I noticed a huge difference in my day when I can get a solid balenced meal in. 

Most of the time I stress my self out with all the other things I am doing that I am confinced I have no time to cook anything other then noodles! which don't get me wrong I love noodles. But I do feel better and more relaxed when I can eat a balanced centered around whole unpolished grain, with a lot of vegetable dishes to go with it. 

For Lunch :

Short Grain Brown Rice

(Watch my video in how to cook Brown Rice here)

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Kimchi

(Read my recipe on how to make your own Kimchi here)

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Spicy Pickled Olives and Peppers

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Scallion Miso

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Radish Apple Salad

 with a Olive oil, Salt, Vinigar Dressing.

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Sautéed Zuchini, Collard Greens, and Corn with Crumbled Tofu 

(Watch my video in how to make Tofu here)

 Happy New year everyone! Happy new month, Happy new day!
The more busy I get the more (I neglect my blog and I am sorry to myself about that) can't realistically make three full decked out meals a day. So I have been relying on a full, well balanced breakfast to really ground me and get me through the day. I find if I have a solid breakfast, I can get away with a light lunch and a regular dinner. and I have been feeling great!
To save time most of our breakfasts, are in part reheating leftover grain, while adding a freshly made miso soup or reheating soup from the night before, and some boiled veg and pickles and thats it!

My favorite breakfast combination my partner and I have been making every morning has been looking something like this
 Brown Rice, or what ever leftover we have around.
(watch my video on how learn how to make Brown Rice here)

Miso Soup. Always a great way to start the day with a little warm Miso soup.
I have been loving Angelica Kushi's Miso Month (check it out here) and all the fun inspiring videos she is posting on her youtube channel !
(watch my video on how to make Miso Soup here)

Blanched or steamed vegetables
A lot of green Cabbage or Kale.

Pickles. I try to keep some pickles fermenting at all times. I think pickles are very important for digesting a whole grains diet, and they are just freaking delicious!

and last but not least we have been eating lots and lots of Natto!
(watch my video on how learn how to make Natto here)
You guys probably know by now how much I love Natto and this year I have been loving the Natto Phiya has been making. It has been coming out so delicious and stringy!
Natto is served over steamed rice and this dish of natto rice is considered a high protein Japanese breakfast staple. It is a rustic dish of fermented soybeans characterized with a strong aroma and slimy texture. It is seasoned with soy sauce, along with, chopped green onions, spicy mustard, sliced dried and seasoned seaweed, or other flavor add-ins. Packaged natto is available in the refrigerated section of Japanese and Asian grocery stores or you can check out my video and make it yourself! it is really not that complicated.

Yes, it is very inspired by Japanese cuisine. Growing up with Macrobiotic cooking, and how much it was influenced by Japanese teachers and Japanese culture it has stuck with me as a comfort food.
Although a Japanese breakfast comprises what Westerners might view as a complete meal appropriate for lunch or dinner, (lets be honest it looks a lot like a regular meal for me sometimes as well) it is not intended to be heavy or too filling. Portion sizes for breakfast are adjusted to meet one's appetite, and dishes tend to be lighter, for example, they tend not to be greasy, deep fried, or rich. 

 I got an email the other day containing a list of the top 25 Macrobiotic blogs and how exciting it was to find my blog on it!! I highly recommend you go check out the list and follow every blog that is on it if you are not already. So many amazing people sharing their love for yes delicious plant based food but also Macrobiotic studies to understand the world and the interactions we have with food, emotions, people, the world. 

There is some great stuff on that list so go check it out!

https://blog.feedspot.com/macrobiotic_blogs/

Winter is a time to keep things simple. and this winter food is no exception for me. with all the holidays in the winter with all the fun delicious food. I make a point to add some simple comforting meals in my diet.  A balanced meal for me is one that contains various elements, a meal that checks all the boxes. Such as whole grain, leafy green vegetables, root vegetables, sea-vegetables, beans, and something fermented like pickles. 

For Lunch 

Brown Rice

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

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Wakame Salad with Cucumber and a Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing

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Blanched Bok-Choy

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Pickled Beets and Dill Pickles

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Chickpea Soup

Favorite meal paring to have with pan fried Tempeh!
That would have to be a bit of everything. Well cooked Whole Grain, Blanched Vegetables, And one of my favorite pairings with Tempeh is Sea-vegetabls!
I don't feel like I am eating enough Sea-vegtables lately so this was a pretty satisfying meal.

For Lunch
Brown Rice
(watch and learn how to cook Brown Rice here)
with Umeboshi Plum
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Tempeh panfried baked in a shoyu sauce
(watch and learn how to make Tempeh here)
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Hijiki with caramelized Onions and Corn
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Blanched Kale

New favorite on the go food! Have you ever heard of onigirazu, also known as a sushi sandwich? As the name suggests, it’s a love child of a western sandwich and a Japanese sushi roll.  It travels well, and it is delicious! 

For Lunch 

Onigirazu made with 

Brown Rice 

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

Lettuce, Cucumber, Kimchi, 

Sesame Seeds

(watch and learn how to toast Sesame Seeds Here)

and Tempeh 

(watch and learn how to make Tempeh here)

-

Baked Squash, Potatoes, and Cauliflower 

-

Blanched Daikon Greens and Cauliflower Salad with a Carrot Ginger Dressing

 Soft creamy sweet delicious puree squash soup is just what I have been loving lately!

Squash is just coming into season and now everywhere. Which is perfect, sweet vegetables is just the thing to soften and relax, balance out the weather getting cold and having a contracting effect on our bodies. 

You can make a puree squash soup many different ways with lots of different fancy garnishes. But today we are going to keep it simple with just a few ingredients:

Butternut Squash (you can use Kobocha squash as well)

Onion

Salt 

Scallion for garnish

1:Chop vegetables 

Start by chopping up your squash, it doesn't really matter what shape. 

You can choose to keep the skin of the squash on or off. With butternut squash skin being similar in color as the rest of the squash I like to keep it on if it is a organic squash.

Other squashes of more green color skin might effect the color of the soup at the end. 

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Chop onion to the same size as your squash

2: Cooking

I like to sauté or sweat the onions with a pinch of salt to bring our the sweetness

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Once the onions are softened I add the squash, and just cover the vegetables with water. Bring to boil.Turn heat down and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Until squash is soft 

3: Blending and seasoning

Once the vegetables are cooked it is time blend. You might have to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your blender. 

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After everything is pureed and smooth heat back up on the stove and add seasoning to taste. I just added a pinch more salt and thats it! Garnish with scallions or caramelized leeks is another favorite.  

Thats one of the ways I like to make puree squash soup and I hope you liked it. If you give it a try let me know and tag Macrofoodeveryday on Instagram I would love to see how it came out! 

For Lunch

Puree Squash Soup

garnished with scallions 

-

Brown Rice with toasted Sesame Seeds

(watch and learn how to cook Brown Rice here) 

-

Blanched Kale

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Tempeh cooked with Kimchi 

(watch and learn how to make Tempeh here)

Natto Sushi! If you follow this blog you probably already know how much I love Natto. From posting pictures of Natto meal inspirations all the time. To creating a how to make Natto Video . It's pretty clear how much I love eating Natto. 

Here I made some simple Brown Rice, Natto Maki Rolls, Preparing the Natto with Mustard, Shoyu, and Scallions. Than just rolling it up with Some Brown Rice into a Sushi Roll!

For Lunch

Brown Rice Natto Maki Rolls

(Learn how to make Natto here)

(Learn how to make Brown Rice here)

-

Shoyu Wasabi Dipping Sauce

-

Shredding Daikon Salad with a squeeze of Lemon

-

Blanched Kale and Cauliflower

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Olives

I have been playing around with using my left over Okara from making Tofu. I have been enjoying it. Okara makes for a great thickener to any sauce. My favorite way so far is to add a table spoon or two to a Shoyu Ginger dashi and it just absorbs all those delicious flavors and thickens it into a creamy sauce. 

For Lunch

Brown Rice 

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

With some Umeboshi Plum

-

Blanched Kale and Carrots

-

Pan fried Tofu cooked down in a Okara, Shoyu and Ginger sauce.

(watch and learn how to make Tofu and Okara here)

I have a weakness for all things tofu. I grew up eating bean curd in all shapes and forms and can tell you that when prepared the right way, tofu can be a feast for the eyes and the stomach. From silken to firm, chilled to deep fried, I can eat tofu all day long!

Tofu, or bean curd, is a food derived from soy beans. (watch my video on how to make Tofu here) It is made by curdling soy milk with a coagulant and pressing the curds into soft white blocks. There are different levels of firmness: silken, which is the softest, medium firm and firm tofu. On its own, tofu can be pretty bland which is why it has a reputation for being a boring food. It is naturally gluten-free and low in calories. It has high nutritional values and the health benefits of tofu are countless. Fresh tofu is a whole different thing to store bought tofu (like most things) 

I have been so excited making my own tofu at home lately with my brand new Tofu press made by my good friend Aaron. it has inspired to make Tofu more often get better doing it.

Cooking with Fresh Tofu right out of the press I like to keep it really simple and let the Tofu shine. adding it at the end of vegetable sauté or just having it plain with a shoyu ginger sauce.

Check out my video on how to make tofu from scratch here! 

For Lunch

Brown Rice with Umeboshi Plum 

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

-

Garlic Sautéed Broccoli 

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Fresh Tofu

 with Shoyu, Ginger, Scaillion Sauce

(watch and learn how to make Tofu here)

Meal Basics.

 When you start cooking consistently enough you will start finding your meal basics. The combinations of ingredients you learn to depend on when you need a good solid meal that makes you feel healthy and ready for everyday.

My basics are a Whole Grain, Bean or bean product such as Tofu or Tempeh, long cooked Root Vegetable,  Blanched Green Vegetable and something acidic or fermented, fresh Salad with a lemon dressing, or some kind of Pickles

There are so many combinations of these dishes and it never really gets old for me. its a great meal.

What are your meal basics?

For Lunch

Brown Rice

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

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Blanched Kale

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Baked Yams

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Garlic Fried Black Beans

garnished with Avocado

-

Dill Sauerkraut

 

 

 After watching Venu Sanz (check out her amaizing website here) live instafeed where she was making vegetarian paella with Brown Rice it gave me enough courage to try to make it on my own! 

I know Paella is one of those dishes that is  so special to so many that there is a lot of opinion on the right and wrong way of making it. But I really wanted to give it a shot. and make it delicous for me. (cause I was going to be eating it)

I started of with a very wide pan. I do not own a paella pan, but I was told it is fine if you use what you have. I started sautéeing my diced Oninos with Garlic and Salt. 

Then I added a pinch of Tumeric powder for the Color. and the rest of my vegetables. Carrots, Rutugbaga, Cellery, and Parsley. Sautéed untill all the vegetables were wilted. Added my Half cooked Brown Rice. Safron,leftover Fried Tempeh, and enough water to just cover the Rice and added a little more Salt and Pepper. 

I let it all simmer untill the Rice was done. 

I think it came out pretty damn delicous. I definetly want to practice more and play aorund with it. but I enjoy making grain this way for sure!

Have you ever Paella? how do you do it?

Thank you to Venu for showing me how this can be made!

For Lunch

Paella with Vegetables and Tempeh 

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Baked Potato with Olive, Salt and Pepper.

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Blanched Veggie Salad 

Kale, Napa Cabbage, Radishes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

For Dinner

Millet with Sweet Corn

-

Pinto Beans

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Blanched Vegetable Salad with a Pumkpin Seed Dressing

Cabbage, Carrots

I have been enjoying making a full fresh meal for lunch and kind of winging it with the rest of the poeple in the house  with leftovers for dinnr. does anybody else do this? Sometimes not haveing the pressure of cooking a whole meal from scratch you can focus on making new thing. My brother made dinner yesterday using leftover lunch and adding to it these amaizing little Pinto Bean Balls with marinara sauce!  

For Lunch

Brown Rice

(watch and learn how to make Brown Rice here)

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Pan fried Tempeh

(watch and learn how to make Tempeh here)

-

top with Coleslaw made of

 Cabbage, Apple, Parsley, Carrot and Salt, Olive oil, and Lemon

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Sautéed Broccoli and Radishes 

some leftover blanched Carrots

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Sweet Potato Fries

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

For Dinner

Leftover Rice and Veggies from Lunch

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Added some arugula and a fresh Vegenase, Mustard dressing to the salad. 

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Pinto Bean Balls with Marinara Sauce