Homemade Kimchi

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I’ve been dying to make kimchi for awhile. I absolutely adore it, but the process always seemed so intimidating. In the end, it wasn’t at all. It takes a bit of patience, but not the kind that requires attention. Instead, you spend a few minutes preparing the cabbage, then you let it go for a few days only to have it ready to eat without you having moved a muscle beyond initial preparation. The result is packed with healthy probiotics and is absolutely spicy and delicious. Please try this!

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The Classic GK Veggie Burger

Veggie burgers are everywhere these days, but it’s becoming more difficult to find one that doesn’t contain a bucket load of nuts, beans, or something else heavy, gas-inducing, or not a far cry from its meaty counterpart. If you want a protein-packed burger, a vegan rendition is best made using a bean base. Tonight, however, I was just looking for the burger experience without the post-dinner food baby.

I’ll show you how to make a kidney bean-based veggie burger in an upcoming post. But for now, the GK standard veggie burger stands as such:

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Classic Veggie Burger

by Aylin

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20

Ingredients (4-6 patties)

For the Burger:

  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • 2 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • *1 cup reserved juice pulp (from having juiced cucumbers, greens and carrots)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
*optional, can be replaced with 1 cup of mashed beans (kidney, white)

For the topping:

Instructions

Before I made this burger, I made sure to save about 1 cup of the pulp after preparing my daily green drank.

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A great way to re-use the pulp! (P.S. I don’t advise tasting it as such…bleh and boring.)

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Another part (or rather, topping) of the burger to prepare is the red pepper. Don’t be scared to char the pepper – it won’t burst into flames or anything. You could also bake the red pepper. The blacker, the better. When completely charred, seal it with aluminum foil or cover it in a brown paper bag and let it sit. This will help the skin to peel off in a cinch.

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Now, to the burger itself.

First, dice the onions, celery and garlic and shred the carrot. Toss into a hot saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook until the onion is nearly translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

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Next, roughly chop the cremini mushrooms and add them to the saucepan. We are adding them a bit later than the other vegetables, because mushrooms cook faster and thus require less time on the stove.

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Once the mushrooms are cooked through, remove from the stove and pour mixture into a glass bowl. Let it sit for a moment to cool down.

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Then toss in the chopped scallions, nutritional yeast, juice pulp, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

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Mix thoroughly. The result should be able to hold together well in the hand and able to form flat patties. Make same-sized patties and place them in aluminum foil that has been rubbed with some olive oil. Drizzle all the patties with olive oil in order to achieve that crispy top while baking.

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Put in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 minutes.

In the meantime, gather the goodies.

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Remember this guy? This probiotic-packed red cabbage has been building up enzymes all week stored away in my cupboard and is now ready to use, pickled and perfect!

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Ding! The burgers are ready.

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Let’s assemble this mofo. You could use a regular or whole-wheat/grain bun, but I nixed the bread and used some grilled eggplant as the base. I then topped the eggplant with lettuce, the burger, mustard, roasted red pepper, a tomato slice, avocado slices, red cabbage, another layer of lettuce, and lastly another layer of eggplant.

Leftover toppings were put on the side of my plate as a salad.

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All these pictures look the same, and they all make me drool the same.

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Voila!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

Quick bites

I was in a hurry this evening, so in the event of an emergency hungry tummy, I did the stop, drop and roll.

I stopped to look at what I had on hand: olive tapenade, some sun-dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil, fresh tomatoes, scallions, cucumbers and greens. And I simply took the washed leaves, dropped on the goods, rolled ‘em up, and nom nom nom’ed my way to satiation. Then flew out the door.

You know you’re in Turkey when…

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…that happens. How red and juicy and sweet and amazing is that!? I am not one to bite into a tomato as if it were an apple, but this guy was unreal.

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TIMES TEN.

In other news, here is a salad using none other than the cultured red cabbage I made last week.

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Complete with tomatoes, avocado, spinach, lime salt, olive oil and lemon juice.

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Another week of noshing wrapped up.

Have a wonderful weekend Smile !

Mine involves a music festival, some researching/writing for work Sad smile, a massage Smile, and some overdue beach attire shopping Smile Smile.

xo Aylin

A Pro’s Probiotic Salad

Well, you don’t have to be a pro to make this–in fact its the easiest version of itself! Ever considered pickling (fermenting) your veggies? The point is that EVERYONE can be a pro at it!

I like yogurt, but I know it’s not the best thing for me. Dairy is highly acidic, mucus forming, and, contrary to popular belief, not the ideal source of calcium and healthy bacteria. I won’t give it up—man, I love my cheese—and I understand that it does provide certain benefits (even if the drawbacks outweigh them biochemically). Luckily, you can get all the healthy bacteria / probiotics you need from plant sources. That’s where fermentation comes in.

Fermenting vegetables increases their vitamins and digestibility, providing anti-carcinogenic and antibiotic benefits as well as increasing the proliferation of healthy flora in the intestines. They are a great addition to your daily diet. I take a probiotic supplement every morning on an empty stomach, but its nice to know you can nix to supplement for something a bit more real.

DIY Fermented Red Cabbage

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Ingredients:

– 1 red cabbage

– 2-3 tbsp sea salt

– room temperature water

Directions:

Peel off about 2-3 whole cabbage leaves before chopping. We will use them later to cap the top of the glass jar.

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Next chop the rest of the cabbage into thin strips and throw into a bowl.

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Add the salt and toss until evenly distributed.

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Begin to stuff glass jars with the cabbage.

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Use the end of a wooden spoon and literally smash the cabbage, pounding it down so there are no air spaces. You want the cabbage to be as condensed in the jar as possible.

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When there is only a few inches free at the top of the jar, pour water into the jar, making sure it trickles to the bottom of the jar. Pour until the water just reaches the top layer of the cabbage.

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Use the whole leaves of the red cabbage you set aside at the beginning, fold one or two per jar, and use them as a sort of seal.

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Immediately seal and store in a dry place with a stable temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

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And make sure to label the jars so you know what day you made them!

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Three to five days later….

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See the bubbles?

Store in the refrigerator after opening. Toss in a salad, sandwich or eat all on its own.

I’ll show you how I use it in other posts throughout the week.

Bon apetit!

xo Aylin