Happy New Year Everyone!

We love to have sushi, so sushi it was last night! What a wonderful thing. It has all the food groups rolled up into one perfect bite!  Iron,zinc,copper,calcium,fiber,b1,protein,manganese,and lots more….

( Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes “coming full circle,” completing a year’s cycle)

What you need to get started..

A clean counter top or table, a cutting board ,sharp knife,a wet cloth,a bamboo mat,a bowl of water and all your favorite sushi ingredients..

1pkg toasted sushi nori

Shoyu or tamari soy sauce

Pickled ginger

Rice

Wasabi

Seasoned rice vinegar

Vegetables eg:cucumber

                       carrot

                       green onions

                       water cress

                       avocado

                       red bell pepper

Black or brown sesame seed ( toasted)

Tempeh

Tofu

Smoked and/or raw fish

Tips… make sushi with shiny side of nori down on the mat

… even pressure along the entire length when rolling

… don’t get carried away with too much filling

SUSHI RICE

White rice:(sticky sushi rice) Thoroughly rinse 1 cup rice in cool water. Repeat process until water runs clear. Drain well. Place 1 cup rinsed rice in a heavy pot. Add 11/4 cups cold water. Heat on high until boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 min or until water is absorbed. Do not lift lid during cooking. Remove pan from heat and let sit covered for 10 min. After 10 min rest period put rice into a non metallic bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar. mix well .

Brown rice:(short grain organic) Rinse 1 cup rice in cool water. Place in a heavy pot. Add 2 cups +2 tbsp water let rice soak for at least an hour before cooking. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 55 min or until water is absorbed. Try not to lift lid or stir rice while cooking. After rice is done let it cool for 10 min before adding the 2 tbsp rice vinegar.  

Hello, I’m Sarah Forrester Wendt, this is my first blog entry! I thought I would start of with some yummy macrobiotic/whole foods recipes for the holidays

It’s Holiday time…My favorite part as always is the food!! It’s the time of year where all those decadent things are a must! Pate’s and pastes, pickles and preserves, sweet things and  baked anything! MMM.

Trying to keep it all in the whole foods compartment can be a little challenging. But more and more vegetarian and vegan ingredients are easier to find. I have a husband(a graduate student) and 3 hungry kids, and we are on a tight budget, so what do we do around the holidays. Well we pick our food carefully, splurge on a few unnecessary items and top it all off with a good bottle of wine.

Here are some family favorites to get you started and to keep those belly’s nice and warm

Merry Christmas and a blessed and bountiful New Year!

Nothing like going sledding and coming home to a nice hot cup of cider..mmm!I like plain old apple cider with some added spring water heated up, but over the holidays it can be fun to add a little spice to it!

Spiced Hot apple cider

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple juice or apple cider

1 cinnamon sticks

2 whole cloves

1 whole nutmeg

1/2 orange peel, cut into strips

1/2 lemon peel, cut into strips

(make sure your peel is organic)

Directions

Pour apple juice/cider into a large stainless steel pot

Place spices and peels into a cheese cloth. Drop cheesecloth into apple juice/cider. If you don’t have cheese cloth, just throw it all in loose and pick it out later or let the spices sink to the bottom.

heat to just short of a boil. Then remove the cheese cloth and serve!

How about some winter soup to warm our bellies.

Roasted Squash Soup