… and then some! So I have been absent for a little while now…*bows head in shame* To make it up to you, I’ve got three fusion recipes in this post, and three more coming.
For this post, I’m including three quick & easy recipes that are part of the hippest of hipster trends: Tex Mex meets Korean. It’s really trendy these days to add kimchi to a burrito, tacos or nachos & I completely understand why. Kimchi has the perfect texture & right amount of spiciness & sourness to blend well with those tex-mex flavors. The Korean elements I used this time were kimchi & gochujang. If you’re curious about those, check out my posts where I talk briefly about kimchi here & gochujang here.
First up, the Chicken Kimchi Chimichangas (say that three times fast). Now, I’m not particularly proud of my pictures of these. I was going for a food truck theme but I’m afraid I missed the delicious looking pictures mark. However, as far as my fusion recipes are concerned, this is some of my proudest work yet. I can always do a re-shoot later, but I can’t keep this recipe all to myself any longer.
*Edit: This post was later updated with new pictures of the chimichangas & salsa.
I was honestly surprised at how well the kimchi blended in. In the past, I’ve had kimchi burritos & kimchi nachos from food trucks. Of the ones I tried, I would say the biggest turn off for me was that the kimchi was not cooked & was served as huge, long slices. I think to blend it with the other flavors, it needs to be cooked in with them & sliced down reasonably.
Also, a quick tip for slicing up kimchi: Just pour it in a bowl & cut away at it with a pair of kitchen scissors. Spare your cutting board of the kimchi stank. It’s tasty but pungent.
Chicken Kimchi Chimichangas
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 chicken bouillion cubes
- 4 Tbsp kimchi, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 6 Flour Tortillas
- 1/2 Cup Canola oil
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts in a large pot & fill with water until the chicken is covered. Add two bouillion cubes & bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer & cover the pot. Let the chicken simmer for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
Remove the chicken from the pot & shred using two forks. Once the chicken is finely shredded, toss it in a bowl with the onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder & cumin. Coat the chicken with the spices, then add the kimchi. Toss everything together.
In a microwave, heat the tortillas according to the package instructions. Then place 1/4 cup of the chicken-kimchi mixture on each tortilla & roll as a burrito, closed on both ends.
Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a frying pan. To test the heat, you can drop a small piece of tortilla in the oil. Once it sizzles & floats to the top, the oil is hot enough for frying. Place the chimichangas in the oil & fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. Drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with sour cream, melted queso dip and/or kimchi salsa (see below).
Kimchi Salsa
Ingredients:
- 5-6 whole, peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 jalapeno peppers or Korean green chili peppers
- 1/4 medium onion
- 2 Tbsp kimchi
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Dice the tomatoes, onion, peppers & kimchi. Toss in a bowl with lime juice & cilantro. Let marinate for 30 minutes before serving.
Fried Green Kimchi 