Get an authentic taste of Korean culture through food, dance, art and music at the 13th Annual Hawaii Korean Chamber of Commerce Korean Festival, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Magic Island.
Visit food and product vendors and compete in a kim chee eating contest. Visit koreanfestivalhi.com.
Hawaiian Electric offers its Power to Save and 101 Ways to Save publications in Korean. Visit hawaiianelectric.com or call 543-7511. This week we celebrate kim chee, which takes the recipes below to a new level.
Kim Chee Reuben
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons won bok (Napa cabbage) kim chee, squeezed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sauerkraut, squeezed, drained and coarsely chopped
Drop sesame oil (optional)
1 tablespoon Thousand Island dressing
2 slices marble rye bread
1/4 pound thinly sliced turkey pastrami
1 slice Havarti cheese (may substitute with Swiss)
In saute pan over medium-high, melt butter and cook until it bubbles. Add kim chee and sauerkraut and saute until most moisture has evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
If using sesame oil, in bowl, mix with Thousand Island dressing.
To assemble sandwich, spread dressing evenly on each slice of bread, top with meat, kim chee mixture and cheese.
Place in sandwich press or toaster oven and toast 2 to 4 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread lightly toasted and crisp. Makes 1 sandwich.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving 300 calories, 16 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1,200 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 16 g protein
Kim Chee Fritters
» Dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons low-sodium shoyu
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
» Fritters:
3/4 cup won bok (Napa cabbage) kim chee, squeezed, drained and finely chopped
1/2 cup firm tofu, squeezed, drained and crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1 medium-size potato, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cooking oil
To make sauce, in bowl, mix all ingredients. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, combine kim chee, tofu, egg, potato, flour, garlic and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate.
Form small patties using 1 heaping tablespoon of mixture. Set aside.
In nonstick skillet over medium, preheat cooking oil. Gently place patties into skillet; cook until golden brown and slightly crisp on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
Serve hot with dipping sauce. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 180 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, no sugar, 8 g protein
Kim Chee Tako Poke
2 tablespoons low-sodium shoyu, or to taste
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kim chee paste, or to taste (available Asian section of supermarkets)
1 tablespoon kochujang (fermented red pepper paste) sauce, or to taste (available Asian section of supermarkets)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pound sliced tako (octopus), cleaned and cooked
1 cucumber kim chee, thinly sliced
1 cup ogo (seaweed), cleaned
1 small Maui onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
In small mixing bowl; combine shoyu, vinegar, kim chee paste, kochujang and sesame oil. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, toss tako, cucumber kim chee, ogo, onion, green onions and jalapeno.
Pour sauce over tako mixture and toss gently. Season with salt and additional shoyu, kim chee paste and kochujang as needed.
Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 4.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 150 calories, 2.5 g fat, no saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 19 g protein
More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at www.hawaiianelectric.com.