Benefits: Daikon strongly dissolves fat, oil and discharges animal products from past eating habits.

The root is especially helpful for the intestines and the tops cleanse our lungs! A perfect combination in healing our bodies! There are additional recipes we cover in our macrobiotic cooking classes. This recipe below is inspired by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack in Healing Foods

• 2 cup daikon root, diced
• 3-4 cups daikon tops, diced
• Pinch of si salt
• Shoyu to taste, 8-10 drops

1. Place daikon root in enamel cast iron pot, add water to cover.
2. Place tops over roots, lightly sprinkle with si salt.
3. Simmer 15 minutes.
4. Add shoyu 3 minutes.more.
5. Remove from pot and serve.

Based on Wendy Esko’s Soup du Jour, and from our Macrobiotic Cooking Classes

Serve warm in cooler months, room temp or cool in hot climate

Benefits: Soothing, relaxing; antioxidant, cruciferous veggie; benefits central body organs: stomach, pancreas, spleen 

• 1 medium Cauliflower, chopped           
• 4 – 5 lemon slices, cut in half moon,
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 4-5 cups water                     
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon si salt

1. Place cauliflower and water in enamel cast iron pot. Cover and bring to boil.
2. Reduce flame to medium-low, simmering 10 minutes.
3. Puree the cauliflower through a handmill, or blender, plus some of the liquid to the desired consistency.
4. Place back in pot, add the si salt, simmer another 5 minutes.
5. Serve in soup bowls, garnishing each with a lemon slice and parsley.

Produce Ready to use from Whole Foods or Dekalb Farmer’s Market

Shelf items from Whole Foods & Dekalb Farmer’s Market

• BioNature Pasta
• Udon Noodles
• Whole Foods 365 Pasta Sauce without sugar
• Olive Oil, Organic
• Santa Barbara Olives
• Whole Foods Almond Butter
• Maranatha Roasted Tahini
• Pumpkin seeds
• Kukicha Bancha Tea
• Whole Foods Apple Juice, not Gravenstein Or BioNature Apple Nectar – my favorite
• Mustard
• Toasted Sesame Seeds
• Gomashio

Staples from Natural Import Company

Based on Aveline Kushi’s Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking

Benefits: Lentils are rich in calcium, iron and dietary fiber cleansing the blood, strengthening digestion, and circulation.         

Healing Foods, by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack

• 1 cup French baby green lentils
• 1/4 cup burdock, diced
• 1 cup onion, diced                      
• 2-3 cups water per cup lentils
• 1/2 cup celery, diced              
•  1/4 teaspoon si salt
• 1 cup diced carrots                   
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• Shoyu to taste                      
• Bay Leaf, minced garlic clove, shinshimi optional                                        

1. Sort lentils, looking for stones, dirt and debris.
2. Rinse, and optional soaking overnight or 2-6 hours. 
3. Place in enamel cast iron pot, add water and kombu, bring to boil uncovered.
4. Skim foam using the shocking method: add just enough water to stop the boiling, and skimming the foam. Repeat 3-4 times. Removing this foam makes beans more digestible.
5. Layer vegetables yin to yang: celery, onion, carrot, burdock and put lentils on top.
6. Add water, cover and bring to boil over medium flame; reduce flame  to medium-low.
7. Simmer 40 to 45 minutes.
8. Season and simmer for another 5 minutes.
9. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with parsley.
10. Seasoning Note: bay leaf is additional digestive aid for cooking beans; one minced garlic clove will actually sweeten the dish without reeking of garlic; shinshimi removes old chicken from past eating.

 These are optional and depend on the individual condition. Also can be used occasionally rather than each time a dish is prepared – variety is the spice of life!

Variations: celery, cauliflower, yellow crook neck squash for warmer months.

Benefits: Millet is very healing for the pancreas. Being the only alkaline grain, it aids digestion and helps balance sweet cravings. This is a layered dish, using round, ground vegetables to gratify the central body organs and penetrate a sweeter taste for this satisfying grain dish. You can also add 2 more cups of water for a wonderful millet soup, seasoned with miso at the end. 

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced       
• 1/2 cup rinsed millet, lightly dry roasted
• 1.2 cup cabbage, sliced              
• 2-3 cups water, to cover the vegetables
• 1/2 cup sweet squash, sliced       
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped thin, kabocha or delicatta
• Pinch si salt             

1. Layer onion, cabbage, squash in enamel cast iron pot and evenly spread millet over the vegetables.
2. Sprinkle salt over dish.
3. Add water gently down the side of the pot so as not to disturb vegetable layers.
4. Cover and bring to boil over medium flame; reduce flame and simmer 20 minutes.

Variations: celery on bottom layer; substitute cauliflower, yellow crook neck squash for warmer months.

Note: February 4 we start eating for Spring weather! Serve winter squash October – February 4.