Food as it becomes sour and the Korean Red Chili contributes the Fire Element. The Earth Element only shows up with a little bit of sugar so another Earthy food is needed to supplement this dish to contribute balance. I often eat it with Bulgogi (see previous post) and rice as the sweet beef is very Earthy. And since Kimchi is usually one of several Korean side dishes, it adds many of the elements all by itself.