Kimchi to Koreans is like rice to Filipinos, pasta to Italians or potatoes to Americans. Kimchi is a fermented side dish (vegetables with different seasonings) that originated from Korea. It is a staple of their diet. With its interesting and complex flavor, it’s no surprise that more and more people are getting hooked.
If using Kimchi as a side dish sounds boring to you, here are 5 ways on how you can make the dish the star of the show:
1. Fried Rice
If you’re sick of Chinese fried rice, make Kimchi fried rice instead! For the ingredients, you need a bowl of cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups kimchi, cut-up Chinese sausage or Chorizo, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, minced green onion, 1 egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry the kimchi before adding the rice and the rest of the ingredients.
2. Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Chop the kimchi into small pieces and simply add it as a layer in your sandwich. Cook the sandwich as you would a regular grilled cheese sandwich. Don’t say no until you tried it! There’s something about the combination of kimchi and cheese that produces a whole new level of flavor and texture.
3. Deviled Eggs
If you would like to add an ethnic twist to your plain deviled eggs, the easiest way to do it is to add kimchi! You will need 2 hardboiled eggs, 1 tablespoon chopped kimchi, 1 chopped up fried bacon, 2 mint leaves and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Mix the yolks with the rest of the ingredients then scoop the filling to the egg white halves. This recipe by David Chang totally rocks! You need to try it ASAP.
4. Omelets
Who knew that kimchi can also be eaten for breakfast? But then again kimchi omelet is so good that you would want to eat it for lunch and dinner too! Apart from chopped kimchi, you can also add scallion, shitake or cremini mushroom into the egg mixture.
5. Dumplings
Kimchi dumplings are so easy to make and you only need 2 ingredients: kimchi (obviously) and dumpling wrappers. You can have them any way you want steamed, pan fried or dropped into soup. No need for a dipping sauce because they are bursting with flavor on their own.
There are so many ways to enjoy kimchi. You don’t have to eat it as a side dish all the time. You can find it in many grocery stores. Look for it in the refrigerated produce section. Go ahead and experiment with what you can do with kimchi. Have fun!
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https://thefunctionalperspective.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/blog-ad850x200-1.jpg” url=”https://thefunctionalperspective.com/lm/probiotics” url_new_window=”on” admin_label=”Probiotic Blog Ad 2″ _builder_version=”3.0.85″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off” global_module=”1808″ saved_tabs=”all”][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.85″][social_warfare] [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]One of the toughest parts about eating healthy is avoiding restaurant traps. Eating out is necessary for people who travel often or have an active social life that requires meeting for meals. And while eating at a restaurant can require careful planning, there are ways to do it without falling prey to the problems of restaurant eating.
The most obvious restaurant trap is portion sizes. If you compare today’s portion sizes to those from fifty years ago you’ll see that today restaurants serve almost twice as much on the plate. If you’re someone who usually cleans your plate, this is a set up for diet failure.
In order to avoid this trap, you’ll need to be aware that you probably only need to eat about half of what you’re served. Many people find success by asking for to-go containers as soon as their meal is served. They package up half of their meal and then eat the rest later.
You may also find a friend who enjoys the same dish and split it. In general eating half of what you’re served will help you to stay within the recommended calories for a single meal. Beyond portion size, though, there are other problems.
For example, restaurant dishes are known for containing much higher calories from fat than something you’d make at home. But you can look for ways to manage the calories by making good choices from the menu.
Some restaurants have a special menu for people looking to eat healthier and lose weight. If the restaurant you’re in doesn’t have a special menu, you can look for grilled proteins and steamed vegetables as an option. Salads can also be a good choice but beware of high-calorie dressings that can make the salad higher in calories than something else.
The ambiance in a restaurant can also make it a challenge to stick to your diet. A quiet restaurant where you can have a conversation can help you slow down and help you stay on track.
But restaurants that are loud with servers who are pushing drinks and desserts on your table can make it more difficult. And the dessert menu is another big trap for people who are trying to diet. In general you should skip the dessert.
And while not every restaurant has this, the complimentary bread basket or bowl of chips that many restaurants offer can make it really difficult to limit your carbs. You may want to ask your server to take it away so that the temptation can be avoided.
Restaurant traps can make it hard to stick to your healthy food plan, but by making good choices you can enjoy eating out without suffering from weight gain. You may also want to consider hosting dinner parties at home so allow you to enjoy the social part of eating with friends without the restaurant traps.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Probiotic Blog Ad 2″ global_module=”1808″ src=”https://thefunctionalperspective.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/blog-ad850x200b.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url=”https://thefunctionalperspective.com/probiotics” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” saved_tabs=”all” /][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.85″ background_layout=”light”] [social_warfare] [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]