Fresh Tekka

You and Ilana-Davita are using a lot of exotic ingredients today. Looks good. Shabbat shalom.
Did I miss the groundhog's report?

If you ignore the burdock and lotus (I found out one can't get lotus in New Jersey, at least not easily, and burdock is pricey), the rest of the ingredients are commonplace here.

I made something similar a few days ago with onions, carrots, kale and sliced peppers. Also I used soy sauce instead og miso as I didn't have any. I have a feeling it's better to stop cooking the veggies as soon as they are tender; I seem to remember that nutritients tend to disapepar when we overcook.
Shabbat Shalom!

Ilana-Davita, I should try this with kale as one of the ingredients. Yes, kale doesn't need much cooking at all! I could see using soy sauce instead of miso, but I prefer the flavor of the miso. Now I'm going to have to make this a lot, since I have a whole container of miso.

This sounds like it would be yummy. And, I agree on the kale.

I'm into non-meat/fish dishes. ..I'd personally like to hear a little more about the proper preparation of rice sometime (if it hasn't already explicitly been stated here).

שלמה,

I make brown rice in my crockpot. Two parts rice to one part water. Let it cook for about two hours (so you do need to do well in advance of eating). So I never burn the rice, though sometimes it gets crusty if I forget it.

I'm looking at the ingredients and I see it says Ginger.

I made some pepper steak for Friday night, and one of the ingredients was ginger. I've never seen it before, so I wasn't sure what it was, I figured it was either a liquid bottle or one of those spices, so I tried finding it in the grocery store, but couldn't find it, so I skipped it, and it ended up coming out good anyways.

And I made soup, that had parsnip and turnip in the recipe, I wasn't sure which vegetables those were, and the parsnip I once bought before and I remembered it being round. But then this time I by mistake bought the wrong one, and I bought Marror.

and this looks like a nice healthy and tasty recipe.

Jewish Side, ginger is a root and a healthful one at that. See this post for a picture:
http://www.leoraw.com/blog/2008/12/08/intro-to-ayurvedic-medicine/

You can buy it in the produce section. Just peel off the skin with a knife. It has a strong and delicious flavor. You can add it to just about anything, even ice cream! Chop it into bits and sprinkle it over your steak the next time you make one. You can add it to soups, eggs, rice, tomato sauce, or vegetables, as in this recipe.

I love parsnip in soup. Also a root vegetable. It looks like a white carrot. Turnip is not as sweet; it looks like a big whitish radish.

Thanx, sounds good, now I know how it looks.

ahh I see, so I mixed up the 2, the parsnip I knew what it looks like, and the turnip is the one I got mixed up with.

Leora,

There's a whole world out there of things you can do with miso, besides of course miso soup. You can always add it just like any other flavoring for any dish, just dissolve it in a little liquid first. It makes great sauces and dressings. I love using it in my carrot/beet sauce (I posted that recipe??) together with umeboshi paste - gives alot of umph, delicious.

Klara, thanks for all the great miso ideas. I think I have to get used to the taste. I could probably just add it to a soup, too. I made a leek soup yesterday. Maybe I'll go warm a bit up right now.

Did you post a carrot/beet sauce on your Yahoo group? Maybe I could have you guest post the recipe here?

שלמה בן רפאל

Hey, that was the first time I typed in Hebrew, yea. In the mb world, the search for cooking rice just right is a huge adventure. First of all, we soak it at least five hours (I check the rice the night before and soak it overnight), soaking makes grains more digestible, which of course is important for the food to nourish us better. Then there are two common methods, boiling and pressure cooking - they are used for different effects. Pressure cooking is for when the weather is cold and we need more grounding foods. Boiling when we need lighter foods. Right now I'm in a boiling phase (due to a teacher's influence). In either case, first wash the rice very well, 2 or 3 times, and strain - soak the rice with the right amount of water (which will be used in the cooking) 1:2 for boiling, 1:1 1/4 for pressure cooking - this is part of the figuring out phase - altitude may make a difference, as well as the cooking pot as well as how you like your rice to turn out, some may use 1: 1 1/2. Bring it to a gentle boil, then add a pinch of salt to every cup of rice - important that you use good sea salt, and only a pinch is needed, but it is needed!!! If pressure cooking, put pot to pressure, if boiling, just lower flame. In both cases, you can use a flame tamer under the pot to help prevent scorching. Boil or pressure cook for 50 minutes (we don't pressure cook to save time, only to have a different effect in the food). Turn off gas and let sit 10 minutes - (if pressure cooking, let pressure come down naturally) - then use a wooden spatula to mix the rice and put in a bowl. There's nothing like fresh brown rice.

ah, forgot to mention because to me it's second nature already, but I do use only organic grains - it does seem to make a difference.

Leora,

I forgot to mention, don't worry about using up the miso - it lasts FOREVER, really. So when the time or recipe comes to you, you'll have it. btw, which miso do you have? There are many kinds, stronger tasting and more mild ones.

Klara, I have the barley miso. I like the fact that it is mild. Lasts forever? Hmmm, that concerns me a bit. Seems like a food should be perishable.

Leora,

Go here: http://www.leoraw.com/blog/2008/11/26/red-yellow-orange/#comments, my comment #3 - the carrot/beet sauce recipe, no quantities, I just do it the old fashioned way, by eyeing it. but whenever I cook vegetables, I try to put just enough water to barely cover, so the taste doesn't get lost in the cooking water.

Leora,

Is salt perishable?? Miso is fermented and very concentrated - ok, ok, maybe I was exaggerating, maybe not forever, but I've never heard of miso going bad. also another point, you in the States can get unpasteurized miso, which we don't yet have here in Israel. It is considered a better quality - miso should never be boiled, just simmered, and three minutes is enough.

Whoah, thanks for those rice tips mrs. Le Vine. ..I'm also an organic enthusaist, so I "know where you're coming from" in regards to that..

Klara, my miso says "unpasteurized." (which I gather is good) It also says refrigerate, which tells me I should eat it this year. I'm not taking any chances.

It seems like it's easy to add a touch to soup after the soup has been cooked. Just dissolves in the soup and gives it a bit of flavor.

Leora,

What I understand from unpasteurized, is something important (forgive my lack of scientificness - need to research more - or remember more) has NOT been killed by cooking, so just important not to boil it - also refrigerated because if left out, keeps on fermenting - that's what I recall. Not that it spoils.

Shlomo (too lazy now to try again typing Hebrew),

I'd like to be much more into organics - I do get the grains and beans organic, but am working on getting more organic vegetables. Part of that, I try to grow some, and partly I've been searching for a good source - any chance you live in Israel? or anyone else, know of good (good quality plus not expensive) organic vegetable source, the health food stores do seem expensive and not always fresh.

Klara, yes, unpasteurized is good, unlike what those in charge in the government say. Pasteurization kills both bad bacteria and good bacteria. But this has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not going to eat year-old miso. Hopefully, you'll send me so many recipes it will be done in a month.

How to do Hebrew in a commment: COPY AND PASTE. שלמה much easier than hunt and peck.