Hakusai no biitsu-amazu-zuke / napa cabbage marinated in beet sweetened vinegar

Ruby red pickles! Since the sweetened vinegar in which beet slices are marinated is too pretty to throw away after beets are gone ... the thick white section of hakusai napa cabbage is quickly microwaved and marinated in the red vinegar. How simple could it be to add another little color to your table!

<Ingredients> 

White section of several hakusai napa cabbage leaves (use greener sections for other dishes)
Marinade of biitsu no amazu-zuke (beets marinated in sweetened vinegar)

<Directions>
1.

Cut white section of hakusai into smaller pieces.
Here, to obtain squares and skinny strips (to be used as a substitute for moyashi mung bean sprouts), cut off both sides and top of each white section.

Julienne top triangle and skinny triangles of both sides, and cut the center rectangle into squares.

2.

Place squares in microwaveable container, cover, and microwave for 30 seconds.

Add strips, cover, and microwave for another 15-20 seconds until somewhat translucent.

Open cover, and let out hot air.

3.

When sufficiently cool (room temperature or cooler), put squares in beet vinegar.
When hakusai completely absorbs color (overnight), it is ready to eat.

<Notes>

• The cooked julienned white section works as a great substitute for moyashi in dishes such as ohitashi (horenso, moyashi, sumookusaamon no ohitashi [spinach, mung bean sprouts and smoked salmon marinated in light broth]; moyashi to mitsuba no ohitashi [bean sprouts and mitsuba in light broth]) and namul. To retain some crunch, make sure not to overcook julienned pieces.
• The pickled hakusai becomes softer from Day 3 or so.