Search Results for: miso

Honey Mustard Dressing with or w/o Miso

November 20, 2019 by towers

The dressing makes a salad and it compliments salads containing bitter vegetables such as radicchio, arugula, dandelion leaves, and mustard greens. Remember, the bitter tasting vegetables stimulate bile flow and aid digestion so be sure to use them in your salads and try to eat your salad at the beginning of your meal. Enhance your salad’s general appeal by using at least half mild tasting lettuce such as romaine. Also, avoid adding tough/fibrous greens to your salads as these are better digested when they are cooked, marinated, or fermented (this includes kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower). And, don’t be stingy with the dressing–pour a couple of tablespoons on! The oil helps with absorption of the nutrients in the vegetables.

Try making the dressing with and without the miso–it’s delicious either way but there will be recipes that may be better without the miso taste. Double or triple the recipe so you have enough in the fridge to last a week.

1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard

1 Tbsp. organic miso (I like the chickpea variety from MisoMaster)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I have used the vinegar liquid from the marinated red onions which give a nice onion flavor.)

1-2 tsp. honey

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except the oil in a jar and mix very well. Add the olive oil and mix again. The miso is salty so you should not have to add salt but you may wish to add some ground black pepper. Pour on your salad just before serving.

Zucchini Challenge turns into Miso Zucchini Broth

July 13, 2018 by towers

Being a gardener, I’m susceptible to zucchini guilt–feeling very guilty for pitching nature’s bounty in the form of overgrown zucchinis onto the compost pile. It’s hard to keep up with harvesting them, especially once your refrigerator is full of zucchini! I have suggested a practical solution in a previous recipe. Well, it is that time of year again and I thought to remind you about “putting up” zucchini the easy way. If you are faced with the zucchini challenge, visit that post!

Yesterday, I grated 6 medium-sized zucchini; besides the 3 bags of “wrung out” grated zucchini I froze, I also got 1 quart of zucchini “water” which I refrigerated. This morning I had a smoothie for breakfast and instead of water, I used the zucchini juice that is generated by following this previously posted recipe. It was much better with the zucchini juice! Yes, the salt in the zucchini juice will alter the taste but it was more than that. A nice surprise given I was expecting to taste, well, zucchini.

Enjoy the growing season with all its bounty!

Here’s another idea for a quick, nourishing broth using the zucchini “water”:

1 cup zucchini “water”

1/2 tsp. dried onion flakes or granules (not onion salt)

1 tsp. miso (I like “MisoMaster” chickpea miso)

Heat zucchini “water” and onion granules in a saucepan to a simmer. Remove from heat. Place miso in a mug or bowl. Add a little of the hot liquid and mix the miso paste into the liquid until homogenized. Add the rest of the hot liquid to the mug and stir well. Enjoy while warm.

Miso Soup

December 4, 2017 by towers

This is not your typical miso soup but I post it to demonstrate that you can make a quick miso-type soup with a mix of possible ingredients and it will not only be unique each time but delicious as well–and you may get to use some leftovers! So miso soup is usually a light soup made with broth (vegetable or meat) and miso, with some scallions, and maybe some tofu and seaweed. If you haven’t experimented with sea vegetables (most people have had nori seaweed as sushi), give it a try. They are a good source of trace minerals and iodine.

If you keep bone or meat broth on hand, you have the beginnings of a good soup. I had turkey bone broth from Thanksgiving that had so much gelatin in it that it would not come out of the jar when I turned it upside down. I keep Miso Master chickpea miso on hand for soups and salad dressings. I also happened to have some leftover butternut squash–just the right amount as too much would thicken and change the quality of the soup which is traditionally light, not hearty. Mushroom is another nice addition to miso soup–I used a portobello that needed to be eaten.

If you want to make a vegetable broth get 3 leeks, 2 stalks of celery, and 1 carrot. Wash well and chop in big pieces. Melt 2 Tbsp. of ghee in a soup pot and add the vegetables. Stir for a few minutes over medium heat. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to low so the mixture simmers. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Strain and use for soup.

As you can see I did not see a recipe and go buy ingredients–I saw a recipe on the back of a seaweed package and then altered it to use what was in my refrigerator. It may be hard to replicate but your choice of ingredients might produce something better!

Serves 4

3 cups of broth, vegetable or chicken or turkey
3 Tbsp. Emerald Cove Sun-dried Wakame seaweed (this brand comes chopped up into nice bite size pieces that can be measured by Tbsp)
1 cup cooked butternut squash or 1 cup cooked wild rice blend
1 portobello mushroom or 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup water
3 Tbsp. Miso Master chickpea miso (or any other organic and unpasteurized miso)
Salt to taste

Soak the wakame in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat broth in soup pot. Blend squash with 1 cup of water to puree. Add the puree or the rice to the soup pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the mushroom and seaweed. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove soup from heat. In a small bowl mix miso with some of the hot soup broth. Add this miso “cream” to the soup and stir well. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Warming Broth for a Cold

January 23, 2025 by towers

When you’re feeling down with a cold, the last thing you may want to do is cook! Well, if you keep a few ingredients on hand you can make this nourishing, soothing broth in a few minutes. If you have chicken, beef, or vegetable broth you can use that instead of water. This broth will keep you warm and hydrated. Have a few cups a day. It will help drain away the mucus from the cold.

Serves 1

1 cup boiling water or broth from meat or vegetables

1 rounded tsp. Miso Master Chick Pea Miso (organic and unpastuerized)

2 Tbsp. cultured vegetables (I prefer a carrot/cabbage/ginger mixture)

a pinch or two of cayenne (optional but very helpful for warming effect)

Place the miso in a mug. Add about a 1/4 of the water and use a fork to press and dissolve the miso. Add the rest of the water, cayenne and vegetables. Stir and serve immediately.

Superfast Superfood Salad Dressing

October 6, 2024 by towers

Hooked on store-bought bottled salad dressing? Or are you eating salads with no dressing? (I hope you are eating a salad every day!) There is a solution and a better option to these two less than desirable choices!

The oils in almost all commercial salad dressings are high in omega-6 fatty acids. These are pro-inflammatory and saturate the American diet to the point that the healthy ratio of about 1:1 of omega 6 to omega 3 is greater than 20 to 1 for the average American. Very unhealthy! This is a compelling reason to stop consuming all vegetable oils so check your ingredient labels on all (not just salad dressing) food products–if you see canola, soy, safflower, sunflower, corn, or cottonseed oils do not buy! And for goodness sakes, don’t use them for cooking or baking.

Now as for not using any dressing on your salad, this is not only unappetizing in my opinion but counter-productive for absorbing the nutrients in the vegetables in the salad. The oil will allow your absorption of more nutrients from the vegetables. So if you are short on time and can’t make a more nuanced dressing such as the honey mustard dressing I posted previously, give this a try. It is simple, tasty, and made with truly superfood ingredients. No mixing ahead–just drizzle right on to the salad.

For each salad, drizzle in this order:

1 Tbsp. organic extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp honey

Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want to get fancy, season with your favorite dried herbs.

Toss the salad and serve immediately.

Cucumber Salad

July 29, 2024 by towers

It’s cucumber season and a cucumber salad is perfect for the summer heat we’ve been experiencing. I make this salad when I don’t have any lettuce growing in the garden–it’s actually a nice change! If you want to beef it up, add 1/2 cup cooked chick peas or boiled eggs (slice in half and top with 1 tsp of the dressing) or feta cheese.

Serves 2

1 cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped in 1/4 inch pieces

1 carrot, grated

1/2 sweet red pepper or 1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup cultured vegetables such as sauerkraut (I had sauerkraut made from red Chinese cabbage)

miso honey mustard dressing

Mix all ingredients and top with dressing. The dressing is salty so you may not need to salt the salad. Serve immediately or the salad will get “soupy”.

GF Chicken Noodle Soup

January 15, 2024 by towers

An old favorite, great for when you are feeling under the weather and simple to make, chicken noodle soup is best when homemade with your own flavorful chicken stock. I use rice noodles in this recipe–buy the organic ones available both brown rice and white rice. Field Day brand has fettuccini organic brown rice noodles that are available in health food stores and natural food co-ops. Vary the amount of noodles you put in the soup based on how much carbohydrate you want in the meal–with a salad this soup makes a great winter lunch or dinner. Make enough for leftovers!

Serves 2-4

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 cup of chopped carrot

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp ghee

1 tsp. turmeric powder (optional)

1 cup water

3 cups of chicken broth

2 cups chicken meat, chopped

1-2 cups cooked rice noodles

Miso Master chickpea miso, 1 Tbsp (optional)

salt to taste

In a soup pot, melt the ghee and sauté the onions over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the carrot and celery and stir well while continuing to sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the crushed garlic and turmeric and then add water. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat and cover with the lid cracked to keep the mixture simmering. Simmer until the carrots are tender (taste one to be sure). Add the chicken broth and chopped chicken meat. Once the mixture comes to a simmer over medium heat, add the cooked noodles. Stir well. If adding miso, dissolve the miso in a 1/4 cup of water and add to the soup. Salt to taste.

September Salad

September 7, 2023 by towers

The heat of August usually leaves my garden by September with lots of tomatoes and no lettuce or leafy greens. But a good salad can be had with a few items in the refrigerator to go with the tomatoes. It’s a good idea to keep some fermented veggies around for just such an occasion. Also, the dressing is quick to make–follow the link for the recipe but I used balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar for this batch. If your fermented veggies have a good mix you may not need the crispness of the cucumber slices that I list as optional. I made a batch of sauerkraut back in June with Chinese cabbage, carrot, and daikon radish so that is the mix I had and the radish provides a crisp texture.

Serves two:

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fermented veggies (any home-made or store bought mix)

2 Tbsp. roasted sunflower seeds (I used soaked and dried “crispy” sunflower seeds)

miso mustard dressing

cucumber slices optional

Mix the tomatoes with the fermented vegetables and divide into two salad bowls. Top with sunflower seeds and 1-2 Tbsp. dressing per bowl. Garnish with cucumber slices if desired. Serve immediately.

Simple Celery Soup

November 16, 2022 by towers

Not too many ingredients in this one but good just the same when you just want something warm, light, and nourishing without too much work! If you have any broth on hand, use it instead of water. The soup is still flavorful without the broth. Also, if you eat dairy, cream would be good instead of the coconut milk.

2 servings

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/4 cup ghee

4 cups chopped celery

1 cup classic coconut milk, or cream if you wish to use dairy

1 cup water

1 tsp. dried sweet basil

2 Tbsp. chickpea miso

salt to taste

Melt the ghee in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add celery and saute another 5 minutes. Add the water, coconut milk and basil. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to keep it at a simmer. Cover but crack the lid. Simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and add the miso. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

Chicken Shiitake Soup

November 7, 2022 by towers

If you haven’t tried cooking shiitake mushrooms, this is an easy introductory recipe. Not too many ingredients and it is quick too. We had this for dinner with some baked butternut squash and a salad. A good roasted whole chicken and chicken broth recipe is posted here. If you want to add some starch for a more substantial meal, simply add 1 cup cooked rice when you add the chicken meat.

Serves 2

2 cups homemade chicken broth

1/2 cup of finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms

1/2 to 1 cup chopped cooked chicken meat (optional)

2 tsp. mellow white miso (MisoMaster brand is good)

salt to taste

black pepper (optional) to taste

Heat broth in soup pot on medium heat until simmering. Add celery and simmer for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the chicken and heat for a few more minutes. Take off heat. Mix miso in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the hot broth from the soup until it dissolves and then add this mixture to the soup. Stir well. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Best served immediately.

Honey Mustard Dressing with or w/o Miso

Zucchini Challenge turns into Miso Zucchini Broth

Miso Soup

Warming Broth for a Cold

Superfast Superfood Salad Dressing

Cucumber Salad

GF Chicken Noodle Soup

September Salad

Simple Celery Soup

Chicken Shiitake Soup

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

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