Colourful Carrot and Burdock Kinpira

Of all the root vegetables used in macrobiotics, burdock is the creepiest. Dark brown and sinister, unlike any other root vegetable I’d ever had, it was totally intimidating. There were numerous times at the grocery store that I’d almost have it in the basket, but at the last minute it just seemed too weird and I’d freak out and toss it quickly back onto the produce shelf. Something about the colour made it seem dirty to me- a big deterrent for someone who once had the nickname “the health inspector”. Then one day I took a cooking class. “Eek!” I thought when it was served. I brought it to my mouth, closed my eyes, squished my nose up (I’m sure the teacher loved seeing that, lol) started to chew… and it was L.O.V.E.

Kind of like the enchanted frog that turns into a prince, this  seemingly dodgy brown root is all kinds of deliciousness. Freshly cut it smells like when you’re standing in the middle of a forest and while cooking its scent is reminiscent of freshly turned dirt, almost, but dirt you really want to eat… The flavour is earthy and warm and completely addictive. Hubs gets super excited when he sees this on the menu, and if there are any leftovers I don’t doubt that he would get up in the middle of the night and tuck them away to take for his lunch. Not to mention the powerhouse qualities of this root. Farmers hate burdock for its invasiveness, as it will grow almost anywhere. It especially likes concrete and will even grow in the middle of a city. It is tenacious and therefore perfect to get us moving in the middle of the winter, when some project or work needs to get done. Eat some burdock and you will accomplish anything. Seriously- please don’t wait as long as I did to try this one. If you find burdock (also called gobo) in the store, cheer wildly, thank your luck, then plunder the entire section.

Colourful Carrot and Burdock Kinpira

Serves 4.

2 cups carrot, chopped into fine matchsticks (I used a mix of orange, purple and yellow carrots for this dish, but orange carrots alone are just as tasty!)

2 cups burdock, chopped into fine matchsticks.

toasted sesame oil

water

shoyu

toasted sesame seeds or gomashio

ginger juice

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Heat a small amount of oil over medium-high heat.

Add the burdock and sauté for about 4 minutes.

Layer the carrot matchsticks over the burdock then add water to fill about halfway up the veg and bring to a boil.

Cover and reduce heat to medium low.

Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add a few drops of shoyu. Cover and simmer about 3 minutes longer.

Mix well, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and a few drops of ginger juice, then serve.

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Hubs - January 30, 2012 - 5:21 pm

DROOOOOOL!
Can’t wait to try this tonight!

Karin - January 31, 2012 - 9:14 am

I was just eyeing the multi-coloured carrot bunches at Whole Foods yesterday! Haha. Now I have a reason to go back and grab them. YUM! 😉

Tomorrow Night!! » She Cooks Macro - October 18, 2012 - 12:26 pm

[…] now, here’s a link to the carrot and burdock kinpira recipe I featured last year. Next week, I’m going to show you one of my favourite ways to use it as […]

Kinpira Nori Rolls (Vegan Macrobiotic Sushi!) » She Cooks Macro - November 3, 2012 - 2:28 pm

[…] promised, my favourite way to use left-over kinpira! We’ll also use it freshly cooked this way, as it is soooo easy for portable lunches or […]

Nathalie Lévesque - November 10, 2012 - 5:17 pm

Wow! that looks so good!

ENDANG UTARI - December 16, 2012 - 4:21 pm

MY FAVORITE KINPIRA DISH ALL THE TIME

Damn Good Salad

Along with some millet and chickpea croquettes, I made this salad for lunch today. And it is too good not to share with you RIGHT NOW. The only thing I could think as I was putting it together was that this is going to be a damn good salad. And it is. And so it is named. Another title would have been safer- Yummy Green Salad, or perhaps Quick Boiled Broccoli & Celery with Fresh Arugula, Sliced Toasted Almonds, Nori and Magic Dressing. Eh. Anyhoo. It really doesn’t matter what it’s called- only that it is delicious. Ridiculously delicious. It’s a damn good salad.

Damn Good Salad

This was more of a throw together type salad- a bit of this, some of that… voila! Use your instincts as to how much you want of each ingredient. I wish I had used a bit more celery.

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Arugula

Celery, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

Broccoli, cut into small, bite sized florets

Toasted Almonds (I make a big batch at once, and then I have them on hand for salad like this… handy!!)

1 sheet nori- torn into small pieces, or you  can use scissors to cut if you want a more precise cut.

Magic Dressing

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Place a medium sized pot on the stove, fill about 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil.

While the water is doing its thing, wash and dry the arugula then place in a salad bowl.

When the water is boiling rapidly, add the celery and remove after about 20 seconds. Run it under cold water, strain and add it to the arugula.

Once the water is boiling again, add the broccoli for about 30 seconds. Remove, run under cold water, strain and add to the salad.

Mix together the greens with the toasted almonds and the magic dressing.

Top with nori and serve.

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Kathi W - January 7, 2012 - 2:14 pm

I am totally making this salad tomorrow! LOVE your blog!

EKat - February 5, 2012 - 1:26 pm

I made this salad for my gals dinner party and my friends freaked out! I will make this once a week. YUM.

Chunky Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Browned Leeks

I woke up in the middle of the night last night. 3:37 the clock read. Yuck. It’s not very often that I wake up and then can’t fall back asleep, but last night was one of those rare occurrences. I tried to let sleep come and carry me away until about 5 to no avail. My eyes were wide awake and my brain was working on a list of things to do. So I crept out of bed and started the day.

It was surprisingly lovely. Those early morning hours are so calm, so still. It was easy to get some serious work done on projects I’ve been trying to complete. With a nice pot of tea I worked quietly until I was overcome by the urge for muffins. So I made them. And while I was baking I thought of this soup. So a few hours later I made it too. Am I ever glad I did. The mix of the mellow white miso and barley miso combined with the richness of the sauteed onion make it just hearty enough to be enjoyed for a warming winter lunch or dinner. The leeks add nice flavour too… and also encourage chewing!! Don’t you find it so easy just to let soup slip on down without chewing it at all? Garnish helps. So do the nice chunks of tender cauliflower.

Thank goodness for early morning inspiration. I’ll be making this one again. I hope you like it too.

Chunky Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Browned Leeks

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

pinch of salt

1 small – medium cauliflower, washed and cut into large bite sized pieces

spring water or 1 litre low sodium organic vegetable broth

1 tsp mellow white miso

1 tsp barley miso

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1 tsp olive oil

1 leek- cut into 1/2 inch slices

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Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions and the pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and saute until a dark golden brown, approximately 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the chunky bites of cauliflower, the pour over enough broth or spring water to just cover the cauliflower. Approximately 1 litre.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender but not falling apart.

While the soup is simmering, heat the other tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the leeks and saute for a few minutes, then lower the heat and let the leeks crisp up, stirring them around occasionally.

When the cauliflower is tender, blend about half of the soup mixture in a blender, run it through a food mill, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot until your desired chunky consistency is reached.

Put the miso in a suribachi, add a bit of the soup liquid then mix until smooth. Pour into the soup and let simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.

Serve garnished with the crispy leeks.

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Hubs - January 5, 2012 - 4:50 pm

Wow! That looks so hearty and rich! I think it’s time to leave work early and come home for dinner :)

Janine - January 5, 2012 - 5:57 pm

Wow that looks so good! Shauna your blog posts are too cute, and delicious!

Kfly - January 10, 2012 - 12:51 pm

I made this soup last night and it was fantastic! I brought some in for a friend and she literally hugged me when she tasted it! Excellent soup!

Roasted Almond with Cranberry Chewy Bars

These bars are really tasty. Hubs and I have eaten our way through 3 batches already. Oh the perils of recipe creation and testing!! But please don’t worry. I’m happy to take one for the team. So. Back to these gooey bars of richness. I brought them to a happening little Christmas fete the other week. Not being the traditional holiday fare I was curious how they would go over. Well. Let’s just say that I was surprised. I knew they were good- but oh my. The poor host was literally swarmed as she passed them out. I could hear choruses of “MMMM”, “OMG”, “WOW”, “Who made these???” and, my favourite… “WAIT! I want another!!” I guess you could call them a hit. It’s the blend of the toasted almonds combined with the slight tart of the cranberries that really makes these bars. The mix of chewy and crunchy textures, and the fact that they’re not overly sweet, will have you coming back for more. There may or may not be tray number 4 cooling in the fridge at this very minute.

Roasted Almond with Cranberry Chewy Bars

3 cups puffed brown rice
2 cups roasted almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup brown rice syrup
1 tbsp maple syrup
2/3 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon (start with 1/2tsp and add more to suit your personal taste)
1 tsp sweet white miso

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In a large bowl, mix together the puffed rice, roasted almonds and dried cranberries then set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over a medium flame until almost boiling. The sauce should have a glossy, shiny surface. mmmmm.

Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Run you hands under cool water and while still damp use your hands to press the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish or mini cupcake tray.

Place in the fridge and let cool. Once cooled, cut bars or twist the rounds out of the cupcake tray and serve. Be warned. You may be swarmed by guests coveting the rich yet not too sweet dessert. By may I actually mean the chances for swarming are exceedingly high. If you want any left over either make a double batch, or stash one or two away in the back of your fridge in a solid, not see through, container.

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Karin - December 22, 2011 - 2:10 pm

YES!!!! I have been waiting for this recipe!!! These are the most amazing, delicious bars EVER! Thank you so much for bringing them to the party. What a hit! I could barely keep myself from eating the whole tray! YUM!

Marinated Black Quinoa and A Pressed Red Radish Side Dish

I’m playing the good sister/bad sister game. While I was in Calgary this summer visiting family I made a quinoa salad. Good sister. I’ve been promising my sister the recipe ever since. It’s December. Bad sister. Yesterday I started out with the best intentions to finally make the same salad and post in on here for her. Good sister. It started off well… and then some other power took over. The one calling for something rich and creamy. Something more substantial, yet still subtle and satisfying. I ended up far from my original intentions. Bad sister. But now I have two dishes instead of just one. Good sister.

Sister of mine! This is my public apology. You will get your recipe, I promise. Everyone- there’s more quinoa coming up in the very near future. But for now, black quinoa with creamy tahini and lemon zest is demanding all of the attention. Well, that and this fun side dish- Quick pressed red radish with toasted walnuts and raisins. The best thing about both of these sides is that they can be made a day in advance, and in this busy season, that definitely deserves a Good sister!!

Quick Pressed Red Radish with Toasted Walnuts and Raisins 

You can easily adapt this recipe for your own personal taste, so I’m just giving the basics. Want more radish? Use a full bunch, or two even if you’re serving a large group. Same goes for the walnuts. Raisins should always be on the light side. You want their sweetness, but only as a complement to the real star, the radishes.

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Radishes

Umeboshi Vinegar

Walnuts

Raisins

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Wash the radishes, then finely chop them in very thin half moon slices.

Place in a bowl, or a pickle press if you own one.

Add a few drops of umeboshi vinegar to the radishes and massage with your hands. After a minute or so, when you squeeze the radishes in your hand some liquid should run out. If not, add a few more drops of umeboshi vinegar, then massage again until the liquid is easily pressed out.

Place a smaller bowl over top of the radishes, and put a weight in the bowl. I use a big can of tomatoes, or something else heavy from the pantry. I’m still searching for the perfect rock to use!!

Let the radishes press for about an hour.

Meanwhile, wash the walnuts then toast them in a pan.

Wash the raisins, then (optional) put them in a pot of boiling water for a minute, then remove from the water and let cool.

Mix together the radishes, walnuts and raisins and serve. If you don’t want it too salty, you can use just the radishes without the umeboshi/radish liquid.

 Black Quinoa with Creamy Tahini Sauce and Lemon Zest

1 Cup black quinoa

2 tbsp tahini

1 tsp umeboshi paste

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, (approximately 3/4 of a lemon- squeezed)

1/4 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tsp brown rice syrup

lemon zest- approx. 1 tsp. or to taste

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Rinse the quinoa well, then cook according to the package instructions, as they all seem to vary. For my quinoa I washed it, then soaked it for 10 minutes. The instructions on my package (slightly altered here) were as follows: In a pot, add 1 1/4 cups + 1 tbsp spring water, the quinoa, 2 pinches of sea salt, and a couple drops of olive oil. Bring to a boil and let boil vigorously for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat then simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat, fluff the quinoa, then cover and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes longer.

While the quinoa is cooking, mix together the remaining ingredients, except for the lemon zest, to make the sauce.

Mix the sauce and the cooked quinoa together, and if you can wait, let it marinate in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, mix in the lemon zest. I added in a few bits of arugula, but not too much, as the flavour is spicy and could overwhelm the nice subtlety of the dish.

Just a quick note!! If you haven’t already checked it out, the January cooking class dates are now posted over here! Head on over, mark the dates in your calendar, and get ready for some super good times! And for all you manly men out there, there’s a class just for you- Macro Man Goes to the Superbowl is going to be deliciously full of all kinds of man treats. Of course, women are welcome too!! See you soon!

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Irene - December 5, 2011 - 10:36 pm

Another mouth-watering blog! You never fail to impress, Shauna!

Quick question: would you recommend this quinoa recipe served warm, cold or room-temp?

Karin - December 6, 2011 - 9:48 am

I think I’ll have to make that quinoa tomorrow night! That tahini sauce sounds delicious! :)

Kathi - December 6, 2011 - 2:37 pm

What amazing photographs! Once again another great blog- I am going to make both of these recipes this week!