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.