Mary's Veggie Cooking

Mary's Cooking Workshop

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:14:51 GMT

Join Mary as she guides you through the ins & outs of Plant-based & Clean cooking.

Previous experience not required!

I welcome anyone who is interested in learning how to "Do It Yourself", on the basics or honing of your skills, working with Plant Based Whole Veggie foods.

Using organic, dried, fresh and sustainable foods, we'll apply various cooking methods, utensils, and resources.

We will prepare complete balanced meals, from appetizers to desserts & finally, of course sit down together and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

SPLIT PEA BARLEY SOUP

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 16:33:06 GMT

Ingredients

Half cup dried whole barley
One cup split pea
One inch piece Kombu
Two carrots diced
Three stalks of celery diced
One onion diced
Eight cups water (approximately)
One bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
Soy sauce seasoning to taste
Thyme, parsley, chives, scallions, parsley, and celery leaves
your choice, try all, they make great flavor and nutrients.

Directions

Wash barley and peas under running water, with your hand, drain.
Soak barley with two cups of water until swollen full, 2-3 hours, more if needed.
Soak peas until they are fuller, not necessary, why not while waiting for the barley.
Meanwhile, sauté onion with dash of salt until translucent. Add carrots and celery.
Cook on a simmer low for about ten minutes. Set aside until peas and barley are fully
soaked. I don't use soaking water; I give it to the plants. You can. Just adjust when you need more water. Bring barley. Kombu, and peas to a boil with water and kombu.
Make sure to watch the pot so it does not foam over, put a wooden spoon over the pot in case you forget, it may help the rising foam from spilling over your stove, and then you have a big mess to clean up.
Cook until the barley is soft, at least an hour, add the rest of the salt. Add the Holy Trinity, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook on a medium low heat with a flame tamer to be safe from sticking to the bottom for about an hour. If you think it is ready, then send in the final herbs for added flavoring. Lower to a simmer, add a little superior quality soy sauce and serve. Strain if you want a puree soup.

My Grandmother, who BTW lived until 108 and 1/2 (at that age months count), would always make split pea soup. It was always so fabulous, one of my favorites. Along with her rice pudding, which I am continuously trying to replicate, it is not an easy order without sugar, dairy, and eggs. As I got older and no longer ate meat, she adjusted her soup recipe especially for me with no meat. She also would strain her split pea soup with foley food mill.

Spring Miso Soup

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:49:04 GMT

Preparation

Bring the water and kombu to a slow boil, remove kombu, set aside for later use.
Add onions, allow to become transparent, add tofu, when tofu floats to the top, add wakame and mushrooms. Ladle some broth into a cup with the miso to soften, lower the flame to a simmer, add the melted miso. Do not boil miso, since miso is a live food, boiling will kill the microorganisms contained in the life of the miso.
When the broth begins to move in a waving motion, 3 to 5 minutes turn it off and serve with the fresh scallions on top. This soup does not take long to make. It will keep in the fridge if leftover, but best served right away.

How to Make Organic Granola

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:28:39 GMT

INGREDIENTS

Three cups of oat flakes
1 tsp. Sea salt
⅓ cup flax seeds
⅔ cup chopped walnuts
One cup chopped almonds
⅓ cup sunflower avocado oil
¼ + cup maple or rice syrup
¾ cup dried apricots diced
½ tsp. Vanilla
¼ tsp. Almond extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
One cup of raisins

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Add the first five ingredients into a roasting pan. Allow baking for about an hour, stirring occasionally so the sides don’t overcook.
Add the oil, sweetener, spice, and extracts. Stir the mixture well so it is completely coated. Allow baking until the mixture gets crispier (approximately 40 minutes).
Add the dried fruit after taking it out of the oven. Allow it to thoroughly cool.
Stores well in a closed jar or freezer bag in the refrigerator. This can keep for a long time.
My rooster the late"Mr. Roo" loved my granola.

"The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Perfect Dried Beans: Tips and Techniques"

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:49:00 GMT

The Easiest and quickest way to cook dried beans

Pro Tip: Use a stainless-steel strainer to catch the foam from the beans.

Dried Beans

These directions are for dried beans, except for lentils and split peas. They don't need to soak, but they do need to defoam.
Wash the beans in a bowl, use your hand to smooth around them, pour off, start over with fresh water in the bowl, then carefully lift out the beans little by little, checking for any stones, gravel, sand, etc. When you get to the bottom, be careful only to lift out the beans, but not any water.
Soak the beans in the new bowl, cover them with at least one inch of water, and protect against dust with a cover.
You can soak overnight or anytime, usually around 8 hours or until they expand.
Some people use soaking water; I prefer to give it to my plants, compost, or worm farm. Start again with fresh water. Transfer the beans to the cooking pot, where you do not want ANY sand, etc., to be added to the pot.
Lift the beans carefully, watching as they go into the pot; use your hand. According to the recipe, add the Kombu and freshwater after they are all in the pot. Be on the side of more because beans get very starchy and thicken towards the end.
Bring the pot to a boil with no lid. Once boiling, watch for the foam to rise, use a small flat stainless-steel strainer to lift off the foam, and discard. I may need to do it twice. Lower the flame and use a heat diffuser to prevent sticking.
Cook for about 45 minutes in a pressure cooker; without pressure, it may take a couple of hours, depending on the bean.
Once soft, add salt and simmer for at least 40 minutes. Then, add soy sauce for seasoning. I only add soy sauce at the end and never boil it again.
Do not stir beans until done , it releases the starch causing the bottom to stick or burn . Perfect beans will have a clean bottom of the pan at the end of cooking .

Pro Tip: Miso and soy sauce are live foods , they contain active enzymes , waiting to be awakened as a probiotic and join your micro biome family . If they are boiled , they die . So always be conscious of not boiling once added . It is so easy to make mistakes .

MARY'S TIP: If you want to use the beans for future dishes to keep longer, separate some first, then add vegetables to the ones you will be using right away. Beans by themselves can keep for a good week in the fridge.

11. Add the sea salt after the beans are soft. If added initially, they do not cook properly; adding Kombu adds minerals to the beans and makes them more digestible, meaning no gas if you get my meaning.

Remember the old saying:

Beans, Beans are good for the heart; the more you eat, the more you fart, the more you fart, the better you feel, so, eat beans at every meal."

"Unlocking the Potential of Polenta: From Ordinary to Premier Performer"

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:49:00 GMT

How to Make Polenta in an Array of Presentations, starting with one simple recipe. I use Freshly Ground Organic Dried Whole Corn to makes this creamy warming dish that can be used in so many ways.

Recipe for Basic Polenta

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups fresh ground (optional) polenta

1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt

Preparation

Bring water to a boil, turn to low, use a whisk, slowly in batches, continuously stir in the polenta with the whisk. After all the polenta is in the pot, keep stirring until the polenta thickens. Put a flame tamer under the pot cover, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Periodically, give another soft stir, keep the bottom from sticking. Pour into a glass dish to mold if you want to use it for future ways. Cover with a plastic wrap, try not to touch the polenta with it, just cover over the edges of the dish.

Allow to cool, maybe keeping one edge opened so it cools faster.

Pro-Tip: Apply a tiny smear of olive oil (or your oil choice) around the dish to help for ease in taking it out.

Once the polenta forms a mould, you can use it in various ways, cutting in fun shapes, using cookie cutters.

Suggestions: pan sautéed with olive or sesame oil, broiled with a sauce, roll in toasted seeds, make a tomato or red pepper coulis, serve with seasoned portabella mushrooms, and boundless creativity is in your imagination to come up with the variety of polenta accompaniments.

If you want to make soft creamy polenta for let's say cereal, then add another 1/2 cup or more water for desired consistency.

Delicious and Healthy Stuffed Cucumber Rolls - A Perfect Appetizer for Any Occasion

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:19:19 GMT

STUFFED CUCUMBER ROLLS

In the summer and warmer weather it is so refreshing to have cucumbers in our lives. They are so cooling, full of life's moisture, and the cool crispness we crave during the heat of constant soft warmth.

All you need to do is peel a cucumber cut in one inch to two inch lengths, use a cucumber corer or scoop out the center, (use for stock) and wrap it in anything that will stay wrapped.

Suggestions: Use Nori sea vegetable to wrap the inner portions, such as cooked rice, tasty crushed cooked seasoned beans, a tofu mixture, fresh micro greens, red or white radishes, slivered carrots, the list is endless and fun to create.

Remember to put a bit of a yummy taste inside to make the whole dish pop with flavor: such as, hints of wasabi, ginger, mint, cilantro, toasted sesame oil, miso, lemon, lime, crushed toasted sesame seeds, tahini, pickles, ginger pickles. You want to enhance the cooling refreshment, nothing heavy, very light.

Exploring the Nutritional Benefits and Delicious Recipes of Natto: A Japanese Superfood

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:13:59 GMT

Natto is made from cooked whole soybeans that have been fermented with koji spores. Once it is prepared, there is no need for further cooking. It is usually served as a side dish as an accompaniment with grains and noodles. It can be prepared by stirring it to bring out the stickiness, then adding different flavors, such as soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, daikon radish, jinenjo mountain potato, mustard, horse radish, chives, scallions, nori slivers, and other seasonings. It can be made at home with a bit of preparation and can be purchased in Asian markets or online. I find it is difficult to find Natto made with organic soybeans, so I am going to attempt to make it at home. I ordered the Kawashima Natto Starter Powder through Amazon, will update when I do it. I made it years ago with Sensei Muramoto, and remember that it was very different and more delicious than the frozen packages available.

Natto has a distinctive smell and flavor that people either love it or hate it. I have heard that people who eat a lot of dairy do not like it, I am not sure how true that is. The benefits to enjoying Natto are enormous. It is a super nutritious food. It is originated in Japan, where the cooked soybeans were wrapped in rice straw which naturally had the bacillus subtillis bacteria on its surface. This allowed the sugar in the beans to ferment creating Natto.

Soybeans are a very hard bean. It takes a long time to cook them. Soybeans are a very important part of the vegetarian diet because they are a one of the highest quality sources of plant based protein, vitamins, minerals and isoflavones. They do contain anti-nutrients such as lectins, however, it has been studied that fermentation reduces the content by 95%.

Ingredients

One container of natto

Two scallions chopped

Grated ginger about one Tbsp. use the squeezed juice

Soy sauce to taste

Preparation

Stir the natto until the sticky sauce comes out. Add all the ingredients and mix well.

Serve immediately. Goes well noodles dishes such as udon or soba, also with cooked grain, especially brown rice. Grated daikon raddish, grated raw apple, toasted sesame seeds and nori slivers are all great accompaniments.

"Preserving the Harvest: A Guide to Making Dried Persimmons at Home"

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:49:15 GMT

When I lived in Southern California, studying with Sensei Muramoto, we made dried persimmons. We would get cases of them. It was early winter and he had a wood burning stove, since it would get chilly. He built what appeared to be a makeshift fort to dry the peeled persimmons. He used grass mats and built them all around the wood burning stove.

We would sit for hours peeling them. He took great pride in being able to peel the whole fruit with one long peel. I never could do it. Every day, he would turn them. When they began to be more dry, he would press them slightly in the middle. It took several weeks before they were ready. In the morning, we would slice them in slivers and serve them with green tea. It was the most delightful combination. He said it created a seventh taste.

After I moved back to Philadelphia, we remained good friends. Every year, he would send me a big box of dried persimmons for Christmas. And every year, I would send him a wool vest with leather buttons from Lord & Taylor. My children and I loved them. His persimmons were the most beautiful, they would have a natural sugary coating and beautiful texture and sweetness. His hands had golden microbes. Every food he touched blossomed into it's most highest potential.

There is no real recipe to creating dried persimmons. Buy fresh persimmons not too ripe.

Wash and then carefully peel the skin off, leaving as much fruit as possible. Set them out on a clean straw mat or something that would be makeshift. The area should be warm, near a wood burning stove. Make sure they don't touch each other. With clean dry hands, turn them each day. When they begin to crystalize on the outside, press the center slightly. When they

are completely dried yet tender, store them in a dry air paper box, like cardboard, with wax or parchment paper to store.

I would slice them and best serve with green tea.

"5 Reasons to Book Mary's Warm Residential Retreat for a Healthy Cooking Experience"

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:33:00 GMT

Would you like to join Mary and her adorable dogs for a relaxing retreat by the shore?

We're just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the stunning Jersey beach and the calming ocean shores of Ocean City to Cape May. Enjoy the local area where you will find antique shops and the best of seashore restaurants from Asian, Italian and of course numerous seafood and outdoor choices.

Come unwind in the tranquil atmosphere of this serene farming area, surrounded by lush trees, singing birds, and warm sunshine. Calm yourself on our front porch with its morning sunshine, and if you're looking for some shade, the umbrellas on our inviting back deck will protect you throughout the afternoon.

Our garden is a magical oasis that's constantly changing, providing the perfect escape to breathe in the fresh ocean air and immerse yourself in the soothing sounds of nature.

Wake up to a delightful breakfast with organic choices such as pancakes made with freshly ground whole corn, sweet rice mochi waffles, homemade breads, warm cereals, homemade granola, fresh fruit, sauces and much more.

Our cozy retreat offers comfy private rooms, complete with organic bedding, shared indoor bathrooms, and an invigorating outdoor shower. Vegetarian/vegan cooking classes and meal options available. For more information and details: Contact us today!

"How to Make Delicious Stuffed Tofu with Veggies for a Healthy, Flavorful Meal"

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:21:00 GMT

Ingredients

One block firm tofu

One small onion diced

One carrot diced

One-half each red, green, yellow peppers

One cup fresh or frozen peas

One-half cup corn

Fresh parsley chopped as a garnish cooked and added raw.

Three cups water

One to two tablespoons soy sauce to taste

Toasted organic sesame oil or any good quality oil about 2 cups

One quarter cup of starch such as Kuzu root powder or organic flour mix with one half water

Chopped scallions for garnish

Preparation

Drain the tofu to let out excess liquid. This can be done just by putting a weight on top of the tofu block, allowing it drain on to a towel or sink for at least 2 hours. Slice tofu in 1/2 inches. Then cut across on the diagonal making a triangle.

Deep fry in good quality oil until golden brown, drain, rinse. Slice into the center of the tofu to create a triangle pouch. Put in a saucepan with about 3 cups water, bring to boil, add tofu, allow to cook until tofu floats. Lower flame, add soy sauce (choice) simmer.

DO NOT BOIL ONCE SOY SAUCE IS IN - ALWAYS.

This is a bit of a fancy dish, it can have a pretty presentation and can be very tasty.

It is not a beginners recipe because it has many steps.

"Delicious and Dairy-Free: How to Make a Strawberry CousCous Cake"

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:01:00 GMT

Directions Coming

"Indulgent Vegan Dessert: How to Make Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Sauce"

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:45:00 GMT

"Delicious and Easy Recipe for Homemade Fresh Cranberry Sauce"

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:30:00 GMT

Every year before Thanksgiving, I look for fresh organic cranberries, they are not always easy to find. More recently, I no longer have to hike to the distant only "health food store", for many organic items that once were scarce, are now available in our local super markets.

Happily, my two daughters always want me to make enough of my cranberry sauce for them to serve during the holidays. This recipe can be adapted by just cutting the amounts in half.

Cranberry sauce keeps very well in the refrigerator in a glass tight fitting container, for two weeks. It also can be frozen, however, the quality is not the same, still good though.

Ingredient

4 cups fresh cranberries - one lb.

2 cups apple juice or unsweetened cranberry juice

1 Tbsp. agar / kanten flakes or one tsp. agar powder

1/2 to 3/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp. kuzu root starch or arrowroot starch mixed with 2 Tbsp. juice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cloves to your taste (start with 1/4)

Pinch seasalt

Orange zest and orange juice to taste(optional)

Preparations

Place cranberries in a pot of fresh cold water, discard any berries that float to the top, use you hands and take out the cranberries to place in a strainer.
Use your fingers to check and discard any more soft or damaged berries.
Rinse the good berries once more under water. Set aside.
Bring juice and agar to a boil, lower the flame and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.
Do not stir, strain the juice mixture to another pot. There will be a bit of sediment
from the agar, thus the reason for straining it out. If you stir the liquid then it never separates. That's how I was taught and I'm sticking to it.
You can stir if you want.
Add the berries to the cooked liquid, allow them to cook until they begin to pop and swell up, lower the flame.
Mix starch with juice until completely dissolved, slowly add to the sauce, stirring until thickened.
Add the spices, be careful with cloves, make sure it is in powder form. I like to grind my own whole cloves, so I have to be sure to sift them.
Turn the flame off. Add a little fresh squeezed orange juice and a little organic orange rind for extra zest.

Hope your enjoy this recipe, please let me know.

Delicious Vegan Vanilla Cake with Fresh Fruit Sauce

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 16:16:00 GMT

Exploring the World of Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut, Kimchi, and More

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 18:08:13 GMT

How to make fermented foods part of your life without much fuss.

SHORT AND LONG-TERM SEASONAL PICKLING

SAUERKRAUT

Ingredients

The standard proportion for cabbage to salt:

5 lbs. cabbage and other crisp vegetables to 3 Tbsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt
Brine - 1 qt water to 1 ½ Tbsp. Sea salt

Math can be confusing since most of us don’t make 5 lbs. at a time.

I made 2 ½ lbs. Cabbage to keep it simple, with 1 ½ Tbsp. sea salt

It is essential to use a digital scale to weigh the vegetables to know the correct amount of salt.

A salinity ratio of 1.5% to 2.5% ensures a safe and delicious fermentation.

Preparation

Shred the cabbage thinly and evenly. Put in a non-metal, food-grade container. Add the sea salt and mix lightly with clean hands. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
Begin to “massage” cabbage and sea salt with clean, well-rinsed hands, with no soap residue. Continue to rub the cabbage mixture until a good amount of liquid is released, about 10 minutes.
Place a portion of cabbage in a sterilized jar or crock. Use a tool such as a kraut pounder, wooden spoon, or smasher to push down the cabbage, so the brine is ½ inch above the kraut. Repeat in batches, pressing down until all the kraut is in the container, leaving 2 inches of head space open to the top.
Press so the brine is above the kraut. Use a fermentation weight or food-grade plastic a bag full of brine to set on top of the kraut.
Use cheesecloth or clean cotton to cover and a fermenting lid. Do not close the lid tightly. It needs to allow any gas to be released. Place the kraut container on a shallow dish to catch any brine overflow.
Leave the new kraut in an area for 5 to 8 days, not in direct sunlight, depending on the temperature. The ideal temperature is 68 to 75 degrees. Check every day, and look for bubbles. Once the liquid has a chance to settle and the bubbles no longer rise to the surface, it indicates that the fermentation has stopped. As a result, the color has gone from
white to golden yellow.
Smell it. It should smell and taste like sauerkraut. You can store the kraut in the refrigerator, tightly covered for 2 to 3 months, ensuring the brine covers the kraut.

*Mary's Notes

Amazon offers various fermentation products, such as Mason jars and Ball lids.

Sauerkraut needs an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment to ferment successfully.

To achieve this, you must ensure no air gets into the kraut mixture by using the weights or brine bag to keep the air out. Also, keep the kraut submerged under the brine to prevent spoilage.

Lay the outer cabbage leaves on top to keep any floaters from jumping to the top

KIMCHI

Ingredients

One large, heavy napa cabbage washed and well drained

3 or 4 scallions cut into two” lengths

One small carrot cut into two” slivers

¼ onion in half moons

6- 8 cloves of garlic minced

Thumb size piece of peeled ginger, julienne

1 Asian or Bosc pear slice thin strips

2 to 3-inch daikon radish, julienne

3 to 4 Nira cut into two” lengths

⅓ to ½ cup sea salt, kosher, or pure salt

Gochutgaru - Korean red pepper flakes or powder

Cut Vegetables before Mixing with Starch to go inside the Napa

STARCH GRAVY

¼ cup sweet rice flour

One cup of dashi stock (1 ½ cup water to two” piece kombu slow boil to one cup)

Method

Cut napa cabbage in half and quarters. Carefully spread loose cabbage leaves, and sprinkle salt between each layer. Place in a bowl, covered, cut side down for
Four hours up to overnight.
You can tell the cabbage is ready by bending and rolling the thick part back and forth.
Rinse between each leaf at least three times in a bowl and then under running water. Be gentle.
Drain the rinsed cabbage in a strainer for 30 minutes.
Tasting is the best way to see if the cabbage is salted correctly.
Mix all the sliced veggies for the stuffing with two teaspoons of salt and the starch mixture to create the kimchi paste.
Add red pepper spice to your taste. Optional.
Add part of the paste to the inside of the thickest part of the napa cabbage. Repeat until the mixture is on each layer of the leaves. Finally, coat the outside of the cabbage with paste, and wrap the last two leaves around the bundle to secure.
Preferably place in a large container to fit all the kimchi. Cover with plastic wrap to keep the juices in. Keep on a counter away from heat or sun for 10-12 hours, then refrigerate.
You can begin eating kimchi after five days. It will keep for 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator.
Take out what you eat in a week and leave the rest untouched during storage.

AMAZUKE - TSUKEMONO SWEET PICKLES

Ama means sweet, and zuke means pickling.

Ingredients #1

One cup Rice vinegar

½ cup Maple syrup

2 tsp. Sea salt

Method #1

Bring all ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Once boiled, turn the heat off. Allow it to cool.

Ingredients #2

Carrot two inches sliced into thin strips

Daikon two inches cut in ¼ inch sticks

½ tsp. Sea salt

Method #2

Mix the daikon and carrot with the salt in a sealed bag or bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Pour off excess liquid from the salted veggies. Add cooled vinegar mixture, place in a jar and allow to marinate. Good to eat in two weeks. Serve in a bowl with brine. Squeeze lemon juice for taste. I like to add green shiso feathers and chili threads for a spicy color.

RED RADISH PICKLES

Ingredients

Small bunch of red radish 8 oz.

½ tsp sea salt

Two Tbsp. Ume vinegar

Method

Slice the radish into thin slivers and mix well with salt in a bowl. Place a lid with a weight on top. Below shows a salad press, which makes it easier to press.
Allow the excess juice to be released and strain off excess.
Place in a glass jar, mix in Ume juice and marinate with a lid and a weight overnight.
Keep it in the refrigerator. It will be pink and suitable for weeks.
You can add ginger juice, sesame seeds, etc., when serving.

PICKLED GINGER

Ingredients

3 oz. Peeled ginger sliced thin with peeler

½ tsp. Sea salt

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. Ume juice

Method

Mix sliced ginger with sea salt well in a bowl and press a weighted lid to pull out excess liquid for 30 minutes.
Squeeze it out with your hands. Discard excess liquid. Mix in a jar with the rest of the ingredients. Cover with a cloth and leave overnight. Keep the brine over the ginger in storage.

ASASUKE SALAD

Ingredients

For Brine - 1 ½ tsp. Sea salt two cups good water One two-inch piece Kombu

½ lb. cabbage cut into 1-inch chunks

½ lb. carrot cut in matchsticks

½ tsp. Sea salt

Method

Bring the brine to 140 degrees, turn it off, and allow it to cool
Mix ½ tsp. Add salt, cabbage, and carrots, and sit for 30 - 40 minutes.
Squeeze off excess salt. Pour the cooled brine over the cabbage and carrot mixture into a jar and marinate for 2 to 6 hours. Refrigerate, ready to serve.

CUCUMBER SALAD

"How to Create a Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder Using Fresh Corn Off the Cob"

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 16:45:28 GMT

Here's a beautiful way to use fresh corn when it is available in the summer. When eight ears of fresh corn are sold for $2.00, it's time to produce creative ways to use them. With the summer ending and the season beginning to change, this is a great soup to enjoy on those rainy fall days.

Ingredients

Six cups water
Four ears of corn with husk
One-half whole onion diced
One cup celery diced
Two carrots diced (peel if needed)
One cup soymilk
One tsp. sea salt
One Tbsp. white miso
One tsp. non-toasted sesame oil
One tsp. soy sauce
Parsley, scallion garnish
Fresh and dried thyme for taste
Six baby tomatoes chopped
Toasted croutons (optional) Recipe follows.

Preparation

Wash whole ears of corn and remove outer husks leaving the inner ones that are clean. Cut off both ends.
Bring water and whole corn to a boil—cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove corn from stock water and skim or strain any silk left in the pot.
When cooled, remove the husks, and discard them, hopefully to compost.
Cut off the corn from the cob. Set it aside.
Warm up a heavy pan, such as cast iron. Add the oil and diced onion with a dash of sea salt. When the onion turns transparent, add diced celery and carrot.
Simmer together until tender. Add the vegetables to the corn stock. Spoon some of the stock onto the sauté pan to get all the remaining goodness and pour it into the soup pot.
Add sea salt, tomatoes, and corn. Cook on medium-low for 20 minutes. Add soy milk. Melt the miso with a bit of stock to add and soy sauce to taste. Add fresh and or dried thyme. Simmer for another few minutes, do not boil at this stage to keep the enzymes alive in the miso and soy sauce.
Add chopped parsley and scallion to garnish. When adding croutons, do it before serving to keep their crispness.

This chowder can be kept well in the fridge, ensuring it is cooled. You can also add potatoes for a truer chowder, preferably organic. To make it creamier, blend part of it with an immersion blender.

"How to Make a Mouthwatering Fresh Jersey Peaches Compote?"

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 13:14:00 GMT

It's summer in New Jersey! Finally, we have Jersey peaches, naturally sweet and delicious. Here is an easy, quick way to make fresh peaches into a dessert or sauce as a creative side companion to many dishes.

Ingredients

Two peaches sliced thinly and evenly
1 1/4 cups apple juice
Pinch sea salt
One Tbsp. Kuzu or arrowroot starch mix with two Tbsp. apple juice or water
One Tbsp. Maple syrup (optional) makes it sweeter.

Preparation

Peel peaches if not organic. Slice thin.
Bring juice and peaches to a near boil with a pinch of salt.
Mix the starch with liquid to melt smoothly, with no lumps.
Lower the flame, stir the starch slurry into the peaches, and keep going until smooth.
Add the maple syrup.

This dish keeps well in the fridge for many days. Allow cooling before refrigeration.

The recipe makes approximately four servings.

Sauerkraut

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:48:00 GMT

The Ultimate Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is the ultimate pro-biotic! Add a daily tablespoon into your diet for increased gut health

Sauerkraut prep time is approximately one hour. This recipe serves between 15-20 people.

Ingredients

The standard proportion for cabbage to salt:

5 lbs. cabbage and other crisp vegetables to 3 Tbsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt

Brine - 1 qt water to 1 ½ Tbsp. Sea salt

Math can be confusing since most of us don’t make 5 lbs. at a time.

I made 2 ½ lbs. Cabbage to keep it simple, with 1 ½ Tbsp. sea salt

It is essential to use a digital scale to weigh the vegetables to know the correct amount of salt.

A salinity ratio of 1.5% to 2.5% ensures a safe and delicious fermentation.

Step 1:

Shred the cabbage thinly and evenly. Put in a non-metal, food-grade container.

Add the sea salt and mix lightly with clean hands. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 2:

Begin to “massage” cabbage and sea salt with clean, well-rinsed hands, with no soap

residue. Continue to rub cabbage mixture until a good amount of liquid is released,

about 10 minutes.

Lightly Cooked Garden Greens

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:08:02 GMT

Green vegetables come in many ways, from leafy to varieties of the Brassica family of cabbages and mustards. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables or Cole crops due to their stem or stalk. There are infinite ways to cook these wonderful green vegetables, yet it is essential to retain their deep color and nutritional value.

Methods of cooking can determine the outcome towards the full potential of the result of the dish. There are many techniques for working with green vegetables: Blanching, steaming, boiling, sauteing, frying, pressed salad, pickling. Keeping green veggies in our daily diet is essential. It is easy to cook them quickly by blanching, steaming, or boiling.

To Boil:

Cut one-third of a bunch of broccoli into matching size crowns. Suitable to cut through the stem to create a manageable size. Use the stalks in other ways.
Wash broccoli and set it aside.
Bring enough water to cover broccoli and a pinch of sea salt (optional) to a boil.
Add the broccoli and immerse the broccoli to cook evenly.
Allow to cook for about four minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and spread heads out evenly on a sushi mat or porous mat to cool. Serve.

To Blanche:

Wash the vegetables well. Depending on the type of vegetable, you can cut ahead or cook whole and then cut. With long leafy greens, it seems helpful to keep the stems and leaves together while cooking and then cut.
Prepare a water and ice bath in a bowl to halt cooking and nutritional loss.
Bring enough water to boil with salt to cover the vegetables. Immerse part of the vegetables in stages to not overcrowd the pot for even more cooking.
Cook for 30 seconds (for leafy) to 1 minute to 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the vegetable. The temperature ranges from 70 to 100 degrees.
Remove with a slotted spoon/strainer and place in icy water to stop the cooking.
When cooled after just a few minutes, remove and place on a porous mat to drain and serve.

Blanching is great for summer cooking or when you want to remove just the skin of a vegetable. The technique can also remove bitterness, such as broccoli rabe, or soften vegetables before roasting.

Wash and blanch rabe for 30 seconds.
Drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
Cut into bite-size pieces.
Sauté with garlic in olive oil, add salt to your taste

My close friend Gloria Elia showed this recipe to me, who assisted me in the early days when we cooked for macro folks out of my home. Another friend who knew Italian cooking did not

blanch first. Instead, she sauteed the garlic first in oil until the garlic was toasted golden. Then she removed the garlic and added the cut broccoli rabe to sauté until done.

Each method is delicious.

Buon Appetito!

"Exploring the Benefits and Culinary Versatility of Millet: A Master Grain"

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 17:49:52 GMT

Millet is one of the most versatile and understated of all the grains. How to cook and use this remarkable tiny grain millet in so many ways from warm creamy porridge, fluffy main or

side dish, nori wrapped appetizer, corn crusted tempura squares and easy preparations.

Fluffy Cooked Millet

One cup millet

2/3 tsp. sea salt

Three cups water

One-half-inch piece kombu

Toasted Millet

Wash millet, drain in a mesh strainer, allow it to dry.
Warm up a cast iron skillet on a medium flame.
Toast lightly the drying millet until lightly golden and smells wonderfully nutty, set aside.
Bring water and kombu to a near boil, remove kombu, save for another use.
Lower the flame to medium, pour in the millet and salt, stir to mix.
6. Place a flame tamer/diffuser under the
pot. Cook for about 40 minutes

After millet is cooked, you can place it in a dish to become firm and use it in many other ways. Flatten the top of the millet to be smooth and cover the top so it does not dry out. You can refrigerate to use later or when firm, you can use right away.
Various Suggestions:
Cut into tiny squares.
Pan fry in a little oil, turn to be golden brown.
Make a tempura batter, dip squares into batter and deep fry, serve immediately with a ginger soy dipping sauce or your own favorite.

Soft Creamy Millet Cereal

To serve as a creamy warming cereal:

Add sufficient water or favorite organic plant milk to mix with cooked millet.
Warm up on a low flame until desired consistency. Add condiments such as toasted seeds, nuts, nori, gomashio, (sesame salt), wakame furikake, umeboshi, or a sweetener.

Delicious and Nutritious: How to Make Salsa with Avocado & Black Beans

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 18:21:29 GMT

Easy Salsa with fresh veggies, black beans , and avocado.

This is just one version of so many ways to make sassy salsa. So easy to do and so worth it for the freshness of taste and liveliness of the newly cut vegetables. Here's a way to get it right every time!

I once entered a Best Chili Contest in Ocean City, New Jersey held at the Flanders Hotel. There were so many entrants, yet I was the only one labeling mine as "Chili Non-Con Carne with Homemade Salsa". To my huge surprise, I won first prize! I was so excited. One of the judges told me, it was my salsa that really won them over. Here is just one of many types of salsas you can play with. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

One tomato chopped into small chunks
One half red pepper chopped into small cubes
One half yellow pepper chopped into small cubes
One half orange pepper chopped into small cubes
1 tsp. sea salt
One cup chopped red onion mixed with 1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
Juice of two limes and one lemon
2 Tbsp. cumin
1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder for taste
Four Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
Avocado sliced tiny pieces
1/4 cup cooked & seasoned black beans (recipe below)
Green onions, chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Let's Get Started

Mix red onion and sea salt together, to let the onion sweat out excess liquid.
Set it aside.
Cut all the vegetables into the same size.
Mix all the vegetables together, except onions.
Squeeze out any juice from the onions, add to the salsa.
Add the beans, spices, citrus juice, and
cilantro.
Surround the top with avocado chunks.
Add garnishes.

This salsa is great as a dip with chips and as a topping for tacos, fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas. It will keep covered in the fridge for two days without the avocado.

NABEMONO or NABE One Pot Cooking

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:14:31 GMT

How to make a one pot stew or "Hot Pot" meal using just vegetables, rice and noodles. Nabe Mono, as is called in Japan, translates to "pot thing" or things in a pot. There are so many variations to this wonderful dish, it is endless to the different ingredients you can use, making it new every time. It is considered one of the most versatile home-cooked dishes and social party food. It can be cooked at the center of the table with a cooking component. Enjoy yourself with your friends and family surrounded by the table with all the ingredients raw and cooked to go into the pot, so much fun. This is such a social time to share conversation and expression because you are ALL eating from the same pot, it makes for easier mingling, talking, and enjoying each other; as a great social gathering and dinner party.

How to Prepare Nabe / Nabe Mono

Gather the ingredients you plan to use, include an assortment of vegetables, tofu, and noodles, or serve over rice. I made a video posted on You Tube with Sheri Di Maris on Nabe Cooking, where we demonstrated how to use a variety of ingredients. It was outside at a winery and we both had wind-blown hair.

Many chefs make Dashi broth first as the foundation liquid base to the Nabe. This can be achieved by using a combination of Kombu Kelp Sea vegetable and Bonita flakes. Variations of Kombu Dashi recipes will be included, including suggestions for vegans who do not want to use the fish flakes. This Nabe recipe can be for two to four people, depending on if you want to have leftovers.

Kombu Dashi

There is so much information about the new 100+year taste Umani, which is the fifth taste, created through making Dashi, the broth using kombu and katsu Bushi. I won't spend too much time on Umani because there is so much information on the internet about this savory taste. You can take the time to learn all about it. When I worked with Sensei N. Muramoto, he claimed there is another taste, a sixth taste, a combination of green tea and dried persimmons. I did experience this taste and I agree it is a taste I have never tasted before and nothing quite like it. Back on the subject, this flavor and taste of umami is fundamental as a base to so many dishes.

It is a simple broth to make yet very exact in the preparation. It is important to follow the guidelines accordingly.

Clockwise: Tofu, Napa Cabbage, Soy Sauce, Dried Shitake Mushrooms (Dongo), Carrots. Green Onions, Daikon Radish, Peeled Fresh Ginger, Dried Kombu, Udon Noodles

List of Ingredients

Four cups water or Dashi broth
Two inches Kombu piece
Two carrots (optional peeled)
One cup of napa cabbage or any cabbage
Four inches daikon radish
6 Shitake dry mushrooms
One half tub tofu (soft or firm)
Udon Noodles (one sleeve)
One half onion
Green onion/scallions for garnish
Grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and nori for extra garnishes
Shoyu / Soy Sauce, Miso, or Tamari for seasoning to taste

Preparation

Once you have decided what you want to put in your hot pot, begin by washing all the vegetables. Dried mushrooms need to be washed and soaked in fresh cold water until soft. Cut each vegetable to comparable size, not too thick, not too thin. You want them to cook uniformly being done at the same time.

Make Kombu Dashi broth. Set it aside.

Trim off the stem of the mushroom, use later for stock. Cut the mushroom cap with a decorative slit on top and into halves or quarters or leave whole. They are easier to eat if cut.

Cook the noodles as on the package, rinse, set aside, cover with a damp cloth so they do not dry out. Make separate piles of each ingredient to be used on a tray. Get all your condiments together in bowls, including your soy sauce, grated ginger, slivered scallions, toasted sesame seeds, nori slivers, and whatever else you want to serve. Get creative.

Notice the hole in the top on the left pot,

steam will start to come out, which will indicate the cooking time is done. Is that not cool or what, no guessing, the pot knows. These pots need particular care in working with them. Real TLC.

I got this beautiful genuine Japanese Nabe Pot from Miyacompany.com They have a variety of beautiful Japanese tableware and gifts.

Donabe means clay pot in Japanese. A do nabe is one of Japan's oldest cooking vessels. Originating in Japan's lga province, the pots are made from clay and are ideal for handling elevated temperatures. They can even be over an open flame or an oven. The clay is super porous, which means it builds up heat slowly, but it maintains heat once it's at peak temperature.

The hole in the top starts to emit steam and tells you the pot is done. Pot knows.

Now that is a smart pot.

Basic tips to follow to care for your Donabe pot:

Before using your newly bought donabe, fill the pot with water about three quarters full and about a cup of leftover cooked rice or 1/4 cup of rice. Simmer on a low heat for about 30 to 60 minutes. Stop cooking, allow it to cool. Discard the rice and rinse the donabe well. Dry with a clean cloth and air dry to well before storing.
Always make sure the bottom of the donabe is dry before using it.
Do not put on high heat, always start on low heat.
After using the donabe, let it cool before cleaning. Never soak it.
Always hand wash, do not put it in the dishwasher.
Dry it upside down overnight, the clay absorbs water, so it takes time for it to dry out.
Make sure you never cook in it without some sort of moisture in it, oil for sauteing or broth.
Eventually, hairline cracks may surface. Best to re-season with rice porridge, the starch will fill the cracks. Sadly, if the pot starts to leak through the clay, then it can be a pot for decoration in some creative way, its life as a cooking vessel is over. Time to get a new one. SOOO, take care of your donabe because they are expensive.

Pickled Pink Daikon

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:26:45 GMT

I have been making pickles for a long time. Sometimes with immense success and many times disastrous enough for compost. Being able to pickle is one of the most challenging of all challenges for me in the history of all my kitchen endeavors. I do not give

up. So, for those of you hesitating to take the pickle plunge, don't give up because it can be extremely rewarding. Pickling requires fermentation, and fermentation requires many factors,

some of which you will have little control over. There are many ways to study fermentation, simply put it is the process of preserving foods in an acid or salt solution. I am going to talk about my experiences with pickling to share with you through my successes and failures.

First, you must start by having fresh whole ingredients, preferably organic grown. Wash very well. Then begin to cut as you desire. Make sure that all your utensils are clean, clean. You need superior quality additions, such as sea salt, soy sauce, Ume vinegar or juice, miso, vinegar. Make sure the air quality in your kitchen area is fresh and clean, not stale.

Years ago, between 1983 and 1984, I had the supreme honor of working with Sensei Noboru Muramoto. He is the author of Healing Ourselves and Natural Immunity. We processed Sea salt, miso, soy sauce, natto, tempeh and umeboshi with home grown purple shiso. I was always amazed at his hands, everything he touched and made turned to "gold". He explained his hands had years of working with fermented foods, I could only derive that his hands had great power to make the different foods he worked with respond to beyond the intended potential. When we made soy sauce, we first cooked the wheat, then added the koji culture. He would turn the wheat mixture with his hands, the perfume and heat from the big wheat mound was intoxicating. He told me that some people ruined the wheat during fermentation because of the bacteria on their hands. That made a significant impact on me to know how important our hands are in our food preparation. So, hand lotion is not recommended prior to food prep. Also, start with small quantities until you are more comfortable.

There are long term pickles and short-term pickles. This recipe is a short-term pickle since it is ready in just a few days. You may add many accompaniments, such ginger, sesame seeds, tasty herbs, shiso greens, etc.

Ingredients

White daikon about 1 1/2 inches long to the recipe
11/2 Tbsp. Ume vinegar
1/4 cup peeled red pepper skin

Preparation

Slice daikon in half down the center long way. Then slice into thin half-moon slivers.
Using a Y-paring knife, peel one-half of a red pepper.
Mix well 1 Tbsp. Ume with the daikon slices. Mix 1/2 tsp. Ume with pepper skin. Add the pepper skins to the daikon, mix well, so the colorful juice begins to come out, saturating and covering the daikon.
Use a plate with a lip so the daikon can lay flat with the pepper skins on top. Put a flat plate or something to cover completely close. Leave out overnight.
Next day check to make sure daikon is still saturated. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. After a day or two, the pickles will be ready to eat.

This is considered a light pickle and should be kept for about a week in the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy the taste of fresh daikon dressed in pink.

I have been using a variety of different pickling techniques for a long time. Sometimes it works out and certainly sometimes it does not. I am forever a student of the art of pickling. There are so many variables to depend on in the process. I find the most important is being able to create the best environment for fermentation to occur. Daikon radish is a perfect candidate to work with. It is a strong root vegetable that can hold up for a long time. Being white in its natural color gives a chance to add beautiful colors to be absorbed. And with Valentine's Day coming up, l found pink to be perfect. I hope you will try and enjoy it!

Roasted Whole Onions

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:25:56 GMT

45 minutes from start to finish. Thank you Mary! -- Jane Williams

Onions are delicious, and once roasted they turn sweet and tasty!

Wash whole onions with skins. Roast at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Once cooled enough to touch, cut open and use in many dishes for the wonderful deep roasted onion flavor.

Cream Of Oat Soup

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:33:34 GMT

INGREDIENTS

One white onion sliced thin double half moons
Two cups cooked whole oats (recipe follows)
Four cups spring water
One inch piece Kombu
One cup of plant milk, preferably oat milk
3/4 tsp. Sea salt
2 tsp. Soy sauce or white miso to taste
Scallion slivers or chopped parsley or both for garnish
1/2 tsp. Toasted sesame oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

If using oil, warm a 2 qt. stainless steel pot on low flame, add oil.
Add the onions, dash of salt, sauté until translucent.
Add water and Kombu, bring to a boil, lower the flame to medium.
Add the oats, milk, and salt, cook until bubbling.
Using a flame diffuser, cook on low for about an hour until creamy.
Add seasoning to your taste. Garnish and serve hot.
If not using oil, bring water, and Kombu to a boil.
Add onions and salt and cook until onions are translucent.

CREAMY CURRY PUMPKIN SOUP

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:13:37 GMT

Recipe Coming Soon

Four Color Squash Winter Bakes

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:24:36 GMT

Ingredients

2 Medium yams

2 Medium parsnips

One-half Buttercup squash

2 Medium sweet potatoes

1 tsp. Sea salt

1/4 cup Un bromated white flour

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup of plant milk

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Neutral tastes good oil, e.g., olive, walnut,

Light sesame - Total about one Tbsp.

Directions

Preheat oven to four hundred degrees.
Wash hard vegetables well, cut the buttercup squash in half or bake it whole for ease of cutting. Use the other half for future use.
Peel the parsnips if needed, place in a covered baking dish.
Bake the rest of the vegetables until soft through.
Allow them to cool. Scoop out the flesh into individual bowls.
Mix water and flour to a smooth slurry.
Divide one-fourth each - salt, plant milk, and slurry to each of the individual bowls. Mash until creamy, add one-fourth tsp. each of cinnamon to yams and sweets.
Add a dash of oil to each mixture (Optional)
Oil the bottom and sides of a spring foam pan.
Layer each mixture one by one smoothing out as you go. Cover the pan with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can broil it at the end for a nice top or add toasted crushed pumpkin seeds.
Use a sharp wet knife to slice.

Warm Winter Curry & Noodles

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:56:47 GMT

Ingredients

Two carrots sliced large 1/2 chunks

One onion large chunk

Two stalks of celery cut one-third inch

One green zucchini is cut into thick rounds then in half or thirds

Two green onions sliced one inch

11/2 cups Broccoli stems & heads

1 Can of unsweetened coconut milk

One cup of plant milk or water

Two - four cloves' garlic to taste minced

One Tbsp. Fresh minced ginger

Grated fresh ginger juice to taste

One Tbsp. cumin

Two - three Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil

Soy Sauce to taste at the end of cooking

Lots of chopped parsley and cilantro

Directions

In a large sauté pan, warm oil, add onions and garlic, dash salt, cook until beginning to sweat on medium heat.
Add carrots, celery, minced ginger, dash more salt, stir gently for a few minutes.
Add broccoli, water/plant milk, coconut milk, rest of the sea salt, and spice powders.
Cook until the broccoli is bright green, add scallions, parsley, and cilantro. Simmer for a few minutes.
Add soy sauce and squeezed ginger juice to taste. Serve over noodles,

Apple Raspberry Tart

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 00:23:41 GMT

Apple Pomegranate Tarte

Strawberry Lemon Cream Pie

Watercress Nori Rolls

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:23:02 GMT

Ingredients

1 Bunch of watercress

¼ tsp. Sea salt

2 Sheets nori (sea vegetable)

Sushi mat

Preparation

Wash the watercress.
Toast nori lightly, waving back and forth over a flame.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Drop one-half watercress into the water, boil for a one-half minute.
Repeat the rest of the watercress.
Drain the greens, gently squeeze excess moisture out.
Lay on a towel to absorb more residual moisture. Place a nori sheet on a sushi mat.
Lay a roll of watercress across the length of the nori and the bottom of on the edge.
Use the mat as a guide and roll the nori up over the watercress, nice and tight, until the last edge of the nori. Squeeze the mat tight, set aside to set.
With a sharp knife, start to cut from the center of the roll. Measure each cut roll next to the last one to keep size even.
Place them on a pretty plate, serve freshly made.

TURKEY-FREE THANKSGIVING

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 17:52:40 GMT

Thanksgiving Veggie Way

For years, I have been making seitan a substitute for the all-famous central figure of Thanksgiving - the endearing Mr. Turkey. Seitan is a wheat gluten protein made from whole wheat flour. I grind mine from organic whole Hard Red Spring Wheat ordered from Great River Organic Milling Company. Many cultures throughout the world commonly use seitan or “wheat meat” in place of meat. Every year, I try to hone this dish to its best potential, always learning more ways to improve it, as it can be very time-consuming. The goal in making seitan is to remove the bran and starch, leaving only the gluten, which forms a dough to be used in many ways.

Recipe

Four cups sifted whole wheat flour
Two cups of gluten flour
Four cups spring water
1 tsp. Sea salt
1-inch piece of Kombu Sea kelp
Soy Sauce to taste

Since I am using freshly ground grain, the flour has more bran than might be store-bought. I sift the flour first to remove most of the bran and save it for another use.

Preparation

Combine the already sifted flour, salt, and water in a large mixing bowl.
Knead the dough for about fifty strokes. Cover the bowl with a damp cotton towel and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to develop.
Pour water to cover the dough at least 2 inches more, then knead again in the bowl, allowing the starch to be released, turning the water to a pale creamy color, like a thin milky consistency. The goal is to retain as much of the starch in the bowl, to use it as a thickening agent.
Finally, scoop up a handful of dough and rinse it under running water. Set aside each rinsed gluten piece in a strainer to drain. Repeat the process.

There are two ways to continue cooking gluten.

First:

Fill a large pot ½ to ¾ of water, leaving room for the gluten.
Add Kombu, bring to a boil, slice the gluten to your preferred shape add each of the gluten pieces.
Allow the gluten to boil, lower the flame. Cook for about 50 minutes; add soy sauce, simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Optional, add bay leaves or herbs for flavoring.

Second:

Lay the gluten flat, pat dry, break, or cut into 2-inch pieces.
Prepare a pot to deep fry, e.g., cast iron.
Using a superior quality high heat oil, fill the pot about four inches with the oil. Bring the oil to a temperature on a medium-high flame, drop a kernel of grain to see if it sizzles, the oil is ready.
Carefully lower the gluten pieces into the oil. Fry until golden brown on each side, puff up, and float. Rinse if you want to remove some of the oil.
Allow it to drain and cool. It is effortless to slice thin, resembling a sliced turkey, plus there is a crispy edge from frying.
To just boil without frying, it is difficult to get a desired exact slice; thus, the advantage of frying.

Fresh Corn Tortillas

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 18:39:37 GMT

INGREDIENTS

3 Ears of organic corn or frozen corn
Two cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fifteen scallions (white part only)
1/3 cup miso (Mugi)
2-3 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil

METHOD

Take off corn husks, then scrape off kernels with a knife, then scrape the blade up the side of corn getting the juice off the cob. Grind the kernels in a Suribachi or blender.
Add flour and 1/2 tsp. sea salt, mix and knead into a stiff dough of earlobe consistency. Roll into one-fourth inch thick, 4" diameter tortillas. Heat frying pan, add sesame oil and fry tortillas over a medium flame until each side is golden brown. Keep warm in a covered dish in the oven.
Cut white scallions 2" long into matchsticks and soak in icy water until scallions are cold and crispy. Drain off the water.
Heat a pan on low heat, add 4 Tbsp. sesame oil and miso, sauté until a fragrant smell is given off. Add water to soften. Around the edge of a big plate arrange the tortillas and put scallions in the center. Serve miso to each person in small bowls. Each person should put one tortilla on their plate, add scallions and miso, and roll it up.
These are good in the summer or also served with the Pinto Bean Recipe.
Suggested garnishes (choose a few): Chopped fresh cilantro, spicy sauce or Salsa or Pico de Gallo, strips of avocado or Guacamole.

Vegan Vanilla Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 00:01:05 GMT

Ingredients

Two cups of Soy Milk

(Eden Soy Original for best taste)

1/4 cup maple or rice syrup

Un bromated white flour

Water for mixing flour

One tsp Vanilla

A pinch of sea salt

Preparation

Sift the flour.
Bring milk and salt in a saucepan to a near boil.
Lower the flame to a simmer. Mix the water and flour to a liquid starch with no lumps.
While stirring with a whisk, pour in the flour mixture.
Allow simmering for at least five minutes, making sure the flour is now fully cooked.
Add vanilla and syrup. Cover to keep from an unwanted skin layer developing on top.
It is served warmly over many desserts as a sauce.
It can also become chilled as a pudding or in layers such as Tiramisu.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Sauce

Baked Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 23:56:21 GMT

Ingredients

6 Yams or sweets

¾ cup water

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp kudzu or starch plus

2 Tbsp water or apple juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and slice potatoes into 1-inch chunks
Mix the first six ingredients in a baking dish, so the mixture fits together next to each other in one layer.
Bake until tender, gently mixing a little during baking. Time: approximately 45 minutes.
Mix kudzu with water to make a liquid starch.
Add the kudzu mixture after 30 minutes of baking, gently folding it into the dish. Bake until tender.
You can lightly broil this dish right before serving. Also, any root vegetable can be added or substituted with yams.

Poached Whole Pears

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 23:22:16 GMT

Ingredients

2 Whole organic pears w/ stems

Ripe Bosc, Anjou, or Bartlett

One cup of apple or pear juice

1 Tbsp Kuzu or starch plus

2 Tbsp water or juice to mix

1 Tbsp Maple or Rice syrup

A couple of grains of sea salt

Preparation

There are lots of ways to cut out the core of a pear. It is a matter of digging out the part you don’t want to eat. One of my favorite chefs for creatively accurate cooking information is Alton Brown, he directs us to use a flat drill. I found this to be a little violent for the defenseless pear.

Cut out the bottom of each pear with a paring knife.
Using an apple core or Bird’s Beak paring knife is effortless to carve out the core.
Just make sure you only go halfway up to keep the whole pear intact.
Place the pears in a small saucepan close together, so they stand straight up.
Add the juice, syrup, and salt.
Bring to a near boil, cover, and lower the flame to a simmer.
Mix the kudzu with 2 Tbsp liquid.
Cook the pears until they are tender.
Gently stir in the kudzu mixture around the pears.
Spoon the sauce over the pears for a few minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken around the pears.
To remove the pears from the pan, lift them with a small flat spatula, holding the stem without pulling it out—place in a lovely dessert dish.

Fresh Marinated Strawberries

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:08:29 GMT

Ingredients

One ½ cups Fresh Organic Strawberries

1 tsp Maple syrup

A pinch of salt

Preparation

Wash strawberries removing stem tops
Slice evenly thin, place them in a bowl
Add salt and syrup, gently mix, making sure the syrup is coating all the berries.
Cover and refrigerate until serving.
The berries will keep looking fresh and beautiful for a day.
Any more than that, you will need to simmer them for optimal visual use

Black Beans

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:05:09 GMT

Ingredients

Two cups of dried black beans

5-6 cups water

1-inch piece Kombu

1-2 bay leaf

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp soy sauce

Preparation

Wash beans with your hands in a bowl of water.
Rinse well, lift them from the bowl of water with your palm into another medium pot.
Check for any stones or unwanted debris.
Add two cups of water to the pot and soak for about 8 hours or overnight.
Add three cups more water to the pot and Kombu. Bring to a rolling boil, using a stainless-steel flat strainer, skim off any foam at the top.
Keep boiling and skimming until all the thick foam is gone.
Lower the flame to medium-low and cook down until the bean level has no more liquid on top, after approximately 1 hour.
Currently, add bay leaf and two more cups of water, pouring to the side of the pot to not disturb the beans.
Make sure the beans are soft and add salt. Cook on simmer for an additional ½ hour.
Add soy sauce and any other herbs desired.
Suitable to use a flame diffuser at the end of cooking, so the bean starch does not stick on the bottom.

Beans contain lots of starch & will
thicken when cooled. To make soup, add
Water and seasoning as needed.

Roasted Red Peppers

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:04:50 GMT

Ingredients

Three -4 Red peppers washed

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. Sea salt

¾ cup extra virgin olive oi

Preparation

Place whole peppers in a baking dish, broil for 20 minutes on low broil.
Turn each side so all sides are charred.
Take them out and place a lid on them, so they can steam while cooling.
Once cooled, remove the black skins, discard. Using a mesh strainer over a bowl helps to preserve the juice while working.
To separate the seeds, use a finger water bowl and a wet paper towel to get the kernels off your hands and the peppers.

Don't rinse the peppers under running water; you'll lose the delicate flavor!

6. Once seeds and skins are separated, cut peppers into slivers

7. Add the strained juices and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

8. Allow the peppers to marinate at least an hour before serving.

9. They should keep for at least two weeks in the refrigerator, best to store in a glass type 0000 container.

10. Take out of the fridge a little ahead to soften the oil.

11. Adjust garlic and salt to your taste.

Rice Pudding

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:03:13 GMT

INGREDIENTS

Three cups of cooked long-grain rice
Two cups of soy or almond milk
¼ cup sweetener (maple)
One cup of raisins
1 3-inch stick cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp sea s alt

PREPARATION

Cook all ingredients on a low flame for about 45 minutes until the raisins are plump and the pudding creamy.
Allow it to cool and keep in a glass container with a lid in the fridge, warm-up or serve cold depending on the season.
Pour a little plant milk on top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Another way to cook rice pudding would be to cook the raisins covered in water until softened.
Mix all the ingredients with the raisins in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees.

French Lentil Soup

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 15:47:00 GMT

Ingredients

Two cups dry French Lentils

Four cups of water to start

Add more water to cooking

1 tsp sea salt

1-2 Whole Bay Leaves

One inch piece of Kombu

½ tsp Soy Sauce

Preparation

Wash lentils in a bowl, using your hands to rinse over with running water. After washing, keep the last rinse of water and beans in the bowl.
Lift the beans into a 2- quart saucepan, ensuring no stones or grit get into the pot.
Add four cups of water. Soak the beans for about two hours or overnight. Lentils don’t require prolonged soaking.
When ready to cook, add the Kombu. Bring to a boil, remove any foam on the top with a stainless-steel flat strainer. Add water as needed as the level on top lowers to the top level of the lentils.
Lower the flame, and simmer until lentils are soft. Once soft, add sea salt, cook for an additional twenty -30 minutes.
Add soy sauce at the end for seasoning.
When cool, the beans will thicken due to the starch in them.
Add water and seasoning to desired bean or soup consistency.

Organic Apples Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:52:00 GMT

STUFFED CUCUMBER ROLLS

8 Apples

3/4 cup water or apple juice (for a sweeter taste)

Pinch sea salt

Cinnamon to taste

Preparation

Peel the apples, slice off the inner core, and remove the seeds. You can cook these cores in a separate pot with water and get the juice from them, otherwise, cut them small and give them to the squirrels or rabbits.
Cook the apples, salt, and liquid in a large enough saucepan to allow for bubbling over.
Bring to a boil, lower the flame to a medium. You can cover it or semi cover it so it does not boil over.
Once the apples are tender, turn them off. Now you want to either mash them with a potato masher or mill them through a filter. I use a stainless-steel Foley Food Mill or any kind if it is stainless steel to prevent rust. Next, store the sauce in a tight-fitting glass container. It should stay for at least a week in the fridge. The sauce is sweet enough without adding an extra sweetener, your choice. Great for kids and crispy potato pancakes.

Apple Pie Filling

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:42:35 GMT

Ingredients

3 lbs. Organic apples

One cup of apple juice

1 Tbsp Kuzu starch + 1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp maple syrup

½ tsp oil (simple taste)

Pinch sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

Peel and slice apples thin half-moons. Add a little lemon juice to the apples to keep from discoloring.
Add the apple juice, salt, and apples to large stainless steel sauté pan, giving the apples more room to cook evenly.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, simmer until almost tender, not soft. Mix the kudzu and water thoroughly so no lumps. Stir in the kudzu mixture, salt, and syrup. Set aside to use in your pie shell of choice. Before baking, sprinkle the cinnamon on top.

Pie crust

Raspberry/Blueberry Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:34:03 GMT

Ingredients

Two cups of juice or water

1/2 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup blueberries

1 Tbsp. sweetener (maple or rice syrup)

Pinch sea salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. kudzu starch or Un bromated flour mix smooth with 2 Tbsp. water

Preparation

Mix juice and berries and bring to a quick boil.
Stir the starch slurry into the cooking juice,
Lower the flame. Simmer for about five minutes.
The sauce will keep several days in the refrigerator.

Corn Crepes with Raspberry/Blueberry Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:31:01 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup of cornmeal/flour

1 cup pastry flour or white

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbsp. arrowroot flour

1/4 tsp. vanilla (optional)

2 cups of plant milk

1 - 2 Tbsp. oil

Preparation

Mix all ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Oil a crepe pan or cast-iron round griddle, and warm up on the medium-low flame. Using a soup ladle or cup, pour in the batter with one hand to the top of the pan, tilt the pan down so the batter slides making a thin circle.
When the batter is starting to become dry on top, carefully turn it over.
Cook approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Raspberry Blueberry Sauce

Two cups of juice or water

1/2 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup blueberries

1 Tbsp. sweetener (maple or rice syrup)

pinch sea salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. kudzu starch or Un bromated flour mix smooth with 2 Tbsp. water

Mix juice and berries bring to a quick boil.

A Berry Good Fruit Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:22:03 GMT

Ingredients

One ½ cups fresh or frozen berries

One cup of apple or any berry juice

1 Tbsp arrowroot starch

1 Tbsp Kuzu starch

One pinch of sea salt

2 Tbsp water or juice

1 tsp sweetener

Preparation

Pour juice and fruit into a saucepan.
Bring it to a near boil. Add salt. Mix the starches with water or juice until thoroughly mixed.
Suitable to use a tiny stainless-steel whisk. Slowly stir in the starch mixture, simmer for about 5 minutes, add sweetener to taste.

Our Daily Bread and the Fruits of Our Labors

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 23:19:21 GMT

Grain & Bread connect to so many sayings:

"Bread is the staff of life",

"Home is where the heart is",

"With a grain of salt",

"Give us our daily bread this day",

"One grain ten thousand grains".

Our human history begins around gathering wild grasses, grains, & around the hearth and baking bread.

Go ahead & take the dive into bread making - you won't be disappointed!

Many ovens have a proof function which is great, if not set your oven for the lowest temperature, when it reaches 110° (F) turn the oven off, the goal is around 75 to 85 degrees

keep the door closed. Yeast dies at 138° (F).

TIP: A great resource for information about flours, measuring, etc. visit:

The Spruce Eats.com

A grain grinder is a great investment to bring into your kitchen. The Komo is a stone grinder, it has many levels of texture from gritty to fine flours. It makes such a difference to be able to have freshly ground food from a whole grain, seed, and beans. The nutrition is certainly at peak best and the avoidance of rancidity is an added benefit. I love my grinder, it opens up my imagination for so many ways to utilize texture.

Perfect BBQ Sauce

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 23:05:27 GMT

Ingredients

⅔ cup diced onion

4 cloves garlic chopped

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 Tsp. Olive oil (XV)

¾ Cup water

3 Tbsp. mustard

⅓ Cup maple syrup

⅓ Cup vinegar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Cup tomato sauce or comparable puree

4 Tbsp. Allspice

1 tsp. Sea salt,

Hot spice (optional)

Preparation

Sauté onion in oil, add salt, simmer for a few minutes. Add garlic, then add all the ingredients except parsley and soy sauce. Bring to a near boil, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add parsley and soy sauce. Allow to cool, store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container. Keeps for at least a week.

Corn Bread

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:39:34 GMT

Preheat Preheat oven at 350° for approx. 35 to 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Two cups cornmeal (best freshly ground dried whole organic corn)
One cup water
1 1/2 cups Pastry or Un bromated all-natural white flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
1/3 cup excellent quality oil
One cup of plant milk
3 tbsp maple or rice syrup
½ tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp baking powder mix with
2 Tbsp. plant milk

PREPARATION

Mix the corn flour with one cup of water. Set aside for 1 hour to moisten the corn.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the rest of the dry ingredients together, except the baking powder.
Whip the oil and sweetener together.
Add the rest of the liquid. and mix into the dry ingredients.
Mix the baking powder thoroughly with milk until foamy.
Fold into the batter. Pour into lightly oiled pans and bake. Enjoy the wonderful smell in your kitchen as the bread is baking.

Bake for about 40 minutes; check to be done at 180 to 190 degrees.

This amount makes three small three by 6-inch pans.

Allow it to cool; keep it well in plastic wrap and the refrigerator.

Warm the slices up on a cast-iron skillet with a lid on the lowest flame, turn once.

Great with beans, soups, tea, and jam.

Corn Tortillas

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:35:09 GMT

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cornmeal
½ cup Hasa Harina
¾ cup organic fresh or frozen Corn
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
½ tsp. Sea salt
1 cup plant milk
6 Tbsp. toasted sesame/olive oil

PREPARATION

Grind the corn in a blender.

Mix all the top ingredients together and knead to make a stiff dough.

If you have a cast iron tortilla maker, warm it up to medium heat, spread oil on it, place a golf ball size on the plate and push the arm down to flatten.

Leave on the heat for about 4 minutes. Otherwise, you have to roll it out and use a seasoned cast-iron skillet for best results.

Yummy Yam Bread

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:15:32 GMT

Preheat oven at 350° for approx. 25/30 min.

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. yeast mix with plant milk warmed to 110 (F)
2 cups whole wheat flour (sifted)
2 mashed baked yams
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. sea salt

PREPARATION

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and begin to knead with your hands, continue to a flat space and knead until dough is well kneaded, add flour as needed. Put back in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a wet cotton clean towel. Proof in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled.

Press the dough down, knead it into the desired shape, and rise in the baking vessel for another 30 minutes or until it rises enough. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. Check the middle of the bread for doneness with an Instant Read thermometer, ideally reaching 190 degrees. Best served warm & fresh from the oven.

We used to wake up smelling the bread baking. It was so wonderful to have Muramoto's bread served with organic coffee he brought back from South America.

Sometimes, we would also have Dried Persimmons with green tea, the combination made the sixth taste, which he said had no name. Warming memories to cherish.

Many ovens have a proof function which is great, if not set your oven for the lowest temperature, when it reaches 110 (F) turn the oven off, the goal is around 75 to 85 degrees, keep the door closed. Yeast dies at 138 (F).

Grammy's Cucumber Salad

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 16:57:39 GMT

Ingredients

3 Persian cucumbers sliced thin rounds

One small onion thin half-moon (preferably red)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 - 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. maple or rice syrup

Preparation

Mix well most of the salt with the cucumbers, set aside. Mix the rest of the salt with the onions separately. Allow the cucumbers to sweat for about an hour. Squeeze out the excess liquid from both the vegetables, put them both in another bowl together, add the vinegar and syrup, toss together lightly.

Variations: add toasted sesame seeds, tahini, mirin. Keep best for 2 days. Refrigerate.

Make Kombu Dashi broth. Set it aside.

Trim off the stem of the mushroom, use later for stock. Cut the mushroom cap with a decorative slit on top and into halves or quarters or leave whole. They are easier to eat if cut.

Whole Grain Brown Rice

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 21:09:13 GMT

Ingredients

Two cups brown rice

Three cups water

pinch sea salt per cup of rice

Preparation

Rinse the rice gently in a pot of cold water, using your hand, wash the rice by rubbing the grain, pouring off the cloudy water, rinsing until clear.

Soak the rice in water for about 6 to 8 hours or overnight. To pressure cook or boil, start with no lid. Bring the rice to a boil, allow the broth to form a foamy cloud, using a stainless-steel flat strainer skim off the foam. Add salt and the lid. Bring to pressure or boil, lower the flame to a little above a simmer, if too low the pressure will drop. Use a flame tamer or diffuser under the pot, start your time. Approximately 45 min. to an hour depending on the time of year and the quantity of rice. Rice is harvested in the fall, so it will have more moisture than later as it has had time to dry out. You can adjust the water volume accordingly. Less water for new rice, more for dryer rice.

Fried Brown Rice with Tofu and Vegetables

Delicious and Nutritious: How to Make Pinto Beans with Sautéed Onions & Corn Tortillas

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 20:42:48 GMT

Ingredients

1 cup dried pinto beans

6 cups water

1-inch piece Kombu kelp

1 tsp. Sea salt

½ tsp. Soy sauce

1 small onion slivered or diced

Preparation

Wash the beans thoroughly. Put them in a bowl to soak, add water to two inches above the dried beans. Allow soaking until the beans are double in size.

Lift the beans out of the bowl being sure not to get any grit on the bottom.

Do not pour beans into the pot.

Add the Kombu, beans, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, allow the foam to gather to the top. Skim off the foam with a strainer.

Lower the flame, good to use a flame tamer under the pot to keep it from sticking. Cook until the beans are tender, add the salt. Cook for another 20 to30 minutes, add soy sauce at the end.

Sauté onions in a little oil, a pinch of sea salt, simmer until transparent. Add to beans for more flavor.

Options; Adding chili, spices, bay leaf.

This is a basic way to cooking beans. Allow cooling, best to store in a glass container. Will keep it for the best of a week in the refrigerator.

The Pioneers of Macrobiotics: Exploring the Influential Figures of Ohsawa, Aihara, Muramoto, Kushi, and Shizuko

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 22:10:29 GMT

This section is dedicated to the memory of past Macrobiotic teachers, from my own experiences with stories, anecdotes, recipes, writings, and references for future study.

I have been encouraged to share my firsthand recollections, especially those who can no longer be able to themselves.

I was introduced to Macrobiotics when I was 21 in 1970. I went to St. Thomas on a college winter break with a friend. I was very into photography, and while walking on the beach, I noticed the most beautiful man sitting peacefully. He was very handsome with a silver sculpted beard. I approached him and asked if I could photograph him, and he said yes. So, I took several pictures, and he and his companions began to ask about us.

I was entirely unaware of who these people were. As we all laughed and talked, my very savvy friend asked me if I knew who they were. I did not. Although, the more I looked at the one person sitting behind my camera's intended, started to look surprisingly familiar. I kept asking, "are you? No, are you? He kept grinning quietly at me. Finally, I turned to my friend and asked if he was who I thought he was. She was sure and said he was Tony Perkins, the actor. I was shocked. I had had a crush on him when I was ten years old, and he was in the film "Tall Story." Right in front of me was someone I thought was the living end, and I met him. The handsome gentleman turned out to be Jerry Robbins, a famous choreographer. Well, we all became friends. Tony and his partner invited us to New York on many occasions. And they had an enormous effect on my life from then on. He made me question what I was eating and when I was eating. It put me in the direction of searching out health food stores to find more healthy food choices. It was 1970, and in Philadelphia, there were very few choices. I have Tony to thank for changing my life in the direction he put me.

One day I found Essene Natural Foods, one of the few health stores in the city. As it turned out, my girlfriend from high school was the cashier. She invited me to come to this "study house" where she was living. So I went, and the fellow who greeted me offered me tea with soy sauce. The kitchen had an earthy smell that I loved and just wanted to indulge. That was my introduction to Macrobiotics. Denny Waxman was running this house and needed a breakfast cook, so I volunteered. While I was there, a group of Japanese Macrobiotic teachers came to offer a teaching program. Cornellia Aihara, macrobiotic cook and author, gave a cooking class and prepared a fully balanced macrobiotic meal. It was my first. It was historic how delicious and satisfying it was.

I went to Michio Kushi's lecture and was impressed by what he had to say, especially about predictions for future generations. I also took a week-long class with Shizuko Yamamoto on Shiatzu. She was excellent, the stories she told of her own experiences, and the effects of her foot massage only added to my intense awakening. It all made so much sense. I managed to purchase the two main books by Georges Ohsawa, The Book of Judgment and Zen Macrobiotics. It was exceedingly difficult to eat the way they were teaching because it was very salty, and the resources for ingredients were limited. There was only Hatcho miso, too strong for us young Americans, who were used to a meat-based diet with soda and lots of sugar foods. It became a giant leap worthy of the plunge.

Cornellia Aihara

I began to know Cornellia by participating in the French Meadows summer camp kitchen, located in the Tahoe National Forest mountains of California. It was such a wonderful experience. We would all meet in the wee early morning, very chilly in the mountain air. The fires were already started, and everyone would hover around until we got our directions from Cornellia. We would prepare for the morning breakfast, which was always the leftover grains, beans, veggies, etc., all cooked together all night on low embers. The breakfast was for all the kitchen cooks, children, and some elders. Then, we would work all morning preparing lunch. Cornellia had all the menus planned. She was a master at being able to design a daily menu spread over ten days with no refrigeration. It all worked. The light foods that do not last are prepared first. By the end of the camp, she would serve spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce. Everyone was crazy about it. So here are some recipes by her, I remember so well and enjoyed.

Pinto Beans with Sauteed Onions and Corn Tortillas

From: The Do of Cooking by Cornellia Aihara

Fresh Corn Tortillas

From: The Do of Cooking by Cornellia Aihara

------------------ Corn Tortilla Dough ---------------------------------------------------------------- Fresh Ground Corn Meal

Whole Grains, Brown Rice

marysveggiecooking@gmail.com (Mary McCabe) — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 22:08:42 GMT

Organic Ohsawa Brown Rice in Stages

Whole foods make us more whole. That is a simple truth. What is a whole food? Ask yourself. My early days were in the '50s, a very different world than today. We never locked our doors, we left our keys in the car in the driveway, we have an amazing amount of trust, not even a question. For me, the turning point was when JFK was shot. Shock happened, disbelief, and our world of naivety ended. My mother, birthing of eight, was very innocent and naive. She was a good cook as was her own mother, a story down the road. They both cooked and baked all homemade, using fresh ingredients, wonderful classic time-consuming creations. I asked her one day after I was more aware of the origins of foods, "where does flour come from?". She did not know.

She had been using white flour in all her cooking and never thought about it. It was the times. If we go into the history of how the food industry has changed our mentality and relationship to our basic foods, we would see how we have been misled by their influence through advertising and salesmanship. They were not proponents for our wellbeing and now more than ever we should be extra vigilant about what is in our food supply.

When I began cooking brown rice I was instructed to use a pressure cooker. As time has gone on for many years, I now alternate and often boil the rice in a stainless steel pot or a clay pot. When I would cook for many people I would use a pressure cooker, but when cooking just a smaller amount, I would not pressure cook.

If one looks at a whole grain one will see a complete seed, ready to grow into a plant. IT

IS ALIVE! How wonderful to be able to have this available to us from the living life and energy from the sun and moon, from which it grew, to transfuse into our bodies.

How to cook whole grain brown rice:

2 cups brown rice

3 cups water

pinch sea salt per cup rice so 2 pinches

Rinse the rice gently in a pot of cold water, using your hand, wash the rice rubbing the grain, pouring off the cloudy water, rinse until clear. Soak the rice in water for about 6 to 8 hours or overnight. To pressure cook or boil, start with no lid. Bring the rice to a boil, allow the broth to form a foamy cloud, using a stainless steel flat strainer skim off the foam. Add salt and the lid. Bring to pressure or boil, lower the flame to a little above a simmer, if too low the pressure will drop. Use a flame tamer or diffuser under the pot, start your time. Approximately 45 min. to an hour depending on the time of year and the quantity of rice.

Rice is harvested in the fall, so it will have more moisture than later as it has had time to dry out. You can adjust water volume accordingly. Less water for new rice, more for drier rice.

RECIPE / Guidelines

Brown rice is very sensitive. There is no set recipe only guidelines and practice. No matter how many times I have made brown rice, it can be unpredictable. It has more to do with how we treat it. I can remember being told to have high thoughts when washing it, never be in a disagreeable mood when cooking in general. I have found that brown rice is especially receptive to one's humor and disposition during preparation.

It seems that it was easier to cook for many people versus one or two. For brown rice

I recommend working with at least 2 cups of brown rice, it just cooks better.

For every cup of rice, the standard would be 1 1/2 cups of water. Depending on the volume and time of year, you can adjust more or less liquid. When pressure cooking and done, turn the flame off, allow the pressure to come down. Uncover immediately, and using a moistened wooden rice paddle, begin to turn the rice from the bottom to the top, working from the sides to the center. Use the side of the paddle to gently part the rice, allowing air to circulate. This applies to boiled rice also. It is important to take the rice out as soon as the lid comes off, otherwise, the taste is very different and not in a good way. It has to do with oxygenating the grain. If the bottom has a layer of golden brown rice try to lift it up and leave it on the side of the bowl. This rice is called bottom rice, it is stronger than the rest, usually meant for men or strong members. If it sticks too much on the bottom, just add good water and soak it until it loosens. It will make good morning porridge. Traditionally, the rice was put in a wooden bowl made just for rice and covered with a sushi mat or dampened towel.

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