Pot Sticker Miso Soup

I was looking for something quick and hearty for a cold, snowy, winter night.  Then I remembered my PDQ cookbook. I picked one up for Justin in 2007.  He was eating vegetarian and these were super easy.  I tried out a few recipes and it was so good I got one for myself.

From:  The PDQ (Pretty Darn Quick) Vegetarian Cookbook
By:  Donna Klein

Makes 4 servings
Vegan

"Miso is a fermented soy paste that is used frequently in Japanese cooking to flavor and thicken soups and sauces.  While just 1 tablespoon of miso contains 2 grams of protein and 1 gram of dietary fiber, it also contains about 800 milligrams of sodium.  If you are watching your salt intake, use the lesser amount in the recipe.  Vegetarian pot stickers, a ravioli-like Asian pasta, are typically filled with a combination of cabbage, carrots, and radishes.  Both miso and pot stickers can be found in Asian markets as well as specialty and health food stores; I got mine at Trader Joe's."

• 2 1/2 cups water (*I used whatever vegetable broth I have on hand)
• 1 14-ounce can low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon freeze-dried chopped chives
• 8 ounces frozen vegetarian pot stickers
• 1/2 cup canned straw mushrooms, drained (optional) (*I love these.)
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons miso, preferably the brown variety, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon toasted dark sesame oil

In a medium stockpot, bring the water, broth, and chives to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the pot stickers and mushrooms; stir and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until pot stickers are softened but still firm to the bite, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add the miso mixture and sesame oil, stirring well to combine.  (If not serving immediately, keep warm over low heat, but do not allow the mixture to boil.) Serve hot.

Nutritional info:  Calories 135, Protein 9 grams, Total Fat 2 grams, Saturated Fat 0 grams, Cholesterol 0 grams, Carbs 21 grams, Dietary Fiber 2 grams, Sodium  629 milligrams

Variations:

1. Miso Noodle Soup-- Substitute 2 to 3 ounces somen noodles, broken in half, for the pot stickers.
2. Miso Soup-- Omit the pot stickers and mushrooms.  After the broth mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the miso mixture and sesame oil.  Serve hot.

My note:  I use low-sodium miso.  It still has plenty of of sodium.  I like to serve it with some sort of thick crusty bread or biscuits--though that isn't very Asian.  It's best to use it all up at once.  Trader Joe's pot stickers come in a 16 ounce package.  That makes a lot of soup.  The pot stickers get a bit droopy on the second day, but the flavor is even richer as the miso has time to blend and mellow.

Miso Pot Sticker Soup

*My note.

Chana Saag

From:  Everyday Happy Herbivore
By:  Lindsay S. Nixon

I really love this cookbook.  Some things that I thought I'd never eat as a vegetarian are very tasty and filling.  Nixon uses no fat (except in what she calls occasional "cheater" recipes).  She is vegan.  I cheat sometimes and eat eggs and cheese and other "bad boys".  This is one of the most recent attempts from her book.  I'm posting this for my son and his wife who are really trying to eating healthy.  I served mine with the tofu yogurt and brown rice, cooked in my rice maker.

Serves 2

"Saag is a traditional North Indian spinach dish that is usually served as a side.  Here I've made saag into a meal on its own by pairing it with hearty chickpeas (chana).  For a complete meal, serve with cooked brown rice, whole-wheat roti, or naan."

• 1 small onion diced
• 4 gloves garlic minced
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger minced
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 3/4 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder
• 6 cups baby spinach rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tofu Yogurt (Recipe to follow)

1. Line a large pot with a thin layer of water and bring to a boil.
2. Add onion, garlic, and fresh ginger.
3. Continue to cook over high heat until onion starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and cardamom.
5. Stir to coat the onion mixture.  Add a splash of water if necessary--you want there to be a good bit of sauce.
6. Add chickpeas and mix again.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring to cat the chickpeas for a minute or so.
8. Mix in curry powder, stirring to combine.
9. Add another splash of water, if necessary, and the spinach.  Stir the spinach around until it turns dark green and wilty.
10. Add salt and pepper to tast and serve with a dollop of tofu yogurt if desired.

Chef's Note:  Add cayenne with other spices if you like heat.

Chef's Note 2:  2 teaspoons ground ginger may be substituted for fresh.  Add with other spices during cooking.

Nutritional Information:  493 calories, 0.4 grams fat, 15.9 grams carbohydrates, 1.9 grams fiber, 9.6 grams sugars, 2.5 grams protein

Chana Saag

Tofu Yogurt

• 1 12-ounce package Mori-Nu tofu (any firmness)
• 1 cold banana
• 2 tablespoons nondairy milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sweetener (agave) (optional)

1. Combine tofu, banana, nondairy milk, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and whiz until smooth and creamy.
2. Taste, adding sweetener such as maple syrup or agave. (I didn't use sweetener--it was already sweet enough with the banana.)

Chef's Note:  Add fresh or frozen fruit (such as strawberries or blueberries), 1/4 cup at a time, for fruit-flavored yogurts.

Chef's Note 2:  Bananas turn brown when they oxidize, meaning the yogurt will turn brown if you make it ahead and leave it in the fridge.  It hasn't gone bad, it just doesn't look as pretty.  If you do a fruit flavor, you don't usually notice the color change. You can also blend without the banana and add it later, right before serving.

Chef's Note 3:  Probiotics can be purchased at health food stores and added to homemade yogurts.

Nutritional Info:  128 calories, 1.4 grams fat, 17.3 grams carbs 1.6 grams fiber, 9.1 grams sugars, 13.4 grams protein--for the unsweetened,

192 calories, 1.4 grams fat, 34.6 carbs, 1.6 grams fiber, 26.3 grams sugars, 13.5 grams protein--for the sweetened.

DILYLOPR'S note:  This yogurt recipe makes a lot!  It's very good, but I couldn't use it up fast enough--so plan ahead and use it in another recipe so as not to waste it.