Did you know how to easy it is to make your own kimchi (which only ferments in about 4 days on your counter!)? I always thought it was such a process but a friend and colleague of mine, Carla DeSimone, totally turned me onto it with this amazing recipe.  It’s so important it is to EAT probiotic-rich foods each day. You only need a small spoonful a day of fermented foods to get your daily probiotic dose.

Simple Kimchi
2 pounds Napa cabbage
1 small daikon radish
3 carrots
4-5 spring onions
½ apple
1 inch piece of ginger
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon red chili flakes
1/8 cup of good quality sea salt

Directions:
1. Wash all the vegetables. Chop cabbage into bite size pieces chunks and grate the carrots, daikon, and apple. Place in a large bowl.
2. In a food processor, blend ginger, garlic, and chili flakes until well combined. Add to the vegetables along with the salt.
3. Mix and massage together all ingredients until the cabbage begins to get soft and releases fluid. Continue to mix until you have a good amount of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. The vegetables should have lost most of their volume at this point. Let the bowl sit out at room temperature for a couple of hours (covered) and give them a good stir once or twice more.
4. In a large jar (or several small jars), pack the vegetables in avoiding any air pockets making sure to leave a couple of inches at the top for carbon dioxide. Cover the jar with a lid and be sure to open it 1x per day to release any pressure that may build up. Leave the jar on the counter for 2-4 days. You may see bubbles forming in the jar-this is carbon dioxide and totally normal. Once the flavor is to your liking, tightly seal the jar and refrigerate. Will last for several months.