Day 15-Kimchi for Health and Weight Loss

Weight=185.2 pounds, Steps=14,500

Kimchi is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its "healthy bacteria" called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according recent studies. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer.

Koreans eat so much of this super-spicy condiment (40 pounds of it per person each year) that natives say "kimchi" instead of "cheese" when getting their pictures taken.

​Here is my sister Gyongyi's version of an easy-to-make, homemade kimchi recipe which she has perfected over the years.  Spiciness can be adjusted by the amount of Korean red pepper used.

INGREDIENTS:
Cabbage:

• 2 pounds, Napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup, sea salt

Vegetables:

• 1 cup, Daikon radishes, cut into 1/4-in. strips
• 1 cup, mini-cucumbers, cut into 1/4-in. strips
• 1 cup, green onions, cut into diagonal pieces
• 1/2 white onion cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• optional, can add red pepper or other vegetables

Slurry:

• 1-2 tbsp., ginger, grated (about 3-in. piece)
• 1-2 tbsp., garlic, grated (about 6 cloves)
• 1 tsp, cane sugar
• 1-5 tbsp., Korean red pepper
• optional, 1 tsp. of Hondashi for fish flavor
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Chop cabbage into 1-in. strips (remove core).   Put into big glass bowl, add 1/2 cup salt, sprinkle around.  Mix with hands.  Let it sit for a few  minutes until it starts to collapse (about 10-15 min.)  Cover with filtered water and weigh down with dinner plate to keep cabbage under water).  Let sit for two hours.
2. Mix grated ginger and garlic in a glass container.  Add one teaspoon sugar.  Add 1-5 tbsp. (3 tbsp. suggested) Korean red pepper powder.  Adjust heat by adding or subtracting Korean red pepper.  Add a bit of filtered water to make a slurry paste.  
3. Prepare the Daikon, green onions, white onion and cucumbers (and other vegetables, optional).
4. After two hours, pour off brine from cabbage and save liquid. 
5. Put on clean nitrile gloves and mix slurry into vegetables first (Daikon, green onion, and cucumbers).  Then with gloves mix the vegetable-slurry mix with the cabbage until well combined (coated).  Use gloves because slurry is very hot.  Keep away from eyes.​
6. Pack mixture into clean gallon wide-mouth jar, such as mason jar.  Pour in enough of the saved brine liquid to just cover mixture.
7. Loosely put on lid to allow gas to escape during fermentation (DO NOT tighten lid on jar).  Put a plate underneath jar to catch overflow, if any, during fermentation.
8. Allow fermentation to happen at room temperature for 2-5 five days.  During fermentation, using wooden spoon, push down cabbage so it stays submerged (daily).  When done, refrigerate in same jar.  Good for months.  Remove Kimchi to serve as needed with or without brine solution which is spicy hot. 

​In Korea, kimchi is served at almost every meal, either alone or mixed with rice or noodles.  It's part of a high-fiber, low-fat diet that has kept obesity at bay in Korea. Kimchi also is used in everything from soups to pancakes, and as a topping on pizza and burgers.  For Americans, it is a bit of an acquired taste.  It works really well as a topping over brown rice.