Happy Easter weekend! It is quite a warm day here in New Haven (26 degrees C), so turning on my oven was not a welcome thought. The end result was worth the 30 min of extra heat and the Arepas were enjoyed by everyone!

Arepas- By Aveline Kushi

These delicious corn dough balls are the traditional staple in many parts of  Latin America and are eaten instead of wheat bread. They can be made  plain or stuffed with a variety of ingredients.

11/2 Pounds corn dough – (corn masa/flour)

1/4 tsp sea salt

Spring or filtered water

Sesame oil, preferably dark

Crumble the dough(corn flour) and add the salt. Knead with a small amount of water until soft and the consistency of bread dough. If you use too much liquid, add more dough(corn flour) or let it dry for a few minutes in the open air. Form the dough into 6-8 fist sized balls. Brush a cast iron frying pan with dark sesame oil. Flatten the arepas into ovals. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until a crust forms. Then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the arepas begin t puff up. they are done when they make a hollow, popping sound when tapped.

Variations: Arepas can also be made without baking by pan frying for 10 minutes in a covered frying pan over low heat. then uncover, turn up the heat, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. for variety, try adding 2 cups of sesame seeds or chopped sauteed vegetables to the dough and knead thoroughly, Fancier arepas can also be made by serving with tofu, tempeh, or miso-tahini spread.

- I served the Arepas with re-fried beans, lettuce and salsa.

Maki Sushi, by Aveline Kushi

Maki-sushi is the familiar rolled sushi. Popular varieties include nori-maki, consisting of lightly boiled carrots, scallion and egg; kappa-maki, cucumber; and tekka-maki, raw tuna. The basic method is as follows:

1 sheet nori

1-2 Cups cooked brown rice

1 Carrot

Pinch of sea salt

2-3 whole scallion greens

1/8 tsp Umeboshi paste

Toast the sheet of nori over low heat for a few seconds until it turns green. Place the nori on a flat bamboo sushi mat. rinse your hands with water to prevent rice from sticking and spread the rice evenly over the nori. Leave uncovered about 1/2 to 1 inch along the top end of the nori and from 1/8 to 1/4 inch at the bottom.

Slice a carrot into long strips about 1/4 inch thick. Boil the carrot strips with a pinch of sea salt for 2-3 minutes. Remove when the carrots are crisp and let cool. Cut the scallion greens into 8-10 inch strips and blanch in boiling water for a few seconds. Place carrot and scallion greens lengthwise about 1/2-1 inch from the bottom of the sheet of nori. Puree the umeboshi lightly and spread it along the entire length of the vegetables.

Roll the sushi mat up, pressing firmly against the rice. make sure the vegetables are in the center of the roll. Vegetables too far to the side indicate placing them too far from the bottom edge of the nori and rice before rolling. Wet the edge of the nori slightly to seal the rolled up sushi.

To cut, moisten a sharp knife and slice the sushi roll into 1/2-1 inch thick rounds. The knife should be moistened before each slice. the nori may tear or the rice stick to the knife if the blade is not sharp.

After slicing, arrange the rounds on a platter or serving bowl. the cut side with rice and vegetables should be facing up.

-I used pre-toasted nori sheets.

-I also use a umeboshi paste and so did not have to puree my own.

- We also added lots of other fillings, for some other suggestions click here.

- I served the sushi with a miso soup and steamed greens.

(April fools)

Summer Style Fried Rice, by Aveline Kushi

1-2 Tbsp Dark sesame oil

1 Cup crumbled tofu

1/2 Cup diced onion

1 Tbsp chopped scallion roots

1 Cup fresh corn kernels (scraped from 1 medium sized ear of corn)

2 Cups cooked brown rice

1-2 Tbsp tamari soy sauce or sea salt

1/2 Cup chopped parsley or scallions

Toasted nori strips

Heat a frying pan and add the oil. Add the tofu and scramble for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion, scallion roots, corn and rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables and rice are hot. Add a little tamari soy sauce or sea salt. Cook a few minutes longer. Just before the dish is ready, add the chopped parsley or scallions. Mix the rice and vegetables well. Serve and garnish with toasted strips of nori. If you want to keep the parsley or scallions bright green, do not cook them with the rice; simply use them as a garnish.

- If you have no roots on your scallion(green onion) You can use the tops.

- I used frozen organic corn niblets because it’s too early for fresh corn.

- I also used Shoyu instead of tamari .

- I served rice with steamed brussels sprouts with lemon rind , carrots with apple cider vinegar and black sesame seeds, parsley, green onion and a little roasted red pepper on the side.

Tomorrow I will be starting my spring cooking challenge.  If you don’t own Aveline Kushi’s book(The Complete Guide To macrobiotic Cooking) don’t fret, I will be posting all the recipes as well as photos and you can follow along. Or, pick your favorite cookbook  or Chef to follow. The point is adding new recipes to our daily repertoire.

As I look at my bookshelf I realize that I have many favorite cookbooks and admire many Chefs.  For instance Wendy Esko, Christina Pirello, Jessica Porter, Jack Bishop, Warren Wepman, Lima Ohsawa and Meredith McCarty to name a few.  For some reason when I travel I always end up finding room for “The Complete Guide To Macrobiotic Cooking ” by Aveline Kushi. I know that macrobiotic cooking has changed over the years,  There’s a little less salt a lot more variety, but my Father was healed from cancer by using the cookbooks of amazing women and their families  like Cornellia Aihara ,Lima Ohsawa, Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko. Those are my roots . My comfort foods. So let’s begin!

This first week all  recipes will be using Grains.

1-Summer style fried Rice

2-Maki sushi

3-Arepas

4-Noodles and broth

5-Fried noodles

6-Seitan Kinpira

7-Buckwheat pancakes with strawberry kuzu sauce

Please post comments and photo’s of what you are cooking!

We are slowly settling in for the summer back on beautiful Prince Edward Island.  We have been so busy that for the past couple of days I’ve only managed to make one-pot meals, like soups and rice dishes. Check out this great recipe from Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko, we love it!

Brown Rice with Tofu and Veggies

2 cups organic brown rice,rinsed and soaked for 1 hour

1 cup pan fried tofu, cubed

2 tbsp bonito flakes(optional)

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup carrot, diced

1/2 cup fresh green peas, boiled until tender

4 cups water

pinch of sea salt

                                Place rice, fried tofu,bontito flakes, onions, celery,carrots and water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, add sea salt. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 min. Remove cover and mix in the peas. let sit fo 2-3 min then serve.

Rice and corn Patties

4 Cups cooked short grain organic brown rice 

1/2 Cup corn flour

1 Tbsp arrowroot flour diluted in a little water

1 Cup fresh corn niblets

1/2 Tsp sea salt

1/2 Cup green onion , finely sliced

2 Cloves garlic, minced (optional)

1 Tbsp dried sage

Corn oil for baking

Preheat oven to 350′. Mix all ingredients together, and using a 1/4 cup measuring cup scoop and mold mixture into patties. Place patties on an oiled cookie sheet bake in oven for for 10 minutes, flip patties over and bake them for another 5 minutes until golden. 

Rice Balls

4 Cups cooked Short grain brown rice

about 3 umeboshi plums

2 sheets of toasted nori 

roasted sesame seeds

A great use for fresh or leftover rice. 

             Set aside a bowl of lightly salted water. Dip hands in and while damp pick up a small handful of rice. Form rice into a ball by squeezing between hands passing back and forth until it’s a solid ball. Press a hole in the center of the ball with your finger and fill with a small piece of umeboshi plum. Then close over the hole and gently roll ball in sesame seeds or cover with a small square of nori. Continue until all rice is used.

Updated version of our rice song.

…”You wouldn’t try and drive an empty car to work would you? So why drive an empty body?”

Breakfast -  (Literally breaking a fast ). It is the meal eaten after a long period of sleep. Eaten mostly in the morning, it is the most important meal of the day. Without breakfast you simply will not run as smoothly. Lack of energy, poor concentration, overeating later in the day, weight gain, irritability etc.. are associated with not eating breakfast. What you eat for breakfast sets the tone for the rest
of your day.

Felix’s granola

6 Cups oatmeal

1/3 Cup brown sesame seeds

1/2 Cup almonds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup of puffed organic grain cereal

a pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup of good quality vegetable oil

1/3 cup rice syrup or maple syrup

1/2 cup of raisins

6 dried unsulfured apricots sliced thin

Heat oven to 350′

Stir together the oats,sesame seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds and the sea salt. Mix in the wet ingredients and pour onto a cookie sheet(may take two sheets)  Bake in the oven until browned , stirring every five minutes. Pour into an large airtight container and mix in the raisins and apricots. Enjoy !

Poached Tofu

I like to jazz this breakfast up with lots of fun ingredients. For instance adding a shitake mushroom, slice of ginger ,daikon or a small piece of kombu to the cooking water adds a nice flavor.  When serving it can be really yummy to add a little dijon mustard to the bread, a miso-tahini spread, pesto etc.. Also some fresh greens, or onions. Below is the basic recipe.

2 Cups water

2 Tsp shoyu

1/2 lb tofu, cut into 4 slices

Bring water to a boil, add shoyu and tofu. Cook for 2-3 min. Drain tofu and serve as is or on toast.

Apricot rice cereal

1Cup cooked brown rice

1cup soy/rice milk ( we like Eden rice and soy)

2 cups water

5 dried unsulfured apricots, diced

Place all ingredients into a pot, place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover pot with a lid and place and turn heat to low. Simmer for 25-30 min or until the rice is soft and creamy.

Miso soup

There are many versions of this amazing soup. this one is a favorite with my kids.

4 Cups water

1 small onion cut into quarter moons

2 cups green peas

1/4 cup thinly sliced daikon

1-2 inch piece of wakame , soaked and diced

1 1/2 tbsp of barley miso

1/2 lb tofu , cut into tiny cubes (optional)

Bring water , wakame and onions to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 20 min. Dilute miso in a small amount of hot broth and add to soup along with the peas(and tofu) and simmer until peas turn bright green. Serve

Other breakfast suggestions

-Steamed veggies

-Whole grain pancakes/waffles

-Mochi

-perogies

-Cornmeal

-Oatmeal

-Scrambled tofu

-Muffins

I’m not talking about demons and quaint villages of Ireland ! This is  about wheat meat and an amazing grain!

Quinoa

-1 cup quinoa

-2 cups water

-pinch of sea salt

wash quinoa really well, put in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and place a lid on the pot. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 min. Fluff with a fork and serve..

Saucy Seitan Stir fry

-1Tbsp Sesame oil

-1/2 Onion,minced

-1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks

-2 Taro potatoes,cut into half moons

-6 Green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces

-1/2 Cucumber, cut into matchsticks

-5 Collard leaves, shredded

-1 pkg Seitan

-1Tbsp Shoyu

-1 Tbsp Sesame seeds

-11/2 cups water

-1Tbsp kudzu, mixed into 1 tbsp water

Heat oil in a wok or cast iron frying pan, add onions and a pinch of sea salt.  Stir in pan for 2-3 min, then add carrots, potatoes and green onions. Saute for another 3 min. Add remaining ingredients plus 1/2 cup of the water. Place a lid on the pan and steam for 3-5 min or until water is absorbed.  Take off the lid and add the rest of the water and the kudzu, Stir until liquid thickens. Serve

Wild rice, sweet rice, brown rice, long grain, short grain, red rice, white rice,jasmine rice, sticky rice,sake rice,basmati rice…   So many kinds of rice!  So how about a Rice song!