market bibimbap and doenjang soup

after a long relaxing holiday weekend, i’m ready to enjoy this beautiful fall weather browsing the open air markets for my next bibimbap. here’s the recipe for last week’s bowl, served ‘round Mama’s Table at SPACE.

MARKET BIBIMBAP

a serving of brown rice 

(I also like to mix brown rice with a little black, red, and white for a beautiful bowl of colorful grains)

a handful of purple cabbage, very thinly sliced

fresh soft tofu - 순두부 (best served warm, fresh from the market)

a handful of seasonal greens (I used green leaf lettuce), roughly chopped

a handful of chives, roughly chopped 

a sprinkle of sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds, lightly toasted

toasted sesame oil

sea salt

for the dressing, combine the following in a small bowl…

a splash of soy sauce

a splash of brown rice vinegar

a splash of sesame oil

a clove of finely minced garlic

a green onion, finely minced

a sprinkle of red chili powder

cook rice and keep warm.

in a small bowl, massage the thinly sliced purple cabbage with a sprinkle of salt and just a bit of vinegar. use your hands to break down the cabbage and release its water causing it to soften. it will turn beautifully bright pink. set aside.

if necessary, heat the soft tofu just a bit to warm it.

toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden in color. remove from heat.

scoop warm rice into a serving bowl. layer with massaged cabbage, fresh greens, tofu and chives. sprinkle with the toasted seeds and a few spoonfuls of dressing. finish with a drizzle of sesame oil for deep umami flavor.

for the doenjang soup…

2-3 thumb-sized pieces of dried kelp (다시마), rinsed well

a few spoons of doenjang paste (miso also works)

seasonal greens (I used mallow - 아욱), washed well and roughly chopped

a splash of soy sauce

boil a pot of water with the kelp while preparing other ingredients (about 20 minutes).

lower the heat to a simmer and ladle a spoonful of hot kelp stock into a small bowl and add the doenjang paste, mixing until smooth. return to the pot and stir. if you prefer a saltier broth, add another spoon of doenjang, mixing in a separate bowl first before adding to the pot.

when the broth is to your taste, toss in the greens and simmer for just a minute until wilted.

remove from heat and stir in a splash of soy sauce to round out the flavor.

serve with market bibimbap or have a soothing cup of doenjang soup to start your morning.

detoxify...

the recent tragedy in japan has raised concerns about radioactive material in our air, food and water. although the amount of radiation we are being exposed to is probably very slight, it is never a bad idea to protect your body from all of the toxins to which we are exposed every day. some very wise ladies at GOOP (yes, it’s gwyneth paltrow’s blog and it’s fantastic) and midnight apothecary have given us some tips that i think are worth sharing. here are some things we can incorporate in our lives regularly to keep our bodies toxin-free and feeling great.

1. SEAWEED: the iodine in sea vegetables helps protect your thyroid and other glands from radioactive uptake and in general is one of the most medicinal foods on earth. buy some nori and host a sushi or kimbap party, or dress up plain brown rice by wrapping it in toasted nori (trust me, it’s delicious!)

2. MISO/DOENJANG: fermented soybean paste is full of live cultures, amino acids, minerals, and protein. japanese and koreans have a bowl of miso or doenjang soup almost every day and it’s easy for you to do too. make a big pot of vegetable stock this weekend and use it throughout the week as the base for your soup. boiling miso or doenjang paste destroys essential nutrients so, while you are reheating your stock, put a spoonful of the paste in a bowl and pour the hot stock over to mix. add a few cubes of tofu and a handful of scallions and share the love with your family and friends. 

3. MUSHROOMS: strengthen your immune system with shitake mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper or in a simple soup. mushrooms are the healers of the forest, knowing how to bring everything (on earth and in your body) back into balance.

4. Eat lots of vegetables, especially DAIKON radishe and BURDOCK root. throw them in soups or make a shredded salad or slaw. cooling and detoxifying daikon has been used for drawing out radiation.

5. FERMENT: make homemade sauerkrauts and kimchi or find someone who does (or just buy some of good quality). have a fermentation celebration and fill your empty jars or tupperwares with crunchy apple and cabbage kraut or spicy kimchi. it’s fun to massage vegetables with friends and these foods have the probiotics your gut needs and wants and are deeply nourishing and restorative. 

6. HERBS: some great herbal allies are nettle tea, cilantro (it helps draw heavy metals out), and milk thistle (helps your liver process toxins). 

7. WATER: DRINK lots of it. take baths. go to the sauna. sweat. cry. detox.

8. IMMUNE support: do the things you know boost your immune system. sleep well, limit sugar and processed foods, eat garlic and vitamin C rich foods and be happy!

an unexpected salad

at our slow food retreat, we learned about the process and sampled many of the fermented sauces and extracts. we learned a traditional salad dressing recipe of the region that was fantastic. if you can find korean doenjang, i highly recommend giving it a try! mix the following together and serve over your favorite fresh greens...

6 tbs doenjang (soybean paste)
3 tbs strawberry extract (made by fermenting equal parts strawberry and sugar)
1 cup of soymilk
1/2 cup of chopped peanuts
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp vinegar
1-2 tbs honey