Healthy Korean Recipes

I know that this post will get some members of the food police upset with me, but I've said it before and I'll say it again: in some cases, I firmly believe that cooked white rice can be a healthy food choice.

Per ounce, few foods on this planet can stand toe to toe with black beans and come out on top in overall health value. When prepared as a traditional Korean side dish to be eaten alongside steaming bowls of rice and soup, black beans are a longtime favourite in our home.

Korean jello isn't sweet like most western dessert varieties. But yowsers, does it ever make for a silky smooth and healthy side dish to steaming bowls of rice and soup. To fully appreciate Korean jello, you have to drizzle on a blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onions. Add a pinch of chilli powder to the mix and you may just have a new favourite dish for family and friends.

Called doh toh ree mook in Korean, these lovely jello squares can be made with a few different primary ingredients, the healthiest of which are acorn powder and green bean powder - both are readily available in Korean grocery stores. No need to add gelatin - if you follow the instructions below, it will come out just like jello without sugar.

Just a brief post to mention that we now have a dedicated archive for our healthy Korean recipe pictorials. Feel free to browse through our favorites here:

Healthy Korean Recipes Read more »

Contrary to popular belief, soy can be a healthy food choice for the masses. In Korea and Japan, most households enjoy soy in many forms daily. The key is knowing how to prepare it for optimal digestion and nutritional benefit.

If you've never made your own soy milk, I highly recommend that you give it a try. Freshly made soy milk provides flavor and richness that I've yet to find in any store-bought variety. Plus, when you make your own, you can have an entire pitcher of rich, creamy soy milk for about 20 cents.

If you enjoy sushi rolls but haven't ventured to make your own, I hope this pictorial encourages you to give it a try. It's a lot easier than you might imagine, and the cost is minimal compared to buying sushi at a store or restaurant.

Called kim bap in Korea, sushi comes in countless varieties. Once you learn how to make a basic sushi roll, it's a snap to churn out all sorts to suit varying tastes and setttings.

If you enjoy authentic Korean kim chi, I think you'll find this recipe for Kim Chi Fried Rice right in your wheelhouse. Talk about mouthwatering bursts of flavor with every spoonful. Once you have some rice and kim chi ready to go, the whole dish takes no more than about ten minutes from stove top to your kitchen table.

During our last visit to see the grandparents, my mom surprised us with a lovely plate of vegetable spring rolls. Not the kind that are deep-fried, but ones made with rice paper and filled with an assortment of fresh vegetables and avocado.

Updated on July 21, 2011: Please note: Cucumber kim chi is best refrigerated and enjoyed right after making it. You can allow it to ferment before refrigerating as you would with cabbage kim chi, but because cucumbers tend to go soft a lot quicker than cabbage, it's best to think of this dish as a crisp, refreshing salad/side dish. Enjoy...

I think for most people, organic tofu is a healthy food choice. It's rich in healthy protein, and unlike flesh meats like beef, chicken, and pork, tofu doesn't tend to create inflammation in the body, which is why I generally recommend it to people with chronic, degenerative health challenges.