Vegetable Dishes

Directions:

1. To make dressing, boil tofu for 10 minutes, drain using strainer and set aside to cool. This process will 　pull excess water from the tofu.
2. In food processor, place tofu, umeboshi vinegar, and lemon juice. Process until smooth. Add olive oil while spinning.
3. In mixing bowl, toss apples, celery, walnuts, raisins, sea salt, and umeboshi vinegar.
4. Add dressing to taste and mix until well combined.

Chef’s note: Leftover dressing can be utilized as a dipping sauce for vegetable sticks, or as a spread on toast. Keeps in refrigerator for 3 – 4 days.

Directions:

1. Steam sweet potatoes (each one separately) until tender, about 10 minutes each and set aside to cool.
2. In the meantime, in small bowl, marinate red onion with umeboshi vinegar for 15 minutes.
3. In another small bowl, massage fennel with a few pinches of sea salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, red onion, fennel, Aioli and black pepper. Mix gently. Serve with garnish.

Chef’s tip: You can make this dish 1-3 hours ahead of time since the flavor settles after sitting for a while. Store in the refrigerator.

Tofu Sour Cream:

1. Combine all the ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Process until smooth. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated.

Chef’s note: sour cream keeps well in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.

Aioli:

1. In small skillet over medium heat, toast garlic for about five minutes, until brown spots appear on skin, shaking the skillet occasionally. Set aside. When it cools enough to handle, peel the skin.
2. Combine all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Process until smooth. With processor running, slowly add oil until incorporated.

Chef’s note: keeps well in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium flame. Sauté onion and garlic with a few pinches of sea salt until onion becomes translucent.
2. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes until mushrooms are fully cooked.
3. Layer broccoli rabe, first stems, then leaves on top, with a little water added to the vegetables. Cover the skillet and steam for 1 minute until broccoli rabe turns bright green.
4. In a meantime, combine shoyu and lemon juice in small bowl.
5. Remove cover of skillet, add the seasoning mixture, stir to incorporate well. Taste, adjusting flavor if necessary.
6. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of lemon zest on top for garnish.

Directions:

1. Place the kombu on the bottom of the pot and add approximately 1 inch water.
2. Place the vegetables in sections in the pot.
3. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce flame to low and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and sweet.
5. Add several drops of shoyu or tamari, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes until almost all of the remaining liquid has evaporated.
6. Mix the vegetables so all the liquid and seasoning and remaining liquid is evenly dispersed.

Other delicious combinations:

Daikon
Winter squash, Japanese sweet potato, daikon, carrot
Winter squash, parsnips, cabbage, onion

Directions:

1. Heat 1 T oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
2. Add red onions, a pinch of sea salt and sauté onions until soft, approximately 2 minutes.
3. Add leek, sauté 1 minute.
4. Add dandelions and sauté until wilted, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the sauerkraut.

* To chop the dandelion greens, first cut off the end of the stems, then cut up from the stems in 2 inch increments.

Directions:

1. Place 2-3 cups water in a deep pot with a pinch of sea salt.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Add corn and boil until bright yellow, approximately 2 minutes. Remove and let cool.
4. Add cauliflower and boil until tender, but slightly crunchy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove and let cool.
5. Add pea pods and cook for 15-30 seconds until bright green. Remove and let cool.
6. Add kale and cook for 1 ½ – 2 minutes. Remove and let cool.
7. Mix ingredients together and serve.

It’s best to let the water to come a rolling boil between each vegetable. You can make many vegetables this way including broccoli, carrots, daikon, onions, leeks, collard greens, mustard greens and celery.