Recipe: Magic Paste Quick Kimchi

From 2021 Week 11 Newsletter

I always end up sharing this recipe from chef Bill Kim every year because I am such a huge fan-girl! I wasn't too crazy about Kimchi until I tried his incredible flavor combination and simple method. With this recipe you can turn just about anything into Kimchi and if you're not adding your Joi Choi to a stirfry or salad this week, consider using it here!  I love kimchi in fried rice, topping a rice bowl with other roasted veggies, added to soups, dressings, or even dumplings. It's a punch of spicy umami flavor that will enhance so many dishes in interesting ways. (Pic is from the amazing food blog Wild Greens & Sardines where I first encountered Magic Paste) 

~Rae

1-inch piece of ginger, grated
5 cloves of garlic, grated
2 tablespoons fennel seed, ground to a powder
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup fish sauce (more to taste)
1/4 cup Korean chile flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir until well combined.

1 bunch Joi Choi, Bok Choy, or 1 head Napa Cabbage chopped into roughly 2-inch squares
3 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion (optional)
1 batch Magic Paste

Place cabbage in a large, heat-proof bowl. Bring water to a bowl, stir in the salt and stir until it dissolves. Pour the salted water over the cabbage and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the cabbage in a colander, rinse thoroughly with cold water and then drain well.

Combine the cabbage, onion, and magic paste in a mixing bowl. Toss until well combined. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve (preferably the same day).

Recipe: Collards & Bok Choy

from Chef Marcus Samuelsson

6 bacon slices

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

4 cups (about 2 bunches) collard greens, very thinly sliced

4 cups (about 2 heads) bok choy, very thinly sliced

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels, and crumble into small pieces. Set aside.

In small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and soy sauce to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard and crumbled bacon. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large straight-sided pan over low heat. Add the garlic, and slowly toast until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes (be careful not to let it burn). Lift the garlic out of the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the collard greens and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens start to wilt. Stir in the coconut milk mixture and cook for about 20 minutes, until the greens are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Recipe: Bok Choy Fried Rice With Roasted Futsu

2 Cups Sushi Rice
1/3 Cup minced Leek (or sweet yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated
1-3 Bok Choy
1 Futsu Squash, quartered, sliced, seeds removed
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Soy Sauce & Sesame Oil to taste

Peheat your oven to 400 degrees and arrange your squash pieces (skin on) in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toss them in olive oil and salt to taste. Transfer to the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the squash has softened and easily peels away from the skin, rotating halfway through.
Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions (cold day-old rice is easier to work with). In a small skillet over low heat, add the minced leek and saute until soft. Add in chopped bok choy and cook until just wilted. Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add rice and cook over medium heat until hot and slightly crispy on the bottom. Season to taste with sesame oil and soy sauce and serve with roasted squash.

If you want more protein, throw a fried egg on top. You can also try roasting your Futsu seeds and adding them to the dish as well!

Recipe: Crispy Tofu Bowls With Sesame Bok Choy

from Naturally Ella

Sub in your Pac Choi for the Bok Choy in the recipe!

rice + tofu

1 cup short grain brown rice

1 recipe for crispy tofu

bok choy

2 small heads of bok choy

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Chili Oil or Crushed Red Pepper

Combine the rice with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, make the tofu and the bok choy. 

Make the crispy tofu. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dry the tofu and it into ¾ – 1-inch cubes. Place the tofu in a large bowl. Toss the bowl with the oil to coat. Sprinkle in the arrowroot, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice. Quickly toss the tofu to coat again. Arrange the tofu on the baking sheet. Slide the tofu into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

For the bok choy, heat a pan (that can be covered with a lid) over medium-high heat. Slice the bok choy in quarters, length-wise. Rinse well to remove any dirt caught in the stems, just be careful not to fully separate the stems.

Add the oil followed by the bok choy. Cook just until a nice sear develops on the stems and the greens are starting to brown. Turn heat to low, add about 3 tablespoons of water, cover, and let steam for a couple of minutes. The greens will begin to wilt and the stems will soften slightly. Once there, remove the lid and add the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. Spoon to coat the bok choy and cook for a minute or two more.

When ready, assemble the bowls with the rice, crispy tofu, bok choy, and a small drizzle of the sauce left in the pan. Serve with soy sauce, extra sesame seeds, and chili paste if desired.

Recipe: Pink & White Fried Rice With Sauteed Greens

A Farm Favorite from Rae

Rae's go-to recipe for turning extra greens into a tasty weeknight meal.

• 1 cup cooked and cooled sushi rice or Jasmine rice (rice that is leftover in the fridge from another meal is perfect!)

• 1 cup cooked and cooled pink or brown rice

• 2 cups chopped greens (spinach, chard, pac choi, turnip greens, radish greens, just about anything goes!)

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 tbs of grated fresh ginger

• 1/2 tbs of grated or finely chopped garlic

• 1/4 cup chopped white or yellow storage onion or scallions (if you use storage onions the flavor will be a bit sweeter)

• 2 tsp neutral tasting oil

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• soy sauce to taste

Add the neutral tasting oil to a skillet or wok and turn the heat to medium. Add chopped onion and saute until soft. Add in greens, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are well wilted. Move the veggies to one side of the pan and add the sesame oil to the vacant side. Break the egg into the hot sesame oil and lightly scramble it right in the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it in with the veggies. Briefly turn the heat to high and sprinkle in the cooled rice. Stir to combine and cook until the rice is hot and getting crispy. Lightly douse the fried rice with soy sauce, stir, and taste, to check for your preferred salt level. Add in more soy sauce to taste.

Recipe: Charred Pac Choi With Radishes & Peanut Sauce

From Dishing Up The Dirt

This recipe calls for serving the salad with grilled chicken but feel free to substitute baked tofu! If you don't have an outdoor grill you can put your veggies under your oven broiler for 8-10min for a similar effect.

Peanut Sauce

1 scallion, minced, white and light green parts only (optional)

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (can sub with almond butter)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

3 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

2-3 Tablespoons water

Salad

6-8 bone-in skin on chicken thighs 

1 bunch of radishes, trimmed and sliced in half

4 baby bok choy, trimmed, rinsed well and sliced in half lengthwise

Cooked rice or quinoa for serving (optional)

Prepare the sauce by whisking together all the ingredients until smooth–this works best with an immersion blender or small food processor. Start with only 2 Tablespoons of water and if the sauce is a bit thick add a touch more water to thin as necessary. Taste test and set aside.

Arrange all vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the veggies with a few Tablespoons of the sauce. Arrange the chicken on a separate baking sheet lined with foil. Brush both sides of the chicken with a few Tablespoons of the sauce.

Generously oil the grates of an outdoor grill. Preheat the barbecue to medium high. Place the veggies in a single layer on the grates and cook until tender and lightly charred on all sides, about 5-6 minutes total. Remove from the grill and return cooked veggies to the baking sheet.

Place the chicken in a single layer on the grill and cook until no longer pink on the inside, about 5-6 minutes per side. Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board or clean plate.

Divide the chicken and veggies between plates and serve with additional sauce and cooked rice.