Savory Lemon Sauce

This sauce is great on Salmon steaks or patties!  We’ve also enjoyed it on Asparagus as it can be used as an easy substitute for Hollandaise!

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 tablespoons organic, all-natural butter

* 1 ½ tablespoon Mochiko

* ¾ cup half-and-half or milk

* 3 tablespoons lemon juice or approximately the juice of ½ a lemon

* 1 teaspoon real salt

* ¼ teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Melt butter in a saucepan.  Sprinkle Mochiko over melted butter and stir.

2.      Slowly add half-and-half to make a smooth sauce.

3.      Stir in lemon juice, salt, and chili powder.  Blend well.  Heat through, stirring often.  Serve.

4.      If sauce becomes too thick thin it out with a bit more half-and-half or even a dash of water.

5.      If you want a taste more like Hollandaise, omit the chili powder and use a few dashes of Worcestershire in its place.  Note that the sauce will no longer be vegetarian if using Worcestershire.

Baked Tofu

Of course one can bake Tofu by simply giving it a good rub of oil and sticking it in the over for a spell.  I also rather love bites of Tofu that have been marinated in Teriyaki or BBQ before baking.  However this is my stand-by baked tofu, as I most often end up pairing tofu with Asian-themes and this works as well alongside rice as it does at the bottom of a soup bowl as a “dumpling” of sorts.  If you want to get real creative, these are great split and stuffed with a mixture of nuts and herbs (try peanut butter, cilantro, and sesame oil!)

INGREDIENTS:

* 16 oz extra-firm Tofu, pressed and drained

* 4 tablespoons good olive oil

* ½ tablespoon Szechuan chili sauce

* 1 tablespoon chili powder

* ½ tablespoon nori, crushed to a powder

* ½ tablespoon raw sesame seeds

* 1 teaspoon dried, ground lemon peel or ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Preheat oven to 350°.

2.      Cut Tofu in half both ways to make good sized cubes.  Lay cubes out into glass baking dish.

3.      Mix chili sauce and olive oil together.  Brush cubes generously with mixture.  Turn upside down so the oil part touches the dish.

4.      Mix the remaining dry ingredients.  Sprinkle evenly over cubes.  Press down a bit.

5.      Bake 30 minutes uncovered.

Peasant Soup, Thai Style

This is a wonderfully rich and delicious soup that is another favorite in our house! Of course this is great with a nice, grainy bread on the side, or you can do what I do and turn into a hearty meal by serving over cubes of Baked Tofu!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 sweet onion, chopped

* ½ stick of organic, all-natural butter

* 3 stalks of celery, chopped

* 3 carrots, chopped

* 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 teaspoon ginger, pulp or minced

* ¾ cup brown rice

* ¾ cup of crunchy peanut butter

* 2 tablespoons white miso paste

* 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder

* 1 tablespoon Braggs

* ½ Tablespoon Mochiko flour

* ¼ teaspoon chili powder

* 4 cups water

* 1 14 oz can of coconut milk

* 3 green onions, thinly sliced

* Cilantro (optional)

* Crushed raw peanuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add onion and butter to a large pot or deep sauce pan. Sautee until the onion just starts to hint at translucency.

2. Add celery, carrots, garlic, and ginger, and stir around for a minute or two.

3. Add the rice. Stir around for another couple of minutes.

4. Add peanut butter, miso paste, and everything else up to the water. Stir to incorporate..

5. Mix in the water. I start out by adding a bit at a time to get everything nice and blended. Simmer for 45 minutes on low-medium heat.

6. Add coconut milk. Heat through.

7. Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onions, sprigs of cilantro, and crushed raw peanuts.

Vanilla Mochiko Sauce

My daughter has long been obsessed with all things Japanese and so I make a point to experiment with the ingredients she mentions. And now that I’ve realized just how many of their favored items act in support of a more alkaline lifestyle my pantry is full of Japanese labels!

This sauce reminds of caramel, but with a slight gelatinous texture when warm, becoming increasingly like a vanilla caramel as it cools. We love it warm, such as with apple pie and ice cream, or on top of baked pears with a sprinkle of fresh cinnamon! But it’s also great cold when used more like a frosting for cakes, brownies, and other delectable bites!

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 sticks organic, all-natural butter, sliced

* 2/3 cup or equivalent of your favorite all natural sweetener

* 1 ½ tablespoons Mochiko (sweet rice flour)

* 1 ½ cups water

* 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

* 1/8 teaspoon real salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add slices of butter to a small sauce pan with the Mochiko and sweetener. As butter starts to melt, stir to incorporate into the dry ingredients.

2. When the butter is melted add the water, extract, and salt. Bring to low boil, stirring often with a fork to insure everything comes together and reduces down without lumps. It will take about 10 minutes to get a nice golden sauce that is the consistency of caramel.

Carrot or Apple Cake

A delicious semi-moist cake that is great alone, or even better when topped with Vanilla Mochiko Sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 2/3 cup unbleached whole wheat flour, or favorite healthy substitute (such as an even mix of brown rice flour, spelt and sorghum)

* 1 ½ cups or equivalent of favorite natural sweetener

* 2 teaspoons all natural baking soda

* 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking power

* 1 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon

* ½ teaspoon real salt

* 4 eggs, beaten

* 1 cup favorite oil for baking (high in monounsaturated fat such as high heat sunflower oil) or all-natural butter

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 3 cups grated carrots or diced apples

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. “Grease” or line a 13×9-inch Pyrex pan. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl add the first six ingredients, and incorporate together. Add eggs, oil, and extract. Mix well with a quick folding motion until batter is smooth and somewhat expanded from air. Fold in carrots or apples.

3. Bake 30 minutes, or until center comes clean.

4. If using Vanilla Mochiko Sauce, spread while cake is still hot. Serve warm or chilled.

5.  NOTE:  Using butter in this recipe will lend flavor but make for a somewhat drier result.

Raita

This is a staple with curry or as a condiment for other Middle Eastern and Indian fare.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 ½ cups yogurt

* 1 ½ cups sour cream

* 3 cucumbers, diced fine or to preference

* 3 teaspoons or equivalent of favorite natural sweetener

* 1 ½ teaspoons cumin

* 1 teaspoon real salt

* ¼ teaspoon chili power

* 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

* 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix. Chill. Serve.

Curried Split Pea Stew

Even friends who claim to detest split peas will crave this dish when served as suggested!

INGREDIENTS:

* ½ stick of butter

* 2 tablespoons good curry powder

* 1 large sweet onion, chopped

* 4 medium carrots, chopped

* 4 stalks celery, chopped

* 3 cups cooked split peas

* 3 cups water

* 28 oz crushed tomatoes

* 2 teaspoons real salt

* ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper

* 1 cup half-and-half

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Sauté the first five ingredients in a Dutch oven or large stew pot until the onions turn translucent.

2.      Add the next five ingredients.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Turn heat to low.

3.      Add the half-and-half and heat through just prior to serving.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.  Sometimes I will end-up adding more curry and salt in this step and sometimes it seems just fine.  I think it depends on the freshness of the curry and whether or not I salted the split peas as they cooked!

4.      Serve over Baked Rice and with generous dollops of Raita on top!

Black Bean Salsa

This is excellent with pita chips or used as a condiment.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 14 oz can organic black beans, rinsed

* 3 green onions, thinly sliced

* 1 fistful of cilantro, minced

* 3 tablespoons unsweetened, natural shredded coconut

* Juice of one lime

* ½ teaspoon real salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Combine ingredients and enjoy!

2.      Suggestion: try adding a diced mango!

Coconut Baked Tempeh

This is a family favorite. If I go too long without making it my daughter will start dropping reminders.

Serve over Baked Rice and topped with Black Bean Salsa for a complete meal.

INGREDIENTS:

* 16 oz tempeh, defrosted and sliced into strips

* 14 oz coconut milk

* 1 cup favorite stock

* 1/4 cup unsweetened, natural shredded coconut

* 3 tablespoons white miso

* 2 tablespoons or equivalent of favorite natural sweetener, such as natural brown sugar or brown rice syrup

* 1 tablespoon organic coconut butter

* ½ tablespoon Bragg’s

* 1 teaspoon ginger pulp

* 2-3 cloves minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place slices of tempeh in a 9×13 glass pan. Set aside.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients until blended well. Pour over tempeh and bake at 425° for 45 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Much of the liquid will be absorbed.

3. This is good for many applications, but at our home is especially favored as described above!

Baked Rice

An impromptu curry dinner at a friend’s house was my first introduction to rice baked in this manner.  While I’ve never had any problems getting my steamed rice to come out right, baking the rice gives it a wonderful, firm texture, and this is now a staple in our home.

I’ve adapted her recipe to match our preferences.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 ½ cups brown rice

* 1 ½ cups jasmine rice

* 4 cups water

* 2 tablespoons cold pressed olive-oil (or butter if that’s what you prefer)

* 1 teaspoon real salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.      No need to preheat the oven!  Add rice to a 13×9-inch Pyrex pan.  Pour in water, oil, and salt.  Cover tightly with lid or foil.  Bake at 375° for one hour.

2.      Remove from the oven and fluff with a fork.  Place in serving dish and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel.  Let it stand like this for at least 5 minutes before serving.