An Appetite for Asian

Perhaps I’ve mentioned this before, but when my mum was pregnant with me, she frequently ate Japanese food . . . and to this day, I am an Asian food aficionado, particularly where Japanese and Thai cuisines are concerned. Three weeks ago today, I embarked on a detox quest, and what better cuisine to cook whilst detoxing than Asian—the Japanese diet is attributed to be one of the healthiest diets in the world and is the foundation of macrobiotics, one staple of which is miso soup, which can act as a starter or, in my case, an entire meal in one big, blissful bowl.

Super Simple Miso-Soba Noodle Soup

Inspired by a recipe in The Kind Diet

Serves 1 hearty appetite, or 2-3 as a side

Ingredients

2 oz. soba noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

2 cups water

2-inch piece of kombu, finely snipped

3 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed

1 cup shredded bok choy

1 nori sheet, cut into 3-inch matchsticks

½ cup mushrooms, whole or sliced

1 tsp. grated gingerroot

2 tsp. miso paste (I used this)

1 scallion, chopped, to serve

Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

A drizzle of soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu, to serve

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pot, bring water and snipped kombu to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add tofu cubes, vegetables, ginger, and soba noodles.
2. Ladle a little of the warm water into a small bowl and whisk in miso, stirring until smooth. Transfer miso mixture back into the pot, stirring well. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, with chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and soy sauce as desired.

You can add pretty much any veggies you want--I used a couple slice of Heart of Gold squash for this bowl. And trust me, if you're eating this recipe all by yourself, you will want a BIG bowl!

With Asian on the brain, I started recalling favourite dishes from my childhood. At one particular Chinese restaurant, I always ordered the Moo Shu Pork—and to this day, I adore the unique flavour of hoisin sauce. A lot of storebought hoisin sauces, however, are not the healthiest. Then, I discovered an organic option from Premier Japan, and I couldn’t wait to test it, which I did on Wednesday, and I was quite pleased indeed.

Moo Shu Tofu Wrap

Serves 1

Ingredients

For the tofu:

3 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed and drained

1 Tbs. orange juice

1 tsp. rice vinegar

½ tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

¼ tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

Cracked black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. grated gingerroot

1 cup bok choy or napa cabbage, shredded

½ cup mushroom pieces

½ tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 small carrot, shredded

1-2 Tbs. hoisin sauce

1 large whole grain tortilla

1 scallion, chopped

Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To prepare the tofu, mix together the juice, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, spice, and pepper. Put tofu into a flat-bottomed container, and pour marinade over it. Allow it to marinate at least 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place tofu on a greased baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes. Flip, brush with any extra marinade, and cook for another 10-15 minutes before removing from heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sautée garlic, ginger, bok choy, and mushrooms, adding a drizzle of soy sauce as necessary. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until veggies are just tender, not too mushy. Remove from heat.
4. To assemble, spread hoisin sauce on the tortilla. Layer cooked veggies and shredded carrot on one half of the tortilla. Top with cooked tofu (halved lengthwise), chopped scallions, and pepper. Serve warm or cold, with extra hoisin sauce for dipping if desired.

Here's how I arranged mine.

NOTE: I used a sprouted grain Ezekiel wrap from Food for Life.