killer onion soup

this soup is no joke.

i designed this recipe to use only ingredients you can find at your local grocery store, no funny business.
unless you happen to have a bottle of ume vinegar at home.
then a little funny business will be involved.

i'm sorry the picture isn't phenomenal.  it was late at night, and i was 97% starving and only 3% artistic, so this was the best i could muster.

killer onion soup

serves 3
easy to make

2 vidalia onions
3 cloves garlic
7-8 button mushrooms
toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. natural sweetener (i got some local honey from the amish that i'm digging)
dried thyme
1 quart veggie stock (either homemade or organic store-bought.  be sure you read the label and make sure you know what you're getting.  if you see sugar or things you can't pronounce, cut and run.)

mince garlic.  removing the tough skin of the onion, cut off the cap and the root, and slice vertically (from pole to pole).  lie each onion half on the flat side, and make long, vertical slices from pole to pole (not side to side), so that you get long slivers of onion about the thickness of your pinky finger.  thinly slice mushrooms, about the thickness of a quarter.

saute your garlic in 2-3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil in a large, deep pot.  after ~30 seconds, add vidalia onion slices.  add a pinch of sea salt.  sauté for 20-30 minutes, until onions are translucent and soft.

pour in veggie stock and bring to a rolling boil.  once boiling, add another pinch of salt, a dash of soy sauce, and your sweetener.  if you have it, try adding a dash of umeboshi vinegar.  toss in your dried time.  once the flavors are right (and you may have to adjust a little to suit your taste), add the mushrooms.

cook for another 5 minutes and serve :)

tomato basil soup and grilled portobello grinders

there is a great reason why there are no prep photos from this post.

so there i was, feeling like a total g with my jazz on the grill,

my soup in the blender, my onions caramelizing...

...

...

...when i looked over at my blender and saw my soup leaking into 

a beautiful orange puddle on the floor that homer the dog was 

quietly ingesting.

i was debating whether or not to use real tomatoes in this recipe.  they're

a nightshade and completely absent from traditional macrobiotic cooking.

for good reason.  nightshades can do wicked damage to your joints, your

blood (i bruise like... well... a tomato when i eat them), and a lot of people

thought they were poisonous for a few hundred years.

that being said, they were growing on a vine in my front yard and i just

couldn't help myself.

if i were making this totally macro, i would substitute tomatoes for carrots

and onions, slow-cooked and run through the food processor.

portobello mushroom grinders

4 portobello mushroom caps

olive oil

organic steak marinade, or tamari with spices

italian dressing

sweet vidalia onion

bun of choice

preheat barbecue grill to 400 f.  marinade mushroom caps in liquids

(i did 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. steak marinade and 1/2 c. italian dressing)

at least 30 minutes.  brush grill with olive oil and grill for 15 minutes.

slice vidalias into disks and caramelize with a pinch of salt at least 20

minutes.  i did this in a large cast-iron skillet and left it greasy for the soup.

once the mushrooms are done, roast your bun of choice 3-5 minutes on

hot grill, stack, and enjoy!

tomato basil soup

6-7 fresh tomatoes, diced

2 c. veggie stock

2 shallots

3 cloves garlic

1 head cauliflower

olive oil

2 cups fresh basil plus more for garnish

salt

ume vinegar

preheat oven to 375.  drizzle cauliflower florets with olive oil. roast

for 15-20 minutes until soft.

brown diced shallots and garlic in skillet and set aside.

run cauli florets with some veggie stock through your food processor

until pureed and smooth.

at this point, take everything out of your cuisinart.  unless you really like

mopping the floor.  transfer it to a high-powered blender.

blend all ingredients until smooth in consistency.  transfer to a large pot,

season with salt and ume vinegar to taste, and heat.

dip your grinder and enjoy!

mellow mushrooms

this week, i had to go on a macrobiotic fast to take care of the side effects of the

antibiotics i took.  they were gnarly.

the only thing that got me through it was 'the best of jefferson airplane' and my

subscription to martha stewart weddings.  there were a lot of late nights listening

to "white rabbit" examining floral centerpieces.

i went to the grocery store and picked up some exquisite shrooms.

this is a shiitake mushroom.  to pick a good shiitake, it's crucial

that the mushroom hasn't flared yet.  the edges of the  mushroom

should be curled under, like a teacup flipped upside down.

don't cook with the stems of mushrooms.  they're tough and the

sense i get is that they're very constricting and yang.  they're much

tastier when slow-boiled as an ingredient in soup stock.  i have a

giant stack of frozen shiitake stems in my fridge at home.

mushrooms really do make you mellow.  slivered shiitake

mushrooms finely, boil for fifteen minutes and add a pinch

of sea salt to relieve tension and calm a frayed disposition.

this is a portobello mushroom cap.  i usually don't cook with them

because i think they're too flaky and messy, but it added a nice

chewiness to my spaghetti.

those of you with dishes that predate 1980 must have at least one

iconic, all-american chicken bowl.  i've seen these in almost every

apartment i've been in that wasn't an ikea show model.

there's literally an entire subsection on ebay devoted to them.

i thought that using this bowl would inject my food with that

peaceful, easy feelin'.

ok, so it occurs to me that this picture looks like primordial

mitochondria, so i apologize for how unappetizing it is.

psychedelic psquash pspaghetti

with

mellow mushroom sauce

::ingredients::

two spaghetti squashes

5 cloves garlic

2 shallots

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 cups diced assorted mushrooms

1/2 cup almond slivers

toasted sesame oil

3 tbsp kuzu dissolved in 5 tsbp cold water

tamari to taste

::squash noodles::

preheat oven to 375.  slice squashes in half, and gut seeds and sprouts with a spoon,

leaving about 1/2 to 1 inch fruit on every side, depending on the initial size of your

squash (see above photograph).  mince garlic and shallots, and fill inside cavity of

each squash half.  pour 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and coat squash and fillings thoroughly.

bake at 375 approximately 1 hour.

::sauce::

stir-fry onion in toasted sesame oil over medium heat until translucent, about 3-5

minutes.  add mushrooms, stir-fry an additional 3-5 minutes until soft, then add

3-4 cups water, almond slivers, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.

add tamari and stir.  take your dissolved kuzu mix and SLOWLY fold into

the pot, mixing quickly.  if you pour it all in at once, you'll end up with a

solidified block of creamy jello that tastes like nothing.  it's gross.  make sure

your kuzu is fully incorporated.

once your spaghetti squash is out of the oven, allow it to cool until it's safe to

touch.  grasping the squash, rake the tines of your fork down the sides, peeling

the "noodles" from the squash, and deposit them into a large bowl.  if the squash

is cool, this is really fun.  if the squash is still hot, like mine was last night because

i'm a glutton who might as well just eat out of a trough, it's incredibly painful.

let that be a lesson to wait for it to cool.

spoon a large dollop of your mushroom sauce over your garlicky "noodles,"

pour yourself a big bowl of greens (i used dark kale, below), and enjoy!

mmmm.  groovy.

the raving (encounters with a vegan cashew loaf)

once upon a midnight dreary, 

while i hungered weak and weary

over quaint and curious hipsters 

at the whole foods grocery store.

i was starving, nearly snapping, 

so opposed was i to snacking,
as of someone near attacking 
strangers at the grocery store.

`'tis a cashew loaf,' i muttered, 

`formed upon my cutting board-
only this, and nothing more.'

eagerly i set it baking; - 

lately i had started making
my roast to surcease my aching - 
hunger from the grocery store -
with some rare and costly cashews 
purchased in bulk at the store -
soaking, still for evermore.

 now my pants are never fitting, 

while i'm sitting, while i'm sitting
with quiv'ring seams about to bust 

and hit my ankles on the floor;

and the roast has all the seeming 

of a gravy that is gleaming,
gobs of oil casting sheen 

while cashew crumbs lie 'cross the floor;

and my butt from out that barstool 

that stands shaking on the floor
shall be lifted - nevermore.

vegan cashew loaf

modified from peta recipe

::roast::

1 cup olive oil

1 cup vegetable stock 

2 large onions, finely chopped 

3 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

1 1/2 cups bread, cut into small cubes (i used food for life gluten-free brown rice bread)

3 large cloves of garlic 

salt

nutmeg 

2 tbsp lemon juice

::stuffing::

3 cups bread cubes 

1 cup olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 tsp. each thyme and majoram 

3 tbsp. dried parsley

• Preheat oven to 400°F

Pre-chop all your ingredients.  This will save you a lot of time in the long run, trust me.  I also separate the onions/bread that's used in the roast from the onions/bread used in the stuffing.  Makes life easier once things get started.

• Heat oil in a deep pot, add the onion and sauté over low flame until translucent and soft. Remove from heat.

• Grind the cashews in a food processor with the bread and garlic and add to the onion, together with the stock, salt, nutmeg, and lemon juice, to taste.

Combine stuffing ingredients in a large bowl.

• Put half the cashew mixture into the prepared pan, top with the stuffing, then spoon the rest of the nut mixture on top.

• Stand the pan in another pan to catch drippings and bake for about 30 minutes or until firm and lightly browned (cover the roast with foil if it gets too brown before then).

• Cover in delicious almond-mushroom gravy.  Recipe for that one to follow.

pot-sticking to my story.

can gyoza be gluten-free and vegan?

with more rice flour disasters under my belt than i'd like to

freely admit, i was pretty sure these dumplings were going to

be a total hot mess.

they were hot.

they were not a mess.

i got my filling from yukiko's delicious recipe over on berkshire vegan.

it's shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, scallions, and garlic.

i have made these in the past with tofu and leeks on the inside, and

they were totally delicious, so i would recommend doing that too!

to stuff a dumpling, just make sure you have:

a sticky protein (i.e. tofu, crumbly tempeh, mushrooms)

something with some heat (garlic, sesame oil with chili)

something tangy (scallions, leeks, onions)

something green (cabbage, baby bok choi)

gyoza wrappers

white rice flour

arrowroot starch

water

salt

and sesame oil

again, hat-tip to berkshire vegan for an excellent set of instructions.

the gluten-free modification was pretty simple, just a straight flour-to

rice-flour substitution.  i DID have to add more water, though.

following yukiko's excellent instructions, i combined the dry

ingredients, added the sesame oil, and slowly added water,

kneading for approximately ten minutes.  i then pinched little

balls of dough slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, rolled

them in arrowroot, and pressed them flat.

dumplings are a communal activity.  you really need more than

one person, because the fragile dumpling wrappers begin to

crack and dry out quickly, so the faster you can stuff those

wrappers, the better.

place a SMALL amount of filling (no more than one teaspoon)

on a flat, circular wrapper, take a finger dipped in water and wet

a half-circle on the flat wrapper, press edges together, and smooth.

they should look like little crescents.

if your dumplings begin to crack... DO NOT PANIC.

just add a little water and gently smooth.

heat oil to pretty high temperature, and toss in your dumplings,

flipping gently as each side browns, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

i opened a window to avoid setting off the smoke alarms.  this

helped tremendously, as they get a little smoky.

gyoza sauce:

1/3 c. tamari

1 tbsp brown rice vinegar

1 pinch chili powder

diced scallions

1 tsp. grated ginger juice

on the side:

2 tbsp. grated raw fresh daikon

yum!!

carrot daikon drink!

since i didn't make this today, a photograph will be forthcoming.  in the mean time, this is a request for carrot daikon drink from a friend of mine.

carrot daikon drink is great for releasing old stores of stagnant oils and animal products.  it's particularly useful after a cleanse or fast to get that stuff up and out.

it's important when you do a regimen of carrot daikon drink to walk lots, drink lots of water, and chew your food well.  i believe intuitively that it works best that way.

also, don't do it before bed.  you'll be up peeing all night.  thank you daikon!

also also, do not eat for thirty minutes before or after carrot daikon drink unless instructed to do so by your macrobiotic counselor :)

carrot daikon drink
one serving

1 cup grated carrot (fine to semi-fine grating)
1 cup grated daikon (fine to semi-fine grating)
1 square inch nori seaweed
1/3 pickled umeboshi plum or 1/2 tsp umeboshi plum paste

bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  add carrot and daikon, return to boil, and simmer ten minutes.  add nori and ume plum.  let sit until it's cool enough to drink, and drink/eat 1 cup.  if you've got extras, i always like to share :)

user warning:  this stuff smells really, really bad.  prepare to clear out your house.  people will complain.

a burrito story

hello burrito!

once upon a time, i only had ten minutes.

i took a brown rice tortilla (food for life is the greatest)

leftover quinoa

cubed tofu

carrots

kale

and

c

o

r

n

threw them in a pot of boiling water one by one

stacked them, and drizzled them in dressing.

then i wrapped it, sat down on my couch,

and watched the bachelor.

sometimes being macrobiotic is really, really fun.

bento ii :: sesame-fried mochi

after a couple weeks of lackluster meals, i feel like i'm finally starting to get

my macro chops back!

last night was bento ii :: advanced bento theory

i made savory fried mochi, nanban onions, miso condiment, and made a weak

attempt to cook fish before resigning and putting it back in the fridge.

i found this marvelous blog, Just Hungry, that features traditional japanese recipes.

many of them will be familiar to those of you who spent any time at the kushi

institute.  what i admire about this chef is the honest simplicity of her recipes.

she buys almost nothing pre-made.  if you're willing to do things the long way,

she has instructions from homemade pickled umeboshi to homemade mochi.

i adapted these recipes from justhungry to be macrobiotic, which was quite simple.

sesame fried mochi

slice 1 package mochi into small squares.

puff in oven at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes,

until mochi begins to pop and expand.

preheat cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

add 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil with 1 tsp. tamari.

immediately add puffed mochi.  over the course of three

or so minutes, check the bottom of your mochi with a spatula.

it should be a beautiful golden-brown.

flip once.  toast another two-three minutes.

the afore-mentioned beautiful golden-brown.  yum.

cover in nori, toasted sesame seeds, green onions, spicy kimchi, whatever you choose!

i think even a natto-scallion paste would be nice!  my package of natto arrives next

week, so i'll try it and tell you!

quick sunflower salad

i was wondering where my suribachi went.  

as some of you know, a suribachi is a serrated bowl with a rough interior,

sort of like a mortar and pestle, but one that shaves the skin off your knuckles

if you aren't paying attention.  it's great for macrobiotic cooking, as you can make

gomashio, dressings, and pastes in a snap.

turns out my dad has been using mine as a cereal bowl.

i made this quick little salad (bottom left in the photo) to bring some

flavor to my greens, some metal energy to my dinner, and some fatty oils to the food.

the thing i love about this salad is that it only uses one dish.  you can grind

and build the entire thing in your suribachi, making for an easy clean-up.

1/2 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds

3 scallions

1 tsp umeboshi plum paste

water as needed

heat cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat.  add sunflower seeds, stirring constantly until they release some oil and start to pop.  remove as soon as they begin to brown, as they will continue to cook in the bowl.

mince scallions as finely as possible, including white tips.

pour roasted sunflower seeds into suribachi or coffee grinder.  crush in a continuous direction until a fluffy powder.  add scallions, ume paste, and enough water to ensure a smooth mix (i added about 1 tbsp).

serve with greens and enjoy!

Preparing for a Macrobiotic Thanksgiving

Hello friends!  Your favorite macro dilettante Becky signing in!

I'm pleased to report that since the semester is winding down, I now have time to write on my blog (and shower)!

The last three months have been a case-study in yang energy and yin cravings.  It would be more interesting if I were reading about it and not living it, but life is learning.

Macrobiotics is about more than food... it's about the intention that goes into the ingredients that go into the dish!  This year, as soon as you start shopping, start filling your heart with thanks.

This time last year, I had no idea that I would meet all the friends I met at the Kushi Institute, so this year I'm giving thanks for them.  To my new friends who helped me see macrobiotics, balance, and happiness in a new light, you are in my heart, and my meal is dedicated to you.

making macro thanksgiving

pre-meal preparation in three easy steps

1.  i was promised a turkey.

Serving steamed greens and wilted kale for the big meal seems like an excellent way to alienate your family and friends for the coming year.  

A lot of us have folks in our lives who don't share our hippie healthful lifestyle.  Maybe they eat meat three times a day.  Maybe they've never spent time in a collective vegan community.  Maybe it's easier to find a 12-gauge shotgun in their homes than a pencil with an eraser.  That last one is a tip of the hat to my  family ;)

I assumed that nobody would eat my macro food last Thanksgiving, so I made enough for me and my mom and left it at that.  I turned my back for one second and the steamed greens were GONE.  My wild rice evaporated.  My macro apple pie?  Mere crumbs.

The moral of the story is that in the midst of all that butter, people gravitate towards calm, centered foods.  That doesn't mean that I'm serving zen macrobiotic brown rice bowls.  It just means that if you cook flavorful, real food, people will eat it.

2.  pickles don't grow on trees

If you are making grains, beans, nut dishes, or pickles, be sure you give yourself plenty of time.

Pickles take longer in the winter.  Quick pickles that would take 6-10 hours in the warm summer sun will take 2-4 days in the cool winter.  Just keep checking on them, tasting them, and if anything's furry, removing it.

Start your soaking on Wednesday morning or night.  For dishes that need to soak and then ferment, start NO LATER than Tuesday night.  Cashew Goat Cheese, I'm looking at you.

3.  get your groceries

Here are two things you can do at Whole Foods that will save you money and time:

Ask them to de-skin, de-bone, and/or grill your fish.  For free, they'll take the skin and bones.  For $5, they'll toss it on the grill.

Ask them for parts of vegetables only macro people use.  If you need daikon tops for food or for daikon hip-bath, they'll clip the tops and give them to you for a reasonable fee.  I got enough daikon greens for three baths for $2.50.  I'm pickling broccoli stems, and the first place I go is Whole Foods.

Vegan GF Pumpkin Bread Pudding for Sara

it's true, i've neglected the blog.  i've been terribly delinquent.

since returning from california, i've enrolled back in school as a post-bac

student, and it has left very little room for macrobiotic experimentation.

BUT BUT BUT

fall is my absolute favorite season.  no season's ingredients inspire me

more than the raw materials of fall.  the gorgeous squashes, round veggies,

dark greens...  fall is the best season to be macro.

i had a hankering for pumpkin muffins, so i decided to make some homemade

applesauce.  the apple sauce was great.  i used it to sweeten the pumpkin bread.

i made the pumpkin bread using bob's red mill flour.  mistake.  it tasted like sawdust

with subtle notes of pumpkin.

what was i to do with a pan of chalky pumpkin muffins?  i knew there

was only one way to turn it around.

i made bread pudding.  and the results were shockingly delicious.

ingredients ::  5 cups cubed pumpkin bread or pumpkin muffins.  here is a recipe.

i didn't use this recipe, but since the one i used was such a hot mess, i didn't want

to share that one.  just sweeten it with brown rice syrup and some homemade

apple sauce instead of the xylitol that she recommends.

2 cups soy milk

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla

cinnamon

whisk liquids until dissolved.  soak your bread crumbs 10 minutes until soggy.

pour everything in a deep oiled pan, mixing well.  sprinkle extra walnuts on top.

cover with cinnamon.

bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

easy!  delicious!  no sugar!

Eating Los Angeles: evarestaurant

-- menu --

whipped tofu with nasturtium and root vegetables

chocolate

wild halibut, cabbage, lemon verbena, charred spring onion

Snackers, I'm writing you from the Avalon Hotel in Beverly

Hills!  Like most country bumpkins, I was really looking

forward to spotting a celebrity in their natural element here

in Los Angeles.

Disappointingly, I ran into one in Green Hills right  before 

I left Nashville.  I chalked it up as further  proof that Taylor 

Swift is on a private campaign to ruin my day. She always 

takes my parking spot.  You think I'm kidding, but it defies 

mathematical odds.  If I'm going head-to-head with another 

car at the Green Hills mall, there's a solid 50% chance that 

she's in the vehicle.

Anyways, the great thing about being vegan in Los Angeles is 

that every single restaurant accommodates.  I even found a place 

that had "oxygenated vegetables," though I have only a vague

guess as to what that means.  In my head, it's the exact opposite

of hydroponic.

My mom went to evarestaurant last night, and gave it a

glowing review.  She asked me to post pictures of her meal,

so here they are!  I couldn't find the details on the chocolate

dessert.

I went to M Cafe de Chaya, a macrobiotic restaurant in Beverly

Hills.  More on that tomorrow.

Dried Tofu

What makes dried tofu so special?  It has a chewy, springy texture that gives a meat-like flavor to any stir-fry!  It takes a sweet or salty flavor well, having a mildly sweet flavor on its own.  If you're gluten-free, this is a super food!  You can find it online through Natural Import Company.  It's a little pricey, but totally worth it if you're feeling strapped for cooking ideas!  I'm cooking with dried tofu tomorrow, so I'll put up two new recipes!

Ketchup Recipe and Pretty Red Things

I made homemade ketchup today.  We didn't have any, so I made it.

I still can't believe I'm the kind of person who makes their own ketchup.  I feel like Bear Grylls.  Or Rambo.  If there was a nuclear accident at the old Heinz place and all the ketchup in America was contaminated...  I could make some.

But seriously... how many people do YOU know who know how to make ketchup?  For most people, it's hard just to wiggle the butter knife around that skinny glass bottle to get the ketchup out.

Forget that.  I'm ten light-years ahead you.  I made ketchup.  Hell, while I'm at it, I could probably make the ketchup bottle too.

I need to stop.  I need to take a few steps back.  This is how hipsters in Brooklyn end up with their own old-fashioned letterpress factories run out of lofts.  If I don't stop now, I'll end up with my own small home pickling business.  Oh, wait.  Too late.  Did I mention I'll be selling homemade tofu cheese and amazake starting next week?

- 2 carrots

- 1 onion

- 2 to 3 tsp. ume plum vinegar

- 1 tbsp. maple syrup

Place two separate pots of water on the stove to boil.  While the water is heating, chop carrots and onions into fingernail-sized pieces.  They can be messy since they're headed for the blender.

Boil carrots and onions separately for 15-20 minutes, until onions are translucent and carrots are soft.  Save some of your boiling water, approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup.

In a large bowl, add carrots, onion, 1/4 to 1/3 cup boiling water, ume vinegar, and maple syrup.  Blend well with either a hand-mixer or a food processor until smooth.  

If you're feeding this to kids, I'd add 1/2 a steamed beet for red color.  I love this ketchup because unlike conventional ketchup, it has no sugar, no artificial colors or flavors, and is a great way to sneak in veggies.

pretty things ::  essie nail color $8 //  brian atwood carla watersnake triangle clutch $1385  // 

//  kate spade twirl karolina shoes $350 //

Rosemary Root Vegetable Fries

fry wanna rock and roll all night
(and party every day)

get your roots.  i used rutabaga, parsnips, and sweet potatoes.

like a farmer, i then picked rosemary from the bush.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

cut your roots into fry-shapes, saving the delicious scraps for your

soup stock.  i cut my roots in half to get a safe, flat surface.

i then sliced them into 1/4" long slices, then cut 1/4" fries.

i then rocked and rolled.

and by rocked and rolled, i mean i added a quarter cup

of olive oil and made sure the fries were thoroughly coated.

place fries on a baking sheet, preferably with a metal rack to allow

even browning on all sides.  it's okay if you don't have one.

bake for 60 minutes, tossing fries every 20 minutes to ensure even browning.

delicious.  i dipped them in 4 tbsp. vegenaise mixed with 2 tsp. fresh horseradish.

now please do me a huge favor and put on the hair rock pandora station. rock and roll all night.

because you have just made macro french fries.

that's worth a party.

every day.

Three Ways To Sneak Your Kids Vegetables

Two out of my three first swear-words were said about vegetables.

I remember them clearly because of the heavy silence that followed.  The space between crime and punishment.  Those seconds seem to last forever as your eyes dart between the horrified faces of your parents and grandparents.

The first one was used at the age of six to describe the unpleasant tactile experience of consuming a lima bean.  The second one was dropped about two years later.  I wanted to add emphasis to my unwillingness to consume a slice of meatloaf with bell peppers in it.  It worked.

Parents, hopefully your kids aren't as bad as I was.  I'd like to provide a list of kid-friendly veggie recipes in the hopes that it alleviate the tug-of-war that so often accompanies the phrase...

eat your vegetables or no dessert

hide them in the spaghetti
Tomatoes are nightshades, so in macrobiotics we try to limit our consumption because they're very acidic.  Some studies have even suggested that they increase arthritis-related pain.

That being said, most kids are used to their spaghetti with tomato sauce, and they won't eat it if the red stuff is missing.  Lucky for us, tomatoes have such a strong flavor, they cover up everything.  Water-saute carrots, onions, zucchini, and even turnips until very soft.  Run the veggies through the food processor and do fifty percent spaghetti sauce, fifty percent veggie mix.

tuck them in sushi
Sushi is everywhere these days.  Kids like it because the white rice is sweet, and sushi restaurants and grocery stores often load the vinegar the rice is soaked in with sugar.  If you can make your own sushi at home, it's quick, fun for the kids, and a great way to sneak in veggies.  Instead of seaweed, try wrapping your sushi with three steamed collard green leaves, overlapping.  I'll do a photo demonstration of this soon.  The sushi won't stick together quite as well as seaweed, but it's a delicious and sneaky way to get kids to eat steamed greens.

stick them in the dessert
Steam a butternut squash and puree with a few tablespoons of brown rice syrup, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little pinch of salt for a delicious pudding.  I also love this Avocado Chocolate Pudding/Ice Cream.