15. Grilled tofu, brown rice, and mool kimchi for breakfast
It's the Pulmuone tofu I love. (I think this tofu does the best job of keeping the natural, savory flavor of soybeans among all the tofu you can find in the U.S.
Cut it into six pieces and sprinkle salt on them in advance, as shown in the photo on the left.
Pan-fry the tofu over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
It tastes great when pan-fried in olive oil, but when you use perilla oil, it has a deep, nostalgic flavor that feels almost sentimental.
Two pieces are enough for me in the morning. (This is more than the amount of protein in one egg.)
Grilled large matsutake mushrooms are also deliciously chewy and full of flavor.
A pinch of salt, a few cracks of pepper.
Matsutake mushrooms are a premium health food that is low in calories but rich in protein, dietary fiber, and B vitamins. They are known for boosting the immune system and providing antioxidant benefits.
This is what I' ve been having for breakfast over the past few months.
Tofu grilled in perilla oil, matsutake mushrooms grilled in perilla oil, brown rice, and mool kimchi (water kimchi)-- the combination of flavors is so satisfying that I never get tired of it, even after eating it for months. It's nutritionally well- balanced and, above all, easy to digest, which makes it even better.
I used to really enjoy my mornings with sweet bread and coffee. But after six months of battling with coffee, I finally gave up black coffee -- and the sweet bread, too. In the end, mool kimchi (water kimchi) triumphed over coffee, and tofu with brown rice won out over bread. And with that, peace returned to my stomach.
I’ve been experiencing digestive issues for several years, but I didn’t know the exact cause. I just assumed it was a normal part of getting older. Starting last year, I began waking up frequently at night, often running to the bathroom, and I struggled to get a good night's sleep. Again, I thought it was just age catching up with me. However, when I started going to a traditional medicine clinic for acupuncture, I began reflecting on my overall habits and the things I was eating. The most obvious and significant cause, I concluded, was the ‘black coffee I drank every morning.’ I absolutely loved the warm taste of coffee on an empty stomach. When I woke up, the thought of having coffee already made me happy. How could I possibly give that up? It took a long time to cut out that single cup of black coffee. It wasn’t just the coffee; it was the sweet breakfast (bread) that came with it that I struggled to let go of. I realized that I needed to cut out the caffeine and sugar, not just the pretty, packaged bread and coffee. With that deeper understanding, the issue began to resolve.
I spent several months switching from coffee to green tea, then replaced the bread with brown rice and tofu. Eventually, the green tea was replaced with mool kimchi(water kimchi). It took more than six months. In the photos, it looks like a simple meal, but getting to this point was no easy feat. After several months of eating like this, I’ve noticed a few major improvements. First, my stomach is much more comfortable now. It took some time, but it feels great now. Second, I’m sleeping better at night without waking up as much. It’s not quite like when I was younger, but now I only wake up once in a while. Third, I checked my blood sugar twice recently, and it was 83 and 85 — a very healthy level. In the past, my blood sugar was around 100–105, which wasn’t alarming but still something I had to keep an eye on. Now, eating brown rice, tofu, and mool kimchi(water kimchi) in the morning feels amazing. I’m so happy with how I feel now, and I’m never going back to my old eating habits.
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