Miso Happy

Mugi miso is the best type of miso to use daily.  

Miso is a macrobiotic staple.  It is a protein-rich soybean paste made from ingredients such as soybeans, barley, and brown or white rice.  Miso is used in soup stocks and as a seasoning.  When consumed on a regular basis, it aids circulation and digestion.  Mugi miso is made from barley, soybeans, and sea salt, is fermented for about 18-24 months, and is the best type of miso for daily use.  Try consuming miso soup once or twice a day.  It's very medicinal and one of the few sources of protein in the macro diet.  Also beware of miso soup in regular japanese restaurants because they most likely use a fish broth or add bonito flakes to it.  

Miso Soup

1. Soak some wakame ( 1/4 to 1/2 inch piece per person) in cold water for about five minutes and cut it into small pieces.

2. Add soaked wakame to fresh, cold water and bring to boil. 

3. Dilute miso ( 1/2 - 1 level teaspoon per cup of broth) in a little water, add to soup, and simmer for three to four minutes on a low flame, do not bring the soup to a boil once the miso has been added.  Garnish the soup with small amounts of finely chopped fresh parsley or scallions before serving.

*You may also cook veggies in the soup such as shiitake mushrooms, kale, collards, watercress, carrots, ontions, etc.  Occasional use of leftover grains or beans may be added as well to thicken the soup, as well as sliced tofu or mochi.  But be sure once again to not boil the miso, this will kill the medicinal properties of the miso.


Miso Squash Soup


1. Boil 5 cups of water.  Add 1 medium onion (cut in to half-moons, about 1 cup) and 2 cups of cubed acorn squash cut into 1-inch chunks.  Cover and simmer at medium-low for several minutes.


2.  Add 1/2 cup sliced wakame (washed and soaked) and simmer for 2-3 mins.


3.  Reduce flame to very low and add 4-5 tsp pureed miso.  Garnish with chopped scallions and serve.


Miso Pickles


1. Wash a variety of root vegetables under water, scrubbing with vegetable brush.  Let sit whole in a cool shady place for about a day, or until soften so that you can bend it in a curve.


2.  Cut into medium-thick diagnoal slices and place in a jar of miso so it's completely covered.  Pickling should be done in 3-7 days.  Rinse before serving and take only small amounts.

My body nourishment routine

Doing a body scrub once or twice a day is recommended to open skin pores to promote smooth and regular elimination of excess fat and toxins, help activate circulation, promote clear and clean skin, and help discharge fat that has accumulated under the skin. Try doing the following early in the morning (after a workout is great) and at night before you shower.


1. Dip a small cotton towel or cloth in hot water. Wring out excess water.

2. Scrub the whole body, dipping the towel or cloth into hot water again when cool. Include the hands and feet, each finger and toe.

3. The skin should become pink or slightly red. This result may take a few days to- achieve if the skin is clogged with accumulated fats.


In the morning right after I do my body scrub I like to use Sea Buckthorn body lotion by Weleda.  The scent wakes me right up and leaves my skin feeling soft:

At night I love using the Birch line from Weleda.  I use the body scrub in the shower 3 times a week and the body oil daily after my nightly macro body scrub.

Give these routines a go and feel the difference inside and out ;)

Restaurant Review: Inaka

My favorite restaurant is Inaka in Los Angeles, CA.  It's home-cooked macrobiotics at its finest.  Although they do serve fish since it's very traditional macrobiotics, everything is vegan otherwise and super delicious and healing.  Here's my usual order from them:

The Inaka Plate which is a combined country style vegetable plate of brown rice, beans, stewed root veggies, sea vegetables, daikon, sprouts, kale, tsukemono, gobo (burdock), kabocha (pumpkin), tofu dipp, and lotus root.  This is the ultimate balanced macro meal :D

They have a choice of 2 desserts on the menu, but one time I went and they were having a special of vegan tiramisu.  All of their desserts are vegan and sweetened by either fruit juice, maple syrup, or barley malt.

Chocolate Tofu Mousse topped with walnut and oat bran.  MY FAVORITE!!  Very light and fluffly.

Apple Kanten topped with walnut and oat bran.  Really refreshing.

Special:  Vegan Tiramisu with 3 layers of light tofu mousse.

You have got to head down to Inaka and try it yourself.  I promise you'll walk out feeling relaxed and just nourished inside.  The decor is very plane inside with white walls and tables, but that's what makes everything serene.  Parking is metered outside on La Brea, below is a picture I took of the hours for the street parking so make sure you plan accordingly.  

Inaka Restaurant

131 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 936-9353

Adoption time!

I also adopted a turkey for this Thanksgiving and hope to adopt another one for Christmas as well ;)  Here's my lovely adopted turkey Amelinda!  When you make an adoption you receive a certificate in the mail with a photo.  This is a great way to give back during this holiday, and they are in much need of our help this time of year:  http://www.farmsanctuary.org/index.html

I hope you all consider adoption for Christmas:  http://action.farmsanctuary.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=22481.0&printer_friendly=1  

Thanksgiving Highlights

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!! Hope you all had a great time with family and friends :)  Here's some pics of the food I made from my planned thanksgiving menu.

Peppered Seitan 

Cornbread muffins

Scarlet Roasted Vegetables

Altogether with some shiitake kuzu gravy and roasted brussel sprouts and onions.

Blueberry Coucous cake

Travel Food

I'm on my way to Honolulu, HI tomorrow to meet up with my family for Thanksgiving :)  You could always request a vegan/vegetarian meal on the flight ahead of time but I've done that sooo many times, and every time I have been disappointed.  Either they got my order but do not have my meal on the plane, which leaves me starving for the next 6 hours, or they do have my meal and it's allwayyss Indian food which can make me feel a little ill when traveling :(  So solution is to bring your own food.  Of course this has to be something that passes through security (no liquids and in some cases, like traveling from hawaii, no fruits or seeds) and does not spoil because it's a long flight and you can't use ice packs.  Solution...rice balls!!!!  Putting some ume paste or part of an ume plum in the middle allows you to have these rice balls for up to 3 days without refrigeration.  I had these with San-J instant miso cup.  What's great about this one is that they use miso paste, not miso powder like other brands, it's portable, and all natural.  Just ask the flight attendant to add some hot water and you're all set.  Here's a great trick to use for a clean way to make rice balls.

Place some brown rice in the middle of some saran wrap and part of an umeboshi plum in the center.

Put more brown rice on top to cover the umeboshi plum and then wrap up the saran in your hand and twist the top.  Mold it into a ball to make sure the rice completely covers the plum.  

Finally, shape the ball into a triangle, unwrap and place it in the center of a sheet of seaweed.  Completely wrap the triangle in the seaweed and seal with water. 

Basic Macro Breakfast

Basics of a macro breakfast is porridge and greens, even adding a side of miso soup would be great.

Porridge 
It's important to use only whole grains.  My favorite mix is millet with brown rice and forbidden black rice.  However, you can mix any whole grains you want:  buckwheat, buhatnese rice, sweet brown rice, etc.  Place 1/2c of mixed whole grains in rice cooker and fill up to slightly passed the mark inside the rice pot that says "Porridge-0.5"  Then you can set the timer that you want the porridge ready by in the morning.  Be sure to top it off with some shredded nori or seaweed flakes (here i used dulse flakes).  *better to get ones that have no added salt*

Steamed Greens
Any of the following greens are good, you can even mix them up if you want:  collard greens, kale, chinese/napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli/broccolini/rapini.  Be sure to stay away from spinach.  Steam in a pot with either a steamer plate or you can fill pot with little bit of water and steam it that way.

Be sure to eat this breakfast slowly so your body can easily digest in the morning.

Three Mushroom Pizza

I would call this more like a taco salad. The recipe called for tofu cream but I went ahead and used my left over pinto beans as the spread instead.  I refried the beans to make a smooth paste, spread it on the sprouted whole grain tortilla that i toasted under the broiler, and topped that with stir fried shiitake mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, and button mushrooms.  To tie it all together I added chopped up cabbage on top.  This makes for a great appetizer as well.

The chicken noodle soup of Macrobiotics

Cold weather making you sick :( ?  Try this healing soup, equivalent...no BETTER than chicken soup ;)


You can use any veggies (except spinach, tomatoes, eggplant)  but here used:  rainbow carrots, daikon, celery, bok choy, collard greens, shiitake mushrooms + QUINOA+shoyu/tamari

(1) cook quinoa in rice cooker.  2 to one ratio.  I found 2 servings to be good with 1/4 -1/2 cup quinoa.
(2) Boil 3-4 cups water
(3) put in veggies and boil until soft.
(4) last 2 minutes add cooked quinoa and 4-5 drops of shoyu/tamari.

Digestions: Pickled Veggies

Homemade, non-pastuerized pickles help aid in digestion of foods we eat and to maintain a healthy digestive system.  1 tablespoon of pickled vegetables should be eaten daily.

Ume Red Radish Pickles (right picture)

1 cup red radishes, sliced into thin rounds or half-moons
1 cup red radish tops, green part, chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup Eden Ume Plum Vinegar

Place the radishes and greens in a one quart glass jar. Mix the water and vinegar together and pour over the radishes. Place a piece of clean cotton cheesecloth over the top of the jar and secure with a rubber band or tie with a piece of string. Set aside on the counter for 24 hours. Remove the cheesecloth and place the lid on the jar. Refrigerate and remove only what you need for a serving (1 tablespoon equals 1 serving) during the week. Always rinse what you remove under cold water to remove excess salt, refrigerating the remainder. These pickles will keep approximately 10 days in the refrigerator.

Umeboshi Brine Pickles (left picture-veggies used are broccoli stalks, carrots, red onion)

1 quart size canning jar, with lid
1 Eden Sushi Mat
1/3 cup Eden Ume Plum Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Eden Organic Brown Rice Vinegar
Eden Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 3/4 cups cold water
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
16 baby carrots, halved
2 cup small cauliflower florets

Place all vegetables in the jar. Pour the ume vinegar, brown rice vinegar and water over the vegetables. Place the lid on the jar and shake to thoroughly mix the liquid ingredients. Remove the lid and set aside. Set the jar on the kitchen counter and cover the mouth of the jar with the sushi mat. If a sushi mat is not available, cover with a piece of cotton cheesecloth or linen. Allow to set for 24 hours. Remove the mat and place the lid on the jar. The pickles are now ready to eat. Only remove the portion you wish to eat and keep the remainder refrigerated to prevent spoilage. The pickles will keep for 1 month or more.

Pickles aid in digestion but they are salty. Therefore, only eat 1 or 2 tablespoons daily or several times per week. Rinse under cold water before eating to remove excess sodium. The brine can be used again, just add 1 tablespoon ume vinegar and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar to the brine before adding more raw vegetables.

Variation: other vegetables can be pickled as long as they are thinly sliced, quartered, halved or small florets. Some vegetables that can be used are broccoli florets, peeled and thinly sliced broccoli stems, peeled and sliced kohlrabi, regular carrots sliced thin, thinly sliced turnips, daikon radish, white radishes, chopped cabbage or Chinese cabbage, and even watermelon rinds to name a few.

If you don't want to make your own try buying SAUERKRAUT!!!!!!!

Pickled Planet is my favorite brand.  I eat 2 tbsp of this with every meal.  Read more to see how sauerkraut can help you:  http://pickledplanet.com/sauerkraut-news/30-day-pickled-planet-challenge-28

Red Radio Podcast with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Today I listened to the first podcast episode of the newly aired "Red Radio: vegan banter with a bite," hosted by Erin Red.  In the first epsidoe (11/14/11) Erin Red welcomes you to Red Radio, tells us what’s hiding inside the McRib sandwich (hint: it ain’t ribs), and speaks with special guest Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Erin’s hero and vegan author, activist and educator (www.compassionatecooks.com).  

Listening to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is truly inspiring and I think we can all learn from some of the tips that she gave vegan listeners:

Be careful with the word "meat":  Try not to say faux meat, alternative meat, or substitute meat.  This gives the impressions that everything is comparable to meat.  Instead say: "I don’t eat 'fake' meat, but I do eat 'grain-based' meat and 'wheat-based' meat and 'nut-based' meat.

Speak in the plural instead of singular:  So many people say, "I eat chicken" or "I eat fish." They specify it in a singular context that helps them think that what they are consuming is objectified instead of living.  Therefore if you are questioned what you eat simply say "I don't eat chickens or fishes," or if you question someone ask "Do you eat fishes and chickens?"  This will help their clear their own language interpretations.

The same question for you is a new question for them:  Yes, we get the same questions over and over again: where do you get your protein?  Why don't you eat dairy?  Can't you still at fish?  It has all gotten to the point where you just want to say, "why don't you just go and google it!"  Colleen is a very positive person and really tries to help us vegans understand that there's nothing negative to being vegan.  So her advice to eliminate our frustration and hostility towards others is to simply remember that it may the same question for us over and over again, but it's a new question for them and the answer could change their perspective forever.

Practice, practice, practice!:  Colleen says to always be ready to present yourself as vegan when you meet new people.  It is advised to really only limit it to 90 seconds so it does not become the center of attention, and you don't look like you're in a cult :S  But in that time period you need to be able to present yourself in such a way that is memorable, decisive, and of course compassionate.  This skill does not come naturally.  As you get more exposure and experience as a new vegan you will be able to speak with ease.  The following are areas to practice:

• Timing.  Be able to express yourself concisely.
• Choose your goal.  Colleen does not advise people try to make excuses or respond with "well there are alternatives to dairy and meat."  Instead tell them why you truly went vegan, it's because you wanted to practice compassion.  This is more effective.
• Language.  Utilize your vegan language that we discussed above.
• Be compassionate.  As hostile as things may get, in order to practice compassion you have to be an example of it.

Overall, Colleen focuses on the idea that vegans do not deprive themselves.  It is all about GAIN.  We gain health, we gain fulfillment, we gain the benefit of knowing that we are able to truly be ourselves, a passionate being.  Be sure to emphasize this not only when you talk to others, but also in your everyday practice as a vegan ;)

My Macrobiotic Thanksgiving Menu

Seitan & mushroom gravy

Seitan Broth:

10 cups water

2 cups soy sauce

8 cloves whole garlic, peeled

4 bay leaves

3 two-inch slices fresh ginger

Place all ingredients in stockpot and bring to simmer.

Seitan:

4 cups unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup gluten flour

2-2 ½ cups water

In a mixing bowl, combine flours well.  Begin adding water slowly and consistently while stirring to form a well in the center.  (Water absorption will slightly vary depending on the flours and the climate.)  Incorporate dry flour from the outer circumference of the bowl toward the center of the well.  Continue mixing until a firm dough is formed.

Dust a flat, firm work surface with unbleached flour and knead about 70 times, more is better (don’t worry… it just sounds like a lot).  You’ll probably need to dust the dough with more flour if it gets slightly sticky to work with.

Let the dough ball rest for 20 minutes.

With the dough ball in the bowl, place the bowl in the sink and add water to cover the dough.  Begin kneading the dough until the water turns really milky.  Drain the water, add more fresh water, and repeat kneading process 10-12 times.

Form the gluten into shapes of your liking.  If making a single loaf, pierce and weave a 12-inch bamboo skewer through it to hold it together, or you can wrap and tie with cheesecloth to hold the shape.

Gently place the loaf in the simmering Seitan Broth, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer again and cook for 1 ½ hours.  Remove from pot and place on a plate to cool.

Gravy:


Onions
Mushrooms (optional)


Water


Shoyu
Mirin (optional)


Brown rice vinegar (optional)


Kuzu

Saute diced onions with a pinch of salt, until translucent, then add mushrooms, another pinch of salt, and saute until softened and wilty.

Pour some water in a large measuring cup (know how much liquid you’re using–you will need to know this for when you add the kuzu) equalling the amount of gravy you want and add water to this saute, 

Then add shoyu, to taste (1 teaspoon per cup of liquid).  You can also add mirin (about 1/3 the amount of shoyu you put in) and a dash of brown rice vinegar, if you like.

Let it all come to a boil and then simmer for at least ten minutes.

Measure out the equivalent of 1 level tablespoon of kuzu per cup of gravy liquid.  Add diluted kuzu slowly to the gravy as you stir it vigorously. The gravy will become glossy and thicken. Let it come to a boil, then reduce flame to a simmer. If the gravy is not thick enough for you, add more kuzu. If it’s too thick, add more liquid.

Let it simmer for about ten minutes before serving.

Cornbread

2 c Corn flour or cornmeal - (yellow or blue)

1 c Whole wheat pastry flour

6 oz Soft tofu

3 c Water

1/2 ts Sea Salt

Mix flours. Crumble tofu into blender. Add boiled water and salt to tofu in blender (carefully) and blend until not quite smooth. (Just a few pulses please). Dont do this in too small blender or without lid like I did once. The goal is muffins, not 2nd degree burns. Add immediately to flour and mix well. Spoon into muffin tins or cast iron stick trays and bake at 400°F for about 1/2 hour until golden brown. She suggests you heat oven first and place oiled muffin tins in to heat up beforehand to get a wonderful crust.

Scarlet Roasted Vegetables

4-6 Shallots, peeled & halved lengthwise

3 large beets, cut into 1 inch chunks

2 parsnips, quartered lengthwise

1 large fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thickly sliced

1-2 cups kabocha squash, cut into big chunks

3-4 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces

3-4 dried bay leaves

½ cup pecan halves

6-8 dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1-2 tsps shoyu

Grated zest of 2 lemons

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil large shallow baking dish.

Combine all veggies, bay leaves, pecans, apricots, shoyu, lemon zest, and oil in mixing bowl.  Mix veggies to coat well.

Transfer veggies to prepared baking dish, spread out evenly.  Cover with aluminum foil, roast for 40mins., until veggies soft when pierced.

Remoe foil, and roast 15 mins longer to let veggies brown a little.  Remove from oven, toss with lemon juice and garnish with parsley.

Brussel Sprouts w/shallots & hijiki

½ cup halved and sliced Onion

½ cup Hijiki

1 tbsp Shoyu

1 tbsp chopped Garlic

Ginger juice

Sea salt

Combine soaked hijiki with shoyu and water to almost cover saucepan.  Cook uncovered until water evaporated (30-40mins).

Heat oil in skillet, add onion, garlic and salt and sauté 4 minutes until transcluscent.  Add sprouts to onions.  Cover and cook 3-5 mins. Add hijiki and ginger juice, cook 1-2 minutes.

Blueberry  Cous Cous Cake

2.5 cups apple juice or water

Pinch sea salt

½ cup raisins

2 cups couscous

Topping:

1 cup water

¼ cup barley malt

Pinch sea salt

3 cups fresh blueberries

2-3 tbsp kuzu, diluted in few tbsp Water

Place apple juice or water in a pot.  Add sea salt and raisins.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce flame to medium-low and simmer 10mins.  Add couscous, cover, simmer 3-5 mins.   Turn off flame and let couscous sit covered for 10 mins.  Remove couscous place in glass or ceramic cake pan.

For topping, place water, barley malt, sea salt, and blueberries in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce flame to low and add diluted kuzu.  Stir constantly to prevent lumping.  Simmer 2-3 mins and remove from flame.

Press couscous down firmly with rice paddle before adding topping.  Pour over cake, spread evenly.  Set aside to cool.