Fermented foods are taking the culinary world by storm and with good reason. Turns out these foods benefit our microbiomes greatly – meaning they improve our gut health! The List chatted with registered dietitian and nutritionist Dawn Blatner Jackson to bring you three recipes that are delicious and good for you.

1. Kimchi Sweet Potato Fries

If you haven’t heard of kimchi, it’s a lot like sauerkraut – basically a fermented cabbage. It’s also known to be loaded with tons of probiotics. So here are some delicious kimchi sweet potato fries that are sure to become your new favorite appetizer.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup kimchi, chopped
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1/4 cup sriracha mayo
• Bag frozen sweet potato fries
• Shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 cup green onions
• Chopped cilantro for garnish
• Everything bagel seasoning
• Sriracha for drizzling

Directions: 

Cook fries per instructions. Warm up kimchi in skillet for 4-5 minutes. Build fry platter. Drizzle with sriracha and spicy mayo.

2. Kefir Artichoke Dip

Next, Dawn introduces us to a dairy-based fermented food called kefir. “Kefir is a dairy product that’s fermented with all different types of probiotics, and in fact has more probiotics in it than yogurt,” she explains. We’re using kefir for a one-of-a-kind kefir artichoke dip.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup strained dairy kefir (consistency of sour cream or slightly thicker)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup dried or fresh dill
• 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• Fresh lemon juice to taste
• Black pepper, freshly-ground to taste

Directions: 

Mix together kefir and mayo. Add cheese, artichokes (drained and chopped), lemon juice, pepper, and green onions. Serve with toasted sourdough bread.

3. Kombucha Honey Mustard Dressing

Finally, we’re diving into Kombucha, a fermented tea. “Kombucha starts as a black or green tea with a little bit of sugar,” Dawn explains. “Then, bacteria and yeast feed on that sugar and produce little bubbles and good bacteria that’s good for digestion and immunity.” Instead of a drink, we’re bringing you a Kombucha honey mustard dressing perfect for any salad.

Ingredients: 

• 1 package frozen/cooked chicken tenders
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Kombucha
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp whole grain mustard
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions: 

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, Kombucha, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Cook chicken fingers per instructions.

So, there you have it. Not only will these recipes keep your gut health on the straight and narrow, but they’re also pretty darn tasty!

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