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You are here: Home / Archives for kimchi

Welcome to Kimchi Nirvana: Kimchi Stew

by Jeremy Meadows, former Cordata deli cook

kimchi stew

Kimchi Stew expands your cooking repertoire with a new and unique flavor profile. The recipe comes together particularly easily using leftover shredded chicken, or leave out the meat (but not the flavorful marinade ingredients) for a vegetarian dish. Control the degree of heat by varying the amount of chili flake. Adapted from the kimchi jjigae recipe at norecipes.com.

There are two types of people: those who love kimchi and those who loathe it. I used to count myself as one of the latter category’s staunchest supporters. “How,” I thought, “could anyone enjoy something that looks like it was collected from a crime-scene and smells like a fisherman’s socks?” But those were the dark times, before my conversion.

My epiphany came in the form of a hot dog—a plain old bratwurst with ketchup and mustard. But where once sat a drab pile of sauerkraut, there, atop my dog, sat that blood-red concoction from the farthest east—pungent, spicy, and redolent of the ocean. I was immediately struck with that feeling you get when you see someone you know, but outside of their usual context, like running into your dentist at a party. “What are you doing here,” I thought. But I persevered. And I’m glad I did, because the flavor, to put it mildly, was sublime.

My road to kimchi nirvana, however, was not an easy one. Like coffee or alcohol, kimchi is an acquired taste. And just as the road to coffee and alcohol connoisseurship is often paved with sugar and littered with bottles of peach schnapps, it often takes a bit of flavor-masking to develop an appreciation for kimchi. So, don’t just dig right into the jar. At first, try it in a stir fry or on a hot dog. Or better yet, try this kimchi stew recipe, which tastes like a funkier version of American chili.

Still, you might be wondering, “Why not just stick with what I already know and love?” Well, there are kimchi’s legendary health benefits to consider. But more importantly, the taste (once acquired) is utterly delicious. So, hold your nose, open your mouth, and see the light.

kimchi stew ingredients onions tofu

Kimchi Stew

INGREDIENTS
  • 6 ounces thinly sliced pork belly (or 2 cups cooked shredded chicken)
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup tightly-packed kimchi
  • ½ cup kimchi juice from kimchi jar (if there isn’t enough squeeze kimchi to extract more)
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 tablespoon red miso
  • 2 tablespoons Korean chili flake (or 1 tablespoon red pepper flake)
  • 8 ounces soft tofu, cubed
  • 2 thin-sliced green onions
  • 1 tablespoon butter
METHOD
  1. Marinate the pork belly (or chicken) with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and mirin while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Put a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Once hot, add pork belly mixture, (or if using chicken add a little oil then chicken mixture). Sauté for a few minutes, then add onions and kimchi. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until very fragrant.
  3. Add kimchi juice, water, miso, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then taste. Add more chili flakes if desired.
  4. Turn heat to low, add tofu and simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Just before serving stir in butter and garnish with green onions.
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GROCERY| RECIPES kimchi| kimchi stew| recipe

May Staff Pick & New Items

pangea kimchi

Pangea Ferments Kimchi

“Fresh, tender, and perfectly spiced, Pangaea Ferments’ Kimchi is made in Bellingham with mostly local and regional ingredients.  Hands down the best; I’ve eaten an entire jar in one day!  Vegan, too.  What’s not to love?”

—Cody Harder, Downtown Grocery

eleni's kitchen simmer sauces

Eleni's Kitchen Ethiopian Sauces

Authentic sauces make it easy to enjoy homemade Ethiopian food! Simply add lentils, meat, or veggies; simmer until done; and serve over pasta, rice, or, for an authentic touch, injera.

mild simmer sauce, hot simmer sauce, turmeric sauce

$8.25/12.4 ounces–13 ounces

oat-ly oat-milk

Oatly Barista Edition Oat Milk

Made from liquid oats, which means it isn’t overly sweet or excessively heavy, but it is fully foamable for frothy homemade lattes. Vegan. No nuts, no gluten. (Psst! Highly recommended by your newsletter editor!)

$3.99/32 fluid ounces

thai curry paste

Thai Home Sauces

Curry pastes are ideal for coconut curry, or use to stir-fry, sautée, grill, or marinade. Satay peanut sauce is ideal for dipping! Vegan and free of artificial preservatives and flavors.

red, green, yellow, and mussaman curry pastes; chili paste; satay peanut sauce

$7.49/6.5 ounces

soft baked peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip

Simple Mills Soft-Baked Gluten-Free Cookies

Made with nutrient-dense almond flour and smartly sweetened with honey and coconut sugar, each cookie has only 6 grams of sugar. We sell Simple Mills crunchy cookies, too!

chocolate chip, peanut butter

$5.25/6.2 ounces (8 cookies)

GROCERY| SALES cookies| ethiopian| kimchi| new items| oatly| staff pick| thai

What’s New in December at the Co-op?

Here are just a few of the new products now available at the Co-op!

Tony's Chocolonely

Tony's chocolonely bar milk dark caramel pecan coconut

You loved Tony’s so much that we expanded our selection!

Two new large-size bars ($4.25/6 ounce bar): dark chocolate coffee and dark pecan coconut.
Four popular flavors now come in a mini-sized bar ($1.75/1.7 ounce bar): milk chocolate, milk chocolate caramel sea salt, 70% dark chocolate, 51% dark chocolate almond sea salt.

Oloves

oloves olive snacks pitted chili oregano garlic basil

Big juicy olives in lovely fresh flavors. Generous quantity and truly delicious. Perfect for lunches, picnics, or hiking. No allergens and vegan, too.

chili & garlic, chili & oregano, basil & garlic

$1.49/1.1 ounce package

Wildbrine Probiotic Kimchi Live Shots

kimchi live shots probiotic wildbrine korean japanese thai flavor

Savory, yet refreshingly raw, fermented beverage that makes absorbing probiotics a breeze. Balanced flavors with reduced salt and spice and more fruit and herbal goodness.

citrusy japanese, spicy korean, zesty thai

$4.25/8 ounces

Califia Nitro Cold Brew

califa nitro cold brew latte mocha new orleans

Expertly cold-water brewed coffee is nitrogen-infused for an effervescent micro-foam, combined with almond and macadamia milk, and a hint of mocha.

Soy free, dairy free, gluten free, carrageenan free, non-GMO, kosher, vegan.

latte, new orleans, mocha

$4.99/10.5 ounces

Samish Bay Organic Yogurt

organic yogurt large 32 oz jar samish bay

It’s local and organic and delicious … and it comes in a glass jar! What more can we ask for?

$7.49/32 ounces

GROCERY| HEALTH & BEAUTY califia| kimchi| new| nitro cold brew| oloves| samish bay| tony's chocolonely| wildbrine| yogurt

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asparagus salad with hard-boiled eggs and onions in bowl next to egg shells

Spring Asparagus Salad

Every spring the appearance of fresh, seasonal asparagus coincides with the popularity of eggs during the Easter season. These two seasonal favorites combine in this delicious vegetarian recipe.

package of tortillas con madre tortillas locally made in bellingham washington

Local Vendor Profile: Tortillas Con Madre

Lupita Nava grew up eating freshly made tortillas with every meal. Now you can enjoy her locally made tortillas based on a family recipe and enhanced with the healthiest ingredients.

the cofounders of cooperativa tierra y libertad on their farm in everson washington

The Revolution will be Delicious

Buy local blueberries from Cooperativa Tierra y Libertad! Modesto Hernandez Leal and Ramón Barba Torres are the co-founders and worker-owners of this farmworker-owned cooperative in Everson.

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