GOOD LIFE Living Well: ALWAYS HAVE BEEN VEGAN....Miso, Kasha & Cabbage rolls ..re-vamp for 21st Century

Sunday, November 25, 2012

ALWAYS HAVE BEEN VEGAN....Miso, Kasha & Cabbage rolls ..re-vamp for 21st Century

Sometimes it is hard to improve on Perfection, so I have just tweaked these very old types of dishes for the 21st Century, using less oil, no trans fat and so they are completely Vegan, (but in most cases they already were).
Many cultures ate/eat far less meat than we do in the West, and are naturally vegan, before it became hip to be so.
So here are my takes on Miso soup, Stuffed cabbage rolls and a roasted vegetable, rustic pie/tart, Winter versions

Miso is a fermented mix of brown rice, soy beans and sometimes other grains, like flax seed.
It is high in B vitamins and can be high sodium so read your labels.This week I am making 2 miso noodle soups, one with own grown organic broccoli; and the other with fresh shitake mushrooms.( you may use dried shitake mushroom, just reconstitute with some fresh hot water , chop finely and add the liquid to the soup before the miso.
The key here is to cook the vegetables( leeks, carrots, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, sea vegetables..whatever is available fresh) in boiling water, add dried sea vegetables at the beginning, after washing them well to remove any salts.
Add the tenderest vegetables last.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the Soba noodles and cook for 3 mins, skimming the surface.
Remove from heat and gently stir in the fresh miso paste ( depending again on the variety use about 1 tbsp per person, but check before you add to much), stir to mix and then serve with chopped parsley, scallion or cilantro.
Add sake or sherry and stir well, serve in deep bowls and enjoy the steam.

As Miso is a fermented product do not re-boil once the miso is added as this can kill off a lot of naturally occurring nutrients.

Stuffed cabbage rolls...(a dish that has been around as long as cabbage has been cultivated)

Cabbage is a strong anti-cancer vegetable..is thought to help block breast cancer and suppress growth of polyps, a prelude to colon cancer. Eating cabbage once a week for a man cuts his chance of developing colon cancer by 66%,..As little as 2 tbsp cooked cabbage a day protects against stomach cancer, also has anti-viral and antibacterial properties and should be in one's diet at least 3 times a week, the tight green-white cabbage heads are available all year in Northern climes and are the natural main stay for fresh vitamins in Winter as they store well..make more use of them.

To remove the large leaves for the head of a cabbage,leave it whole and gently cut out the inner hard stalk and remove..can be used grated in a salad.

Place the entire cabbage in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook boiling for 20 mins ( lid the pan), carefully remove the cabbage and place under running fresh cold water, then place in a collander and allow to cool and drain.

When cool enough, gently remove the large leaves and keep them whole, lay flat on a cutting board.

The filling: ( the amounts vary depending on size of cabbage and amounts served), for 4 persons:
saute 3 medium brown onions finely chopped
5 thick chopped carrots,
4 ribs celery chopped
2 leeks finely chopped
add spices of choice ( I used turmeric and cumin),

Cook until tender, then add 2 cups toasted buckwheat groats ( these are a gluten-free, dried "seed" not a grain, although it is classed as a grain in the west, and have been used in cooking for thousands of years)
They are sold already toasted.
Buckwheat is high in protein 20% and contain the bioflavanoid rutin which strengthens circulation and the veins, very good for people with varicose veins.
Wash the dried buckwheat in running water then drain and add to the tender vegetables, and cover with boiling water.. just to cover (1/4 inch), reduce to simmer and tightly lid the pan, cook until all water has evaporated/been absorbed. approx. 20-30mins.

Remove gently fluff the mix and add 1 cup washed and rinsed dried raisins and 1 cup chopped raw nuts ( walnuts, pine nuts, pistachio, pecans).
Stir well together then pour onto a cookie sheet and allow it to cool/dry

When cooled add salt & pepper to taste and chopped fresh parsley stalks ( adds crunch and freshness, save the tender leaves for the miso soups).

The sauce...you may use any tomato based sauce you feel comfortable with, just cook tomatoes ( canned are fine) with garlic and celery, add herbs or spices of choice, as I used cumin in the mix the spices I added are cinnamon and cumin.
Cook slowly ( I also added some brown sugar, red wine vinegar, red wine and 1 tsp ground smoked paprika..to make a picante sauce..again it is your choice and taste)
To assemble:
Place a large blanched cabbage leaf on a cutting board, remove the tough center stalk with a knife, add some of the filling and tightly roll up like a Spring roll wrap or a Burritio, place seam side down in a heat proof oiled dish,with 3 tabsp sauce on the base.

Continue with this until the dish is completely tightly packed, add more sauce to cover the rolls, cover the dish and bake in a 350f oven for 35-45 mins until completely heated through...remember everything is already cooked so you are just heating it but it has to be hot.

Remove from oven and place on a trivet,and wait 10 mins before removing cover & serve.

This is a Nutritionally Dense Powerhouse Meal.
Although, it also comes steamed organic Volcano Rice, (grown on the fertile volcanic soil of Java, a naturally pink & white whole long grain rice), it is just as good on it's own.

And if you do have leftovers, which I doubt, they are just as good, and have more flavor the day after.

I am also making the rustic tart mentioned in previous blogs, the roasted winter vegetables are potatoes, carrots, onions, yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini.

The desserts are:
A Berry Vanilla Cake ( fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries topped with vanilla sponge cake)

Dried cranberry-almond oatmeal cookies