STUFFED CUCUMBER ROLLS

Natto is made from cooked whole soybeans that have been fermented with koji spores. Once it is prepared, there is no need for further cooking. It is usually served as a side dish as an accompaniment with grains and noodles. It can be prepared by stirring it to bring out the stickiness, then adding different flavors, such as soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, daikon radish, jinenjo mountain potato, mustard, horse radish, chives, scallions, nori slivers, and other seasonings. It can be made at home with a bit of preparation and can be purchased in Asian markets or online. I find it is difficult to find Natto made with organic soybeans, so I am going to attempt to make it at home. I ordered the Kawashima Natto Starter Powder through Amazon, will update when I do it. I made it years ago with Sensei Muramoto, and remember that it was very different and more delicious than the frozen packages available. Natto has a distinctive smell and flavor that people either love it or hate it. I have heard that people who eat a lot of dairy do not like it, I am not sure how true that is. The benefits to enjoying Natto are enormous. It is a super nutritious food. It is originated in Japan, where the cooked soybeans were wrapped in rice straw which naturally had the bacillus subtillis bacteria on its surface. This allowed the sugar in the beans to ferment creating Natto. Soybeans are a very hard bean. It takes a long time to cook them. Soybeans are a very important part of the vegetarian diet because they are a one of the highest quality sources of plant based protein, vitamins, minerals and isoflavones. They do contain anti-nutrients such as lectins, however, it has been studied that fermentation reduces the content by 95%.

How to make fermented foods part of your life without much fuss.

Green vegetables come in many ways, from leafy to varieties of the Brassica family of cabbages and mustards. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables or Cole crops due to their stem or stalk. There are infinite ways to cook these wonderful green vegetables, yet it is essential to retain their deep color and nutritional value.  Methods of cooking can determine the outcome towards the full potential of the result of the dish. There are many techniques for working with green vegetables: Blanching, steaming, boiling, sauteing, frying, pressed salad, pickling. Keeping green veggies in our daily diet is essential. It is easy to cook them quickly by blanching, steaming, or boiling.

Easy Salsa with fresh veggies, black beans , and avocado. This is just one version of so many ways to make sassy salsa. So easy to do and so worth it for the freshness of taste and liveliness of the newly cut vegetables. Here's a way to get it right every time! I once entered a Best Chili Contest in Ocean City, New Jersey held at the Flanders Hotel. There were so many entrants, yet I was the only one labeling mine as "Chili Non-Con Carne with Homemade Salsa". To my huge surprise, I won first prize! I was so excited. One of the judges told me, it was my salsa that really won them over. Here is just one of many types of salsas you can play with. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients One ½ cups Fresh Organic Strawberries 1 tsp Maple syrup A pinch of salt

Ingredients Two cups of dried black beans 5-6 cups water 1-inch piece Kombu 1-2 bay leaf 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp soy sauce 

Ingredients Three -4 Red peppers washed 1 tbsp. chopped garlic 1 tsp. Sea salt ¾ cup extra virgin olive oi