Shabu shabu!

Wow.. we're really on a Japanese theme here aren't we? Well, we just had a Japanese couple living with us, and of course we love the food of Japan, it's silliness, cartoons, and all it's Zen-ness. 

So this is a traditional winter meal, not only eaten in Japan (although the name "shabu shabu" which is an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of splashing your food in hot water) but eaten all over Asia in the hot pot style that indulged upon.

Using a portable burner on the table you eat at, bring a pot of water with seaweed to a boil, and then dunk cut vegetables and other foods into the boiling pot for a moment, and then retrieve them slightly cooked and delicious, and then dip into a sauce or shoyu before eating. This way, the meal is drawn out so incredibly long, that you can literally eat all night long.

Tofu can be used, meat, cabbage, leek, zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, daikon, etc.. anything that cooks in water! Serve with brown rice and edamame for some nice sides! And sake too of course!

OISHII!

(Pictured are Whole Foodies Sharla and Anna)

Quinoa Ragout

A variation on a ragout pasta, but with quinoa instead!

Cook grains in a pot:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Start the sauce in a large pan:
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ea. thyme, oregano, fennel
1 cup cabbage, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 carrots, chopped

1-1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 fistfulls of greens

Start by adding quinoa and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes covered, and then let sit until ready.

In a large pan, heat oil, then seed spices, then onion until onion is clear or golden coloured. Add the chopped vegetables and remaining spices, and cook covered until desired texture, adding water occasionally if necessary. Once the veggies are cooked, add the sauce, greens and quinoa together in the pot or serving dish and enjoy!

Yaki soba (grilled buckwheat noodles)

Start by sauteeing onions, garlic, leeks, whatever your fancy with some warm spices, such as mustard seed, black pepper, cayenne, or togarashi, which is Japanese 7 pepper spice.

Add cabbage, you can add lots because it really reduces as it cooks and then set aside (or if you don't make a lot, you can do the next step right in the same pot). Add some tamari/shoyu and a dash of orange juice to give it some body.

Put some strained boiled buckwheat noodles (which take about 4 minutes from start to finish) into the pan (with oil.. unrefined please) and stir, with more spices if you like.

Crack some eggs right into the noodles and give 'em a stir-stir. They'll sorta scramble right in as you mix the noodles, you can add a little more heat with some cayenne, or coolness with shoyu in this step too if your dish is a little weak. The yang of the spices and yin of the tamari really bring out the subtle flavour of the veggies and soba noodles.

Once cooked, add (if not already added) it all together and eat!! Use chopsticks, it's more fun that way.

This is a very popular Japanese dish, except in Japan they use ramen type noodles (but still called soba), TONS of salt, pork and less cabbage - and far more soya and spice. It's good too, and very cultural, but I prefer the healthier option of which I am presenting to you!