Jill Sherman Skeem

Recipes
Grain | Vegetable | Bean | Soup | Desserts

Grain Recipes

Boiled Brown Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup rinsed and soaked brown rice
1 ½ cup spring water
1 pinch of sea salt

Still rinse and soak the rice but instead of a pressure cooker, use a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the rice and the water and bring to a boil, add the sea salt, cover with the lid, lower the flame, place a flame deflector under the pot and cook for 1 hour.

Note: Whatever other grain, whole or cracked, or bean cooked with brown rice will cook in the same amount of time. A ratio of 2/3 rice to 1/3 grain or bean works well. If you want fluffier boiled rice, add the rice after the water boils.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
Leftover Brown or White Rice
¼ cup of diced onions,
¼ cup of carrots
¼ cup of celery, peas or mushrooms or any combo of vegetables
1 tablespoon of either light sesame or olive oil
Sea Salt
Shoyu
Freshly grated ginger juice

Heat the oil in a skillet. If you are using onions, always sauté them first. When they get translucent, add a pinch of sea salt. Then add each vegetable separately and sauté for a minute or two. Place the leftover rice on top of the sautéed vegetables and add approx. ¼ cup of water, depending on the amount of rice and vegetables, to the side of the vegetable and cover with a lid for a few minutes.

After 3-4 minutes, lift the lid and see if the leftover rice is getting soft. If it is, at this point you can stir and combine the rice with the vegetables and then cover with the lid. After another 2 couple of minutes, lift the lid and see if the rice is getting a bit sticky and then add a few drops of shoyu and combine again. Cover for a couple of minutes and then right when it is finished, grate the ginger and squeeze about a tablespoon worth on the top of the rice, stir and cover for 30 seconds.

Brown Basmati Rice Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
1½ cups water
Pinch of sea salt
½ cups golden raisins, rinsed
½ red onion, diced
1 can of chickpeas, blanched
1 cup of cucumber, seeded and diced
Roasted pine nuts for a garnish

Preparation of Rice:
1. Rinse the rice and put in saucepan.

2. Bring water to a boil and add sea salt. Cover, place flame deflector under the pot and simmer 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Fluff out when done.

Preparation of Balsamic Herb Dressing
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. natural mustard, Westbrae Brand
½ tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 -2/3 cup olive oil (depending on how you want it)

Preparation of Pine Nuts:
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and pan roast, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

Blanching of the chickpeas:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt and then add the chickpeas. Keep them in the water for approx. 1-2 minutes and scoop them out of the water. Drain any excess water and let them cool.

Sourdough Stuffing with Onion, Celery, Mushroom and Seitan

Ingredients:
6 cups unyeasted sourdough bread, cubed
½ cup of water
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 ¼ cup onions, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup seitan, diced
1 tsp, sage, oregano or rosemary
1 tsp. shoyu
Toasted sesame oil

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350. Heat up some toasted sesame oil and sauté onions with a pinch of sea salt for 1 minute, add the mushrooms, celery, seitan and sage. Add the mixture to the bread cubes along with the water and shoyu. Mix gently and put in an oiled baking dish.

Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)

Ingredients:
1 cup of bulgur
1 cup of hot water
1 tsp. sea salt

Preparation
Put the bulgur, water and salt in a bowl. Cover with saran wrap or a tight-fitting lid and let stand for 30 minutes. Use a fork to fluff it up.
You can use bulgur for a salad, added to soup, fried with veggies like fried rice, combined with beans for a bean burger or for tabbouleh.

Vegetable Recipes

Scalloped Yams, Apples and Apricot Bake

Ingredients:
2 pounds Garnet or Jewel Yams – peeled and thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
15 dried apricots- rinsed and diced
¾ cup Knudsen Apple Juice (not from a concentrate)
Maple Syrup
Sea Salt
Safflower Oil
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Preparation:
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Coat an 8 inch square baking dish lightly with safflower oil.

Pour ½ cup of apple juice on the bottom of the baking dish. Pour maple syrup in a small bowl and with a brush, brush maple syrup lightly on top- side of each yam piece. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of yams, arranging the slices in 4 overlapping rows, like roof tiles. Then put a pinch of sea salt over the yams. Cover the yams with the apple slices and then the apricots. Cover the apricots with another layer of maple-syrup coated yams. Take a pinch of sea salt on top of the yams. Pour the remaining ¼ cup of apple juice along the sides of the baking dish and not on top of the yams. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Coat the chopped pecans with maple syrup. Uncover the yams and spread the nuts on top and bake 15 minutes longer uncovered. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Green Beans with Sesame-Miso Dressing

Ingredients:
2 cups (1 lb) green beans, stems removed and sliced in 2 inch lengths
Water for boiling beans
2 Tbsp barley miso
¼ cup tan sesame seeds, roasted
2-3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Brown Rice Syrup

Preparation:
Place 1 inch of water in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add the beans, cover and simmer 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove, rinse and drain. Place the water, miso and syrup in a saucepan and simmer 2 minutes. Grind the sesame seeds in a suribachi until half-crushed. Add the sesame seeds to the miso mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the beans to the sesame dressing and mix. Place in a serving bowl.

Parsnip, Rutabaga and Carrot Mash with Grilled Onions

Ingredients:
½ cup, parsnip – peeled and diced
½ cup, rutabaga – diced
½ cup, carrot – diced smaller than the parsnip and rutabaga
1 cup, onions- sliced in half moons
1-2 Tbsp of Olive oil
2 tsps, dried Rosemary
Sea Salt

Preparation:
Put the parsnip, rutabaga and carrot in a saucepan, along with a pinch of sea salt and cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for approx. 15-20 minutes until they start to get soft, use a fork to test.

In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil and start to sauté the onions. When they begin to get translucent, add a pinch of sea salt and continue to sauté. When the vegetables are soft enough, take a slotted spoon and scoop the veggies from the saucepan into the skillet and sauté together along with the rosemary. Add another pinch of sea salt and a small amount of the cooked veggie water to the skillet if it starts to dry out. Cover the skillet until the veggies are cooked through.

Remove the veggies and mash them slightly with a potato masher but maintaining a chunky texture. Serve while hot.

Stuffed Squash or Hokkaido Pumpkin
This can be a delicious side dish or a main course for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
1 large buttercup squash or Hokkaido pumpkin
1 ½ cups of whole wheat or unyeasted sourdough bread
½ cup onion, diced
1 ½ cups, seitan, cubed
4 to 5 mushrooms, diced
¼ cup celery, diced
½ cup water
1 tsp. organic dried sage (optional)
Tamari soy sauce
Sesame oil (toasted or plain)
Sea salt

Preparation:
Cut out the top of the squash or pumpkin as you would when making a Jack-O-Lantern and clean out the seeds. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and sauté the onion with a pinch of sea salt for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and celery and sauté another 3 to 4 minutes. Place in a mixing bowl. Add the bread cubes, seitan, water, sage and sprinkle several drops of soy sauce over the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Place the stuffing inside the hollowed-out squash and put the top back on. Lightly oil the skin of the squash and place in a glass baking pan. Bake at 450 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. Test to see whether the squash is done by piercing the skin with a fork, bamboo skewer or chopstick. If the squash is tender, it is done.

You can either remove the top of the squash and slice through the squash and stuffing or you can scoop out the stuffing and then slice the squash.

Blanched Vegetable Salad

Description:
Blanched vegetable salad is a combination of root, round and leafy green vegetables. Use at least 2 out of 3 types of vegetables. The vegetables in this dish should be crispy, bright, colorful and crunchy. Make blanched vegetable salad fresh each day and consume it within 12 hours. Change the selection and combination of vegetables every day.

Preparation:
Fill a pot half full with spring water. Bring to a rolling boil over a medium high to high flame. Add a pinch of sea salt.

Place each type of vegetable one at a time into boiling water (water stops boiling when the vegetable is added) and boil uncovered only until the color turns bright – 30-60 seconds or less depending on the size of the cut of the vegetable.

Blanch each vegetable separately and in order from mildest to strongest tasting so that each retains its own distinct flavor and color. Use a fine mesh skimmer to remove vegetables from the boiling water. Drain each vegetable on a flat surface to stop cooking.

Serve blanched salad plain, with dressing or a splash of brown rice vinegar or lemon juice. Serve it warm, at room temperature or chilled. If you are serving it room temperature or chilled, keep the blanched vegetables in separate sections until they cool down before mixing them together.

Tahini Dressing

This dressing is not an exact science. You need to mix and taste the dressing according to your taste so it is hard to provide exact measurements. So, just have fun with it!

Ingredients:
2 tbsps. Roasted, creamy tahini
Several drops of Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
1 tsp. mustard (Westbrae Natural mustard)
Water
Roasted Sesame seeds

Mix the shoyu into the tahini with either a whisk or chopsticks. Then gradually add water and mix it in until you have the consistency you desire. The dressing should be creamy but not too think. The tahini will get lighter in color at this point. Add the mustard gradually and taste. Then add a handful of roasted sesame seeds and mix in. You can use this dressing on the blanched vegetable salad.

How to Roast Sesame Seeds:

Rinse sesame seeds and put them in a stainless steel skillet. Move them around constantly so that they do not burn or stick to the pan. Keep moving them until they get golden brown. Let them cool off prior to adding them to the dressing.

Quick Sautéed Vegetables

Description:
Try to sauté vegetables fresh each time. For water sauté, substitute 1-2 tablespoons of water for the oil. With oil sauté, a little water may be added if the pan becomes dry. The vegetables should be crispy, colorful, bright and shiny, but cooked.

Preparation:
Add either spring water or a small amount of oil (you may brush the bottom of the pan with an oil brush if you are limiting oil) and heat the pan with a medium to high flame.

Add the vegetables in order from firmest to most delicate unless you are using onion, then always sauté it first for a minute or two and then add a pinch of sea salt before you add the rest of the vegetables separately. Be sure to move the vegetables continuously so they cook evenly.

Simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add drops of water if the pan becomes too dry. You may add shoyu or ginger juice near the end of cooking.

Pressed Salad

Description:
Pressed salad is a light vegetable dish where vegetables are finely sliced, lightly salted and then pressed. Vegetables can be pressed anywhere from 45 minutes up to 2 hours depending on the type of vegetable and the size of the cut. Vegetables should be moist, light and crunchy – not salty. Pressed salads can be kept overnight to be enjoyed as leftovers the following day. Try using the following vegetables in various combinations: nappa cabbage, round green or red cabbage, bok choy, daikon, carrot, radish, cucumber, celery, romaine lettuce, red onion and leek.

Preparation:

* Wash and finely slice the vegetables that you have selected.

* Place vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt.

* Start to gently massage the vegetables until they begin to wilt, turn shiny and release liquid. Additional salt may be needed.

* Place a dinner plate on top of the vegetables inside the bowl to cover.

* Place a weight such as a garden stone, jug of water or sack of beans on top of the plate to exert pressure on the vegetables.

* Allow the salad to sit under pressure until a significant amount of water is released from the vegetables.

* Discard the pressing water and squeeze out any extra liquid from the vegetables before serving. The vegetables should not taste salty. If they do, you may gently rinse the vegetables before serving but this is only recommended if the taste is salty.

Mexican Cobb Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped, rinsed and dried
½ cup black or kidney beans, blanched
½ cup corn kernels, (fresh or frozen) blanched
½ cup jicima, peeled and diced
½ cup tomato, chopped and diced
½ cup red onion, diced
½ cup avocado, diced
Corn tortillas, slice into strips and deep-fried

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup cilantro
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/3 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (approx. 2 limes)
2/3 cup olive oil

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender and then slowly pour in the oil as you blend. Chill for a bit before you dress the salad.

Preparation of tortilla strips:
1. Slice the corn tortillas and slice them into small strips;
2. Deep fry in safflower oil until golden;
3. Place on paper towels;
4. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Preparation of the salad:
On a bed of greens, place your vegetables in sections with the tortilla strips as a garnish or its own section.

Steamed Roots & Tops ( This is a classic spring dish)

Ingredients:
½ Bunch of carrots and their green tops
Water
Shoyu
Sesame Seeds. Toasted
Grated Ginger Juice

Preparation
Separate the roots from their green tops. Finely slice the roots on the diagonal and steam until the roots are firm but tender. Add a few drops of shoyu to the roots. Add the finely sliced green tops, and steam a minute or two. Remove from flame when the greens are still bright. Squeeze some ginger juice on top and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Bean Recipes

Hummus

Ingredients:

1 can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. of tahini paste
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (Approx. ½- 1 lemon)
½ clove of garlic; if you like garlic - use 2-3 cloves (optional)

½ tsp. EACH of ground coriander, cumin and paprika
¼ tsp. sea salt.
Liquid- use the Chick pea juice from the can (add it in small amounts
for the desired consistency- approx. ¼ cup)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients in either a blender or food processor. Chill for at least ½ hour prior to serving. You can drizzle 2 Tbsps. of olive oil over the top and add a dash of cayenne pepper or paprika before serving.

Note: If you want to make different flavors of hummus, omit the coriander, cumin and paprika and add calamata olives, red peppers or any other flavors you would like to create.

Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can black beans or 2 cups black beans cooked
1 cup couscous
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup corn, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
½ cup cilantro, finely sliced
1 tsp. cumin
1- 2 Tbsps. shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
1 ½ cup water
Cornmeal
Sea salt

Couscous Preparation:

Bring 1 ½ cups of water to just under a boil and add the couscous to the water along with a pinch of sea salt. Stir, cover and let sit off the heat for 5-7 minutes. Take a fork and fluff the couscous out into the bean mixture.

Burger Preparation:

Partially mash the beans with a potato masher. Add the couscous, onion, corn, cumin, cilantro and shoyu. Stir until well blended.

Wet your hands to form 4 equal portions, shaping each into a ½ inch thick patty. Roll in cornmeal and then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Add safflower oil to the frying pan and cook the patties 4 minutes on each side or until crisp and lightly browned. Add a drop of soy sauce after each time you flip the patty.

Heat safflower oil and fry approximately 4 minutes on each side. Only turn once. Eat with a bun and all the fixings or solo on a plate. Enjoy!

Adzuki Bean Fudge

Ingredients:

1 can adzuki beans
½ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup raisins (rinsed and dried)
2 Tbsp. peanut or hazelnut butter
½ cup roasted walnuts (roughly chopped)
1-2 Tbsps. Agar flakes
1 Tbsp. grain coffee
1-2 tsp. vanilla
½ - ¾ cup apple juice
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Preparation:

Mix beans and rice syrup in a saucepan and cook together on a low flame for 5 minutes. Put in a food processor or hand food mill until creamy. Mix in grain coffee, nut butter, walnuts, raisins and vanilla. Dissolve agar flakes in the apple juice and stir into adzuki mixture. Add the sea salt and cook together on a low flame for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into a cake pan and cool until hardens. Cut into squares and serve.

Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

2 cans of refried beans, either pinto or kidney
1 cup of onion, diced
sea salt
water
1 package of flour tortillas

Preparation of the beans:
Heat the skillet, add a tbsp. of water and start to sauté the onion. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until they are soft. Add the beans and stir until the beans and onions are mixed and soft.

Preparation of the tortillas:
Add water to a skillet and a metal strainer with a cover. Bring the water to a boil and place the tortillas on the strainer and cover until the tortillas are soft, about 30 seconds. Add some beans to the tortillas and top with salsa, lettuce, guacamole or whatever you want.

Beans on top of Fried Bread

Fried bread is very good for anyone who does physical work and is a rich snack for children. It gives them strong, active energy which is good for any kind of sports and outdoor games. Serving beans on top is delicious. You can also serve beans on top of polenta too.

Ingredients:
4 pieces of unyeasted sourdough bread
Safflower Oil
Shoyu

1. Place the oil in either a heavy pot or an inch or two in a skillet;
2. When you are ready to fry, turn the flame to high;
3. Place a slice of bread in the hot oil and fry for about minute on each side;
4. Remove and drain on paper towels;
5. Put a drop of shoyu on the bread.
6. Repeat with the rest of the bread.

You can either soak beans overnight and cook them with a 1-2 inch piece of kombu and cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover and keep covering the beans with cold water. Keep shocking the beans. Season with ½ -1 tsp. of sea salt when the beans are 80% done and then shoyu sauce or heat them up from a can. Serve beans on top of fried bread which is delicious or cut up the bread and put into a lentil dish.

Serve with a pressed salad for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Green Lentils with Carrots, Onions & Deep-fried Bread

Ingredients:
1 cup dried green lentils
2- 2 1/2 cups water per cup of lentils
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1/4 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
2 slices of unyeasted sourdough bread or any other choice
Safflower oil

Sort through and pick out any debris or bad lentils you might find. Then wash the lentils. Layer the onions, carrots and then the lentils in a saucepan or pot. Add water until it just covers the top of the lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and then cover. Simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the lentils are at least 80% done. Season with sea salt and cook for 5-7 minutes and then add the shoyu and cook for another 5 minutes. You can stir and taste, if it needs more seasoning you can add it then. Also, if there is a lot of liquid left you can continue to cook the lentils with the cover off. Also, the bread will absorb any excess liquid.

How to Deep-fry Bread

Fill a deep fry pan with an inch or two of safflower oil. Let it get hot. You can test it by dropping in a piece of bread and if it sinks and pops up quickly, it is the right temperature. Fry the bread until it is golden brown. Turn it over to fry the other side.

Cut into bite-size pieces and then right before the lentils are served, mix them into the lentils. Since lentils are a very dry bean, the fried bread adds a delicious richness to this dish.

Tempeh, Onion and Sauerkraut Sandwich

Ingredients:
½ block of tempeh
¼ of onion, sliced thinly in half moons
1 tablespoon sauerkraut
sauerkraut juice
light sesame or toasted sesame oil
sea salt
shoyu
mustard (optional)
unyeasted sourdough bread (optional)

You can slice the size of the tempeh as desired. If you want to slice it in half and then put in a saucepan and add water just shy of the top of the tempeh, cover the saucepan and boil the tempeh for 15 minutes. When it is done boiling, let it cool before you pan fry the tempeh. Heat up the oil in the skillet and sauté the onions. When they are translucent, add a pinch of sea salt and sauté until they start to get soft, add the sauerkraut and sauté for a minute and then add the tempeh to the skillet and pan fry on both sides. Add a drop or two of shoyu when you turn the tempeh. Add the sauerkraut juice and cover. If you want to use mustard, add mustard to the top of the tempeh and cover.

You can either eat this on its own or steam 2 slices of unyeasted sourdough bread and place the tempeh, onions and sauerkraut on top.

Cabbage Rolls with Tempeh and Sauerkraut

Ingredients:
5-6 green cabbage or Chinese cabbage leaves
5-6 slices of tempeh, 2” x 3”
Safflower oil
Mustard
Sauerkraut
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Preparation:
If you are using Chinese cabbage leaves, remove leaves from stem and steam. If you are using green cabbage, steam the entire head of cabbage several minutes until leaves can be easily removed.

Slice the tempeh and either pan fry or deep fry. Remove and drain on a paper towel and put a drop of shoyu on the tempeh. Place tempeh with sauerkraut and mustard, if desired, on cabbage leaf. Roll cabbage leaf around tempeh and fasten with a toothpick. Add enough water to half cover cabbage rolls, bring to a boil, reduce flame to low and simmer 5-7 minutes.

Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 lb. tofu, cut into cubes and blanched for 3-4 minutes and cooled completely
1 cup seedless grapes, halved *
1/4 cup celery, diced small *
1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds *
1/4 cup raisins, rinsed *
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced * -
* Add whatever ingredients that you choose, the above are suggestions
unyeasted sourdough bread, steamed (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup veganaise (grapeseed oil with the pink label)
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ginger juice or brown rice vinegar

When the tofu has cooled, mash it with a fork or a potato masher. Add the grapes, celery, almonds, raisins or red onion. For the dressing, stir together all the ingredients. Add the dressing to the tofu mixture, cover and chill for 2-24 hours. You can eat it on lettuce or as a sandwich.

Soup Recipes

Miso Soup

Ingredients
1 ¼ cup of spring water
½ inch of wakame seaweed
1 –2 slices of onion
½ -1 flat teaspoon of 2- year aged barley miso
finely chopped scallion, parsley or chive for a garnish

Rinse and soak wakame in water until soft. Slice it finely and add to saucepan along with the spring water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Add the onion or any other root or round vegetable at this time and remove the cover. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Take a small amount of water from the soup pot in a glass dish and mix the miso into it so that it is blended thoroughly. Then add the mixed miso back into the boiling water and stir. If you are adding any leafy green vegetables or tofu, this is the time to do so. Simmer the miso; do not let it boil again, for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with scallion, parsley or chive!

Mock” Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 can of garbanzo beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
1 cup of carrot, diced
½ cup small pasta
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
4 cups of water
1 tsp. Black Pepper
Sea salt

Preparation:

Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the onion for a 1 or 2 minutes and then add the can of chickpeas. Add 4 cups of water, cover and bring it to a boil then take it down to a simmer for 5-10 minutes.

In a separate skillet, heat up the remaining tbsp. of olive oil and sauté the carrots with a pinch of sea salt for 1 or 2 minutes and then add the celery and sauté it for a 1 or 2 minutes.

Blend the chickpea mixture in a blender or with a hand blender in the pot. Add ½ tsp. sea salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots to the chickpea mixture along with the pasta and ½ tsp. of sea salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes. If the soup gets too thick, add water for the consistency desired.

Pureed Sweet Vegetable Soup

Description:
Vary the type of soup between miso and any other vegetable soup throughout the week. You can always add leftover millet, oats, rice or noodles to make the soup heartier. Use squash, onions, carrots, cabbage, parsnips, and corn on the cob as the basis for this relaxing soup.

Always garnish soups with a generous serving of finely chopped fresh scallion, parsley, chive or other pungent green.

Preparation:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. If you are using onion, add the onion first with a pinch of salt and let it boil uncovered for 1-2 minutes. Then add approximately 4 cups of the vegetable(s) that you have chosen and bring the soup to a boil. If you are not using onion, then put the amount of vegetable you are using in a pot, cover it with water, add a pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil and follow the rest of the directions.

Then cover the pot and lower the flame and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft. It can be anywhere from 10 – 20 minutes depending on the size of the cut of the vegetables. You can check by sticking one of the vegetables with a fork. Then by using a hand blender, regular blender or food mill (the last two options you pour the soup into the blender and hand mill) and puree the vegetables.

After the vegetables have been pureed, put back into the pot unless you blended it in the pot and add approximately ½ - 1 teaspoon of sea salt or shoyu, depending on taste, and let the seasoning cook in for an additional 5 –10 minutes. If you are adding freshly grated ginger juice, this is the time to do it.

Garnish your bowl of soup and serve.

Corn Chowder
6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 medium onion diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled & diced
3 ¾ cups corn, (5 medium ears)
2 tsp., fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
sea salt
2 T. olive oil
cilantro, finely chopped for a garnish

Preparation:
In a heavy saucepan, put the olive oil and sauté the onion. When onion starts to sweat, add a pinch of sea salt and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the celery and continue to sauté until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the corn and fresh thyme leaves. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and then simmer for 25 minutes. Then by using a hand blender or regular blender, puree half of the chowder. After it is pureed, put back into the pot unless you blended it in the pot and add approximately ½ - 1 teaspoon of sea salt, depending on taste. Add the sweet potato or yam, cover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes become soft.

Garnish your bowl of chowder with fresh cilantro and serve.

Split Pea Barley Soup

Ingredients:
½ cup split peas, washed
¼ cup pearl barley, does not have to be soaked but needs to be rinsed
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup carrot, diced
¼ - ½ tsp. sea salt
shoyu
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced for garnish
4-5 cups water

Preparation:
Place 4 cups of water, lentils and barley in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Foam will form, take a spoon and remove it from the pot. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the onion and carrot. If the soup seems too thick, add all or part of the remaining water to the desired consistency. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes. Add the sea salt, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and add a few drops of shoyu. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes. Place in serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Dessert Recipes

Adzuki Bean Fudge

Ingredients:

1 can adzuki beans
½ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup raisins (rinsed and dried)
2 Tbsp. peanut or hazelnut butter
½ cup roasted walnuts (roughly chopped)
1-2 Tbsps. Agar flakes
1 Tbsp. grain coffee
1-2 tsp. vanilla
½ - ¾ cup apple juice
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Preparation:

Mix beans and rice syrup in a saucepan and cook together on a low flame for 5 minutes. Put in a food processor or hand food mill until creamy. Mix in grain coffee, nut butter, walnuts, raisins and vanilla. Dissolve agar flakes in the apple juice and stir into adzuki mixture. Add the sea salt and cook together on a low flame for 10 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into a cake pan and cool until hardens. Cut into squares and serve.

Pecan Pie

Filling Ingredients:
1 ½ cups brown rice malt syrup
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup agar flakes
½ tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Sea salt
2 Tbsp. Kuzu
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups pecans, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil pie pan;

2. Prepare the pastry and bake until done, 15-20 minutes;

3. To make filling, bring the syrup, water, agar, cinnamon and salt to a boil. Simmer until the agar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve kuzu in cool water to barely cover and add to pot. Whisk until chalky color changes to clear.

4. Let mixture cool somewhat, about 15 minutes, then add pecans and vanilla and transfer to pastry shell. The filling sets up in 1-2 hours in the refrigerator, longer at room temperature.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Ingredients:
1 cup of unbleached white flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup of light vegetable oil, safflower,
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
Use up to ¼ cup wet (Brown rice syrup, barley malt, maple syrup)
or 1– 4 tbsp. dry sweetener. Up to ½ cup water, apple juice or cider or soy milk, less (none to ¼ cup) with wet sweeteners, more (1/4 to ½ cup) with dry sweeteners.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the dry ingredients – flours, salt and dry sweetener if included. Stir in the oil until lumps or beads of dough form, or until it resembles coarse meal.

3. Add wet sweetener if desired – be sure the syrups are at room temperature for ease in handling – then add the liquid (water, juice or soy milk) gradually. Mix quickly until you have a somewhat soft, pliable ball in the center of the bowl. Add a little more flour if necessary.

4. Gather the dough together with your hands and lightly form it into a smooth flattened disk. The mixture can be rough, not fully mixed, so that the dough appears marbled when it is rolled out, indicating that the crust will be flaky.

5. Roll dough in a circular shape between sheets of parchment paper. Use light short strokes in the beginning, starting from the center outward in each direction. You may choose to rotate or spin the dough around to do this. Then use longer strokes, applying more pressure to ensure an even crust.

6. Peel off the top piece of parchment paper and invert rolled dough into an oiled pan. Peel off other layer of parchment paper.

7. Bake the pastry, alone or filled, in the bottom third of the oven until just about done, 12-20 minutes alone or with a pre-cooked filling, 15-90 minutes with an uncooked filling.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
5-6 cup apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. Kuzu or natural thickening agent
2 tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Sea salt
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ cup brown rice syrup
2 tsp. Almond extract

Topping Ingredients:
1 ½ cup rolled oats (not the instant oatmeal)
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped (optional)
¼ tsp. Sea salt
6 Tbsp. Light vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. Brown rice syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees;

2. To prepare filling, combine fruit with the dry ingredients, then stir in the wet ingredients. Transfer to a 1 ½ or 2 quart baking dish or a deep-dish pie plate;

3. To prepare topping, mix dry ingredients, stir in the oil and then sweetener. Rub the mixture between your palms and distribute over the fruit;

4. Cover the dish with foil and bake until fruit is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and return to oven and bake until topping is golden, about 10 minutes or more. Serve hot or warm.

Apricot Couscous Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups couscous
2 1/2 cups of apple juice or water or half and half
½ cup of raisins, rinsed
sea salt

Preparation of couscous:
Place the liquid and raisins in a saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium flame. Remove from heat and stir in the couscous, add a pinch of sea salt per cup of couscous, cover and let it sit for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. When it is ready, use a fork to fluff it out of the pan and press it into the bottom of a baking dish.

Preparation of Apricot Topping:

Ingredients:
2 cups dried apricots, soaked in water for 30 minutes
sea salt
2 ½ cups of water
4-5 tablespoons kuzu in diluted water

Place dried apricots in a pressure cooker. Add a pinch of sea salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and bring to pressure. Pressure-cook about 15-20 minutes. Bring pressure down and remove cover. Puree apricots either in the pressure cooker with a hand blender or put them in a regular blender and then back in the pressure cooker. Dilute kuzu in COLD water. Place pressure cooker on a low flame and add the diluted kuzu, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Simmer until apricot mixture becomes thick. Remove and cool slightly.

Note: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can boil the apricots for 50 minutes or until they are soft.

Putting the dish together:

Spread mixture evenly to cover couscous cake. Garnish with roasted, chopped walnuts. Allow cake to sit for about 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Spiced Nuts & Seeds

Ingredients:
2 cups of almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or whatever nuts and seeds that you prefer
½ cup Brown Rice Syrup
1 Tbsp. Safflower Oil
¾ Tsp. cinnamon
¼ Tsp. allspice
½ Tsp. ginger

Rinse and drain the seeds and lightly roast all the nuts and seeds in a skillet.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the brown rice syrup and the other ingredients and pour over the nuts and seeds in the skillet and mix it thoroughly.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the nut mixture on the parchment paper or on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake until the syrup bubbles. Cool and then separate into clusters.