Miso Gratin

I really had some hard working weeks behind me and finally having weekend all I wanted is to relax with doing nothing.

But the thing about being the only person at home - I have to feed myself....... 
Sometimes I really wish to come home and dinner is already done and all I could do is sitting at the table and eat. 

Anyway, I'm used to it. 

There is one good thing about that "being alone" - I can cook what ever I am in the mood for - no asking "What would you like to eat today?".... ;)

For dinner I wanted to made an asian dish - and I really love asian food! Looking into my refrigerator the opend Misobox and Tofu just smiled at me - hmm, vegetable I do have some left to be done - so why not making a Gratin. 

Wondering about an asian Gratin - well I did so too, but I just went on trying what will come out - and the result was just great! Creamy with the misoflavor. Quite stomachfilling - but too good to stop...

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Miso Gratin

6 Servings

Ingredients:
50 g Rice miso
200 g chopped onion
200 g pumpkins (if now more getable use yellow pepper)
1 eggplant
1 Zucchini
1 leek
250 g firm tofu or silkentofu 
1 Tbsp. Sesam oil
1- 2 Tbsp. Sake
dried chives
salt and peper
average amount of Bread crumbs
average amount of Parsely

Preparation:
Cut onions, pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, leek into 1 cm squares. 
Puree the Tofu in a food processor. Set aside

Preheat the oven up to 250 degrees. 

In a preheated pan with the sesam oil saute onions, pumpkin, eggplant, zucchini, leek.

Add the the pureed Tofu and mix. Add Sake, rice miso and mix well. Stir in the dried chives. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. 

Take oven-usuable serving-dishes and place the mixture on it, sprinkle with bread crumbs and give in the preheated for about 15 min. 

When done take out and sprinkle with minced Parsely, finish and serve hot. 

Snowman time

Wow, it's been snowing the hole afternoon. So beautiful, seems like the world stands still, all so calm and the watch the snow falling so great.
As I came home I was all over white and a little wet, but it's a different being wet from rain or from snow.

The hole afternoon I stayed inside at my "maybe new job". I had a look inside to their work and worked also a little bit, but mostly just watched and asked.
It would be a different kind of work - what I mean, a different direction, still medicine but a child doctor is not the same as internal doctor or general doctor.

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 Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

 * Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

* Cook Time: 1 hour

* Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger root, minced
• 1 leek, white parts, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, cubed
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/8 tsp ground clove
• 1/8 tsp ground marjoram
• 1/8 tsp ground fennel
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine*
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• vegan sour cream, to top, to taste*

* Recipe:

1. In a large pot, melt the soy butter and add the onions. Cook until translucent.
2. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and leeks. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the carrot, butternut squash, potatoes, bay leaves, and vegetable broth. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the root vegetables are soft.
4. Add the spices, wine, and milk. Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. In batches, puree the soup. Enjoy with a dollop of vegan sour cream.

In the picture, it's not quite as orange-ish as it should have been because I only used one butternut squash, therefore I upped it to two. I also cut the cayenne in this because I found it a bit too spicy for me. The bread in the picture is homemade whole wheat rolls made.

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 Baked Squash and Pesto Gratin

 Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 large yellow summer squash (or several small summer squash)
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ⅓ cup basil pesto
• 1 cup gruyere, shredded
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish with pesto.
3. Slice the squash and tomatoes into ¼ inch rounds.
4. Add tomatoes and squash to baking dish in a single layer, slightly overlapping.
5. Brush the tops of the vegetables with pesto. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Top with shredded gruyere.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the cheese has started to brown. Broil for a couple of minutes if you want the cheese crispier.

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