Miso Sesam roasted yellow squash

On the weekend with great sunny, warm days I went walking toward the forest wanting to harvest some fresh arugula, Years ago I found a good place where a lot arugula grew, and so I made a walk up there. First I wasn't finding immediately, but after a while there it was and I harvest a big amount. 

On my way back home I was thinking what to prepare with it, as there are so many possibilities. 

From the first amount I made a argula pesto for the next day and for today I planted to use it topped over a warm dish. 

I stopped at the marked a grapped some yellow squash. The dinner was born. 

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Miso Sesam Roasted Yellow Squash

4 - 6 Persons

Ingredients:

500 g yellow zucchini, halved, seeded and cut into thin pieces

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. Molasses

1 tsp. tamari

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1 Tbsp. yellow miso

1/4 cup fresh squeezed (or bottled) orange juice

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp. water

one big extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into cubes

Topping as desired

Preparation:

Preheat oven up to 220 C, rack in the middle

Take a large bowl and toss the cutted squash with 1 Tbsp. sesam oil. Grease a baking sheet and spread the squash over it and roast for 40 minutes, turning over half in time. Till golden on both sides. 

Meanwhile wisk together Molasses, Tamari, Agavenectar, Miso, Orange and Lemon Juice, Lemon zest, water and the remaining tablesppon of sesame oil. Add the cubed Tofu and toss well, till the tofu is all over covered, set aside to marinate. 

When the squash is golden on both sides, remove from oven, transfer in a baking dish and pour the tofumixture over it and toss. Bake uncovered for about 30 min till almost all the marinate disapeared, remove and season if needed. 

Serve topped with some roasted sesame seeds, arugula and and rice, serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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. 

Wild Rice Salad with Miso Dressing

Of course I don't know if your a housewife, working part-time or full-time. For mine, I'm working full-time - 42h per week. The whole last week was very stressful, with long (12h) working days (surgeryday). To be said, everyday I got very tired home. All I wanted was to relax and just a long sleep, but no - I will be away the whole weekend at a congress nearly 2 hours away - starting saturday and sunday at 8 a.m.

Finaly back at home my cats - sorry the starved at the point I left on saturday till I came home on sunday late afternoon.
Been at home I immediatly went into the kitchen to feed the cats and then I started to cook to my dinner. NO RESTING TIME. HOW could I ? I'm a single person! Anyway, after cooking I sitted down at 7.30 p.m. released myself before I will eat dinner. SO TIRED!  I could go to bed wtihout eating, but I need strengh for starting work on monday. UFF. You see, stressfull.

Still I want to show you - or better - give you the recipe of what I ate/cooked witch will give you at least at the moment the strengh if needed ;)

(As tired as I was I made a picture and wrote down the ingredients)

Hopefully you like it!



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Wild Rice Salad with Miso Dressing

sorry for the extra line beside the picture!

Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wild rice (any rice works, timing will vary accordingly)

1 block extra firm tofu
2 tsp. coconut oil or a good oil
2 tsp. soy sauce or tamari
fresh ground pepper

1 heaping cup thinly sliced carrots
3/4 cup cooked, shelled, organic edamame
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
handful of chopped Cilantro or Pea Sprouts

Miso Dressing:
2 Tbsp. white miso
2 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown rice syrup
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Juice of half an Orange

Direction:
Rinse the wild rice. Bring two cups water to a boil. Add the rice, turn the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed (about 35-40 minutes), adding a bit more water if necessary to finish cooking. You will see a tuft of white pop from the center.

Wrap the tofu between a few layers of paper towel or a dish cloth and set it aside to drain for 10-15 minutes. Cut it into about 2.5cm dicees. Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and saute for about five minutes. Sprinkle the soy sauce and a few grinds of fresh pepper over the top and saute another few minutes until the edges are browned. Turn off heat and set aside.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together (Don't be tempted to add salt, miso is pretty salty).

In a large bowl, combine the rice, tofu, sliced carrots, edamame. Toss everything with the dressing. Add the sesame seeds and cilantro and give it another toss.

Serve room temperature or chilled. Of course it can easely be eaten warm (as I did at this seasontime ;)

Miso-Garlic-Roasted Tofu Caeser Salad

Some of you may enjoy a lazy weekend and some of you had busy weekends. But never forget to eat healthy and what your stomach is calling for. Your body mostly tells you what you need - carbohydrate, salt, sweet - whatever listen to your body!

Mostly my body is calling for something salty. And this was what's happening on Saturday.
I had a busy weekend. As I'm working during the whole week, all what had to be done calls for saturday. AND as my mother wanted to celebrate her few days ago Birthday, and as she asked me to prepare a vegetablesalad - there was more work than usual to be done. BUT the different to my other work, this vegetablesalad was fun doing.

After being finish, my stomach was rumoring and hungry. Having a glaze at the refrigerator - pretty empty - there's got be a healthy,filling salad. Tofu and salad is what I always got in my refrigerator.

Guess everybody loves a Caeser Salad veganstyle - I do, but it's not so common in switzerland....



Miso-Garlic-Roasted Tofu Caseser Salad



4 Servings, about 2 3/4 cup each

Ingredients:
Tofu
1 big package extra-firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons miso (see Note)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Croutons

2 slices country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into 1cm cubes

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Dressing & Salad

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons miso

1 clove garlic, minced

8 cups torn, bite-size romaine lettuce

2 cups torn, bite-size radicchio

1/2 cup grated vegan Parmesan cheese

 

Direction:

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 220 C. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

 

To prepare tofu:
Pat tofu dry and cut into 1,5cm cubes. Combine lemon juice, miso and garlic in a large bowl. Add the tofu and gently toss to coat. Spread the tofu in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the upper oven rack, turning two or three times during baking, until browned, for 18 to 20 minutes.

To prepare croutons:
Toss bread with oil, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lower oven rack, turning two or three times during baking, until browned and crisp, for 12 to 14 minutes.

To prepare dressing & assemble salad:
Whisk oil, lemon juice, miso and garlic in a large bowl. Add lettuce, radicchio and Parmesan; toss to coat. Serve topped with the tofu and croutons.