happy new year, friends! the new year is off to a good start as there were plenty of celebrations, tacos, time spent eating and drinking, and special moments with family. hope you all had a wonderful start to 2014 as well :)

as you can see, a few cosmetic changes have been made here at dolly and oatmeal. as this blog turns the big 0-1 later this month, and as the new year slowly makes its presence known, i thought what a better way to celebrate than by making some updates while also making it easier to search and find recipes and such. it was a fun and creative process, hoping you all find it helpful!

onto these tacos. kimchi was always something i wanted to make, but feared its fermentation process and foreign (to my eyes) ingredients. i got acquainted with kimchi through a restaurant here in brooklyn, kimchi grill. there they have a fusion-y thing going on with mexican flavors and ingredients: kimchi-chorizo, miso crema, kimchi burritos...you get the point. this post is totally inspired by their kimchi tacos, but with a vegan/gluten free spin on it. i added some brussels sprouts to the original kimchi recipe because i thought they would lend a nice texture in the taco. it's quite an extensive recipe, but the good thing about this is that you make it in stages and you will left with plenty of leftover kimchi for other meals, win, win!

brussels sprouts kimchi tacos w/ (cashew) miso crema | gf + v

makes 4 small tacos

kimchi barely adapted from The Kimchi Cookbook

ingredients

(makes 8-10 cups kimchi)

1 medium savoy cabbage (or napa) cut into 1 1/2 - 2" squares
1 pound brussels sprouts (roughly 4 cups) cut into quarters
1/4 cup fine grain sea salt

seasoning paste

1 medium onion, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons peeled, finely grated ginger
1/2 of one apple peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 teaspoons natural cane sugar
1/2 cup Korean chili pepper flakes
4 greens onions, green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup water

cashew miso crema

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons non-GMO, gluten free white miso paste

tacos

4 small corn tortillas (i like the sprouted ones)
1 1/2 cups brown rice (or grain of choice), cooked
1 green onion, sliced thin for garnish (cilantro would be good here too!)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

directions

make the kimchi

brine: 1 hour

fermentation: 3 days

in a large bowl, combine the cabbage and brussels with the salt and set aside for about 1 hour. drain the liquid and rinse the cabbage and brussels to remove the salt - let them drain in a colander for about 20 minutes

seasoning paste

in a mini food processor, pulse onion, garlic, ginger, apple, salt and sugar until a paste forms. transfer to a bowl and mix in the chili pepper flakes - set aside for 15 minutes
rinse the large bowl and combine the green onions, cabbage, brussels sprouts and seasoning paste; mix until thoroughly combined. pack the mixture tightly into a 2-quart airtight container. add 1/4 water to the mixing bowl, swirl water to collect remaining seasoning paste. add the water to container, cover tightly and set aside for 3 days at room temperature. (make sure to either use a large container for the kimchi or place a bowl underneath container to catch overflow as the cabbage and brussels sprouts expand as they ferment.) refrigerate and consume within 6 months

make the cashew miso crema

(the crema can be made days ahead)

in a blender, combine the soaked cashews, water, garlic clove, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes and miso paste. blend until smooth, stopping every few seconds to scrape down the sides of the blender until fully incorporated. transfer to an airtight container - refrigerate until used

assemble the tacos!

this totally depends on your preference, but i topped my tacos with about 1/2 cup brown rice, followed by 2-3 tablespoons kimchi. if your tortillas are larger increase the amount of rice and kimchi
i enjoy the tacos warm (especially in the winter months) so i topped my tortilla with rice and kimchi, placed in the oven for 6-8 minutes and then topped with miso crema, green onions and sesame seeds. alternatively, you can warm just the tortillas and then top with taco ingredients

enjoy!