Halloween soup! Sweet treat

Treat or trick? Sweet orange soup!

Halloween time! So what to do with our pumpkin in these cold days? A smooth and sweet soup to relax after horror movies!

{ingredients}

1 big gold onion

½ cup of orange lentil

2 cups of organic Halloween pumpkin

½ sweet potatoes

1 carrot

1 tablespoon of kuzu already dissolved in 2 Tbs of water

3 tablespoon of sweet shiro miso

a pick of fennel seeds to taste

1 spoon of sesame oil

toasted sesame oil to taste

unrefined sea salt to taste

oat cream as a decoration

{technique}

{soup}

Prepare all the ingredients ready.
Wash and drain the veggie, cut into half moon slices the onion, diced the potato carrot and pumpkin, and, dissolve the kuzu.
In an eavy pan from a height, fry, over a medium heat, the onion with the sesame oil a pick of salt and some water, until translucent.
Add to fry the lentils, then after a minute add the fennel and the other veggie, stir and add ½ cup of spring water, cover and leave over a very low flame, until well cooked (30 min circa).
Then add the miso and the dissolved kuzu, stirring. Adjust salt. Cook for 3 minute more.
Blend with an hand blender and sieve if necessary. Serve with some toasted sesame oil and oat cream as decoration.

Cooking in the 5 Tranformations

In Chinese medicine, Yin and Yang are divided into 5 stages, based on the theory that nothing is static but all is in a continuous state of change.

These stages are called 5 Transformations.
These are associated with an element each, intended in term of energy. Everyone is also linked to specific foods, flavors, colors, organs, emotions, seasons and times of the day.
In macrobiotic know the transformations make able to compose what I call the Perfect Dish, which is the meal that contains all the 5. It will be balanced in terms of nutrient and energy and will make us feel more satisfied. Is also very nice to see!

I

The five elements are related in a cyclic clockwise rotation called creative circle where each state evolve creating the next, and,  a direct way thought the transformations check/control between each others.

The Five Transformations help us to plan our plate even among the different seasons, suggesting also the taste and colors of ingredients. Fire (red, bitter) for  late spring, Soil or Earth (yellow, sweet) for summer, Metal (white, pungent) for autumn, Water ( black, salty) for winter, Tree (green, acid) for very late winter and spring begin.

Finally, the 5 Transformations are related to the energy of our organs and at different time of the day. During these hours or during the season corresponding to each transformation and through the connected food, you can redress the balance in the energy of your body.

Yin&Yang in a very short

Yin and yang are the two opposite an complementary forces on which Oriental medicine base the explanation the whole existence. Four are the laws about them. Everything we become in contact has the prevalence of one of these forces. How we manage our nutrition and life style determine our inner balance and our relationship with the outer.

1} All things are a parts of an whole or totality, alla is related.

2} Everything change. Yang will became Yin and Yin will became Yang in a constant state of flow.

3} Yin& Yang are in all things, nothing is just Yin or Yang.

4} in any phenomena. either Yin or Yang will prevail.

Yin and Yang are the opposite forces that together lead to the existence of everything.

Yin is ascribed as the primarily  energy in nature.

Yang is complementary opposite, and is referred to the materia.

The development of our physical body since the embrional state in a Yang process [growing getting older]. The development of our sensorial organs [smell-taste-intuition...] is a Yin process.
In order to perceive we must exist  :  {perception} Yin - {action&materia} Yang

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Ceci n'est pas une douce

Ceci n'est pas une douce. This is not a dessert, carrots time!

I made a vow for a month not to eat any macrobiotic dessert and no fruit.
Since I'm in London I'm suffering a little for home sickness, I started to consume too many desserts than usual to compensate this emotion. It depends on personal circumstances, but not for all sweets are appropriate; there is who, like me, should definitely limit the consume.

In macrobiotics, the sweet taste is associated with the transformation of the Earth. Emotions related are about tenderness and compassion. The moral and physical nourishment fuels this transformation. Other nourishing foods are: millet, sweet rice cakes and vegetables. If health conditions are excellent also seasonal fruits, malt and rice syrup. Some foods that are harmful to this Transformation are sugar, chocolate, white flour, ...

By removing the dessert for a period long enough, we rediscover the flavors and we appreciate a lot more the food. In addition, when you try something processed, immediately we will perceive the excess sugar and substitutes ingredients.

To balance the diet and break the chain "emotion-food", the alternative is to consume naturally sweet vegetables, pressed salads, leafy vegetables and slow cooking style "nishime".
But sometimes that's not enough, at least not enough for me! I appreciate all about dessert,not just the taste but the presentation, the rite that is around and enjoy it with people I love.
A plate of carrots in the oven as far as worship, has a whole different impact, visually, emotionally and socially.

So my topic this month is find alternatives that satisfy the palate, calm down my emotions and that can be shared with loved ones.

So we said, no fruit. And the vitamins?
The vegetables can contain as many vitamins and less sugar. A cup of carrots (128g) contains 428% DV of Vitamin A, 13%DV of Vitamin C, 21%DV of vitamin K, 6%DV of Folate (essential for cell renewal). Carrots are also mildly anti-inflammatory.
The same amount of apples contain: 1% of the daily ration of vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, vitamin K 3% and 1% of folate and' also slightly inflammatory. (Percent Daily Values %DV are for adults or children aged 4 or older, and are based on a 2.000 calorie reference diet. Source http://nutritiondata.self.com)

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This carrots flan is quite rich due the tahini maybe you want to match it with a lighter supper, if needed.

{ingredients}

 

{Carrot flan 2or3 serving}

  
4 carrots (those for juice)
¼ cup of carrot juice
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1+½ Tbsp almond meal
1 Tbsp chestnut flour
1 Tbsp full of "light" tahini
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 pinch of salt or/end a drop of shoyu
few drops of lemon juice

{technique}

Wash and dry the carrots, peel if necessary. Chop coarsely and sprinkle lemon so do not turn dark.
Put in a saucepan carrots, carrot juice, vanilla, and salt or/and shoyu. Cover and simmer 20 minutes over low heat adding a little water, if necessary.
Meanwhile, toasted sunflower seeds.

Try carrots which should have lost the "wild" taste and more acquired a sweet taste.If it is not continue to cook, unfortunately depends on the same carrot. You get to cook them up to an hour and there are always bitter, in which case put them in a soup and try it again with other more sweet. If not available try adding some very fresh pumpkin.
Once cooked, add the tahini, almond meal and the chestnuts, stir well and remove from heat.

{to assemble}

Put your mixture in a simple shaped mould, a little greasy with tahini and bake for 20 minutes at 240'C, in order to make a little crust.
Serve warm or room temperature decorated with flowers and roasted seeds.

Tip1: Before baking, at your discretion, you can add a little raisins previously soaked.
Tip2: When you strictly limit the sweets, however, increase the pressed salads and green leafy vegetables. Basically everything that can help you relax.

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cooking styles

ENGLISH

In macrobiotic the cooking styles are used to change the energy of the food in order to balance the meal depending on the season, as well as on personal needs.
I give you a simple example borrowed from a well-known macrobiotic lady. Take 3 carrots, grate one raw, boil a long another and cut into slices or matches and fry the third.
Now taste the different cores. Taste them one by one and slow down to feel how your body react.
What would you like on a summer day? What would you like if you had a cold? What more if you need energy? The example seems obvious, but still do the test.
The cooking styles are related to emotions just like different the foods. If you are tense then a plate of steamed or stir fried vegetables can be ideal. If you feel tired or not focused and you need energy, a stew or pressure cooked cereal can certainly help. Also, the style of cooking changes the flavor a lot. Place to have sweet tooth, but there you were recommended to not use any dessert for a while.
Cooking carrots and onions with the method Nishime, long cooking over low heat, you get a sweet cream of vegetable, as a compote to a spread on bread!

 

raw&porrige dreamshake

ENGLISH

I'm just back from my Health Adviser course and, WOW, this morning has been delivered to me one of 30th birthday presents, the Vita-mix blender!! From my mother in law, god bless her! So I've to immediately try my new toy!

Is about a couple of weeks that I'm quite yang due the combination of my period, my stiff liver, and the autumn that is a Metal time. I found myself hyper focused and plenty of energy but really imbalanced: pushing others, with a low patience, shoulder blades pain and night grinding teeth. Quite a mess, I know.

So I need some opening food for the liver also I feel like smoothness and fresh flavours together. And of course I wanted to play with  my new tool!

I just invented this breezy and nutritious smoothy milkshake without any milk, (but you can really deem there is some in), to enjoy as a diverse breakfast. I think it can be very good for children as well.

This recipe is really Yin except for the porridge so has to be eaten carefully. The energy of the 5 transformation related with this recipe is Tree, and with a correct diet, can help to release from a transitory stiff(Yang) liver condition.

{ingredients}

 

{dreamshake for 2} 

1 sour green apple
2 purple carrots (purple just for a better color)
1/2 stalk celery
1/2 cup of plain barley porridge
a drop of shoyu
a pick of salt1 teaspoons of rice syrup or apple concentrate if needed

few toasted seeds or 2 almonds (optional, to avoid for serius liver issues)

 

{technique}

Wash and drain the fruit & veggie and cut into chunks. Pulse all ingredients start blending on the low power and than turn on maximum for 3 minutes, or until beautifully smoothed.

-If you are fancy to have a more acidulous flavour maybe drop in some lemon. I cannot for instance, due my kidney issues, because lemon "wash" away the minerals from them. Although, if you have problem to digest apples because acid, you can slightly cook them or replace with blueberries or beetroot if fruit doesn't work at all with you.

Serve room temperature or slightly cold.
And even if is a smoothy remember to chewing well, is really important for a good digestion!

 

Panzanella salad

I have been a week in Italy for my birthday and I turned back to my mum food because I couldn't cook that much.
At the begin I didn't get too hung up on their food style, because my parents eat tones of veggie and I was missing my mum scents.
But eating again in that way reminded me some odds.
Get drowsy after a meal, the mind blurred, my creativity completely dormant. A sense of irritability that I was trying to calm down with fruit or bread, or both.

My parents diet is based on raw fruit, vegetables and olive oil; plus, over-boiled veggie, long pressure cooked minestrone soup and bread, pasta, bran.. I should say that almost everything is whole, organic and from local farmer production.
But, the cooking styles are a Yin-Yang gymkhana.
I introduced pressed salads, crispy-cooked vegetables, grains boiled in carrot juice and kanten. In few days I felt fit again.
Well, but since bread and salad are one of the most simple, easy and delicious summer in Italy, I decided to made a Macro variation of the a traditional Tuscan salad: Panzanella, my father's love.
I served Panzanella at my birthday party and all guys drove into my dish... they licked their bowls clean! My father found my choice more digestible and even more appetizing than the original recipe.

"Instead" time: Instead of raw salad I used pressed veggie.Carrots which contain fibers and are a very good source of Vitamins A. Celery, good source of amino-acids, Vitamin K and Potassium. Cucumber rich in fiber and minerals and amino acids. So adding other foods with complementary amino acid profiles to this veggies may yield a more complete protein source and improve the quality of some types of restrictive diets. Pressed salad is refreshing as well as the raw, but slightly fermented are easier to digest and doesn't make you feel swollen.
Instead of white bread I used my Kayu bread, a mixture of whole flour and overcooked grains. Is a yeast free, overnight fermented bread. A digestible potion also rich in amino-acids.
Instead of tones of oil I used Ume vinegar. Sour, salty and fruity, is a mount-watering condiment.

Umeboshi is used as natural preservative in the hot&humid Japanese weather so was been perfect in the Italian summer.
The following recipe is for 12 serving.

{ingredients}

 

{pressed salad} 

6 large carrots
4 large cucumbers
2 beautiful red onions
1 stalk celery, very tender
3 tablespoons sea salt
a few drops of lemon

{panzanella}

¼ loaf of bread Kayu or 1 / 3 of
sourdough bread,
5 tablespoons of ume
1 tablespoon of shoyu
lemon juice to taste
½ cup sunflower seeds
4 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil or toasted sesame oil
few leaves of basil
oregano or marjoram to taste

{tecnique}

{insalata pressata}

Wash and dry the vegetables.
Clean the carrots with a coconut brush or a sponge, without peel. Grate or cut into thin matches, sprinkle with lemon juice so don't turn dark.
Peel the cucumbers, cut into 4 lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut into eighths, then into cubes.
Clean the celery from any hard wire and cut it to thin diagonal slices.
Cut the onion into half, following the veins, and then into very thin slices, always following the pattern of veins.
Place all vegetables in a glass or ceramic bowl, add salt and mix with your hands. Place a second smaller bowl oinside the first, and let stand for 2 hours or more with a weight on top (a bottle of water for example).

{panzanella}
 

Cut the bread into thick slices and steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the seeds until gold, turn off the heat and sprinkle stirring with soy sauce.
So cut the bread into squares, being careful not to break it.
Drain the vegetables from the water that is formed, (which you can keep as a base for a soup or to moisten salad if it is too dry, remember that is salty!).
Chop a few leaves of basil. Who likes and digests it, can add some chopped garlic.

{to assemble}

Gently mix the bread, vegetables and basil, add the seasoning little at a time, tasting to feel how much you prefer.

Garnish with the toasted seeds and fresh basil just before serving.

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