Add some probiotic goodness to your everyday salads with Kimchi. It tastes good and it is good for you – and I think that is mostly what we are all hoping for in our cooking.
I have used roughly chopped kimchi here to act as a salad dressing with a spicy fresh kick. I’m using it in the same way you would add vinegar to your salad vinaigrette – which gives balance and liveliness to the richness of the roast vegetables and the fresh flavour and texture of the herbs.
I was very lucky to have been given a big handful of beautiful fresh purple sprouting broccoli grown right here in Queenstown. Amazing what will grow here, planted in early autumn, wintered over and finished in spring. It needs just a little luck ( read lots of luck), with the weather and clever gardening skills – not mine, I might add – thanks Isabel and Sarah. The sprouting broccoli went perfectly with the cauliflower, and the leaves crisped up when roasted in the same way kale leaves do.
Other than the gardening none of this is really all that clever, we have all made lots of lovey roast vegetable salads, but the idea of adding the Kimchi as a dressing in the salad is definitely new for me, and lends itself to further using kimchi as a salad ingredient in its own right. I can also imagine it chopped and tossed through a grain, quinoa or rice salad salad, or maybe a potato salad instead of the gherkins an capers. Food for thought! What other salads are you tossing pickles through?
As is apparent, I am a little obsessed with kimchi at the moment, and really enjoying experimenting and making slight variations to my original kimchi-everyday recipe. I added beetroot and caraway seeds the other day and made a pretty and slightly earthier kimchi which tasted really delicious. Let me know if you come up with, or if you find any other fermented recipes you like, or think I should try.
Sticking to the plan though, the recipe for todays salad follows.
SPICEY CAULIFLOWER AND KIMCHI SALAD
Enough for four people as a side dish, or top with an egg, some grilled haloumi, or mozzarella for lunch for two.
Pre heat oven to 220’c
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower chopped
- 1 bunch broccolini, sprouting broccoli or head of broccoli
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 2 teaspoons of your favourite curry powder blended (I love Jen’s Cozinha Goan Masala blend)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- Handful of fresh herbs, rocket or mesculin to toss through after cooking
- 1/2 – 1 cup chopped kimchi and juice
- olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Mix first five ingredients together well either in a large bowl or on the baking tray, making sure everything is well coated in spices and seasoning.
Roast for approximately twenty – twenty five at high temperatures until cooked, but still maintaining some crunch, and starting to brown on the edges.
Cool to room temperature and then add fresh herbs and chopped kimchi – toss gently together and serve
At the time of writing I am home alone – temporarily abandoned – so have found myself with rather more than I needed for my dinner. I am now pretty excited trying to decide what to make with the leftovers, Maybe I will – chop it up a bit and make fritters – (sounds pretty appealing) – or still chopping, make it into a big Japanese “ish” omelette / pancake in the style of Okonomiyaki – or because the chickens are finally laying a lovely big frittata that will be handy for manly lunches as well. I will put some photos on instagram when it all comes together.
Enjoy your week and please let me know if you have any ideas and inspirations to share, I would love to hear from you.