Super Simple Miso Soup
You can throw together a delicious nutritious veggie miso soup in
5-10 mins. I had some for lunch today and it was perfect. The recipe
below makes 2 good sized bowls of soup.
1/4 onion sliced thin
1 carrot, sliced thin
several radishes, or part of a daikon, or a sweet salad turnip or 2 sliced thin
a couple large handfuls of pac choi, napa or some any other greens you
have on hand, sliced into ribbons (if using chard or pac choi, the
sliced stems are great too)
small piece of ginger (size of 1/2 a thumb ore less) minced
small handfull of asian noodles - udon, soba, lo mein, even rice
noodles (or really even spaghetti or you can skip noodles altogether)
a couple large TBs of miso
a couple slices of tofu, cubed (optional)
3-4 cups of water
Bring the water to a boil with the onion, carrot, radishes in the
water. Simmer for 5-10 mins to extract some veggie flavor into water.
Add the noodles and cook to package directions. Just before noodles are
done, add the greens. Scoop a 1/2 cup of water out and add the miso to
the water, mixing to blens the paste into the water. Turn off soup
pot. Pour the cupful of blended miso water back in the soup pot. taste
and adjust seasonings. You may want a little more miso if you like
your soup more dense. You might choose to add some scallions or sesame
seeds or more ginger to your broth for added flavors.
Swiss Chard with Ginger
This is an simple, slightly spicy side dish or snack. Try adding
just a little miso to the pan, but make sure not to add more salt if
you do!
1 bag Swiss chard
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 sliced jalapenos
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
Separate stems and leaves from Swiss chard. Chop leaves and dice stems
small. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add chard
stems, minced peeled fresh ginger, and jalapeno slices; cook until stems
soften, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chard leaves,
cover, and cook until wilted, 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until tender, 4
minutes.
Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame
A perfect recipe for your vegetables and miso this week, and it will keep for days.
Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 onion or 3 shallots, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (it could easily be doubled)
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste
To finish
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
2 scallions or leeks, very thinly sliced
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion
and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth
and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced,
stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion
blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso an a half-cup of the
soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and
season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste.
Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of sesame oil and small mound of scallions.
Creamed Chard and Leeks
Veering away from the gingered Asian dishes, this is a decadent way
to eat that chard. Substitute cream for some of the milk to make it
even more rich and delicious.
1 bag chard, thick stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons
3 leeks, ends trimmed, white and some green parts sliced into thin coins
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
Salt and pepper
Wash your chard, but no need to dry it, just place it in a large pot
over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves,
stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 6 minutes.
Press or squeeze out the excess liquid any number of ways, either by
wringing it out in cheesecloth (my favorite method), putting it in a
mesh strainer and pressing the moisture out with a spatula or large
spoon or letting it cool long enough to grab small handfuls and
squeezing them to remove as much water as possible.
Wipe out the large pot so you can use it again. Heat milk or cream in a
small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic, if using, in butter in your wiped-out
large pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until
softened, about six minutes. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking,
about three minutes.
Add warm milk or cream in a slow stream, whisking constantly to
prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking, until thickened, three to four
minutes. Stir in chard, then salt and pepper to taste and cook,
stirring, until heated through.
To make Creamed Chard and Spring Onion Pasta: Use 1 3/4 cups of
milk instead of 1 1/4 cups. Stir 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan into the
sauce while cooking, and keep extra on hand for serving. This should be
enough to toss with about half a pound of pasta (more or less depending
on how saucy you like yours).
Stir-Fried Pac Choi and Daikon with Crisp Tofu
This dish allows you to taste each distinct flavor of the
ingredients. You can substitute chard for the pac choi - it won't be
quite the same, but still tastes great.
2 heads pac choi
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 block firm tofu (about 1 pound), cut into 1⁄4-inch slices and patted dry
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 or 2 fresh hot chiles (like jalapeño or Thai), seeded and minced
8 ounces daikon radish, cut into 1⁄4-inch coins
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
Black pepper
Cut the leaves from the stems of the bok choy. Trim the stems as
necessary, then cut them into 1-inch pieces. Cut the leaves into wide
ribbons and keep them separate from the stems.
Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When
it’s hot, slide in the tofu, working in batches if necessary to avoid
overcrowding the pan. Cook until the bottoms are crisp and golden, 3 to 5
minutes; carefully flip and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes on the
other side. When the tofu slices are done, transfer them to paper towels
to drain.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and raise the heat to
medium-high. When it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile and
cook, stirring, for just 1 minute. Add the bok choy stems and daikon
and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just lose their crunch,
about 3 minutes.
Add the bok choy leaves and about 1⁄2 cup water. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the stems and radish are
fully tender, 5 to 10 minutes; add a little more water if necessary.
Return the tofu to the pan, stir in the soy sauce, and sprinkle with
black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or at room
temperature.
Miso Soup with Maple-Baked Tofu and Udon Noodles
Quick, satisfying and delicious this recipe easily comes together
with the share ingredients after a hectic day at work. Serves 4.
5 oz (150 grams) udon noodles
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 cloves garlic minced
2 shallots sliced thin
1 quart chicken stock
2 carrots sliced thin
2 daikon radish sliced thin
2 cups chopped cabbage
8 oz mushrooms sliced thin
8 oz maple-ginger baked tofu, cubed
2 TB miso diluted in 1/4 cup of hot water
tamari or soy sauce to taste
Boil udon noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside. Meanwhile,
heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add garlic and shallots,
saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, carrots, daikon and cabbage.
Simmer for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add
noodles and tofu and simmer until heated through. Remove from heat.
Stir in miso and tamari. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Sweet and Sour Radish Salad
2 cups thinly shredded watermelon radish (2 medium size radishes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Peel the radishes in generous thickness and save the skin if you wish
to make pickle. Shred the pink flesh into strands of 1/8 inch thickness.
Put the shredded radish in a bowl and mix in the rest of the
ingredients. Mix well and marinate in refrigerator for about 20 minutes
or so. Serve cold garnished with thinly sliced scallion. It is excellent
as an accompaniment for meat dishes.
Sweet Pickled Daikon Radish
Keep these in your fridge to have on a sandwich, on top of a brothy
soup, or alongside a heavy, rich meal. They are wonderfully refreshing
and cut through the thick flavors of winter meals.
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 pound daikon radish
1/4 cup kosher salt
In a small saucepan over medium heat add the vinegar, water, sugar,
and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove
from heat and allow it to cool.
Meanwhile, peel the daikon radish and slice into 1/4-inch thick
rounds. (If your daikon is very large, slice the rounds into
semicircles.) Place in a colander with salt and mix well. Place the
colander over a bowl and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the salt off with a
couple of changes of water and dry the daikon well. Put into a
sterilized glass jar. Pour the cooled brine through a coffee filter (or a
cheesecloth lined strainer) into the jar to cover the radish slices.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Will keep for about 2
weeks.
Daikon Raita
A raita is a yogurt-based condiment served alongside spicy dishes. It can be used either as a sauce or a dip.
1/3 cup shredded daikon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place shredded daikon in a kitchen towel and squeeze out extra
moisture. Mix together all the ingredients and refrigerate at least 30
minutes to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temperature before
serving.
Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce
From Martha Stewart, this is the perfect recipe for those of you
who really aren't sure any of the typical ways to cook daikon sound
appealing. It doesn't taste like pasta, but all the other flavors are
ones you are familiar with.
1 pound daikon
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)
Using a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove outer skin of the daikon
and discard. Continue peeling down the length of the daikon, creating
long ribbons that look like fettucine noodles. Place daikon noodles in a
large bowl and cover with salted water; let soak 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving half the juice in a medium bowl.
Squeeze tomatoes with your hands into the bowl of reserved juice; mash
to combine. You should have about 2 cups.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add
tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until sauce
is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain daikon noodles and dry them using a kitchen towel. Gently add
noodles to sauce; reduce heat to medium. Cook until noodles are just
heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among 3 or 4 serving plates;
serve immediately, with cheese, if desired.
Caramelized Shallots
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1.5 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof* saute pan, add the shallots
and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes,
tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the
vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.
Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes,
depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to
taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.
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