Preparation  Bring the water and kombu to a slow boil, remove kombu, set aside for later use. Add onions, allow to become transparent, add tofu, when tofu floats to the top, add wakame and mushrooms. Ladle some broth into a cup with the miso to soften, lower the flame to a simmer, add the melted miso. Do not boil miso, since miso is a live food, boiling will kill the microorganisms contained in the life of the miso. When the broth begins to move in a waving motion, 3 to 5 minutes turn it off and serve with the fresh scallions on top. This soup does not take long to make. It will keep in the fridge if leftover, but best served right away.

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%.

Ingredients One block firm tofu One small onion diced One carrot diced One-half each red, green, yellow peppers One cup fresh or frozen...

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

Here's a beautiful way to use fresh corn when it is available in the summer. When eight ears of fresh corn are sold for $2.00, it's time to produce creative ways to use them. With the summer ending and the season beginning to change, this is a great soup to enjoy on those rainy fall days.

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.

How to make a one pot stew or "Hot Pot" meal using just vegetables, rice and noodles. Nabe Mono, as is called in Japan, translates to "pot thing" or things in a pot. There are so many variations to this wonderful dish, it is endless to the different ingredients you can use, making it new every time. It is considered one of the most versatile home-cooked dishes and social party food. It can be cooked at the center of the table with a cooking component. Enjoy yourself with your friends and family surrounded by the table with all the ingredients raw and cooked to go into the pot, so much fun. This is such a social time to share conversation and expression because you are ALL eating from the same pot, it makes for easier mingling, talking, and enjoying each other; as a great social gathering and dinner party.

45 minutes from start to finish. Thank you Mary! -- Jane Williams

Recipe Coming Soon

Ingredients

Ingredients Two carrots sliced large 1/2 chunks One onion large chunk Two stalks of celery cut one-third inch One green zucchini is cut into thick rounds then in half or thirds Two green onions sliced one inch 11/2 cups Broccoli stems & heads 1 Can of unsweetened coconut milk One cup of plant milk or water Two - four cloves' garlic to taste minced One Tbsp. Fresh minced ginger Grated fresh ginger juice to taste One Tbsp. cumin Two - three Tbsp. curry powder 1 tsp. Sea Salt 1 1/2 Tbsp. Toasted sesame oil Soy Sauce to taste at the end of cooking Lots of chopped parsley and cilantro

Ingredients

Thanksgiving Veggie Way For years, I have been making seitan a substitute for the all-famous central figure of Thanksgiving - the endearing Mr. Turkey. Seitan is a wheat gluten protein made from whole wheat flour. I grind mine from organic whole Hard Red Spring Wheat ordered from Great River Organic Milling Company. Many cultures throughout the world commonly use seitan or “wheat meat” in place of meat. Every year, I try to hone this dish to its best potential, always learning more ways to improve it, as it can be very time-consuming. The goal in making seitan is to remove the bran and starch, leaving only the gluten, which forms a dough to be used in many ways.

Ingredients

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

Ingredients Two cups dry French Lentils Four cups of water to start Add more water to cooking 1 tsp sea salt 1-2 Whole Bay Leaves One inch piece of Kombu ½ tsp Soy Sauce

Ingredients 3 Persian cucumbers sliced thin rounds One small onion thin half-moon (preferably red) 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 - 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. maple or rice syrup