dal

Dal is the thick spicy stew..... nothing like today's my photo. I would like to have dal and also I would like a soup today. So without focus on what I am cooking, I added too much water to make soupy-dal. This dal recipe is very simple and tasty. I learned this recipe from my friend's(Indian)aunt.

serves 2-3

1 cup orange lentil(dal)
2 cups water, or more
1 small onion, very thin sliced
1 small piece ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
salt to taste
fresh coriander, chopped



1 In a medium sauce pan combine the lentils, turmeric, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, whisking several time to puree dal, adjust the amount of water to make desire consistency.

2 While the lentils are cooking, heat oil in a skillet, over medium heat and saute onion, until onion becomes light brown.

3 When the lentils are done, mix in ginger, cumin, and sauteed onion, salt to taste, and before serving, add fresh coriander.

baked apples with crunch and cashew cream

Today we had the first season of snow! It just covered the ground,very light and fluffy like a powder. Snow was not so bad but it was very cloudy and cold day. On the day like this, I would like to stay home and cook something yummy. I had 4 apples and wanted to use the oven - apple pie,apple muffin. . or. . My choice was, the easiest one "Baked Apple!" and I loved it.



preheat oven to 350F.

1 Core apples , using an apple corer or a sharp paring knife. Place apples in a
baking pan.

2 Fill holes with Earth Balance, sugar+cinnamon+nutmeg mixture.

3 Bake until apples are soft, collapsed.


Meanwhile make crunch and cashew cream.

crunch
1cup rolled oats
2/3cup whole wheat flour
1/4cup sunflower seeds or chopped any nuts
1tablespoon canola oil
1tablespoon maple syrup or Agave nectar
1tablespoon water
pinch sea salt
1/2teaspoon cinnamon
1/2teaspoon nutmeg

1 Combine the dry ingredients and mix in the oil then add water and sweetener.

2 Spread on a cookie sheet and bake until evenly light browned, turn the mixture twice with a wooden spoon.


cashew cream

1/2cup cashew nuts, lightly roasted
1-2tablespoons Agave nectar
1/2cup-1cup water
1/2teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Put cashews in a blender to make a fine meal.

2 Add 1/2 cup water and Agave nectar and vanilla, blend until smooth,add more water to make a desire consistency.

falafel platter

I purchase, brown rice, oat, berry, bean( black turtle, chick-pea, soy) and condiment(shouyu, brown rice vinegar, mirin..)through a wholesale store. I have had a large bag (25pounds)of black turtle beans, chick-peas, and soybeans.Today I took inventory in my food storage, I found I need to use chick-peas more often. So, I decided to cook falafel(quite a long I had not cooked falafel) today. Using uncooked chick-peas make a light and soft falafel, I think.

ingredients:
yield 16 falafel balls

1cup dry chick-peas, soak over night
8ounces onion,coarsely chopped
2cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4tablespoons chick-pea flour
1tablespoon fine bulgur
2cups italian parsley leaves
1/2teaspoon salt
1teaspoon cumin
1teaspoon coriander
1/4teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/4teaspoon black pepper

procedure:

1 In a large mixing bowl, combine drain chick-peas, onion, garlic and parsley, and mix well.

2 Transfer to the food processor, add all seasoning and spices. process until smooth, need to stop processing and scrape unprocessed chick-peas mixture off several times.

3 Transfer to the bowl and add chick-peas flour, and fine bulgur, mix well. If too wet, add more flour. Let mixture stand for 1hour in refrigerator.

4 Roll the chick-pea mixture into balls 2inches in diameter /3tablespoons of mixture.

5 Heat the oil in a wok, and when oil is hot enough ( a piece of bread drooped in should come to the surface immediately)gently lower the balls. 3-4 minutes do not disturb until they set. Fly for 6-8 minutes or until browned.

Serve with Tahini sauce (tahini + water ( add 1 tablespoon at a time to your desire consistency) + lemon juice + salt to taste)


falafel platter: falafel with tahini sauce, carrot with french vinaigrette,and sauteed kale mix with brown rice

winter squash soup with pomegranate

Coming Tuesday will be the last day of 2007 green market in my neighborhood...it kind of sad...
because I have no choice eating "conventional organic vegetables" for next 6 months. less excited, isn't it?
Today's soup made from a huge winter squash(at the green market it was divided to several mass for sale)has very bright orange inside. I asked what kind of squash..? and the farmer yelled " Fairy tale, Cinderella ride." ! ?




1 pound fairytale squash pealed, discarded seeds, cut into large chunks, and put them in a large pot. Add 1cup dasi* and 2 cups water. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger. Bring to a boil,reduce heat, cover, simmer for 10-15 minutes or become squash become tender. Mix soup with wooden spoon to break up squash (it's easy to break up). Season: 1/2 to 1teaspoon shouyu, 1 to 2teaspoons sea salt, 1 to 2 teaspoons mirin, to adjust the taste. Serve hot with garnish with pomegranate seeds.


















* dasi
Dasi means soup stock made from kombu and bonito flakes, and essential ingredients for our Japanese cooking e.g. miso soup, sobanoodle soup cooking vegetables, etc.
I make vegan dasi using kombu and dried shiitake. Just cover with water for minimums 5hours to overnight ( longer soaking time make stronger dasi).


500 milliliters water
5 inches kombu
2-4 dried shiitake ( depend on the size of shiitake or your preference. shiitake releases a strong flavor when it soaked in the water)

Put them in the glass jar with lid and put in the refrigerator when soak overnight.
can keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Dasi could be diluted or using straight depends on your recipe. Save soaked shiitake and kombu for another dishes.

five ingredients rice

I am looking for this time of the seasons every year, and I feel very happy living in NYC. Why? It is gingko - seeds harvest time! Gingko seeds, we call ginnan, is very good for every method of cooking: dry roast, deep fly, boil, saute... We really appreciate it's flavor and texture in Japan. Today's receipe, rice cooking with gingko - seeds, is one of my favorite gingko-seeds dish.




ingredients:
serves 4-6

2 coups white rice, wash and soak in the water for 30minutes
1 cup gingko seeds, take off outer shells
2 ounce or 1/2 coup burdock, sasagaki*
2 ounce or 1/2 coup carrot, sasagaki*
4 dried shiitake, julienned
1 abura age( fried bean curd),julienned
2 coups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 table spoon shouyu
2 table spoons sake

* sasagakiis the way of cutting burdock,it's like sharpening a pencil with a knife.

procedure:

1 Combine five ingredients:gingko-seeds, burdock, carrot, shiitake, abura age in a bowl.

2 Combine water, sea salt, shouyu and sake in another bowl.

3 In a 3-4 quarts pot ( or you can use a rice cooker) combine the rice and water- seasoning mixture.

3 Add 5 ingredients mixture on the rice. Covers, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 - 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

4 Allow the cooked rice to rest 5 minutes, covers, off the heat.

5 Before serving, mix rice and 5 ingredients, from top to bottom, with a wooden spoon.



Serves with miso soup with daikon and white yam.

pumpkin boo soup

Ghost and Boo shapes are made from shiratama-ko (sweet rice flour) with nori (seaweed).

procedure:

1 In a small mixing ball put the shiratama-ko. Add water little at a time and mix with your fingers(I used 1/4 cup shiratama-ko and 3 tablespoons water). When mixture become no longer sticky and softness like an earlobe, divide mixture in to 4-5 balls. Shape each ball in to e.g ghost etc.

2 Boil the water in a medium pot.

3 Put these shapes in to the boiling water and cook until it rise to the surface. Keep boiling another 1 minute and scoop them up and to put in the cold water. Soak 1 minutes and drain.

4 Cutting out nori sheet to make eyes or words, and place them on the shape.

5 place these shapes on the pumpkin soup and serve.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

mushy-mooshy broccoli

I think not many people like over boiled or steamed broccoli. I don't like either, except this mushy-mooshy broccoli. When I was staying at my friends house at Belgium, quite long time ago, she cooked this tasty and homey dish ( I think this is an Italian home cooking) for us. Her original ingredients were broccoli, olive, garlic and anchovy. I used capers and ume plum vinegar , instead of anchovy.






ingredients:

1 pound broccoli,except very ends of stalks
1/3 cup pitted black olive, coarsely chopped , (I used oil cured, low sodium, pitted olives )
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 table spoons capers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 teaspoons ume plum vinegar

procedure:

1 Peel thick part of broccoli stalks and chop 3/4 inches long, from florets part to thick starks part.

2 In a large pot, heat the oil and saute garlic and add broccoli, olives and capers

3 Reduce heat to very low, cover, cook(actually steam because broccoly release moisture ) for 20 minutes, or until broccoli lose its green color and mush. (without taking off the lid, shaking a pot frequently to prevent burning. Once a while uncover and stir with wooden spoon. Make sure there is enough moisture in a pot.If not add a little water or stock, 1 teaspoon at a time.)

4 When it done, add ume plum vinegar and stirring well. more salt to taste. turn off the heat and combine with cooked pasta and serve.

red beet-apple salad

Beets were not popular vegetable in Japan, when I was there. So I may ate but had never cooked beets while I lived in Japan. Living in NYC, still I did not want to buy beets to cook. I did not care for beets due to its strong earthy flavor when cook. So when I signed up for Community Supportive Agriculture program, un-utilized beets took over the vegetable bin in my refrigerator. I started choosing recipe for beets and cooking beets. I found several nice beets recipe and now beets and I became a very good friend. This salad is one of them and was a ice breaker. Fresh beets and apples create powerful, pungent, refreshing taste. I got this recipe from: "Vegetables First" by Louise Frazier (Roxbury Farm news letter,0ct.24,2005)




Louise wrote:
"Red beets-apple salad has always been a favorite and is especially welcome when weather cools and lettuce leaves. Combine an equal number of beets finely grated with apples coarsely grated, toss with splash of lemon juice + fresh ginger or anise seeds for flavor. This salad can be made ahead and refrigerated --- leftovers for 2-3days--- or made into soup."

I used Benriner Japanese Mandolin to shred beets(with angel hair blade)and apples(with Julienne blade). Splash plenty of lemon juice and I prefer ginger for flavor.

rotini & mushrooms with " I can not believe it's not alfredo" sauce

I am crazy about this sauce, is made of cashew milk. So simple and easy to make and what a rich in taste! ENJOY.




serves 2-3
ingredients:

sauce
1/2 cup cashew nuts, very lightly toasted
1 & 1/3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons non-hydrogenated margarine or canola oil

mushrooms & pasta
7 ounces assorted mushrooms(I used oyster, shiitake and crimini)
2 scallions (without very green part)chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces pasta

procedure:
1 Put cashews, garlic and stock or water in a blender to make cashew milk.
2 Pour cashew milk into a pot and add lemon juice, sea salt and margarine or oil to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, stirring constantly, to thicken the sauce. If sauce is too thick thin with stock or water as needed.
3 In a large skillet heat the oil. Add scallion first and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms become soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
4 Cook pasta in aldente and drain, combine with mushrooms and sauce. serve immediately.

arugula sandwiches & butternut squash soup

I love arugula
this much!


This is a minimal amount of time consuming meal which taste awesome. Some one said "vegetables are genius".

for sandwiches, I used:
1 bunch arugula
French Meadow Bakery, yeast free bread
Earth Balance
Vegenaise

Soup:
In a pot, place diced butternut squash. Add vegetable stock or water just cover enough squash. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until squash become tender. Add sea salt to taste. Cool, then puree in a blender. Serve hot or cold.

natto fried rice

Natto is one of the great fermented food,has countless benefits for our body.But it's stickiness and distinctive odor make many people never try to eat. Hopefully this natto fried rice would attract some people, who has never tried natto. Because of cooking natto vanish or reduce ( it depends on how long cooking natto )it's stickiness and odor.

serves 1-2
ingredients:
(just guideline)

8 ounces or 2cups cold*(leftover)cooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

4 ounce natto
2 teaspoons shoyu or to taste
1/4 teaspoon oriental hot mustered (usually it include in the natto package )
1 scallion, minced
2 teaspoon white sesame, roasted
10 shiso leaves, julienned(optional)

* If there is just cooked, hot and fluffy, brown rice,no matter, my instinct, I would eat just natto mixture over rice!

procedure:

1 In a small ball combine natto, shoyu,mustard and minced scallion and using chopsticks mixing well (move your hand quick and circular)until sticky.



2 Heat a large skillet coated with oil over medium high heat. Saute brown rice,salt, stirring until hot and fluffy.

3 When rice become really hot ant fluffy, add natto mixture and saute, stirring for just 15 to 30 seconds. (Nutrition-wise,I recommend shorter time of cooking natoo.)Before serving add sesame and shiso, stirring ans serve.

yakiteri tofu

Teriyaki is now popular in US. How to cook teriyaki is to marinate fish or chicken in teriyaki marinade and saute. But Katsuyo Kobayashi(she published many cooking books in Japan)wrote in her book," when you cook teriyaki fish , I would recommend yakiteri. First saute fish and next put fish in to teriyaki marinade. It is easy, speedy and taste is good as teriyaki." So I adopted her way of cooking to make yakiteri tofu. As also she mentioned in her book,let's saute vegetable ( I sauteed green pepper and scallion ) at the same time for side. When I cook yakiteri tofu as my dinner, I usually save some slices for next day lunch to make sandwiches.

serves 2-3
ingredients:

14ounce soft tofu, drain 30minutes on a strainer

(marinade)
2 tablespoons shoyu
2 tablespoons mirin*
2 tablespoons sake or water
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crashed garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sesame oil

* if you do not have mirin, substitute 1.5tablespoons maple syrup plus 2teaspoons water for 2tablespoons mirin.

1 Combine all marinade ingredients and put into a plate.
2 Slice drained tofu into between 1/2 - 3/4 inches slices.
3 In a large skillet heat the oil and saute tofu slices 4-6 minutes or until lightly brown. Carefully turn the slices over and saute until light brown.
4 When both side of the tofu slices turn light brown, transfer immediately into the marinade and turn over several time to coat. Serve immediately or allow to marinate in the refrigerator over night is good too.

my veggie burgers

Searching for "Veggie Burgers" for long time - looking around recipes for V. burgers and tried to cook those, buying V.burgers at the natural food stores, and order V. burgers at vegetarian restaurants.
But my taste had not satisfied with those burgers which I tried. I like V.burgers, contain a lot of vegetables and little grains or beans.
Last year I challenged to create my own Veggie Burgers and did it. I graded my Veggie Burgers A+!


ingredients:

1 cup cooked black beans, drained
2-3 kale,remove tough part of stems and steamed
2 stalks celery,cut into 2 inch-long pieces and saute
4 ounces carrot, raw
1 stalk broccoli florets, steamed
1 cup cilantro,coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Texture Vegetable Protein(TVP)
4 ounces onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Ex.V.O.Oil
1/3 cups gluten free flour*
2/3 teaspoon cumin seed, ground
1 teaspoon salt
* combine: 2cups brown rice flour, 2/3cup potato flour, 1/3cup tapioca flour
The amount of chopped vegetables, except TVP/onion mixture, will be 3cups


procedure:

1 lightly roast sunflower seed in 350F oven and ground in a food processor to make coarse meal.
2 Saute onion with 1T oil until translucent, add TVP and saute briefly. Add 1/2t salt.
3 Place carrot and garlic in a food processor,to finely chopped (not puree)and transfer to a large bowl.
4 Place celery and broccoli in a food processor, pulse until finely chopped ( not puree)and add to the carrot/garlic.

5 Place black beans in a food processor, Just pulse until very coarsely chopped( never to puree). Add to the veggie.

6 Add cilantro, onion TVP mixture, gluten free flower, cumin, and salt to the veggie and use your hands to mix until well combined.

7 Divide veggie mixture into 8. Form 3and1/2 inch patties.
8 Chill patties , covered , at least 1 hour.
9 In a well seasoned skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot, cook patties until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes on each side. Serve with tomato salsa is good.

corn oboro-jiru

Oboro-jiru in japanese means not-creamy soup.
Corn,tofu and miso harmonizing excelent!

serves 4
ingreadients:

3 ears of corn
3 cups broth (from cob & water)
5 ounces silken tofu
2.5 tablespoons miso (mild)

garnish
2-3 shiso leaves, julliened
1 umeboshi, minced

procedure:

1 Remove kernel from the cobs. Put 3cups of water and 3cobs in pot,bring to a boil reduce heat and shimmer 20 minutes to make a nice broth.

2 Put kernel,tofu and 2cups of broth in a blender to puree.
3 Transfer corn-tofu puree to pot, bring to a boil, stirring, reduce heat and shimmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in miso. Add more broth if soup is too thick. Garnished with shiso and umeboshi, serve hot or chill.

summer vegetable tart

Goodbye summer ... till next year! But still there are tomato, corn, zucchini, are abundant supply at my neighbor's farmer's market. A longing for summer . . . let's bake summer veg. tart ! yield: five 4inch tart pans ingredients: (dry) 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup unbleached white flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder 1/4teaspoon salt (wet) 2/3cup water 2tablespoons Ex. v. Olive oil 1+1/4teaspoons balsamic vinegar (vegetable &herb) 1 small zucchini, cut in 4"slices and grilled 2 plum tomatoes, cut in half and grilled 1/4 onion, grilled and chopped 1 /2 corn, boiled and kernel removed (and mix with chopped onion) fresh sage , fresh basil procedure: heat oven at 350F 1 Place tomato and basil in the tart pan. Place zucchini and sage for another tart pan. Place corn and onion mix for another one and place any vegetable for remaining 2 tart pans.Sprinkle salt & pepper. set aside. 2 Combine all dry ingredients in the large bowl 3 Whisk all wet ingredients in the smaller bowl 4 Add wet to dry and mix ( do not over mix) 5 Pour butter over the each vegetable laid tart pan (use spatula to flatten butter) 6 Bake 350F oven for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.