Cooking to Chase Away the Winter Blues

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Vegetable Miso Soup
Sukiyaki - Friendship Dish
Greens with Ginger and Almonds
Steamed Apples

Vegetable Miso Soup

Serves: 4 people
Preparation and Cooking time: 15 minutes
Utensils: Medium pan with a lid

Ingredients:

1 medium onion sliced in half moons
1 inch piece wakame rinsed and finely sliced
1 shiitake rinsed, soaked for 10 minutes and finely sliced
1 cup daikon rinsed and finely sliced
1/2 cup tofu finely diced
4-6 cups spring water
2 tablespoons barley miso diluted in a little soup stock
1-cup greens such as kale, daikon tops or collards rinsed and finely sliced

Preparation:

Place the water, shiitake and wakame in a pan and bring to a boil.
Add the onion and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Add the daikon and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Add the diluted miso to the broth while it is still boiling.
Immediately turn the flame to very low. Add the sliced greens and cook for about 3 minutes more.

Sukiyaki

This dish is an excellent way to get high energy that is long lasting. Sukiyaki helps to open you up, so your energy flows more freely. It is nourishing and relaxing and helps to make you feel less pressured. This is a great way to serve fish for children. Sukiyaki is a complete meal in itself and makes a great lunch or simple dinner. It can also be used as a side dish for a more elaborate meal. It is served from the skillet and everyone can gather around to serve themselves.

Serves: 4-6 people
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Utensils: Cast iron skillet with lid or heavy pot with lid

Ingredients:

1 pound white fish sliced
vegetarian option - use fried tofu sliced into squares
2 cups cooked udon noodles
1 carrot rinsed and finely sliced
2 cups Chinese cabbage rinsed and finely sliced
1 cup broccoli rinsed and cut into florets
1/2 cup string beans rinsed and halved
1/2-cup scallions rinsed sliced in half-inch pieces
1/2 cup spring water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon shoyu
1 tablespoon mirin

Preparation:

Warm the skillet on a medium flame for a few seconds.
Add the oil and warm for a few seconds.
Place the vegetables, fish and noodles in sections around the pot.
Add the water, shoyu and mirin. Cover with a lid and steam on a high flame for about 5 minutes.
Serve hot from the skillet.
To shallow fry the tofu, heat a small amount of sesame oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the tofu. Cover with a lid and fry on a medium flame for about 3 minutes. Turn the tofu over and fry on the other side for 3 minutes more. Remove tofu and drain.

Greens with Ginger and Almonds

Greens give us a light, bright, fresh energy. They help us to feel uplifted and re-freshed. Greens are very important for those who live in apartments or city life where there is little access to the freshness of nature. They are also good for the lungs and help to smoothly discharge excessive meat, eggs and salt from the body. The ginger in this recipe is very good for circulation.

Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Utensils: Medium pan with lid, baking sheet

Ingredients:

1 cup collard greens rinsed and shredded
1 bunch watercress rinsed and sliced
1 cup kale rinsed and shredded
1/2 cup spring water
2 teaspoons shoyu (optional)
1 teaspoon juice from fresh grated ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped roasted almonds (optional)

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven at 300 degrees. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Remove and finely chop. Meanwhile, place the water in a pan and add the collards, kale and watercress.
Cover with a lid and steam for about 3-5 minutes.
Remove and place on a serving dish. Mix together the shoyu and ginger juice and pour over the greens.
Add the almonds and mix gently through the greens.
Note: for ginger juice, finely grate fresh ginger and squeeze the grated ginger over a small bowl. The juice will drip into the bowl.

Steamed Green Apples

Lightly steamed apples help to relax the liver and are generally relaxing and opening.

Serves: 2 people
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 organic granny smith apples
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup natural apple juice
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation:

Cut the apples in 8 slices. Remove the core.
Place the apples, sea salt and apple juice into a pan.
Cover with a lid and cook on a high flame for about 3 minutes.
Remove and serve with a little lemon juice.