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 :)

onigiri!

i love onigiri!

おにぎり好き！

onigiri : noun, japanese

(pronounced "oh-nee-gee-ree")

1.  delicious use of leftovers
2.  quick to-go lunch
3.  steamed rice balls filled with delicious goodies and covered in nori seaweed.

onigiri is the ULTIMATE to-go food in japan.  a lot of japanese people find it strange that westerners have never heard of onigiri, because it is the japanese equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  every child gets it in their lunch box (some of which are triangle-shaped to fit onigiri).

why is it so great?
for one thing, the salty goodies on the inside actually speed-ferment the rice so that you don't need to refrigerate it.  it stays fresh all day!
also, the nori seaweed "diaper" on the outside of the onigiri keeps the sticky grains of rice from getting stuck to your hands, making for a truly mess-free experience.

what can you put in it?
you can put anything in onigiri.  traditionally, umeboshi plums, pickled daikon (called takuwan), and salty fish are the most common fillings.  it's a great way to recycle fridge leftovers, like last night's salmon teriyaki.  you can see that i put a small dollop of each filling on top of the onigiri in the picture.  this is so that i can identify what's inside!

recipe please?
here we go.  the only thing i pre-made here was 2 cups of short grain brown rice.  friends, this is the time to use up your leftovers.  do not use any other kind of rice besides short-grain.  it won't hold together.

this looks wicked gross, but i swear it's not.  

it's a pickled umeboshi plum (available at whole foods), 

pit removed, cut into strips.

put about 1/3 cup cooked rice in your wet hands, shape into

a bird's nest, and put a small dollop of fillings in the center of

the nest.

shape into tiny triangles, placing a teeny piece of the topping

on top so that you know which flavor is which :)

line them up like a tiny, tiny army.

all the little soldiers in a row :)  so cute!!

cut 2"x6" strips of nori, and wrap the bottoms like a diaper.

onigiri is the cutest snack.

::ingredients::

2 cups cooked short-grain brown or white rice

pickled ume plums

natto version - 1/2 cup natto, 2 tbsp minced scallions, 1 tsp dijon mustard, splash tamari

fish version - 1/4 cup shredded bonito fish flakes (whole foods), 1 tsp. tamari, 2 tsp. water

daikon version - 1/3 cup pickled daikon radish, rinced and diced

some of the above combinations require a little mixing and adjusting to taste.  i had a little bowl of natto mixture, a bowl of fish flakes, etc.  and fyi, the fish version was the winner :)

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.

beautiful yudofu. beyudoful.

this is why i need you people to keep me in check.  i start punning.

yudofu

what is it?  a beautiful, light tofu dish that can be served warm or cold.

how long does it take?  this is the brilliant part.  about 15 minutes.

i love japanese cooking because with simple techniques and the same

few ingredients, you can make endless combinations of dishes.

what is bonito?

...what IS bonito?  bonito is a common japanese ingredient.  it's a predatory fish

native to asia that is dried, shaved, and used either as a garnish or a base in recipes

and sauces.  ghee is to indian food what bonito is to japanese food.

in the past, bonito came in big plastic bags, shredded like coconut flakes.

it's become a lot more processed in modern times, mostly for speed and ease

of use.

Eden brand bonito flakes, traditional style.  Between $6 and $8
at Whole Foods Market.

bonito pellets.  Usually between $2-$6 at Asian grocers.

the pellet brand and similar brands powder the bonito and combine it with kombu,

salt, sugar, MSG, and some processed compounds i can neither pronounce nor digest.

this is one of those cases where traditional food has become doctored and processed

in the name of "convenience."  it's so SO important to read ingredients.  i love eden brand

because i can trust that there's no funny business hidden in the label.  i used to cook with

the pellets, but it always left me feeling dehydrated and puffy.  on the contrary, after cooking

with the eden flakes, i felt light and wonderful.

real, whole foods are beautiful <3 p="">

making yudofu

ingredients

--tofu--

1 package silken tofu

--sauce--

4 tbsp shredded dried bonito flakes (eden is a great brand)

1 3 inch strip dried kombu

1/3 cup shoyu or 1/4 cup tamari

1 tbsp mirin

3 cups water

--garnish--

2 scallions

1 sheet roasted nori

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

rinse kombu in cold water.  place kombu in three cups cold water in a medium-sized

saucepan and bring to a boil.  once boiling, add bonito flakes, lower temperature,

and simmer for ten minutes.*

add mirin, tamari/shoyu, and bring back to a rolling boil.

cube silken tofu and GENTLY place it on a spoon with a strainer.  lower into

boiling sauce for 2-3 minutes.  gently lift and roll tofu cubes into a shallow bowl.

once all cubes are boiled, take sauce off the heat.  pour sauce over tofu using a strainer

to remove any stray tofu or bonito flakes that may be lurking around.

cover in grated fresh ginger, scallions, shredded nori, and enjoy!

*i save time here by stuffing the bonito in a tea or coffee filter and tie it off at the top.

this means i don't have to strain the sauce at the end.  it's just a convenience thing.

you certainly don't have to do it, but it IS easier.

untangling shiso leaves

i don't know if any of you have had the unique pleasure of untangling

pickled shiso leaves, but if you have, the words "AUGH" or 

"YYARRGGGHH" may ring a few bells.

pickled shiso leaves come packed with umeboshi plums, but you

can purchase them separately from either the kushi store or natural imports.

i like to use them as a wrap, a garnish, or dried and powdered as a unique

and special substitute for salt on rice.

here is a little video of how i solved the mystery of untangling dehydrated

shiso leaves.

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.

Take it One Meal at a Time

A lot of my clients who are new to a healing diet ask me what they

should make if they only have the time or energy to make

I want you to know that's normal.  When you read about a healing diet

online, it's a lot of bizarre sauces and obscure cooking techniques you've

never heard of.  A lot of folks are just starting out.  They don't own a suribachi, 

and  they have never seen an umeboshi plum in their life.  In fact, the closest 

they've come to Asia is seeing Memoirs of a Geisha.

That's okay.  Most people who are starting this diet are in the same place.

They're worried about the health of their children, they're experiencing a

major health crisis, it "just makes sense..." whatever your reason, it can be

really intimidating to get started.

I'm telling you that you can.  If you look at the picture above, it should

pretty much all look familiar to you.  Those are all the ingredients you need

to make your first healthy meal.  Here's the scoop:

We'll be cooking:

Nutty Summer Rice

Steamed Green Salad with Sunflower Seed Dressing

Poached or Baked Salmon (your choice of 2 recipes)

Fresh Watermelon Slices

+ ingredients +

-long grain brown rice

-raw almonds or pecans

-olive oil

-sea salt

-raw sunflower seeds (hulled)

-vinegar.  i prefer umeboshi vinegar for its sweet, mild flavor and digestive healing properties.

-scallions

-kale

-salmon

-2 lemons

-1 stalk celery (optional)

-fresh parsley

-brown rice cereal or bread crumbs (optional for baking style)

-fresh watermelon

+ right off the bat +

- preheat oven to 400.

- decide if you want to bake or poach your salmon.  if you're poaching it, set a large pot of water to boil

- set a large, deep pot of water to boil.  the amount of water doesn't matter.  this will be for blanching your kale.

- take one cup brown rice and combine with 1 1/2 cups spring water.  bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.

- finely mince scallions and fresh parsley, and store in separate bowls.

- strip kale leaves off the stem and rip into large pieces.  this can be messy.

+ get this party started +

nutty rice

- when your oven has reached 400, place your raw nuts on a baking sheet and roast until cooked, approx 5-10 minutes, tossing after five minutes.  if you're batty like me, set a timer.  i'm notorious for char-broiling nuts.

- toss rice, nuts, a few drops of umeboshi vinegar, and a splash of olive oil.  combine well.

boiled salad with sunflower dressing

- roast sunflower seeds in a small pan until they turn a light golden brown and begin to pop.

- crush sunflower seeds in food processor or chop with knife.

-combine with minced scallions, a splash of umeboshi vinegar, and enough water to turn it to a paste, approximately 2 tbsp.

- toss kale leaves in boiling water and submerge completely.  remove when kale leaves are bright green, slowly turning darker, approximately 3 minutes.

-combine kale and dressing and enjoy.

poached salmon

- set 2 inches of water to boil in a deep pot.  add 2 springs parsley, celery stalk, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tsp. salt (this is familiar to those of you who made the salmon sandwiches.  it's darn good poaching sauce.  why not?)

- submerge salmon, skin side down 12 minutes or until cooked through.

baked salmon

- crush brown rice cereal until the size of bread crumbs, or use bread crumbs.  combine with 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest, 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil.

-place salmon skin-side down in a shallow oven pan.  add 1/2-inch layer of bread crumbs, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 or until cooked through.

fresh watermelon

-slice.  safety first.