We are having this amazing tropical weather the last couple of days.. In the mid 30′s! It really makes packing a chore, a bore and I really  don’t feel like doing it anymore.

But with one of my handy dandy homemade Popsicles you can accomplish any task!

-1-Popsicle mold

-Your favorite juice, apple sauce, pear sauce or fruit puree.

- Thick juices like apricot or pear make for a creamy Popsicle!

-Adding some berries into the mold and filling with a vanilla soy or rice milk also makes a tasty treat.

- Try chocolate rice milk too…

-Freeze overnight and enjoy!

Kombu chips-by Aveline Kushi

4-5 medium sized kombu strips

Light sesame oil

If very salty dust off the kombu with a wet sponge. Break the kombu into 1 inch pieces. Heat at least 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees in a pot. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add several of the kombu pieces to the hot oil. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes or until crispy. Remove, and drain the seaweed of excess oil on a paper towel. Serve in a basket or bowl lined with a napkin to absorb oil.

Variations: Other vegetables can be deep fried this way. Carrots make especially good chips.

-Goes great with a beer!

-A little too salty and strong for kids, give sparingly .

Yahoo! How do you feel now? Feel like you can cook anything? Week 4 Well done!

Tempeh Shish Kebab-by Aveline Kushi

This is a favorite for parties or summer barbecues. Quantity of ingredients will vary with number of people served and how items are arranged on skewers.

Carrots

Burdock

Red radishes

Umeboshi plums

Broccoli flowerets

Cauliflower flowerets

Tempeh

Tamari soy sauce

Cut the carrots and burdock into chunks and lightly boil until soft but not falling apart. Boil the small red radishes with 1-2 umeboshi plums for 15 minutes, or until water has boiled away. Boil the broccoli so that it is still bright green and crunchy. Boil the cauliflower similarly.

Pan-fry or boil tempeh with a little tamari soy sauce until soft but still crispy. Arrange the ingredients attractively on skewers and serve hot

-I added tofu and onions and celery too and served the skewers with watercress/green bean /corn fried rice.

The kids came home singing that annoying McDonald’s commercial ,and after the 100th time I said “That’s it let’s make it” !

-Sourdough buns

-1 lb Halibut

-1 lb  extra firm tofu

-Earths best soy butter (optional)

-Soy cheese slices

-Tarter sauce

-Olive oil

-Bread crumbs

Halibut/Tofu

Coat both sides of the halibut/tofu in bread crumbs and set aside. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron frying pan.When the oil is hot place the fish/tofu in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until there is a nice golden crust. Flip over the fish/tofu and sprinkle with a little salt/pepper or ume vinegar. cook for another 2-3 min. Place a lid on top of the pan and cook for another 1-2 min then place on bun.

Tarter sauce

Mix together a little soy mayonnaise and a diced dill pickle.Or  blanch a 1/4 lb of tofu and blend till smooth add a couple of drops of lemon juice or ume vinegar and a diced dill pickle.

Fruit Salad-by Aveline kushi

Lettuce leaves

1/2 Cup cubed honeydew melon

1/2 Cup cubed cantaloupe

1/2 Cup seeded watermelon shaped into balls with a scoop

1/2 Cup sliced unpeeled apples

Pinch of sea salt

Put a few fresh leaves in the bottom of a serving bowl. In a separate bowl mix the fruit with the salt. Then arrange it in the bowl on top of the lettuce leaves. Allow to sit about 15 minutes before serving.

Tofu Croquettes -by Aveline Kushi

16 oz hard tofu

1/4 Cup carrots cut into matchsticks

1/4 Cup arame

Spring or filtered water

4-5 Almonds

Kuzu or arrowroot flour, if needed

Dark sesame oil

Sliced scallions for garnish

Squeeze out the water from the tofu and mash the tofu in a suribachi. Boil sliced carrots and arame separately in a little water until tender. Mix  with the tofu and form into 4-5 croquettes. Insert an almond into the center of each croquette. Add a little kuzu or arrowroot flour to the mixture if the ingredients don’t stick together. If still wet, roll in flour. Then deep-fry for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Tofu croquettes may be served with a sauce made from onions and carrots cooked in a dashi soup stock with a little kuzu to thicken the sauce, a mild tamari soy sauce to taste, and a little grated fresh ginger and daikon radish. the croquettes may be simmered in the sauce for 1-2 minutes and then served with the  sauce on top. garnish with sliced scallions.

-I did end up using some arrowroot flour to hold them together.

- I served them with tahini soba noodles and a ginger/tamari sauce.

-I  crumbled the tofu with my hands instead of using a suribachi.

Week 3 Recipes:

15-Wakame cucumber salad

16-Fruit Salad

17-Mixed pressed salad

18-Miso tahini dressing

19-Mustard green pickles

20-Kidney beans

21-Yudofu

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.

 The Fruits of fall

We spent many afternoons so far this fall at U-pick farms,where we picked berries, apples, pears, peaches and more. Such a great outdoor activity!  A day in the sun,fresh air and delicious fruit.

Raspberries 

Raspberry kanten

1 1/2 Cups water

1 1/2 Cups apple juice

4 tbsp agar-agar flakes

1 – 1 1/2 Cup fresh raspberries

pinch of sea salt

In a medium pot bring water and juice to a boil,add the pinch of sea salt, slowly stir in agar- agar until it dissolves. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 min.  Place raspberries into a small glass pan (casserole  style). Pour mixture  over raspberries. Refrigerate until set. About 1 hour.

Freezing Raspberries

wash, and place raspberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer. When frozen transfer raspberries into freezer bags.

Peaches

Peach Crisp

5-6 peaches, remove pits and slice thinly

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup rice syrup

—

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp sesame or corn oil

1/2 cup roasted walnuts

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 Cup rolled oats

2 tbsp rice syrup

Heat oven to 375′

In a large pan, add peaches,arrowroot, sea salt ,1/2 cup rice syrup and cinnamon. Place in stove and cook slowly on low heat until peaches become soft, adding water if they stick. About 10 min. Pour peach mixture into a large baking dish.

For the topping mix all dry ingredients and  roast in a cast iron pan for 2-3 min , place in a bowl and add wet ingredients. Crumble  mixture with your hands over the peaches. Bake in oven for 20-30 min until top is crisp and fruit is bubbly.

Freezing peaches

Fill a large pot to the brim with sliced peaches ,a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of rice syrup. Bring to a boil on low heat and stir until peaches are soft. Cool and place in containers. Freeze.

Apples

Applesauce

 This recipe is for those who do not have a foley food mill.

5 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1- 1 1/2 Cups water

1/4 tsp sea salt

Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 min. Make sure to stir every few min.  Turn off heat and mash any lumps with a potato masher. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chestnuts

- Prick chestnuts with a fork and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 min. The skin should be splitting and the inside a golden brown colour . Do not roast  them for too long. They can EXPLODE!

- Boil chestnuts with fennel seed in a small amount of water for 15-20 min till you can pierce easily with a fork.

-After chestnuts are cooked, peel while still warm and blend until smooth with water and a pinch of sea salt to make a puree. You can add sweetener if you like, but I find chestnuts are nice and sweet on their own.

What a busy summer! Here we are back in New Haven and it’s fall again. My family and I traveled home to beautiful Prince Edward Island for the summer.I had so much fun catching up with friends and spending time with family. I also had the pleasure of working at my mother’sflower farm , at the Charlottetown farmers market and at Ship to shore restaurant .

The kids had a blast going to the beach, playing in their new playhouse(built by Grampa) . They also went to horse camp. Pan and I love being able to stay at our farm in the country , but boy does it go by fast…..

Back  in Connecticut I’m always surprised by the warm fall weather. It is like having a second summer, and there are many orchards and farms still offering fresh fruit and vegetables. Here are a few recipes that feature fresh local  New England produce.

ROASTED BEET SALAD

1lb small beets
2 tbsp sesame oil
Sea salt and pepper
5 lg shallots,peeled and sliced in half
2 oranges,peeled and cut into wedges/sections
1/2 cup cilantro, washed and minced
1tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp ginger juice
1/2 cup orange juice
Set oven at 400
Cut stems off beets, do not peel. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and toss beets with 1/2 the oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 25 min. mix shallots with remanding oil and add to beets and roast 20 more min.
mix beets and shallots with remaining ing.
enjoy:)

Kale and Tofu Salad

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.