How to make Water kefir Soda
(A healthy probiotic - rich drink)

Water kefir is a fizzy fermented probiotic drink that's packed full of health benefits for the whole family! It is made with clusters of symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast called water kefir grains. They aren’t really grains, but are a symbiotic colony of beneficial bacteria that create probiotics and enzymes during the process of breaking down natural sugar.  It is gluten free and dairy free and comes from cactuses.  It's effervescent provides a light and refreshing flavor.  Besides the impressive amount probiotics it provides its been said to help boost immunity, and slow the growth of cancer sells.  It's a healthy replacement for soda drinkers and it's fun and safe for kids!

Ingredients

       3 tablespoons of hydrated water kefir grains for quart jar

         1/4 cup sugar per quart of water (I like organic unprocessed Rapadura sugar or sucanat) Do not use honey.!! Non-chlorinated filtered water (If you use reverse osmosis, consider adding a few drops of trace minerals back in or I used to sticking a rinsed pastured egg shell in for minerals) If you just have tap water, boil it to remove chlorine and cool before using

     1-2 dried figs

     1/4 lemon - cut in wedges

     2 large thin slices of fresh ginger 

Instructions

1.    Dissolve the sugar in small amount of hot water.

2.    When sugar is dissolved, fill the rest of the jar with cool filtered water and make sure the water is not warm- it must be at room temp!

3.    Add the hydrated water kefir grains

4.    Cover with towel or coffee filter and secure to rubber band to keep out insects.

5.    Leave it on room temperature for 24-48 hours. The longer you leave it, the more sugar ferments out, so if you are limiting carbs, I recommend 48 hours. Don't leave longer than this! It can starve the grains!

6.    After 48 hours, strain the water kefir grains through a plastic mesh strainer (don't use metal if you can help it!) pouring the liquid into another container.  I use a half gallon jar for the first process and strain into two quart size jars.

7.    Restart the process by dissolving more sugar in water, adding cool water and adding Water Kefir Grains.

8.    To make the Water Kefir carbonated, pour a 1/2- 1cup of 100% fruit juice into the strained water kefir you just strained. I've found Grape, white grape, Pomegranate, Apple and Cherry to work the best. I don't recommend citrus for this part, as it makes stringy yeast like things that are not tasty! Once you've added the juice, cover the jars tightly with an air tight lid and leave on the counter an additional another day or two and then refrigerate.

* If you want to use fresh fruits you may add half cup of roughly meshed fresh or frozen fruits such as mixed berries, peaches, or tropical fruits into the water kefir that you just strained.

* Rinse the kefir grain, lemons, figs, ginger and the jar well in running water and start a new batch, follow the instructions above.  The lemons, figs and ginger can be used for two batches.

* If you want to make 1/2 gallon which I do, double the ingredients above.

 

My Favorite Kefir Variations

·         Doing the second fermentation simply add 100% no sugar added white grape juice or cranberry pomegranate juice for a fizzy fruit flavored soda. 

Or I have been make adding fruit juice and fresh mixed berries and tropical fruits half and half. It turned out fantastic!

·         After the first fermentation, cap the water kefir without adding any juice. After two days, put in fridge and add vanilla extract before drinking- tastes like cream soda!

·         Adding lemon juice and drinking right after the first fermentation- tastes like lemonade!

I wanted to try water kefir soda using herbs such as mint, rosemary, clove, turmeric....

I'm excited keep discovering good stuffs! Please share with me if you find your favorite flavor!

 

 

Water Kimchi (Mul Kimch)

Water Kimchi is a variety of kimchi that is made without red chili pepper powder. It's mild and has a refreshing taste. You can enjoy a well fermented rich in probiotic brine and eat vegetables same time.  It's kid friendly and great for people who can't have spicy food!

Ingredients:

Salting cabbage:

1 medium (about 3 pounds) Napa cabbage

1/2 to 3/4 cup coarse salt

Salting radish:

1/4 Korean daikon radish (cut to thin match stick)

1/2 carrot (cut to thin match stick)

1 tablespoon coarse salt (use less for fine salt)

1 tablespoon raw cane sugar

Brine:

1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour paste (mix with 1 cup water, boil over medium heat until turning  to thin paste and cool)

8 cups water

1/2 Onion

10 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

1/2 Asian pear or apple

2 tablespoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon raw cane sugar 

Garnishing:

1 red pepper, think sliced

green onion, cut 1 inch long

Directions:

1. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters by cutting the cabbage only 3 to 4 inches of  the white stem part and gentle pulling apart by hand to make quarters.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in 4 cups of water. Deeping each cabbage in the salt water to make the cabbage moistened, and transfer to another bowl.

3.  Sprinkle remaining salt over to the white part of each leaf of the cabbage and pour the salt water from the first bowl over the cabbage. Cover with lid or towel and set aside for about 6 hours. Rotating the bottom cabbage to top, half way through.

4. While waiting for the cabbage, make rice paste by mixing water and rice flour in the small pot to boil on medium heat and cool.

5. When the white parts are soft and flexible, Rinse the cabbage thoroughly 3 times or more until the rinsed water is clean.  Set aside on the colander to drain well.

6.  In a bowl, combine match sticks of radish and carrot with slat and sugar. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

7.   Cut the cabbage to bite size and transfer to airtight container. Add wilted radish and carrot, also sliced red pepper and green onion and set aside.

8. In a high speed blender, making brine by adding onion, pear, garlic, ginger and 4 cups of water, blend really well on high speed. Transfer to a big bowl and add remaining brine ingredients (rice paste, water, salt, sugar). 

Pour over the brine on the cabbage.  Mix well.

9. Leave it out at the room temperature for a couple days in summer time and 3 to 4 days in winter time but it depends on your house temperature.  Then store in the fridge. Wait 5 to 7 days to best result!

   

 

Seasoned chili pepper leaves (Gochunip Namul)

It's side dish of chili pepper leaves that are blanched and seasoned.

Koreans use many part of plants that usually are not eaten in western cuisine.  Growing up I herd that pepper leaves have more nutrition than peppers so I learned how to make delicious side dish and I enjoyed it a lot. This year I got lots of pepper leaves from someone farming near me.  I had so much so I blanched and dehydrated some in the sun, some of them freeze to use later. Today I made the seasoned pepper leaves side dish from the frozen ones.

Ingredients:

2 cups blanched pepper leaves (any kind of pepper leaves work!)

Seasoning

 1 1/2 tablespoon Korean pepper paste (gochujang)

1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar

1 tablespoon liquid braggs aminos (soy sauce)

1 tablespoon almond meal or perilla powder (optional)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon roasted sesame seed

1 teaspoon sesame oil or perilla oil

Garnish

1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

1 green onion (white and green part), chopped

Direction:

1. Thaw frozen pepper leaves in medium cold water. Rinse couple times and squeeze water out.  If use fresh leaves, blench it in boiling water about 2 minutes and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Leave the leaves in the cold water over night or several hours to take out bitterness from the leaves. when ready to make it, rinse one more time and squeeze water out.

2.  In a small bowl, make seasoning by mixing pepper paste, honey, braggs aminos, seed or nut meal, garlic, sesame seed and sesame oil. 

3.  In medium bowl, add pepper leaves and seasoning. 

Mix them well by hand. Good idea to use a glove!

Enjoy it itself or with warm sticky rice!

 Kimchi Quesadilla 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon chopped cabbage kimchi 

1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon of agave nectar 

1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil 

1 teaspoon cooking oil (your choice of oil, we used avocado oil)

2 flour tortillas

1/4 Cup shredded chedder cheese

Directions:

Heat cooking oil in pan until medium heat, saute onions, kimchi, agave nectar, and sesame oil for about two minutes, set aside. 

Heat both tortillas and melt half shredded cheese on the bottom tortilla, once mostly melted, add the kimchi mixture, put the rest of the cheese on top. 

Serve with guacamole or salsa of choice!

 

 

KIMCHI RICE BOWL

 

This recipe such a simple delicious rice dish! 

 

 Ingredients: 

1 cup cooked rice 

1/4 to 1/2 cup Mamaboo’s cabbage kimchi

1 fried egg

1teaspoon liquid Braggs aminos (soy sauce)

1 teaspoon Sesame oil

Sliced green onion and Roasted Sesame seeds for garnish

 

Instructions: 

1. Put cooked rice in bowel and drizzle liquid braggs amino acid (or soy sauce) and sesame oil on the rice.

2. Fried egg in oil of choice 

3. Add fried egg and kimchi to the bowel of rice. 

4. Add roasted sesame seeds and green onions as garnish and enjoy! 

 

Substitutions and additions can easily be made to fit your taste buds or dietary needs. Such as avocado or fried tofu instead of (or in addition to) fried egg, or other veggies like fresh micro greens, sautéed kale mushrooms, or cilantro. 

 

Enjoy!