Homemade Kimchi

My friends Adam and Elizabeth have two darling little daughters from Korea, and kindly have us over for Korean dinners that never disappoint.  On one occasion, I assisted Adam in making an enormous batch of kimchi, and he even gave me a big and little jar of it to take home.  The little jar to keep at room temperature, and make surprisingly loud fermentation noises, and the big jar to keep in the fridge.  Since it is hard to buy kimchi that doesn't contain fish sauce, it's worth the effort to make your own if you're a vegetarian.  But it was not a simple process.  I can't remember the recipe, so we'll see if Adam reads this and provides a link!

Shitake Tamales, with Mole Mofu and Lime Dressed Salad

Yet another mushroom dish!  Clearly I'm obsessed.  Vegetarian tamales are pretty hard to come by in restaurants, and the frozen ones from Target have a frightening amount of fat in them.  In my opinion, if they are that fattening, they should taste better than they do.  So homemade tamales it was!

To round out the meal, I came across some mole dressed Mofu.  I've been trying to avoid eating tofu lately because of the concerns surrounding soy, but since Mofu is local and organic, I make the occasional exception.

Finally, a simple cabbage, kale and avocado salad with lime vinagrette.

Barley and Asparagus Pilaf

Just a simple side dish, or main meal if you're me!  Cook barley according to instructions on package.  Chop and caramelize one whole onion in a large pan.  When onions are almost done, add asparagus and saute until tender.  Toss in cooked barley until you are happy with the ratio of grain to vegetable.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve as is, or with shaved parmesan or almonds.