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Recipe: Easy Udon or Soba in Broth


This is another of my quick one-pot weeknight comfort food favorites. It has 3 main ingredients: kombu, or dried Japanese kelp, shoyu, high-quality Japanese soy sauce; and mirin, Japanese cooking rice wine. You can throw in any number of the extras below to vary the flavor and use up those stray leftover veggies.

All measurements are approximate. I do everything here by taste.

Total Time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: ~2-4; easily multiplied
Ingredients:
5 cups water
1 strip kombu
~ 4 T shoyu
~ 2-4 T mirin, other rice wine, white wine, or rice wine vinegar
1/2-1 8oz package soba or udon (depending on how much other stuff you’re adding)

To Make the Noodles and Broth:
Bring water to a boil. Add kombu and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove. Cook noodles in broth according to package instructions. While noodles are simmering, add shoyu, mirin, and any of the optional ingredients below. Experiment!

Add Optional Seasonings:
– 1-3 teaspoons agave or sugar (Agave works beautifully here without cloying sweetness)
– 1-2 T umeboshi plum vinegar or rice vinegar
– ponzu sauce (Japanese dipping sauce)
– lemon or lime juice
– peeled, grated ginger
– chiles or crushed red pepper flakes
– bonito flakes
– chopped reconstituted dried mushrooms and their soaking water
– miso

Add Optional Protein:
– 1-2 eggs, with or without yolks, beaten and stirred in vigorously while broth boils (raise heat from a simmer)
– cubed tofu
– cubed or shredded seitan
– chicken, meat, or fish, added directly to broth and cooked through

Add Optional Veggies to Broth or As Garnish:
– mushrooms
– scallions
– grated or sliced carrot
– mung bean or soy sprouts
– peeled, grated ginger
– grated daikon or other radish
– wakame flakes, hijiki, or other seaweed (also adds a hit of protein!)
– broccoli florets
– bok choy, spinach, or kale, coarsely chopped
– blanched sweet potato
– corn or baby corn
– umeboshi plums

Finish Your Beautiful, Steaming Bowl with Any of these Garnishes:
– toasted sesame seeds or gomasio (Japanese sesame seed and sea salt blend)
– lemon, lime, or orange zest
– handful of parsley and/or cilantro
– crushed cashews, peanuts, walnuts, or toasted almonds
– toasted sesame oil, drizzled into individual bowls

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Steamed Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli with Miso-Almond Sauce

Served over brown rice, this is one of my favorite quick and light comfort meals. This recipe is highly flexible — you can adapt to whatever vegetables or grains you have on hand. Try adding a dash of apple juice to the miso-almond sauce for a flavor kick. And if you don’t have almond butter lying around or are allergic to tree nuts, peanut butter will probably work in a pinch.

Serves: 2 (easily multiplied)
Total Time: 10-15 minutes

2 sweet potatoes (American yams), cut into bite-sized chunks
1 bunch broccoli
2 T miso
2 T almond butter
Handful of your favorite nuts (walnuts, toasted almonds, and cashews all work well)(optional)
~ 1C boiling water, to taste
Salt to taste

1. Separate broccoli stem from crown. Cut crown into florets. Peel stem and cut into ~1/2″ chunks.
2. In a steamer basket, steam sweet potatoes and broccoli stems. After about 3 minutes of steaming, add broccoli florets and steam until bright green and just tender. If you don’t have a steamer basket, steam in a covered skillet or saucepan with a small amount of water.
3. While the veggies are steaming, combine miso and almond butter in a small bowl. Slowly add boiling water and whisk until sauce is smooth and of your desired thickness. Adjust salt if needed.
4. Arrange sweet potatoes and broccoli in a bowl (perhaps over rice or grains). Drizzle sauce over veggies, sprinkle with nuts, and serve.

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Steamed Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli with Miso-Almond Sauce

Served over brown rice, this is one of my favorite quick and light comfort meals. This recipe is highly flexible — you can adapt to whatever vegetables or grains you have on hand. Try adding a dash of apple juice to the miso-almond sauce for a flavor kick. And if you don’t have almond butter lying around or are allergic to tree nuts, peanut butter will probably work in a pinch.

Serves: 2 (easily multiplied)
Total Time: 10-15 minutes

2 sweet potatoes (American yams), cut into bite-sized chunks
1 bunch broccoli
2 T miso
2 T almond butter
Handful of your favorite nuts (walnuts, toasted almonds, and cashews all work well)(optional)
~ 1C boiling water, to taste
Salt to taste

1. Separate broccoli stem from crown. Cut crown into florets. Peel stem and cut into ~1/2″ chunks.
2. In a steamer basket, steam sweet potatoes and broccoli stems. After about 3 minutes of steaming, add broccoli florets and steam until bright green and just tender. If you don’t have a steamer basket, steam in a covered skillet or saucepan with a small amount of water.
3. While the veggies are steaming, combine miso and almond butter in a small bowl. Slowly add boiling water and whisk until sauce is smooth and of your desired thickness. Adjust salt if needed.
4. Arrange sweet potatoes and broccoli in a bowl (perhaps over rice or grains). Drizzle sauce over veggies, sprinkle with nuts, and serve.

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Recipe: (Buttery) Sweet Potato Latkes with Walnuts and Sage

Exotic Latkes! Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and omega 3-packed walnuts plus frying in heart-healthy olive oil make these much healthier than regular latkes. An ice cream scoop makes uniform latkes. Frying in butter as well as oil adds an optional extra touch of miracle. Happy Hanukah!

Serves: 4 as a main course, more as an appetizer, easily multiplied
Total Time: 45 minutes (including chopping)

1 large sweet potato (yam), peeled and grated
1 medium onion, grated
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T sage
1/2 c flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cornmeal
5+ eggs, beaten
1 T salt plus more to taste
1/2 T ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil
butter or margarine (optional)

Tip: To speed up the chopping, I chop the nuts in the food processor, then grate the sweet potato and onion in the food processor without cleaning the bowl.

1) Combine grated sweet potatoes, onion, walnuts, sage, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss thoroughly.
2) Stir in the eggs. Mix well until mixture looks uniformly slick. Add another egg if necessary for batter to hold together.
3) Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter or margarine (or 2 T oil) in a skillet. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out batter. Fry 1-2 minutes/side.
4) Drain on towels (clean dish towels or paper towels).
5) Repeat as necessary, keeping early batches crisp in the oven on a 300-degree baking sheet.
6) Serve plain, or with applesauce and/or lowfat sour cream. Try sprinkling a little nutmeg and/or black pepper into the applesauce.

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Recipe: (Buttery) Sweet Potato Latkes with Walnuts and Sage

Exotic Latkes! Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and omega 3-packed walnuts plus frying in heart-healthy olive oil make these much healthier than regular latkes. An ice cream scoop makes uniform latkes. Frying in butter as well as oil adds an optional extra touch of miracle. Happy Hanukah!

Serves: 4 as a main course, more as an appetizer, easily multiplied
Total Time: 45 minutes (including chopping)

1 large sweet potato (yam), peeled and grated
1 medium onion, grated
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T sage
1/2 c flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cornmeal
5+ eggs, beaten
1 T salt plus more to taste
1/2 T ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil
butter or margarine (optional)

Tip: To speed up the chopping, I chop the nuts in the food processor, then grate the sweet potato and onion in the food processor without cleaning the bowl.

1) Combine grated sweet potatoes, onion, walnuts, sage, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss thoroughly.
2) Stir in the eggs. Mix well until mixture looks uniformly slick. Add another egg if necessary for batter to hold together.
3) Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter or margarine (or 2 T oil) in a skillet. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out batter. Fry 1-2 minutes/side.
4) Drain on towels (clean dish towels or paper towels).
5) Repeat as necessary, keeping early batches crisp in the oven on a 300-degree baking sheet.
6) Serve plain, or with applesauce and/or lowfat sour cream. Try sprinkling a little nutmeg and/or black pepper into the applesauce.

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Recipe: Winter Squash and Mushroom Stir-Fry with Thyme

Mix regular button mushrooms with a more exotic variety to push those buttons into deeper mushroom flavor. Try this with any recipe that calls for exotic mushrooms to stretch your dollars.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

10-12 oz white mushrooms (one supermarket package), stemmed, halved or quartered if large
10-12 oz crimini or other mushrooms (one supermarket package), stemmed, halved or quartered if large
1 lb winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4″ chunks
1 onion, diced
1 T thyme
2 T olive oil
1/2 c stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan.
2. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Stir in the thyme.
3. Add Squash. Saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add Mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Saute 5 minutes more.
5. Raise heat to high and add stock. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes or until squash is tender.

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Recipe: Winter Squash and Mushroom Stir-Fry with Thyme

Mix regular button mushrooms with a more exotic variety to push those buttons into deeper mushroom flavor. Try this with any recipe that calls for exotic mushrooms to stretch your dollars.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

10-12 oz white mushrooms (one supermarket package), stemmed, halved or quartered if large
10-12 oz crimini or other mushrooms (one supermarket package), stemmed, halved or quartered if large
1 lb winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4″ chunks
1 onion, diced
1 T thyme
2 T olive oil
1/2 c stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan.
2. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Stir in the thyme.
3. Add Squash. Saute for 5 minutes.
4. Add Mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Saute 5 minutes more.
5. Raise heat to high and add stock. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes or until squash is tender.

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Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

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Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

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Recipe: Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel

Looking for something delicious and different? Look no further. You can even make it ahead. This recipe would work with fish, veal or pork chops, or seitan. Make spice blend far in advance. Recipe may be prepared to step 2 and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Prepared chicken may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 4 months.

Serves: 4 (easily multiplied)
Make ahead: Yes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil

2t coriander
2t fennel seeds

5T grill seasoning OR make your own by mixing:
1/2T coriander
1/2T onion powder
1/2T garlic powder
1/2T coriander
1/2T kosher salt
2T black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 if using veal or pork chops)
2. Combine all spices. Rub chicken (or other protein) with spices.
3. Heat 2T olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer pan to oven for 10 minutes.