Greens and Mushrooms with Fermented Tea Leaf

Inspired by my Korean cooking course, I went seeking more fermented products, and came across something especially tasty from Burma: fermented tea leaf (laphet.) The beloved San Francisco restaurant Burma Superstar has started selling it in jars, as part of a salad kit with a nut mix. It tastes a little bit like pesto, except much more subtle and layered. I got just the jar and used it in this easy steamed vegetable recipe, which I served atop a baked potato.

Greens from three beets (about 4 cups)
2 cups various mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
splash of water
1 heaping tbsp fermented tea leaf

Chop up beet greens and mushrooms.
Heat up a pan. Add garlic cloves and heat them up for 30 seconds. Then, add mushrooms and beet greens. Splash some water in to prevent sticking.
Cook until beet greens wilt and the volume of the dish considerably decreases. Then, turn off the heat and mix in fermented tea leaf.

Serve on top of a baked potato or with rice.

Chickpea Pancakes with Korean Fermented Sauces

This month I'm taking a wonderful online course in Korean temple cooking, offered by Tricycle and taught by the amazing Shin Kim from Banchan Story. In addition to some innovative recipes, we are learning quite a bit about the connections between temple cuisine and Buddhist traditions.

I've always loved Korean food--there was a lovely restaurant in Jerusalem that I used to frequent with my best friend from high school--and learning about temple cooking adds another layer of wonderfulness. In particular, the course introduced me to the use of fermented sauces, which are easily obtainable at any Asian grocery or at Whole Foods. This recipe is my adaptation of Shin's pancake recipe: I make mine with besan (roasted chickpea flour) to add more nutritional value to the meal, and I serve it with a salad rather than with rice.

2 cups various mushrooms (I used king oyster, shiitake, and maiitake, because that's what I had at home)
1 medium-size zucchini
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup besan flour or other chickpea flour
2 tbsp Korean fermented pepper sauce (Gochujang)
1 tbsp Korean fermented soybeans (Doenjang)

Chop mushrooms and zucchini into small cubes.
In a big bowl, pour water and mix into it the two fermented sauces. Whisk until smooth. Then, gradually add the besan flour until you get a thick pancake consistency.
Add the vegetables and mix until combined.
Heat up a no-stick pan. When very hot, pour in batter in spoonfuls, each pancake approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
When the sides begin to crisp and you see bubbles, flip each pancake and briefly cook the other side.

Serve hot and crispy!

International Salad of Intrigue and Mystery

Yesterday we took Río to see the Bay and enjoy the Ferry Building. We were in luck: it was market day and the good folks from Volcano Kimchi were selling! I bought several of their products, and used two - the kimchi and the fermented burdock "noodles" - in this successful salad.

2 cups baby spinach
1/2 avocado, cubed
1/2 mango (ripe or unripe), cubed
big handful of minced green onion
150 gr tofu, extra firm, flavored or unflavored
1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into thin matchsticks
1 package fermented burdock "noodles"
100 gr soba noodles, cooked according to instructions and rinsed in cold water
1/2 cup kimchi of any kind
splash of soy sauce

Mix all ingredients and devour!

Miso Soup with Kale, Lentils, and Mushrooms

After a few days in which Río was miserable over his teething process and we all got precious little sleep, I craved eating something medicinal and restorative. Enter this wonderful soup, which packs a punch in protein, minerals (especialy iron and calcium) and satisfies without being too heavy.

I happened to have black garlic and dried porcini mushrooms at home, but if you don't, regular garlic and fresh mushrooms will do just fine!

2 shallots, finely minced
3 cloves black or white garlic, finely minced
4 stalks green onions, both green and white parts, finely minced
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, or dehydrated mushrooms soaked in warm water for a short while
3 cups vegetable broth
3 tbsp miso
3-4 cups raw, chopped kale

Heat up a dry pot until, when you drop a bit of water in it, it moves around like mercury. At that point, add the shallots, garlic, and green onions. Stir around until translucent and a bit golden, then use a bit of the broth to deglaze the pan.

Add lentils, mushrooms, and the rest of the broth, lower the heat, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add miso and cook for 5 minutes more.

Add kale and cook just until wilted.

Smoothie Bowl Obsession

The bowl obsession continues! Here are just a couple of my bowls from the last few days, to give you an idea of what's easily possible. It's as delicious as it is pretty!

Masala Superfood Balls

I had an action-packed morning and, on my way home, really wanted something sweet with my tea. But rather than stopping somewhere on the way for some empty calories, I remembered I now have all these fancy nuts and dried berries at home! So I spent five minutes concocting these little delicacies, which can be made bigger or smaller.

8 medjool dates
4 tbsp almond butter
2-3 tbsp maca powder
2-3 tbsp mixed nuts and berries (I had this one, which is very fancy, but you can vary)
1 tsp garam masala

Chop up dates and break big nuts into smaller pieces. Moisten your hands and mix everything together to a doughy, sticky consistency. Roll little balls and store in fridge until they harden a bit.

Green Goddess Bowl

Across the street from the baby store and community center Natural Resources, where Río and I go for classes and activities and to meet other new parents and babies, is a wonderful little gem of a cafe called Beloved. That place is magical. It's as if someone came over and asked me, "Hadar, what do you like to eat?" wrote down everything I said, and made that the menu. Everything on offer is plant-based, whole-foods based, and as delicious as it is beautiful. Their juices and smoothies are a marvel, and they even have four versions of what is quickly turning into my favorite breakfast: The smoothie bowl (yes, I've enthusiastically joined the fad.)

The principle is rather simple--a thick smoothie, in a bowl, with exciting toppings. I think I've managed to recreate one of my favorite Beloved recipes, which I offer here for your enjoyment.

For the smoothie

1 pear
3/4 small avocado, or 1/2 a big one
2 cups raw spinach
1/2 small lemon or lime (with the peel!)
1 tsp spirulina
2 medjool dates, pitted
small chunk of ginger
1 cup coconut water

For the toppings
fruit, berries
dried berries and fruit (goji berries look pretty against the green, as do goldenberries)
seeds: hemp, flax, chia
granola or muesli
fancy nuts

Preparation is very easy: throw all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth (the lemon can be blended with the peel!). Then, pour into a bowl, leaving some room at the top. Then, get creative with the toppings! You can do rows, circles, whatever you like. Then EAT!

He's-Finally-Asleep Nonalcoholic Cooler

I was introduced to the magic of mocktails through Anasuya Basil, and though I haven't yet stocked up on the nutritional powders she recommends, I can attest that just sipping a fruit and vegetable drink improves my wellbeing. Last night, after our lovely baby boy Río finally fell asleep, I concocted this, and it was fabulous! I like mine unsweetened, but you can add maple syrup if you like.

Juice from 8 lemons
Juice from 1 tangerine
1/2 cup cranberry juice
2 cups water
2 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber
mint leaves to taste
maple syrup to taste
cucumber slice for garnish

Blend on high. Serve cold, garnished with cucumber slice. L'Chayim!

Moroccan Red Stew

This was absolutely delicious, and the reason there was no picture the first time I made this is that it was gobbled up before I had the chance! Good thing I remembered to take a picture the second time. It comes out a very vivid and appetizing shade of red, because of the tomatoes and the beets, and can be served over mashed potatoes, rice, couscous, or quinoa.

1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 leeks (just the white parts), thinly sliced
7-8 garlic cloves
splash of vodka
1 cup vegetable broth
1 little basket of cherry tomatoes
1 carrot, sliced into thin rounds
1 beet, chopped and thinly sliced
3/4 cup yellow lentils, dry
1 cup chickpeas, cooked
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp baharat
2 tsp ras-el-hanout
salt and pepper to taste

Heat up a Dutch oven on the stove until a drop of water at the center looks like mercury. Then, add onion and leeks and cook until the bottom of the pan begins to brown and the onions are translucent and a bit golden. Add a splash of vodka to deglaze the bottom, add the garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, carrot, beet, lentils, chickpeas, and spices. Place lid on Dutch oven and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the dish is fragrant and the lentils are soft.