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
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January 20th, 2014
It may sound strange to some, but from time to time I truly crave tofu. I used to cook with it a whole lot years ago, during my discovery of vegetarian cooking. Although I’m well past that stage, I still like go back to a good, fresh slice of tofu once in a while. It’s a bit like a rare treat, since I don’t eat it often but when I do, I enjoy it immensely. My favourite way of preparing tofu has always been marinating and then lightly grilling it, which is what I do in this recipe.
We’ve also been taking full advantage of the citrus season and can’t get enough of grapefruits, Florida oranges and, of course, the most beautiful of the bunch – blood oranges. This marinated tofu with citrus salsa could definitely brighten up the most gloomy of January days.
In other news, recipes from the Golubka kitchen were featured in several printed publications this winter, including the Swedish Sofis Mode, Elle India and Taste of Australia. If you are in Russia, pick up a copy of Seasons of Life, it has a big interview with me in the January-February issue.
And don’t miss your chance to win the Wholistic Chakra System by leaving a comment in our previous post no later than January 27th, 6 pm EST.
Citrus Salsa
(serves 3-4)
1 grapefruit – segmented
1 orange – segmented
1 blood orange – segmented
1 ripe but firm avocado – peeled, pitted and chopped
⅛ small red onion – finely chopped
½ large or 1 small jalapeno chile – seeded and minced
large handful fresh cilantro leaves – chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
½ lime
1. Segment your citrus over a bowl, collecting the juices. Set the bowl with the juices aside.
2. Chop the citrus segments into about 1/4 inch pieces. In a separate bowl, combine them with avocado, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze the lime juice over it and mix gently.
Ginger Marinated Tofu
1 package non-GMO firm or extra-firm tofu
citrus juices collected from segmenting the citrus (from the salsa recipe above)
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon mirin wine (available at Asian markets)
small squeeze of honey – optional
1-inch piece ginger – finely grated
1. Drain the tofu and wrap it in several layers of paper towels. Place on a plate, cover with another plate and place something heavy on top (a jar filled with water works great). Leave it to drain for about 20 minutes.
2. Add lime juice, tamari, mirin, honey and ginger to the bowl with citrus juice from the salsa and whisk to combine.
3. Unwrap tofu and slice it into your preferred shape. Place in a dish that is big enough to hold all of the tofu and the marinade. Pour the marinade over, turning tofu pieces to make sure that all are evenly covered with the marinade. Leave to absorb the flavors for 30 minutes or longer, even overnight.
4. Grill for several minutes on each side until golden brown (time will differ depending on the type of grill you’re using). You can also bake the tofu at 425 F for about 20 minutes. Brush with marinade during grilling if you wish. Serve with citrus salsa and wilted spinach or other greens and enjoy.
Tags: avocado, citrus, mains, recipe, salsa, tofu, vegan
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