Homemade Kimchi

Kimchi is kind of a rage. It's pretty much in everything with any kind of fusion. It's also damn awesome on its own. So instead of buying expensive kimchi in the store, make your own on the cheap. It takes no time at all, and you can adjust the heat level later if you like. Everyone's kimchi is different, so experiment until you get it right. Then add it to some fried rice. Enjoy!

Kimchi

Yield: 1 large jar of kimchi
Ingredients

• 1 large napa cabbage (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 50 ml fish sauce
• 30 ml vinegar (white or rice)
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) chili paste (or chili sauce and/or sriracha)
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and slice it lengthwise in half. Remove the core.
2. Cut the cabbage into 1-2-inch pieces. Toss the cabbage with the salt in a large bowl, then transfer it to a colander set over a bowl. Set a plate on top then weigh it down with something heavy for 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, mix together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Add the cabbage in handfuls to the marinade, taking small bunches at the time and squeezing them of any excess water before adding them to the marinade. Mix the cabbage with the marinade.
5. Pack into a jar, cover tightly, and let stand at room temperature 48 hours. Then chill for 4 days before serving.

This will keep for a long time, but it could be very fermented after 3 weeks.

How to cook any steak

How to cook any steak

Ingredients

• 1 steak
• oil
• salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Season with a generous amount of salt.
2. Let sit for 2 hours.
3. Rinse off steak.
4. Pat dry with paper towels. For a crispier crust, lay on paper towels for another half hour or more.
5. Put a large skillet on medium high heat. Lightly oil it.
6. Crack pepper on one side of the steak. Lay that side down in the skillet. Crack pepper over the other side.
7. Sear until browned. Flip and sear the other side until browned. Then flip and cook an additional minute or two, depending on thickness of steak and desired level of cooking. Then flip and cook an additional minute or two.
8. Take out of pan and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Roots Vegetables

A larger chicken can be used. Just adjust the cooking time. Also, various other root vegetables would be perfect. More delicate vegetables can be added later in the cooking time as well. In addition, I would suggest cutting the oil and butter down if you prefer less oily vegetables. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Roots Vegetables

5 stars

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 4 to 4.5 lb whole chicken
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 2 large leeks
• 3 tennis-ball-sized rutabagas
• 2 tennis-ball-sized turnips
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 1 small onion, cut into quarters
• 8 golf-ball-sized red potatoes
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp

Cooking Directions

1. Let chicken stand at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours.
2. Remove innards. Generously season cavity with salt and pepper, add 3 cloves of garlic and 5 sprigs of thyme and massage the inside. Truss the chicken.
3. Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks. Trim off and discard any darkened outer layers. Cut the leeks and rinse well.
4. Cut off both ends of the rutabagas, then cut off the skin. Cut into 3/4 inch wedges. Repeat with the turnips.
5. Combine all the vegetables and remaining garlic and thyme in a large bowl. Toss with 1/4 cup canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in a large cast iron or roasting pan.
6. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
7. Rub the remaining oil all over the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.
8. Make a nest in the center of the vegetables and rest the chicken in it.
9. Cut the butter into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the chicken breast.
10. Put the pan into the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400 and roast for another 45 minutes or until the thighs and under the breast are 160 degrees and the juice runs clear. Add 5 more minutes if needed.
11. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.
12. Just before serving, reheat the vegetables over medium heat on the stove, turning an glazing them in the juices.
13. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, arrange over the vegetables, and serve.

Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

Another easy cake to make that requires absolutely no nasty frosting, icing, or the like. Just like the Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake, it's easy. It might come out a little denser and more like a bread pudding consistency. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Cooking Directions

1. Spray crock of a 2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, and egg. Beat until smooth.
4. Add the applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker.
6. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours.
7. Turn the cooker off and let it stand with the lid on for 30 minutes to cool.
8. To remove the cake, run a rubber spatula around the edge and lift it out.

Spent Grain Sandwich Bread

When you have leftover spent grains from that wonderful batch of home brew, here's exactly what you should do with it. Sure, you could throw it out, feed it to your pets, add it to your fertilizer, or make porridge with it. But that's not as much fun. So take a little time and make the tastiest spent grain bread ever. Enjoy!

Spent Grain Sandwich Bread

Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients

• 1 cup spent grain, drained
• 300 g warm water
• 200 g white flour
• 200 g whole wheat flour
• 25 g canola oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp yeast

Cooking Directions

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl, mix the water, spent grain, canola oil, and yeast.
2. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add the salt and mix.
4. Add the flour and mix until uniform. (The dough will be too wet to knead by hand.)
5. Cover with a kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or foil for 2 hours. The dough will rise considerably and then flatten on top.
6. Oil a loaf pan. Using either wet hands or by flouring the surface of the dough and your hands, fold the dough under itself inwards two to four times and place in the pan.
7. Let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.
9. Remove from oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from pan and let it cool on a rack. Do not cut into it until it has cooled completely.