Black Sesame Rice with Steamed Kale, Cabbage and Edamame...

Tonight’s dinner was less of a recipe and more of a ‘lets throw some stuff together and see what happens’ kind of affair, but it turned out so good that I just had to share it. Originally I didn’t know what I wanted to make, but as the day grew later and I became more and more involved with homework I realized whatever I did choose to make wasn’t going to be anything elaborate. Midway through the day I started feeling like rice, and once I got thinking about rice I got thinking about bowls - again!

Well, I was all out of brown rice, but had a jar of black rice that I’ve been neglecting. Black rice pairs particularly well with sesame seeds which I have plenty of and so that got me thinking of Asian flavors. Asian flavors brought me to Edamame which is a good protein source, and then all I needed was a vegetable. Today I had to write an essay on the health benefits of Cruciferous vegetables, and writing that essay inspired me to utilize the kale and red cabbage that were sitting in my fridge. Steam it, and toss it into a bowl with a few well picked condiments and a lovely nutritious dinner was served.

This is a light but filling dinner packed with dense nutrition. Black rice provides you with 18 amino acids, zinc, copper, iron, carotene and several vitamins as well as protein and fiber, which makes it more nutritious then plain ‘ole brown rice. Not to mention - if you believe in such things anyway - in China black rice is claimed to be good for the kidney’s, stomach, and liver. Sesame seeds are a great source of manganese, copper, calcium, iron, phosphorus, Vitamin B1, zinc, magnesium, selenium and fiber. They’re also great at relieving the liver of oxidative stress.  Edamame provides you with complete protein - meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids - as well as fiber, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, C & E and various other minerals. Kale is the best known cancer fighting vegetables on the planet, and the richest of all leafy greens in carotenoids. Ounce for ounce it has more calcium then milk, and it’s calcium is more bioavailable then milk - meaning our bodies can utilize more of it, better. It’s also packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. Cabbage is another great cancer fighter and an immune stimulant packed full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and by now we should all be well aware of the amazing health benefits of both Ginger and Garlic.

This is exactly the kind of delicious meal you can eat every day and not feel guilty about it. Every ingredients is packed full of beneficial nutrients to help you! This is definitely going to be a ‘go-to’ meal for me from now on.

Black Sesame Rice with Steamed Kale, Cabbage and Edamame

For the Rice  

1 1/4 C Black Rice
2 ½ C Water
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
3 Garlic Cloves minced
½-1 tsp Japanese 7 Spice blend (To taste)
1/4 C Sesame Seeds

For the Kale - Cabbage - Edamame 

! Bunch Kale torn into bite sized pieces
1 ½ C Red Cabbage sliced
1 ½ C Edamame
Sliced Green Onions to taste
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s (Tamari or Soy Sauce can be used instead)
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Ume Vinegar to taste
½-3/4 tsp White Truffle Oil (Optional but strongly recommended!)
½ tsp ground ginger

- Cook rice in a rice cooker, or according to package directions. Once rice is done cooking add in the sesame oil, garlic cloves, and 7 Spice blend. Stir to combine and cover the pot or cooker with a lid for 5 minutes to let the steam infuse the garlic into the rice.

- Add Sesame seeds to the rice just before serving and stir to combine.

- Meanwhile in a large pot steam the Kale, Cabbage and Edamame, for roughly 5-7 minutes until the kale is wilted and the cabbage is wilted but still a little crisp. If you need to you can steam in two batches, kale first, then cabbage and edamame together.

- Combine all the steamed vegetables in a large bowl. Add the Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s, Rice Vinegar, Ground Ginger, Maple Syrup, Ume Vinegar, White Truffle Oil, and Green Onions. Stir to combine and taste for flavor.

- Serve by scooping the rice into a large bowl, then layering in the steamed vegetables. Enjoy!

*** Note - If you taste the mix and feel it’s too salty but don’t want to add any more maple syrup to even it out you can add 5-6 drops of liquid stevia. This works really well. ***

Sauteed White Kale with Hot Chili Oil, and Pickled Ginger...

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable New Year’s Eve, and New Years Day. After an extremely busy December I’m thankful to have some peace, quiet and relaxation today. I’m looking forward to 2013, because I know it’s going to be a good year. I’m not the type to make New Years Resolutions. I think they’re a waste of time, because as I always say if you want to change something about your life just do it. I do have a couple of goals for this year though. The first one is just to live simpler. The second one is that I’d like to develop a good daily routine, so I can better manage my time and fit in everything I need to fit in. 3) More disciplined spiritual practice, and by this I mostly mean daily meditation. 4) I would like to work on developing greater muscle definition, particularly in my abdomen and upper arms.  Finally I’d like to significantly decrease my sugar consumption. Now I say these are goals rather then New Years Resolutions because in truth I’ve already been working at them for the past couple of months, but now that a new year is here I want to really get serious about them.

So today I kicked off the New Year right, but cooking up a big bowl of delicious veggies for lunch, and dinner tonight is going to be the New Years Soup from “Clean Start” which is basically a Black Eyed Pea and Collard Green Soup. Simple, delicious and satisfying, but back to lunch. A few days ago when I was shopping for my groceries I came across a type of Kale I’d never seen or heard of before. It was called Ornamental Flowering Kale, and it came in white and purple. They were so pretty both in color and in design that I couldn’t help but buy some. They look like big flowers you might find in someone’s garden, but they’re edible. I really don’t know that much about this variety except that it’s supposedly not as tender or tasty as the regular varieties of kale, and that it comes in many other colors besides purple and white.

Since I was looking to make something quick and simple for lunch today I decided just to saute the kale in a big ‘ole pan with some leeks, garlic, and hot chili oil. The flavor of the overall dish was really fantastic, and as for the kale itself. I didn’t think it was any less delicious or any less tender then other kales I’ve eaten. It was perfect. Though unfortunately there isn’t a lot of color contrast in the finished dish for you to ooo and awe over, and I forgot to take a picture of the head of kale before chopping it up. Sorry, next time I promise. So here’s to starting the New Year off right! Do you have any resolutions or goals for 2013?

Sauteed White Kale with Hot Chili Oil, and Pickled Ginger 

1 Head White Ornamental Flowering Kale Torn into bite sized pieces
1 Large Leek Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 tsp Hot Chili Oil ***
2 tsp Vegetable Broth
2 tsp Tamari
A few Drops Ume Vinegar to taste
Minced Picked Ginger to taste

- Add the leek, garlic and chili oil to a large frying pan and saute over medium-high heat until leeks are just becoming tender. Roughly 5-6 minutes.

- Add in the Tamari, Vegetable Broth and Kale. Saute for 5-6 more minutes covered, until Kale is tender.

- Add in the ume vinegar and give the mixture a good stir.

- Serve with minced pickled ginger on top.

*** Note - Depending on how hot your Hot Chili Oil is you may want to use more or less. 2 tsp made my dish quite spicy, so you may want to start with 1 tsp and go from there. Or if you would like to make this oil free, saute in water and add 1 tsp of Red pepper Flakes instead.

Umeboshi Noodles with Black Soybeans and Collard Green Ribbons in Soy Broth...

I know with all the toppings it's kind of hard to see all
the awesomeness in this bowl

If you know me, or If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time you probably know that Asian Cuisine is one of my favorites. I love the duality between the simple fresh ingredients and the bold complex flavors that are so characteristic of Asian cooking. I also love bowls and one pot meals, especially on cold days. Well, today was a cold day, and I was feeling particularly inspired thanks in part to the reading I’ve been required to do for my Chinese Medicine class, as well as my most recent trip to Mitsuwa, the Japanese Market in Arlington Heights.

My last trip to Mitsuwa was a couple of weeks ago, and I was on a mission for Miso and a variety of Japanese noodles. These are things I can find easily in the health food stores in my area, however they’re roughly half the price at Mitsuwa, which is way more economical considering how much miso I go through. As for the noodles I found exactly what I wanted, a ton of Udon, Soba and Somen, and then I found some packages of Green Tea flavored noodles, and Ume flavored noodles. Ume of course referring to Umeboshi, the tart, sour, slightly sweet plum typically used as a paste or made into vinegar in Japanese cooking. I’d never seen Ume noodles anywhere else before, nor had I even heard of them, but they were bright pink and beautiful, and contained no weird or nefarious ingredients and so I bought a package.

I really had no idea what I was going to do with them once I got them home, and so they’ve just been sitting in my pantry for the past couple of weeks. Until today. Today, for whatever reason was the day I decided to give them a try. Initially I was a bit stumped as to what to pair them with, or what kind of dish to put them into because I wasn’t sure what their flavor would really be like. Eventually I decided to go with traditional Asian seasonings such as garlic, ginger, sesame, and tamari, and picked my vegetables according to what I had on hand and what I thought might make the most startling contrast. Green, orange and black I thought would all look fantastic against the bright pink noodles, and I had really been trying to find a use for the solitary can of Black Soybeans left over in my pantry from a squash stew I made a couple of months ago.

Now, I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how this would turn out. I was kind of just flying by the seat of my pants so to speak. Whenever you just start tossing things together there is always the risk that you’ll under season or over season whatever your making, or just make a bad call on an ingredient. So when we sat down to eat I was a little hesitant and a bit skeptical, particularly of the noodles since I had no idea what to expect from them. Turns out there was no real need to worry because this delicious hearty bowl really blew me away. The flavors were exactly what I was looking for, rich - complex - and warming, and the entire thing came together in the most delicious way. The Ume noodles in particular were fantastic, and now I can’t wait for my next trip to Mitsuwa so I can buy myself some more packages. If you see Ume Noodles in your area pick some up, and make this dish!

Umeboshi Noodles with Black Soybeans and Collard Green Ribbons in Soy Broth.

8oz Umeboshi Noodles
1-2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
6 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Thumb Sized Piece of Ginger grated
1 Medium Sized Leek sliced
1 Bunch Collards - ribs removed cut in ribbons
4 oz Enoki Mushrooms
1 15oz can Black Soybeans
A Few Dashes of Ume Vinegar
1 tsp Japanese 7 Spice

For Broth 

1 1/3 C Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 Tbsp Low-Sodium Tamari
½ Tbsp Agave nectar

For Garnish 

1 Large Grated Carrot
½ Tbsp Brown Rice Vinegar per bowl
2 tsp Sesame Seeds per bowl

- Cook Ume Noodles according to package directions. Then drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and set aside, until ready to serve.

- While Noodles are cooking heat 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a large skillet. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger and sliced leek. Saute over medium-high heat until the leek has softened, and garlic is fragrant. About 5-7 minutes.

- Add in the collard green ribbons, then cover and cook for three minutes. Then add in the enoki mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the collard greens are bright green and tender. If the pan starts looking dry during this time you can add an additional 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil.

- Lower the heat and stir in the black soybeans, ume vinegar, and 7 spice seasoning. Replace the lid and let sit over low heat until the soy beans are warmed through then turn the heat off. And set the pan aside until ready to serve.

- To make the broth whisk the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and ume vinegar in small sauce pan. Then bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Let simmer one minute then turn off the heat.

- To serve divide the noodles into two bowls. Then divide the broth and the collard green mixture evenly among them. Top each bowl with grated carrot, sesame seeds and the rice vinegar.

PS: Black Soybeans by the way are pretty interesting. They look like a black bean but a bit lighter, and taste a regular soybean or maybe a blander edamame. Outside of health food or specialty stores I don’t know how easy it is to find them, the brand I used was Eden Organic’s but if you can’t find them you could always sub in regular soybeans, edamame or black beans if you want to keep the contrast. Shiitake mushrooms would also be good if you don't have Enoki.

Once I mixed it all up you could better see those lovely
Pink Ume Noodles!

Maitake Udon Soup...

I’ve been wanting to post all weekend but it seems as though time keeps slipping away from me. I’ve been very busy of late, not only with school, work and other activities but with cooking as well as exploring new and interesting ethnic markets. I’ve been very inspired lately to create vegan versions of many of the Asian, and Indian dishes I used to love as an omnivore. It’s been a fun and interesting experience, because I’ve been picking dishes that I’ve never seen vegan recipes for. The world doesn’t need another vegan Sambar, or Tofu Saag. We don’t need another Pad Thai or fried rice recipe what we need are all those delicious recipes no one’s thought to veganize yet. We need the obscure ones! Or at least I do. That’s not exactly what this post is about though, that’s just an explanation for where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing.

This post is about a delicious soup inspired by my travels to a Japanese Market in Arlington Heights. The market is called Mitsuwa, and my sole purpose for going there was so I could buy Glutenous White Rice Flour to make a favorite Chinese dessert of mine. (More about that in another post) I saw the flour for sale on Amazon and almost bought it until I read the reviews. The flour cost $6 on Amazon, and every reviewer said they’d bought the same exact product at their local Asian Grocery for $1. So rather then buy the flour for a totally inflated price online and then have to wait for it to arrive I decided to track down the nearest Asian Market. Mitsuwa kept coming back with the highest reviews and so my husband and I decided to check it out one afternoon.

Mitsuwa is amazing! If you live in the area you need to check it out! They have almost everything you could possibly need or want. to make delicious Japanese food at home. They have everything from oodles of noodles, to fresh produce, to exotic mushrooms, dozens of varieties of rice and seaweed, sauces, condiments, snacks, desserts, they even have a bakery, and a food court. There isn’t much vegan in the food court or the bakery but there are a couple of dairy free pastries, and some delicious veggie maki! Initially I went into Mitsuwa with the intention of buying 2 items, and ended up coming home with a bulging bag of goodies. With amazing products being sold for a fraction of the price I pay at my local grocery or health food store how could I resist? After all would you rather pay $4.99 for 10 sheets of Nori or $4.99 for 30? $4.99 for 12 oz of dried udon or $6.99 for 2 pounds of dried Udon? It was an easy choice for me, but I digress.

There were three purchases in particular that I knew I’d have to use immediately. Fresh Maitake mushrooms - which I’ve never seen before, if I see Maitake mushrooms at all, they are always dried. - Fresh Udon Noodles - something I haven’t seen since I lived in Vancouver, Fresh udon is commonly sold lots of places in Vancouver, so going to a speciality Asian market isn’t exactly required. - and a vegetable called Tokyo Negi which is sort of a Japanese Green onion. I’d never tasted it, seen it, or even heard of it before so I knew I had to get it. Since I’d never cooked with any of these three ingredients before I felt the safest thing to do was soup. In fact I’d made a delicious rice noodle soup the week before and still had a hankering for something with a similar flavor.

So after surveying my pantry and jotting down a few ideas, I took my maitake mushrooms, my udon and my Tokyo Negi and set to work. The finished product was outstanding! It definitely exceeded my expectations. While I can’t claim that there’s anything at all ‘traditional’ about this dish, it does remind me of a lot of the udon soups I used to eat in Japanese restaurants and Asian markets when I lived in Vancouver.

The Negi lent a wonderful flavor to the soup as did the maitake mushrooms. I’d never eaten maitake mushrooms and so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they were wonderful. The real showstopper however was the Udon. It has been a long, long time since I ate fresh udon, and the last time I did I wasn’t exactly an adventurous eater. I thought they looked like worms or brains and they unnerved me a little, so I wasn’t all that thrilled with them. Now I’ve been shown the error of my ways. Fresh udon are where it’s at yo! They are a must! They’re fat, and soft, and squishy yet chewy. They’re delicate and almost buttery. They are perfection, and far more complex both in flavor and texture than the dried variety. If you can find them you must try them, and when you make this soup I highly suggest you have both a spoon and a pair of chopsticks handy. A spoon to ladle up the broth and the smaller veggies. Chopsticks for the udon. Since they’re so long, fat and slippery they don’t exactly sit still on a spoon, chopsticks are a much more practical utensil, and they certainly imbue an air of authenticity to the meal.

Maitake Udon Soup 

1 tsp Sesame Oil
8 Cloves Garlic Minced
1 Thumb sized piece of Ginger Grated
1 Thumb Sized Piece Kombu
2 Tokyo Negi
1 lb Fresh Wide Udon Noodles
5oz Fresh Maitake Mushrooms chopped
2 C Green or Napa Cabbage Shredded
6 C Water + 2 vegan “Chicken” style Bouillon Cubes
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Coconut Amino's
1-2 Tbsp Lime Juice
2-4 Tbsp Mirin (to taste)
Sprinkle of Umeboshi Vinegar to taste
½ bunch of Cilantro finely minced.

- Heat oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and ginger and saute for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

- Add in Maitake mushrooms and saute 2 minutes.

- Combine water and Bouillon in a measuring cup, then add to the pot along with the Komband stir to combine.

- Add the Udon Noodles and bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes then add Tokyo Negi and reduce heat to a low boil/simmer.

- Cook for 10 minutes then add the sliced cabbage. Cook for 5 minutes then stir in the soy sauce, umeboshi vinegar, lime juice and mirin. Stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as needed.

- Remove the Kombu from the pot and discard. Turn off the heat and add in the cilantro. Divide amongst bowls and serve garnished with more cilantro.

*** Note - If you can’t find fresh udon you can use dried udon or soba noodles. Though fresh are really worth looking for if you have a good Asian market by you. If you can’t find Tokyo Negi then use about 5 green onions instead. ***


*** Note - Soy-Free if using Coconut Amino’s instead of soy sauce or Tamari*** 

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw...

This salad recipe is partly inspired by the one my friend J brought to Easter this year, and partly inspired by the delicious kale salads I ate at Choice Health Bar in Lahaina, when I was in Maui in October. It’s the perfect blend of sweet, tangy and spice. The sweet coming from the dried fruit, the tang coming from the mayo, and the two vinegars, and the spice coming from smoked paprika, pepper, allspice, clove and curry powder. It may sound like a strange combination but trust me when I say they work in perfect harmony together. Paired with earthy hemp and sesame seeds this salad is a powerhouse of awesome flavor, and it got gobbled up faster then anything else when I made it for Earth Day.

One important thing to note about this salad is that, par usual I didn’t really measure the spices as well as I should have. You see I started off with a certain measurement, either 1/4 or ½ tsp and then kept adjusting from there. Unfortunately I neglected to write down what the final mastermind became for some of the spices. With the ingredients I’ve noted as (to taste) I suggest erring on the side of caution and going with the conservative measurement first, then tasting and adjusting to suit your preference. With the garlic and curry powder it’s also important to keep in mind that you want enough of each of those flavors to taste them, but not so much that either one of them is overpowering. You want to shoot for a mild garlic flavor and a mild curry flavor. In fact as you prepare the salad keep in mind that the flavors should be working together not fighting one another, meaning no one flavor should really overshadow the others. Instead they should be layered together to enhance the dish as a whole. With that in mind, you can’t go wrong. I know I at least will be making this salad - or some variation of it - for years and years to come!

Kickin’ Kale Coleslaw

4 ½ C Shredded Kale
3 Carrots Grated
1/4 C Raisins
1/4 C Dried Cranberries
3 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
½ C Chopped Green Onions

½ C Non-dairy Mayo
1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Umeboshi Plum vinegar
 2-3 Packets Stevia (to taste)
½ tsp Ground Allspice
3/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
3/4 tsp Dried Oregano
½-3/4 tsp Ground Thyme (to taste)
½ tsp Garlic Powder (to taste)
½-3/4 tsp Curry Powder (to taste)
Dash of Cinnamon and Cloves (slightly less then 1/8 tsp each)
Black Pepper to taste

- The easiest way to shred kale is in a food processor. Just pop it in and pulse a few times until you have fine shreds. Don’t puree it! If you don’t have a food processor just slice it thin with a knife.

- Once the kale has been shredded place it in a bowl with the grated carrot, cranberries, raisins, seeds, and onions.

- Combine all dressing ingredient in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Taste for flavor and adjust seasoning as needed. For an additional kick you can always add a pinch or two of Cayenne pepper! Enjoy!

Japanese 7 Spice Rice Bowl with Greens...

Yesterday I was really craving greens, all kinds of greens! Anything from broccoli to kale to collards to cabbage. Originally I had planed to make some sauteed Swiss Chard with Baked Tempeh but as the day drew nearer it’s close I started longing for something a little less involved. I started thinking about rice, which got me thinking about Japanese food, which in turn got me thinking about sushi. Sushi, now there was an idea! Except it was eight o’clock at night and after a couple hours of hard study I wasn’t really in the mood to break out the bamboo mat and start rolling Maki.

Instead I decided to make a Japanese inspired rice bowl. One that would combine the flavors I love about sushi, with simplicity and my desire for a plate loaded up with greens. Though you can really use any green veggie you like I strongly suggest the broccoli asparagus combination. Not only do they taste good together but they always taste great with rice. Initially I chose them out of convenience, as I always have bags of frozen broccoli on hand and I had just bought a pound of asparagus the day before yesterday. Convenience or not though it turned out to be a stellar choice.

This bowl is so full of flavor, and I particularly like the application of Japanese 7 Spice here - also known as Shichimi Togarashi - for the subtle heat and refreshing citrus flavor it lends to the dish. This meal is both satisfying and filling yet light. Which is exactly what you want if you’re forced to have a late dinner. You don’t want to be bogged down with digestive distress and gastric upset right before you slip into bed right?

Japanese 7 Spice Rice Bowl with Greens

Rice

2 C Brown Rice
2 1/4 C Water
2 tsp Kelp Granules
2 Tbsp Brown Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
½-1 Tbsp Grated Ginger
6 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 tsp Sesame Oil

Sauce

2 Tbsp non-dairy Mayo
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1 tsp Umeboshi Plum Pate
½ tsp Agave Nectar
1 1/4 tsp Japanese 7 Spice Seasoning (or to taste)

1lb Asparagus trimmed
½-1 lb Broccoli Florets
1 tsp Sesame Oil (or to taste. Optional)
2-4 tsp Sesame Seeds (to taste)

- To make the rice combine rice, water, vinegar, kelp, and sugar in a rice cooker and cook as directed by manufacturer. Or combine in a pot and cook the old fashioned way. (Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 30-45 minutes making sure to check and stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t burn.)

- While rice is cooking heat the tsp of sesame oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the grated ginger and minced garlic. Saute for a few minutes until fragrant and golden. About five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

- Trim asparagus of tough ends and place into a steamer basket along with the broccoli. Or if your steamer basket is small work in batches. Asparagus first then broccoli. Steam the vegetables until they are tender but still a bit crisp, about 5-8 minutes. They should be bright green and vibrant!

- To make sauce combine Mayo, liquid smoke, umeboshi paste, agave and 7 spice seasoning. Taste for flavor and adjust as needed. A word of caution though, both umeboshi and 7 spice seasoning are strong, so a little goes along way. It’s important that you taste the sauce before deciding to add more and If you do add more add it in small increments. Once sauce is combined set aside.

- Once the rice has finished cooking add the sauteed ginger and garlic mixture to the pot. Stir until combined.

- Divide the rice mixture amongst two bowls. Into each bowl place 1-2 Tbsp of the sauce and mix it into the rice until well combined. Top each bowl with an equal amount of asparagus and broccoli.

- Drizzle any remaining sauce over top of the veggies. Divide the remaining 1 tsp of sesame oil and drizzle a half tsp over each bowl. (Optional but recommended) Then sprinkle 1-2 tsp of sesame seeds over top of each bowl. I used black sesame seeds because it was all that I had but feel free to use brown.

- Serve and enjoy!

Vegan Mofo #23 Terry’s Sauteed Greens with Leeks and Garlic...

Vegan Mofo #23 Terry’s Sauteed Greens with Leeks and Garlic

The Book - Clean Start
The Author - Terry Walters
The Recipe - Sauteed Greens with Leeks and Garlic
Page - 108
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - 10-15 minutes

This dish is a revelation. Since I bought "Clean Start" I’ve probably made this dish at least two dozen times. I make it at least a couple of times a month, at least once a week during the summer. It’s quick, and easy. Full of flavor but light on ingredients, and it’s packed full of nutrition. It’s also pretty light on oil, using only 1 tbsp for the whole dish which is pretty cool. Another thing I love about this dish is that you can eat it as a side or if you make enough of it you can eat it as a meal. It’s both filling and extremely satisfying.

There’s also a lot of room to be creative here. Terry notes that you can use any dark leafy greens you like. Mustard, Collards, Chard, Kale etc... or a combination, you could also switch it up by using red or sweet onion instead of leek, and grated ginger and turmeric instead of garlic. You could even use maple syrup or agave instead of Mirin. However I prefer to use Kale as my green of choice and I generally make this dish the way the recipe says. Kale just tastes so good combined with garlic and leeks, not to mention the addition of Ume vinegar and sesame seeds. A more perfect combination I can not think of.

Trust me when I say you NEED to try this dish. It’s sweet, salty and garlicy what more could you want? I also strongly urge that if you don’t have a copy of Clean Start you seriously check it out. Whether you flip through it at the book store, borrow it from the library or purchase it you should definitely give it a look. There are a lot of great recipes in here, this is just one of them.

Simply Steamed Broccolini with Forbidden Rice...

There’s no doubt that I love cooking elaborate, fancy dinners, but sometimes you just want dinner to be quick and simple. With a minimal amount of ingredients, appliances and dishes used. Am I right? Especially on a busy day, or a particularly hot day. In those moments the temptation to go out for dinner, or have take-out can be fierce and I find too often people give into it. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with eating out once in a while but when you’re eating out more days of the week then you’re spending cooking at home it’s not good. Not good for your health or your wallet as restaurant food is typically very fatty, and more expensive then just buying the goods yourself.

We all have those days though, and yesterday was one of those days for me. I wasn’t feeling particularly interested in cooking, but I was determined to refuse the temptation to go out. So I came up with this very simple, yet incredibly delicious meal. The best thing is that If you own a rice cooker you don’t even need to turn on your stove. Everything can be done with one appliance in one shot. However if you do not own a rice cooker you’ll have to make your rice and steam your veggies the old fashion way. In pots on the stove, which will be using a few more dishes then I had to use, but the meal should still be fairly quick and easy.

Simply Steamed Broccolini with Forbidden Rice

First a few notes about this recipe. 1) Umeboshi Plum Vinegar (also known as Ume Vinegar) is awesome, but if you don’t have it, can’t find it, or don’t want to invest in it then you can use another sweet tasting vinegar but then I suggest you add a sprinkle of sea salt to the dish to enliven the flavors. 2) If you don’t have Japanese 7 Spice you can just add a generous amount of citrus pepper (like lemon or orange pepper) or Black pepper and some finely shredded orange peel. 3) If you don’t have or can’t find Forbidden Rice you can use any rice you like but the taste, texture and consistency are going to be different.

Having said that, Forbidden Rice is an Heirloom Grain that's really worth looking for. Not only is it delicious but it’s highly nutritious. Personally I felt it had a taste very similar to wild rice, but with the tenderness and consistency of white rice. The other great thing about Forbidden Rice (also known as black rice) is that it has a very high mineral count, including Iron. More so then any other type of rice, and of course like all rices it’s also rich in several amino-acids. Interestingly the name Forbidden Rice comes from the fact that in China Black Rice was considered the Emperor’s Rice. It was thought to promote longevity, and so it was forbidden for anyone else to eat this rice.

Simply Steamed Broccolini

11/2 lb Broccolini (roughly. More or less depending on how much you eat)
6-10 Garlic cloves finely minced (or to taste)
1 1/2Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Umeboshi Plum Vinegar
1-2 Packets of Stevia to sweeten (Optional)
A few twists of a black pepper mill

- Trim the ends of your Broccolini stems and then place in your steamer basket.

- Steam for 10-12 minutes until fork tender and bright green. Remove from steamer and place into a large bowl.

- While Broccolini is steaming mince your garlic super fine, then place into the bowl in which you’ll be putting your broccolini.

- Also while Broccolini is steaming you can mix together your olive oil, Vinegar, and Stevia in a small bowl. When Broccolini is ready pour mixture over top and lightly toss the Broccolini with your hands to coat it in the sauce and garlic. Twist some black pepper over top and serve.

Forbidden Rice

1 C Forbidden Rice
1 1/2C + 1-2 Tbsp Low-sodium Vegetable stock or water (I prefer stock)
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
A couple of dashes of Japanese 7 Spice seasoning (Optional)

- Place rice and 1 1/2C Veg stock into rice cooker and cook as directed by manufacturer.

- When rice is done, fluff it up with a fork, and if it seems dry add in the additional 1-2 tbsp of veg stock, (you want it moist but not soupy, so add a bit at a time) along with 1 tbsp of soy sauce, and your Japanese 7 spice. Divide among plates and serve.

Voila! Finito! And you might not think that it sounds like very much at all, but it was extremely delicious and filling. Forbidden Rice is incredible, and I strongly urge you to pick some up when you see it.

*** Note - If you use a rice cooker you can cook the rice and use the steamer basket to cook your broccolini at the same time. This saves on time and the use of an extra appliance or pot. The broccolini will be done before the rice though and so you’ll have to check it after about 10 minutes to make sure you don’t overcook it. Also I served this meal with a large side salad, which I neglected to photograph. Side salads are always a good accompaniment to dinner.***