January 18th, 2016
Today’s soup was inspired by the Simmered Winter Squash recipe from Heidi Swanson’s beautiful new cookbook, Near and Far. I’m used to roasting or steaming squash, so Heidi’s take on the Japanese technique of simmering it in a flavorful mirin and tamari-based broth had me intrigued. Simmering turned out to be a simple and quick way of preparing very flavorful squash, so I decided to build on Heidi’s recipe, originally a side dish, and make it into a meal.
I made a soup, adding more water to make the simmering liquid into a broth, with the addition of kombu and shiitake for a more pronounced broth flavor. As a side note, I’ve been adding kombu to many of my broths lately, for its amazing health benefits and subtle sea flavor.
I served the squash covered with its broth, alongside soba noodles, tofu, toasted black sesame seed paste and herbs, making for a nourishing winter bowl. Whether you are getting home from the cold in need of a hot meal, or feeling under the weather, this soup will be your friend this winter.
And if you haven’t gotten a chance to take a look at the Near and Far cookbook, do not wait much longer. It’s a thoughtful piece of work, full of recipes that will inspire you to get up and cook, explore new ways of seeing familiar ingredients, and feel as if you are a world traveler with every flip of the page.
Simmered Squash Soba Bowl
(adapted from Near and Far)
serves 4 -6
1 package firm non-GMO tofu
5 cups water
3 1/2 tablespoons tamari
4 1/2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
4-inch piece kombu (I like this one)
1 small winter squash – kabocha, kuri or butternut, seeded, sliced into wedges or chunks, peeled for butternut
about 1/2 lb fresh shiitake – stems removed, sliced
12 oz soba noodles
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds, toasted and crushed with mortar and pestle
few drops of toasted sesame oil, optional
handful wakame seaweed, optional
1 watermelon radish – thinly sliced, optional for garnish
handful fresh basil leaves or finely chopped green onions for garnish
1. Drain tofu and place it on a plate. Cover with another plate and place a weight on top, like jar filled with water. Let drain while you’re working on the rest.
2. Combine water, tamari, mirin and sugar in a medium soup pot, stir to combine. Add kombu and squash and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, partially covered, until the squash is tender. Add shiitake at the last 5 minutes.
3. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the crushed black sesame seeds, if using, set aside. Prepare a separate pot of water for cooking soba noodles
4. When squash is almost done, cook soba noodles according to the packaging instruction.
5. Taste the broth, add more tamari if more salt is needed and remove from heat. Remove and discard kombu, add wakame if using, stir it in and let sit for a couple of minutes.
6. Drain and slice tofu into large chunks. Distribute tofu between bowls, followed by soba noodles and squash. Pour the broth with shiitake and wakame into the bowls. Garnish with slices of radish, black sesame paste and fresh basil. Enjoy right away.
Tags: black sesame, gluten free, shiitake, simmered squash, soba, soup, squash, tofu, vegan
Tweet
April 1st, 2015
I don’t mean to offend those who are passionate about their coffee by naming this drink cappuccino, but I can justify. The rich, foamy texture and deep flavor of this black sesame tea reminded me so much of all of cappuccino’s finest qualities, that I couldn’t resist giving it this name. I generally don’t drink coffee, but that changes as soon as I find myself on the other side of the Atlantic, where vacation mode and the magic of the European lifestyle make coffee into a very pleasant necessity for me. Otherwise, it’s always tea. Out of the caffeinated teas, good quality black, loose leaf tea is my drink of choice.
In my latest attempt to take a break from caffeine, I came across the possibility of using black sesame seeds and dates in a hot, tea-like drink. Chinese black sesame tea has long been known for its therapeutic properties. It is especially believed to nurture and restore hair strength, and is generally a great, calming whole body tonic, thanks to the overwhelming amount of nutrients in black sesame seeds.
When I made my version of black sesame seed tea for the first time, I couldn’t believe its rich taste and velvety texture. It really hit the spot and I’ve been drinking it in the morning for the past couple of weeks, not missing caffeine very much. Sesame seeds contain lots of lecithin, which, aside from helping keep your arteries flexible, accounts for the silky, creamy texture of this tea. In the absence of black sesame seeds, I’ve substituted with unhulled tan sesame seeds, which worked great as well.
I’ve included a recipe for another sesame drink I discovered while making my cappuccino. The taste of this milk reminds me of halva, one of my favorite childhood treats. This one is quick to prepare and quite satisfying in its own way.
Black Sesame Cappuccino
1 cup black sesame seeds (I like these)
2 soft dates – pitted
3 cups water
1 cup homemade almond milk or almond-sesame milk (see recipe below)
1. Combine sesame seeds, dates and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, adjust heat to a strong simmer and cook for 30 minutes, partially covered. The water volume should reduce by about 1/3. Towards the end, mash dates against the sides of the pan with a spoon, letting them further release their sweetness. Strain the liquid and collect black sesame seeds in a large strainer.
2. Pour the strained liquid back into the saucepan, add one cup of almond or almond-sesame milk and reheat gently. Add sweetener of choice, if needed (I find the subtle sweetness from dates to be enough). Optionally blend at high speed to make it foamy. Enjoy hot.
Note: Optionally, you can dry the leftover black sesame seeds for future use. To do that, spread them on a baking sheet and keep them in the oven at the lowest temperature for a couple of hours. When almost completely dried, turn off the oven and leave the seeds in until the oven is cold.
Halva Milk
2 cups homemade almond-sesame milk (see recipe below) – warmed if desired
2 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds – ground in a coffee grinder
any preferred sweetener – to taste.
Combine all the ingredients in a blender until well combined and frothy. Enjoy hot or cold.
Almond Sesame Milk
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds
Soak almonds and sesame seeds in purified water overnight. Drain by catching the seeds in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse under cold water. Combine nuts and seeds in a strong blender with 4 cups of purified water. Blend until smooth. Strain through a nut bag or cheese cloth. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Tags: almond, black sesame, drink, sesame seed
Tweet
February 10th, 2015
Call me crazy, but I’ve never been attracted to sticky cinnamon buns. I blame the fact that I didn’t grow up eating them, and that I enjoy cinnamon only in moderation.
The dreamy combination of matcha and black sesame has long been haunting me, and I’ve been searching for the right shape in which to marry them. After seeing yet another beautiful photo of glazed cinnamon rolls somewhere in the social media sea, I was inspired to join my two key ingredients in this green and black treat.
I went with a spelt dough and a very simple toasted black sesame filling. For the glaze, I utilized miso, following the logic that ingredients from the same part of the world go well together. Turns out that matcha, sesame and miso are the perfect trio from the East. The buns came out to be satisfying on so many levels – soft, moist dough with subtle notes of matcha, followed by a chewy, fragrant filling, and complete with the sweet and sour, slightly salty glaze – it’s a heavenly combination.
And just for fun, I’ve included a timelapse iPhone video of the whole process, I think that somehow these rolls seem less daunting after you see how they are made.
P.S. I finally made a Pinterest account (late bloomer, I know) – see it here.
Black Sesame Matcha Rolls with Miso-Lemon Glaze
Note: It’s important to refrigerate full-fat coconut milk the night before for the miso glaze. I found that organic Thai coconut milk is the most reliable type for separating fat from water after overnight refrigeration.
for the matcha dough (adapted from Laura and here)
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup unsweetened plant based milk – almond, hemp, coconut, etc.
4 tablespoons coconut oil – divided, plus more for oiling the bowl
2 tablespoons cane sugar
2 cups light spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2-3 tablespoons matcha powder
to make the dough
1. Line 8-10 inch baking dish with parchment paper, extending it to the sides (a cast iron pan would work well here).
2. Warm up milk with coconut oil and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until coconut oil is melted and incorporated into the milk and sugar is dissolved. The mixture should be warm to the touch, about 105F. Let it cool if it feels hot. Add yeast and leave it to foam for about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix flour, salt and matcha in a medium mixing bowl. Add foamy milk to the flour and stir to incorporate. Knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes. Leave to rise in warm place in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap. The dough should double in size in a about 40 minutes.
for the sesame filling (adapted from Cynthia)
1 1/2 cup black sesame seeds (I like these)
1/3 cup honey
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast for 7 minutes. Place them in a food processor and grind into a paste. Add honey and continue to mix until smooth.
to assemble and bake the rolls
1. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle roughly 11 by 14 inches in size. Brush the entire surface with remaining 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil. Evenly spread sesame filling over the dough.
2. Roll up the dough from the longer side of the rectangle. Seal the sides. Cut into 8-10 even pieces. Arrange them in the prepared parchment covered baking dish/pan. Cover with plastic wrap, let rise for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool before glazing.
for the miso-lemon glaze
4 tablespoons coconut fat (see below)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sweet or light miso paste
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons coconut water from the can – plus or minus (see below)
1. Place a can of full fat Thai coconut milk into the refrigerator the night before. The coconut fat should separate from the water and accumulate on top.
2. Make the glaze right before you’re ready to glaze the rolls, which should be at room temperature. Scoop 4 tablespoons of fat into a small mixing bowl, add miso paste and honey and mix until smooth.
3. Add lemon zest and juice, mix and add coconut water from the same can of coconut milk. The amount of coconut water will differ depending on the types of milk, honey and miso paste, so add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time and watch for consistency. The glaze should be thick but pourable.
4. Pour the glaze over the rolls and enjoy!
Tags: black sesame, dessert, matcha, miso, rolls, spelt
Tweet
