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!

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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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