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.

The next group of recipes are under the catagory of conversion!

Tempeh Burritos

1- 8oz Package tempeh

2 Cups water

1/2 Cup shoyu

3 Tablespoons mirin

1 Dash brown rice vinegar

Toasted sesame oil or light sesame oil

1 Small onion diced

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon chili pwder

1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder

Whole wheat tortillas

Soy cheese, grated

Tofu sour cream (see day 14)

Cut tempeh into four chunks and bring to a boil in the water, shoyu, mirin and brown rice vinegar. Let simmer 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, coat a skillet generously with oil. Saute onion with salt, until onion is translucent.

Crumble up cooked tempeh into bits like ground beef and saute with the onion. The tempeh should be well seasoned, but keep the cooking liquid just in case you would like to add a little more later. Stir in chili powder and garlic powder. Allow whole concoction to cook for about 5 minutes. the tempeh should absorb lots of the oil and may even get a little crispy.

Warm a tortilla in another skillet. Add “beef” and some grated soy cheese. Wrap tortilla around filling and let warm on the skillet so that the soy cheese melts. Serve with tofu sour cream and /or guacamole.

 - So delicious! I added about 2 cups of cooked kidney beans to the tempeh mix to stretch the recipe. Felix said they were awesome! My sister came over and had 2! 

All recipes are posted with permission from Jessica Porter.

Kasha And Cabbage

2 Cups spring water

1 Pinch sea salt

1 Cup roasted buckwheat

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 Cup diced onion

2 Cups red cabbage, in large dices

1 Tablespoon umeboshi vinegar

1 Teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 Cup sauerkraut juice

1/2 Cup chopped parsley

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add buckwheat. Let it return to a boil, then cover , reduce heat, and let simmer 15-20 minutes over a flame deflector. Turn off heat. Let sit 15 minutes to let grains unstick from bottom of pot. Remove lid and fluff. Set buckwheat aside to cool.

Heat oil in skillet over a medium flame. Saute the onion and cabbage, adding umeboshi vinegar to retain the purple color of the cabbage. Add caraway seeds and saute until the vegetables are quite limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooled  buckwheat and mix thoroughly. Add the sauerkraut juice, stir , cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 1 minute to absorb the juice. Toss in parsley and serve.

-This dish makes your house smell great. Good hot or cold! 

All recipes printed with permission from Jessica Porter 

Day 9- Tempeh Burritos

Day 10-Seitan Stew

Day 11- Christina’s Chickenless Chicken Salad

Day 12- Tofu “Egg” Salad

Day 13- Lisa’s Mango Laasi

Day 14-Tofu Sour Cream

Day 15- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Millet Mashed “Potatoes” With Mushroom Gravy

1 Cup millet, washed

3 Cups water

2 Cups cauliflower, in small florets or medium-sized chunks

Pinch of sea salt

Gravy

Toasted sesame oil

1 Medium onion, diced

Pinch of sea salt

12 White button mushrooms or 8 shiitake or 6 dried shiitake

About 2 cups spring water

1/4 Cup shoyu

2 Tablespoons mirin

1 Drop brown rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons kuzu, diluted in 1/2 cup cold water

Scallions or parsley for garnish

Place the washed millet in a heavy 2-quart pot. Over medium heat, stir the millet continually until it dries and then becomes aromatic and ever so slightly golden in color. This can take 5-8 minutes. Add water and cauliflower. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Cover and simmer over a flame deflector for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Put millet through a hand mill or blend in a food processor or in the pot with a handheld food processor. Blend to desired consistancy.

To make gravy, heat toasted sesame oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion, salt, and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and saute until soft and moist. Add water and bring to a boil. Season with shoyu, mirin, and brown rice vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your taste, and simmer 5 more minutes.

Add diluted kuzu to simmering mixture and stir constantly as kuzu thickens and comes to a boil. After the kuzu has boiled, the gravy is ready. Spoon over millet mash on individual plates and serve. Garnish with scallions or parsley.

-What a great mashed potato alternative! My family was 50/50 about this recipe. Pan, Lucy and I loved it and came back for seconds. The other 2 politely ate it . One doesn’t like mushrooms the other thinks millet stinks. Pan ate his with some leftover avocado. YUM!

All recipes are printed with permission from Jessica Porter

Quinoa Salad

1/2 Medium red onion, cut fine into half moons

4 radishes, cut fine into half moons

2 Tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

1 Tablespoon brown rice vinegar

11/2 Cups quinoa

3 Cups spring water

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2/3 Cups hazlenuts

1/4 Cup chopped parsley or chopped mint

1/2 Cup rasins, washed and drained

Mix the onion and radishes with both vinegars. Place a plate and weiht on top, and press for 1 hour to pickle. Wash quinoa thoroughly with water to remove bitter aponin on the outside of the grain. Roast in a dry heavy-bottom fry pan until dry, stirring contantly until grian begins to turn golden and puff up a little.

Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan, stir in quinoa, cover and bring back to a boil. Turn the flame down low and simmer until all the water is absorbed (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and turn into a mixing bowl to cool .

Wash and roast hazelnuts at 350′F until nuts re golden and skins crack and loosen . Rub thr nuts in a fry dishcloth to remove any loose skins. Chop roughly. Mix in hazelnuts, quinoa, onions, radishes, herbs and raisins together, including pickling liquid. Serve.

-Ume pickled radishes have a bit of a funky smell (or as my kids say farty smell). This dish is great, it’s light and tasty and was perfect for lunch today.

All recipes printed with permission from Jessica Porter .

Mediterranean Barley Salad

Dressing

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

Pinch of sea salt

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or 1 tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar plus 1 tablespoon of umeboshi vinegar

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 Cup olive oil

Salad

5 Cups spring water

2 Cups pearl or hulled barley

1/2 Teaspoon sea salt

2 Bay leaves

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried and crumbled

1/3 Cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives 1/3 Cup drained capers

1/2 Cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 Cup finely chopped green onions

To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or dressing bottle and set aside.

To prepare salad, bring water to a boil. Add barley with salt and bay leaves. Simmer for 1 hour or until all water is absorbed. Cool and add dressing and oregano. Chill about 2 hours or until ready to serve. Before serving, add olives, capers, pine nuts and green onions. Serve.

-Holy crap this dish was sooo good! We didn’t wait for this to cool down we ate it when it was still warm. My kids loved it  and Pan said “I love it and I don’t even like barley”

All recipes are posted with the permission of Jessica Porter .

Welcome to your first day of the Spring Cooking Challenge. Day 1 was picking your cookbook. Today we start cooking. Let me know with comments and pictures how your challenge is going!

Perfect Brown Rice

2 Cups short- or medium-grain brown rice, soaked in spring water overnight if possible

4 Cups spring water

2 Pinches sea salt

Whether soaking or not, rice always  needs to be washed and checked for hulls, bugs, and rocks. So to begin, examine the rice for foriegn matter and discard it. Then, in the cooking pot (preferably a heavy one), cover the rice with water. Swirl the rice and water around with your hand a few times and then pour off the water through a strainer, so as not to lose any rice. Repeat this rinsing one more time. Don’t worry if the water seems cloudy. the murkiness is the result of natural starch, and we don’t want to rinse it all away.

If soaking the rice, measure out the amount of water needed for cooking and pour it on top of the rice. let sit 3-12 hours and cook in soaking water.

If not soaking, simply add the cooking water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. When it is boiling, add salt, reduce heat to low, place on flame deflector, cover with heavy lid, and simmer 50 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice sit 5 minutes to unstick from bottom of pot. Fluff with wooden spoon and serve.

-Here is a silly video I made about cooking the perfect pot of rice. 

This recipe was printed with permission from Jessica Porter.