Holistic Instincts

I first had kimchi fried rice, or kimchi-bokkeumbap, at a Mexican/Korean fusion place here in town, and when I first ordered it, I was floored.  Rice is delicious anytime and I ADORE pungent  kimchi .  I mean, I have no problems eating it straight out of the jar.  Since my family would disapprove if I ate at Komex  without them everyday, I decided to make this myself and I quickly figured out that this is a perfect weeknight dinner idea, and very budget-friendly.  I have made this dish on a weekly basis for a few weeks now, and it is literally one of our favorite foods right now. I love to ferment veggies and though I sometimes try to make kimchi, I can eat so much of it that it just doesn't last long in my house.  You can use any kimchi, homemade or store bought - but I like traditionally fermented kimchi by Pickled Planet , which is my current favorite store bought brand.  I also really like kimchi by Mother In Law's . This recipe calls for gochujang , a sweet/spicy c

Enter any Mexican home, and I promise you, you will find some type of salsa readily available at any given time.  Every home cook has an 'every day' recipe - and experienced cooks have several recipes up their sleeve, each salsa specially designed to go with different types of meals, occasions, or holidays.  I am not joking! And it really does not matter what meal is being served, salsa is always there waiting for someone to spoon into a nourishing soup, drizzle over the breakfast plate, or to jazz up some simply grilled or roasted meats and veggies for dinner.  Have leftovers?  Add some salsa and you've got a new meal! This salsa is one of my 'every day' recipes, great to have on hand to spice up any meal, and perfect because it keeps well in refrigerator for several days.  My salsa uses tomatillos as the base, plus the typical dried arbol chiles, easily found in most well stocked grocery stores.  Dried arbol chiles can make salsas quite spicy, but less ch