Are you sick of miso soup ? Do you want to take a day off? Why not, go ahead! Here are some other spring dishes that are lovely instead! 

Kale and Tofu Salad (O.k I snuck in some miso)

1lb firm tofu, sliced into 8 rectangles

sesame oil

1 lg bunch lacinato kale

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup parsley , minced

1-2 green onions, minced

Miso dressing

In a cast iron frying pan , fry tofu till golden on both sides in 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Set aside and cool on a paper towel. Cut into cubes.

Wash kale and thinly slice the entire leaf, mix with ,sesame seeds, parsley, onions and miso dressing. Top with tofu and serve.

Ingrid’s Vegetable soup

1 Tbsp Sesame or Olive oil

1 onion, diced

1tsp ginger, minced

3 carrots, sliced into thin rounds

3 celery stalks, diced

1 cup diakon,sliced into thin half moons

2 bay leaves

1 tsp turmeric

2 cups broccoli, chopped

2 cups cauliflower, chopped

2 cups collard greens, shredded

11/2 tbsp Umeboshi vinegar

8 cups water

sea salt

Heat oil in a large pan and saute, onion, ginger,carrots and celery with a pinch of sea salt for about 4-5 minutes , add all the rest of the ingredients except Ume vinegar and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes . Add ume vinegar and cook for 2 more min and serve…

Tomorrow I will be starting the FOURTH annual spring challenge.  The last  three years went great! I used Aveline Kushi’s book(The Complete Guide To macrobiotic Cooking), then Christina Cooks-Everything You Always Wanted to Know about WholeFoods but were afraid to ask. Last year I  choseThe Hip Chick’s guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter.  This year I will be doing something new. This May’s spring challenge will be all about miso soup! Some of my recipes and some from the many cookbooks in my pantry! Soon you will be having a great time and will feel wonderful eating a new delicious miso soup everyday . Don’t worry if you don’t own a miso cookbook. I will be posting the recipes everyday with photos.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today is Day 1- Finding your cookbook and collecting your groceries.

(General Miso soup Ingredients- Kombu, wakame, onions, tofu, scallions, daikon, barley/rice/white/red miso )

Day 2- Basic miso soup

Day 3- Miso soup with daikon and onions

Day 4- Miso soup with tahini

Day 5- Miso soup with carrots and parsley

Day 6- Miso soup with white miso and tofu

Day 7- Miso soup with edamame and corn

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

Please join me starting May 1st and enjoy a fresh new (or old favourite) recipe every day for a month..  Bring on the spring.

Thirty days hath September,

April, June, and November;

All the rest have thirty-one,

Save February, with twenty-eight days clear,

And twenty-nine each leap year.

It’s been 31 days. Thank you Jessica Porter for helping to feed my family and challenging me with new, fun, whole foods , macrobiotic recipes. I hope that everyone’s recipe repertoire has increased and you have enjoyed the challenge of cooking a new recipe a day with me.

I am going to end the challenge with one of Jessica’s seasonal menus. Feel free to make your favorite dishes tonight or start on a new journey with a new cookbook. Thank you for joining me and congratulations on becoming a better cook.

A Springtime Menu

Lentil Soup

Mediterranean Barley Salad

Boiled Salad With Lots Of Leafy Greens

Strawberry Kanten With Tofu Cream

Barley Tea

Lentil Soup 

(Even though she suggested Lentil soup in her menu, she did not have a lentil soup recipe in her book. So I’m posting one from last years challenge)

Mediterranean Barley Salad

Boiled Salad With Lots Of Leafy Greens

Follow the directions for the Boiled salad recipe above but add a variety of greens (kale, collards,bokchoy, cabbage etc..)

Strawberry Kanten With Tofu Cream

Kanten

4 Cups organic apple juice

1/4 Cup agar agar flakes

1/4 Cup rice syrup

Pinch sea salt

1/4 Cup kuzu root starch

1 Cup Fresh or frozen organic strawberries, chopped

Creamy Tofu Topping

1 Pound firm tofu

1 Cup rice syrup or 2/3 Cup maple syrup

1 Teaspoon umeboshi vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla

Garnish

1/2 Cup finely sliced roasted almonds

Bring 31/2 cups of the apple juice, agar agar, rice syrup, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to low simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the agar flakes are dissolved. Dilute the kuzu in the remaining 1/2 cup  of apple juice (this juice must be room temperature or cold in order to dilute the kuzu properly). Mix  well with fingers in order to get rid of any lumps of kuzu. Add the diluted kuzu to the pot, stirring constantly to avoid lumping.

As you stir, bring the mixture back to a boil (kuzu needs to boil in order to thicken). Let boil about 1 minute, as you continue stirring. It should become slightly thickened and a little glossy, like a gravy. Add the chopped strawberries and simmer 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and pour into serving cups. Let the kanten set for about 1 hour(refrigeration optional). Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop the tofu in and let it cook for 2 minutes. Remove from water. Put the tofu, sweetener, vinegar, and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Whiz ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust sweeteners to your liking. Chill until cool and a little thickened. When the kanten has set, garnish each serving with a dollop of the creamy tofu topping and top with a sprinkle of roasted almonds.

Barley Tea

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Noodles In Broth

-Also Ingrids 11th Birthday!

I told Ingrid I would make anything she wanted for her birthday supper. She requested her favorite “Noodles in Broth” !

1 8-Ounce package udon or soba noodles

A 3-inch strip kombu

2 Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup water for 15 minutes, destemmed, and sliced

4 Cups spring water

2-3  Tablespoons shoyu

1 Tablespoon mirin (optional)

1 Drop brown rice vinegar(optional)

Scallions for garnish

1 Sheet toasted nori sea vegetable , cut into 1-inch-by-1/4-inch strips

Toasted sesame seeds, bonito flakes, or grated ginger (optional)

Cook noodles, rinse with cold water, and drain. Place kombu and shiitake in a pot and add water and shiitake soaking water. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove kombu and slice into thin strips and add back to the stock. Reduce the flame to low. Add shoyu(add mirin and rice vinegar, if desired) to taste and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Place the noodles in serving bowls and ladle broth on top of them. Garnish with scallions, slices of shiitake, and strips of nori. If desired, add optional garnishes , too.

-Ingrid wanted a “garden party” so she invited a few friends over and on a lovely  12 degree (Celsius) day, she blew bubbles and planted flowers and ate Noodles in Broth! 

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Corn Chowdah

6 ears of corn

1 2-inch strip kombu

6-8 cups spring water

1 Teaspoon corn oil

1 Large onion, diced

1 Leek, thinly sliced

2 Medium carrots, diced

1/2 Cup cornmeal

1-2 Tablespoons white miso or sea salt to taste

Fresh chopped dill or basil for garnish

Slice corn off cob with a sharp knife. Place cobs and kombu in a medium-sized pot. Add water, bring to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes. In a large soup pot, heat corn oil and saute onion and leek until onion is translucent. Add carrots and saute 3 more minutes. Add corn and saute 1 more minute. Sprinkle cronmeal into pot and stir well until vegetables are coated. When mixture begins to turn golden, strain cobs from stock and add stock to soup pot, stirring quickly to prevent lumps. Place on flame deflector and simmer for 30 minutes. Dissolve miso or sea salt and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Use chopped fresh dill or chopped fresh basil for garnish.

- This dish really surprised me. I usually use rice or soy milk in a corn chowder. The cornmeal was a great idea! This soup was so calming and centering. Well done Jessica! 

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Hambulghur Helper

Toasted sesame oil to fry tempeh, plus 1 tablespoon

8oz Tempeh, sliced into bite sized cubes

1 Medium onion, diced

1/8 Teaspoon sea salt

1 Large carrot, cut into matchsticks

2 Cups bulghur wheat

1 Cup whole wheat rotini or elbow noodles

5 cups spring water

3 tablespoons of shoyu

2 Tablespoons mirin

1/8 Teaspoon brown rice vinegar

Kernels from 1 ear of corn

2 Stalks celery, diced

In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil over meidum heat. When hot (but not smoking) add tempeh, frying the cubes until browned and crispy. Remove from heat and let drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat. Add onion and salt and saute until translucent. Add carrot and saute for a few more minutes. Pour in bulghur wheat and noodles, stirring them into the vegetables. Fold in tempeh. Mix water, shoyu, mirin, and vinegar altogether, and add to pot. Bring to a boil uncovered, reduce flame to low, cover, and place on flame deflector. Let simmer 15 minutes. Add corn and celery. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let sit a couple of minutes to prevent sticking. Serve.

-This dish was solid comfort food, a fast one-pot meal. We thought it could have been made with half the tempeh though. 

All recipes posted with permission from Jessica Porter 

Tofu “Egg” Salad

1 Pound firm or extra-firm tofu

1/2 Cup Tofu mayonnaise

1/4 Cup tahini

1/4 Cup minced red onion

1/4 Cup minced dill pickles

1 Tablespoon umeboshi vinegar

1 Tablespoon organic dijon mustard

1 Teaspoon shoyu

1/2 Teaspoon mirin

1/2 Teaspoon tumeric

1/8Teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Boil the tofu for 5 minutes to make it more digestible. Set aside and let cool. Mix together all other ingredients and crumble tofu into it. Mix thoroughly and serve.

- We served this in pita bread. A friend of Lucy’s said “Really it’s not egg”? Pan really liked it and egg/mayo dishes are not his thing.  My sister came by and had some and thought it would go great on toast with a slice of tomato.

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Christina’s Chickenless Chicken Salad

1 Pound extra-firm tofu

Shoyu

Spring water

3 Celery stalks, diced

1 Small red onion, diced

1 Red bell pepper, roasted over an open flame, peeled, seeded and diced

1 Teaspoon each basil, sage, rosemary, oregano
2 Teaspoons paprika
1-1 1/2 Cup Tofu Mayo

Preheat oven to 400o. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Slice tofu 1/4-inch thick. Place slices in a shallow dish and cover with a mixture that is 1 part soy sauce to 4 parts water. Allow tofu to marinate for 10 minutes. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until a deep, golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them. Then, shred the tofu slices with a sharp knife, creating irregular, angular pieces..reminiscent of shredded chicken. Mix with vegetables, spices and Tofu Mayo until ingredients are well-incorporated. Chill thoroughly before serving.

- I omitted the red pepper because of personal preference. I sent these sandwiches off to school for lunches. Verdict- thumbs up!

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Seitan Stew

1-2 Cups seitan, cut into big bite sized chunks

3 Cloves garlic, cut into small pieces

1 Medium onion, cut into thick wedges

2 Carrots, cut into large diagonal chunks

1 Stalk burdock,, sliced on a thin diagonal

1 Cup Brussels sprouts, cut in half

1 Stalk celery, cut on a thin diagonal

Spring water

1/4 Cup shoyu

Kuzu, diluted in 1/3 cup cold water

Place seitan and garlic , onions, carrots, burdock, Brussels sprouts, and celery into a 6 quart pot. Add spring water to just cover, then add shoyu. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame to low and simmer until vegetables are done, about 20 minutes. Add diluted kuzu, stirring constantly until it thickens stew. Simmer for 5 more minutes. If the stew is too thin, add a little more thickener. If too thick, add more cold water for desired consistency.

- I can’t buy fresh burdock on our island so I used other root vegetables instead. I added some diakon and some parsnip. It was a crappy rainy day and this dish was perfect!  

All recipes are posted with permission from Jessica Porter.