Probiotics & Keto Korean food

Korean side dishes are health trendy

As an immigrant child growing up in the Chicago area, my mom (a phenomenal cook) made sure we appreciated the wide spectrum of Korean cuisine. Most nights of the week we would have a spread of banchan, a menagerie of colorful side dishes comprised of various kinds of kimchi (fermented cabbage, cubed daikon, and cucumbers), kongnamul-muchim (seasoned, blanched soy bean sprouts), musaengchae (julienned daikon salad), gosari namul (seasoned, sautéed fiddlehead ferns), and sigeumchi namul (blanched, seasoned spinach). And those were only the side dishes.

Throughout a given week, we ate a balanced array of beef, pork, chicken, or seafood dishes. Of course, we didn’t eat all those tasty dishes at once. We sometimes enjoyed a bubbling pot of jigae (spicy delicious stew). My absolute favorite was the kimchi soondubu jigae – a mixed seafood and meat stew with kimchi, soft tofu, and veggies in a bubbling cauldron of deliciousness. During the hot summer months, my dad would fire up the grill and we would enjoy a feast of Korean barbecue, popularized by the kalbi (marinated short ribs) and bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef) always accompanied by banchan.

Back when kimchi was relatively unknown

Back in the ’80s, Korean food wasn’t something I could just tote in my lunch sack. For school lunches, I carried my brown bag of turkey, PB&J, ham, or egg salad sandwich. You couldn’t find Korean food in your typical American supermarket, and you had to shop at an Asian market for specialty items.

These were the days of Stranger Things fame where I revel in flash backs of Eleven’s Eggo waffles, toaster strudels that came with packets of DIY frosting, Chef Boyardee Beefaroni and Spaghettios, Little Debbie’s snacks, Gorton’s fish sticks, blocks of Velveeta cheese, and of course, Hot Pockets. The heyday of packaged meals and Happy Meal boxes.

I see kimchi everywhere

Now when I step into a major supermarket, I smile to myself when I see the many varieties of kimchi that are marketed as probiotic, gut-friendly, diet-conscious health food products. It’s the stuff I grew up with as part of my regular eating existence. Can I bastardize a line from The Six Sense? I see kimchi everywhere. That and Korean-dressed mashups.

Just the other day I walked through the aisles at Whole Food and was confronted with Gochujang Ketchup. Basically, ketchup infused with Korean-fermented chili paste.  The mashup is intriguing to stay the least. Whole Foods now also carries its own brand of 365 Kettle Cooked Gochujang Chips. I have yet to try these. Save for a future post.

Kimchi makes the top 10 list except…

Aside from the now trendiness of Korean cuisine, kimchi has been sweeping the top 10 lists of gut-friendly foods. Men’s Journal proclaimed it as one of the top 8 probiotic foods you should be eating. Similarly, Dr. Axe ranked kimchi on his top 13 list of great probiotic foods. Healthline listed it as one the top 8 fermented foods that boost digestion and health, and Dr. Oz highlighted kimchi as one of the top 5 foods that TV chefs always have in their refrigerators. In a recent Time.com article published in April 2018, kimchi was lauded as a probiotic rich dish that may help reduce cancer risk. And, kimchi consistently makes the keto friendly list of foods, so check that off your ketogenic food diary.

Then you see conflicting advice from Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not to Die, who cites epidemiological evidence that indicates that elevated consumption of kimchi (fermented vegetables) could possibly increase the risk of cancer. In a published 2011 study in the Journal of Gastric Cancer, the research revealed the average consumption of kimchi in Korea represents 20% of daily sodium intake. The case-control studies link high intake of kimchi with an increased risk for gastric cancer. A leading culprit may be the high daily intake of sodium, in which salt can damage the stomach lining thereby promoting the carcinogenic effects. Food for thought. Balance and moderation continue to be the keys to a healthy diet.

Chock full of vitamins and lactobacilli

Nutritionists generally regard kimchi as a good source of vitamins A, B, C and of course the probiotic gut-supporting bacteria called lactobacilli, which one finds in fermented foods.  This aids in moving things along and in healthy digestion. Koreans are said to eat on average 40 pounds per person annually.

Kimchi has been around for +2,000 years

Whatever your impressions of kimchi are, it is a longtime staple dish in the Korean diet and a source of nationalistic pride. It dates back at least as early as 37 BC-7 AD. The process of salting and fermenting vegetables was one of necessity to preserve food throughout the year. I recall my grandmothers took pride in making their own variations of kimchi, which would ferment in large airtight glass jars.

Kimchi for every palate

With all the store options, you can have the pick of the litter. My favorites always involve the delectable, crunchy daikon and refreshing cucumber. The nappa cabbage version is the most popular kind of kimchi. If you cannot stomach spice, you can try the milder white nappa cabbage version. Of the store-bought varietals, I like Sinto Gourmet brand for its clean flavors and pretty, resealable packaging that keep the aromas airtight inside.

Kimchi Soondubu Jigae recipe for home

As there are a plethora of kimchi options at your local supermarket or Asian market (i.e. Ranch 99), you can arrange your own colorful tableau of banchan. To create a savory soondubu jigae, I’ll give you my version of a favorite comfort food. As with all cookery, you can experiment to make it your own.

Soup Starter Hack

If you happen to shop at Ranch 99 or equivalent Asian market, a great hack is to buy a carton of House Foods BCD Soon Tofu Soup Starter. It’s an easy hack and all you need to throw in is veggies and whatever meat or seafood you so desire.

The Non-Hack Recipe 

Now if you don’t have a soup starter, don’t fret. I’ve got you covered. You’ll need some store-bought kimchi, soft silken tofu, veggies, seafood (optional), and a bit of imagination. The following is enough for 1-3 servings depending on your appetite, and if you plan to share.

Ingredients (seafood version)

Kimchi (one cup)
Soft silken tofu (12 to 16 ounce carton)
Can of clams (littleneck clams)
Can of tuna (responsibly caught, tuna in water vs. oil)
2 cups of beef or vegetable stock
1 large zucchini
2 green scallions, or chives
Couple tsps of Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tsp of minced garlic (or smash a glove)
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of soy sauce (or tamari sauce for GF sensitivities)
1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
2 eggs

Instructions

Prep
Open the carton of silken tofu, and carefully cut into large blocks or chunks to make it easier for placing in a large saucepan. Chop up the zucchini and scallions, and place on the side. If you prefer your kimchi to be in smaller pieces, then you can chop that as well.

Heat up a large sauce pan
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, pour in your olive oil, gochujang, and sesame oil. Toss in your minced garlic and zucchini. Give that a good stir for a minute. Then add the kimchi and stir it around for a minute or two.

Add the broth (boil then simmer)
After a couple minutes, add the broth and soy sauce. Bring your stew to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer. Add salt to taste.

Add the canned clams and tuna
Make sure to drain the canned clams and tuna before you drop them into the simmering sauce pan.

Incorporate the chunks of silken soft tofu
Remember that the silken tofu is delicate and breaks apart easily. Using a large spatula or large ladle, add the pieces of silken tofu into the simmering pot. Give it 3-5 minutes, and keep the pot covered.

Lastly the eggs
While the jigae is simmering (and still bubbling), drop in one egg at a time. You want the lovely stew to cook up the yellow yolks nicely. Keep the simmering pot covered for a couple minutes. Once the eggs are nicely incorporated, you’re ready to serve up your soondubu jigae creation.

Garnish with scallions or chives
Garnish your finished soondubu jigae with scallions (or chives) and ladle them into bowls.

Steamed white rice (or brown rice).
Invest in a good rice cooker to get the perfect consistency of rice. An Asian rice cooker generally makes a perfect pot of moist rice, more so than an Instant Pot. I like medium grain white rice like Kokuho Rose white rice. If Kokuho Rose is unavailable, I’d recommend Nishiki’s premium white or brown rice version. When using a rice cooker, I rinse and use 2 cups of medium grain white rice with nearly 3 cups of water in total. As a rule of thumb, for every 1 cup of medium grain white rice, use 1.5 cups of water. For brown rice, you’ll need to double the water otherwise the rice is super hard. So for every 1 cup of brown rice, use 2 cups of water.

Depending on the make/model and setting of the rice cooker, your rice can take anywhere from 30-50 minutes to cook rice. The great thing about leftover rice is that you can leave it in the rice cooker as it has a “warm” setting.

I now leave you with this boomerang video of bubbling kimchi soondubu jigae. I recently enjoyed this stew full of belly-pleasing probiotics. Enjoy some adventurous eats!

 

 

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Keto Friendly Smoked Salmon Scramble

by Vivian Lee

Going soft on salmon

Before the terms keto or ketogenic entered our dietary conscience, smoked salmon played a supporting role in diets around the world. Over the centuries, smoking was a common way to preserve and cure meat of any kind to prevent spoilage. The smoking process generally involves curing and partially drying out the meat. GoT fans could imagine the House of Stark highly regarding the smoked cured meats alongside their motto “Winter is coming.” With the scarcity of fresh food during the harsh winter months, smoking and curing meat was a necessity for survival.

Native Americans were said to have relied on smoked salmon in their diet with salmon being quite abundant along the coastal waters of America. In Greek and Roman history, smoked fish was often a dish eaten at celebratory gatherings. Throughout the Middle Ages, people incorporated smoked salmon as part of their regular diet.

Smoked salmon makes it special

In today’s world, smoked salmon is often regarded as a delicacy with choices ranging from the Pacific Northwest variety and the North Atlantic Scottish style to the Norwegian and burgeoning Chilean scene. It’s not something you eat every day, but incorporating smoked salmon in a canapé for a special occasion or a savory breakfast dish can make any eating occasion a memorable one.

Cold smoke out

According to a historical account on gourmetfoodstore.com, salmon is typically smoked when it is under 3 years of age to maximize the flavor and freshness. Smoking involves curing (salting) the fish. The majority of the commercial smoked salmon you buy at the store involves a wet cure, which involves dunking the fish in a salty solution (aka brine). The brine itself becomes a savory liquid concoction of salt, pepper, and spices. Following the brining process, the salmon is taken out to the smokehouse. The more popular “cold smoking” gives the salmon a more subtle flavoring vs. “hot smoking” which gives the fish a more intense smoky flavor and more desiccated texture.

Soft Scramble with Smoked Salmon

On a recent trip to Geneva, Illinois, a famed Midwestern town known for its annual Swedish Days, we popped into a local hipster joint called Craft Urban, and I settled in for a nice weekend brunch of soft scrambled eggs layered with smoked salmon, heirloom tomatoes and spinach, garnished with slivers of pickled onions and snuggling with brightly beaded roe.  This beauty sat comfortably on two pieces of toasted bread. The eggs were “soft scrambled” so each bite of egg seemingly melted in my mouth with a flavorful piece of smoked salmon, roe, and tomatoes.

The meal was an even more memorable experience catching up with old friends and bouncing my niece on my lap.

DIY Breakfast at Home

When we got back home, I regaled over the yummy meal we had back in Geneva, and my hubs thought it best to whip up a lovely Sunday brunch at home, his way.  With his British roots intact, he opted for the Scottish Style smoked salmon (wild caught). From my understanding, the Scottish style smoked salmon has a smokier flavor than your typical Pacific Northwest varietal.  The Scots like to smoke their fish using oak. He picked up a small packet of smoked Scottish Style salmon at the local market, pre-sliced and perfectly portioned.

Gist of the recipe at home

He then whisked several eggs together with a little almond milk (due to our collective dairy sensitivities) and poured the egg mixture into a medium-hot pan. He scrambled the eggs and quickly turned off the heat while the eggs were still soft.

The key to a soft scramble is to keep the eggs constantly moving on the pan (lean into that wooden spoon or spatula). As soon as the liquidy mixture turns solid, remove the the eggs immediately from the hot pan. Leaving eggs in a pan will leave you with a hard scramble.

He then laid out the soft scrambled eggs next to the sliced smoked salmon, and sprinkled some thyme, dill, and cracked pepper. To give the smoked salmon and soft egg scramble a bit of tang, he added a dollop of lemon-infused hummus and whipped together a basic homemade salsa (pulsing a handful of roma tomatoes in a blender, combined with fresh garlic, a little lemon juice, olive oil, coconut sugar, and a tiny pinch of salt.  You can find a ready assortment of hummus from TJ’s, Whole Foods, or your local market.

He toasted slices of Udi’s Delicious Soft White bread (gluten free), buttered with soft Irish butter (keeping with the UK theme). Keeping it simple, we sat down to a delicious meal. The following are the ingredients, serves 4.

Ingredients

Smoked Salmon (4oz): 1 to 2 packets

Scramble
Eggs (8 large brown eggs)
Almond milk (1/4-1/3 cup). Less liquid for thickier consistency
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper
Pinches of thyme and dill
Butter (couple tablespoons to grease the pan)

Basic Mild Salsa
4-5 Roma tomatoes (quartered)
Garlic (couple cloves, or equivalent minced)
Half a lemon (squeezed)
1 Tsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Pinch of sea salt

For those of you on a keto diet, skip the toast.

Make your upcoming weekend brunch a special occasion. Bon appétit!

Need a healthy habit? Avocado Toast

By Vivian Lee

The Humble Avocado Toast

Avocado toast with a medium or soft boiled egg appeals to my Seussian sensibilities. I am picturing Green Eggs & Ham and substituting it with this heart healthy beauty. Why the obsession with the avocado toast? In its simplicity (and glory), this little meal is raw avocado smeared on perfectly browned toasts topped with a pinch of cracked pepper, seasoning, and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can make your avocado toasts even daintier by cutting them into beautifully thin triangular toasts. Want to make an Instagram masterpiece? Amplify the composition of the avocado toast by going the extra gourmand mile.  But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about why this is the perfect meal or snack.

Nutrient Dense

Avocados are a stone fruit. Yup, that big round stone in the center takes up precious real estate in an otherwise creamy fruit. It’s supposedly the only fruit that contains a healthy dose of MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), and not to be confused with that delightful muffaletta — a meat-lovers sandwich of Creole origins.  So I digress!

Avocados (as you probably read or have been told) are nutrient dense fruits and contain nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. You can toss out those vitamin supplements (I guess this is a subject for a future post). Much has been written about the humble avocado. Having read multiple books on nutrition, including Joel Furhman’s The End of Dieting: How to Live for Life, Forks over Knives, and How Not to Die by Michael Greger, there are some obvious conclusions on the benefits of avocado consumption done in moderation. While there is conflicting evidence-based research when it comes to the benefits and limits to avocado consumption, in its natural state not overladen with heavy guacamole (chip n’ dip) situations, it’s safe to say that you are doing your body good by having an avocado toast.

Blue Zone Approved

Dr. Greger on his NutritionFacts.org site validated claims that the avocado has anti-inflammatory effects and research showing that it can actually help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides. If you ever read Blue Zones by Dan Buettner, there is plenty of evidentiary literature that discusses the benefits of extra virgin olive oil as a healthy plant-based oil. A drizzle of that is Blue Zones approved.

If you’re concerned about weightier matters, then go sparingly on the olive oil and don’t overdo your avocado consumption just because of the stated health benefits. Moderation and lowering daily stress are key facilitators of healthier living. With our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and lack of regular daily physical activity, it’s even more critical to be mindful of what we put into our bodies.

The Good Egg

What about the eggs you say? Eggs are a great source of protein (in moderation please). The whites of the egg are said to be a great source of selenium, vitamin D, B6 and B12. And, you can find mineral composition of zinc, iron and copper. Eggs are good for the eyes as they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are helpful in combatting macular degeneration. Yep! As we age, our eyesight goes. Eggs are also sources of cholesterol, so don’t go creating a leaning tower of eggs on your toastie.

Avocado Toastie Recipe

Want to make your own avocado toastie? Pick two slices of your favorite toasting bread. I personally love the Udi’s Delicious Soft White (GF) bread for toasting. Set the toaster to a higher setting if you want a perfectly crunchy brown toast.

Make sure the avocado you use is nice and ripe. Slice into thin slices (or you can mash it up with a fork). All depends on your preference. Place the avocado slices on each of the toasts and take half of a boiled egg and place it on top. Then crack some fresh ground black pepper and throw a couple pinches of TJ’s seasoning salt. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top, and you’re good to go!

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread
• 1/2 ripe avocado (thinly sliced)
• Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• Pinches of Trader Joe’s Seasoning Salt (all-in-one savory mix of granulated onion and garlic, sea salt, paprika, celery seed, nutmeg, and dry mustard)
• 1 boiled egg (soft or medium) optional. Halved for presentation.

BTW, this image was taken at The Press Cafe. But you get the gist. Avocado toasts are easy to make and consume. And if you want to fork out $6 or more, you can get a delicious avocado toast at one of your favorite local haunts.

Enjoy happy, healthy eating!