After returning from two years of Peace Corps in Nicaragua, I remember searching high and low for cuajada (farmer's cheese) and corn flour to make tortillas. Luckily there is a large population of Central Americans that live on Long Island and the simple ingredients needed in order to make an authentic Latin feast is not too difficult to find.
Now that I have recently returned from Japan, I have been doing a lot of Asian cooking. I feel like my body craves these foods because it has become accustom to eating them for the past two years. Its very strange having your diet completely change about every two years and it takes my body a while to adjust, even if everything that I am eating is healthy.
Looking back at how much I knew about food before I left the United States and seeing what I know now...wow! I can't believe how much I have learned. Now, with ease, I can go into the kitchen, see whats in the refrigerator and make a healthy, creative and delicious meal. I am so grateful for all the experiences I have hand the culinary education I have received from these adventures.
While making this miso soup, I was thinking to myself, how I would have never been able to put all these ingredients together on my own, just five years ago. I wouldn't have even known what some of these ingredients were, five years ago. And now, I have created a delicious soup just from pulling stuff out what was already in my refrigerator.
Miso Soba Soup
1/2 package buckwheat soba noodles
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms (pretty much any mushroom could be used)
2 tbsp dark miso
2 cup baby bok choy
1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
soy sauce, to taste
4 green onions, chopped
fresh mint, chopped
Boil salted water and add in soba noodles. Let boil until noodles are soft, drain water and rinse noodles under cold water. Set aside noodles
In a pot, add 4 cups water, ginger and the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes. While it is simmering, take out some of the water, put it in a bowl, with the miso. Mix the miso and hot water until it is well-blended and set aside. After the 15 minutes, add the tofu and bok choy to the soup. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the miso to the soup. Then add soy sauce, to taste.
Split the soba noodles between two bowl. Pour the soup on top of the noodles. Sprinkle some mint and green onions on top of both bowls.
This makes a very big portion of soup, and can be used as an entire meal or split into four servings and used as an appetizer.
Now that I have recently returned from Japan, I have been doing a lot of Asian cooking. I feel like my body craves these foods because it has become accustom to eating them for the past two years. Its very strange having your diet completely change about every two years and it takes my body a while to adjust, even if everything that I am eating is healthy.
Looking back at how much I knew about food before I left the United States and seeing what I know now...wow! I can't believe how much I have learned. Now, with ease, I can go into the kitchen, see whats in the refrigerator and make a healthy, creative and delicious meal. I am so grateful for all the experiences I have hand the culinary education I have received from these adventures.
While making this miso soup, I was thinking to myself, how I would have never been able to put all these ingredients together on my own, just five years ago. I wouldn't have even known what some of these ingredients were, five years ago. And now, I have created a delicious soup just from pulling stuff out what was already in my refrigerator.
Miso Soba Soup
1/2 package buckwheat soba noodles
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms (pretty much any mushroom could be used)
2 tbsp dark miso
2 cup baby bok choy
1/2 block firm tofu, cubed
soy sauce, to taste
4 green onions, chopped
fresh mint, chopped
Boil salted water and add in soba noodles. Let boil until noodles are soft, drain water and rinse noodles under cold water. Set aside noodles
In a pot, add 4 cups water, ginger and the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes. While it is simmering, take out some of the water, put it in a bowl, with the miso. Mix the miso and hot water until it is well-blended and set aside. After the 15 minutes, add the tofu and bok choy to the soup. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the miso to the soup. Then add soy sauce, to taste.
Split the soba noodles between two bowl. Pour the soup on top of the noodles. Sprinkle some mint and green onions on top of both bowls.
This makes a very big portion of soup, and can be used as an entire meal or split into four servings and used as an appetizer.
