Nutrition – The Best Lessons Come From Watching Others
I spend my days working for a nutrition program for adults living with HIV and AIDS. Last winter we were approached by Jin, a health counselor and personal chef who wanted to volunteer his time teaching our clients about macrobiotic cooking and nutrition. Rather than a diet or regimented eating plan, macrobiotics is a nutritional philosophy that focuses on plant based foods in their most whole or natural state. Macrobiotics also balances the different energies in food, matching them to an individual’s geographical location, health, and even temperament. I was skeptical about how our clients would receive the classes. Many eat on a tight food stamp budget. I worried that they might find the recipes and ingredients inaccessible and wouldn’t like the food. It turned out that exposure to a new way of thinking about food was exactly what we needed.
Jin starts all of his classes by carefully laying his ingredients out on the table before him. Usually this includes a few glass jars of miso, a fermented soy paste used in Japanese and macrobiotic cooking. Jin passes the jars around so clients can smell the white, brown, and red varieties while he explains that the darker the paste, the longer it has been fermented and the stronger the taste. Jin recommends eating miso soup every day, and then demonstrates how to make it. Each month he makes a different variation; with sweet corn in the summer or Kabocha squash in the winter. The possibilities are endless. The clients love Jin’s miso soup. One client started making it for his friends after church on Sundays. Another makes himself a small mug of miso soup before dinner using whatever vegetables he has on hand. It has become a peaceful part of his daily routine.
When asked if they like tofu, many clients share that they have never tried it. Some turn their noses up, sure that they won’t like it. Jin passes around some cubes of raw tofu for people to taste. Everyone is surprised that actually, it has no flavor, but some still do not like the texture. Then, Jin shows the clients why tofu is such a useful kitchen staple. Although not strictly vegetarian, macrobiotics uses animal products only sparingly. He makes tofu “egg salad,” tinted yellow with turmeric, served on crackers. He blends tofu into a smooth and creamy tofu “mayonnaise” for dipping broccoli spears. He makes tofu “whipped cream”, lightly sweetened with maple syrup, as a topping for cooked apples. Every month, whatever tofu dish Jin makes, the clients scrape the bottom of their bowls clean, excited to try the recipes at home.
Jin has also taught me a few things. Tempeh, unlike tofu, is a fermented soy product that has a bitter, earthy and nutty flavor and the texture is rather dry and dense. My way of dealing with tempeh has been to beat it into submission, in terms of both flavor and texture. I bake large meaty chunks of tempeh smothered in apple cider barbecue sauce until it is somewhat soft and overpowered by the salty, tangy flavor. Jin reminded me of one of my fundamental rules about food and nutrition – keep it simple. Jin slices tempeh very thinly into sticks. When pan fried in a little oil, the sliced tempeh takes on a whole new flavor; it is still nutty, but much milder. Jin showed us how to add the tempeh to tomato sauce. Even without pasta, it was a hearty and filling dish. Just last week, Jin made tempeh sticks with tofu “tartar sauce” for dipping (see recipe below). The clients loved it, and I went home that night ready to start experimenting with thinly sliced tempeh without barbecue sauce.
Almost one year after Jin’s first class, a small but dedicated group of clients are well-versed in the use of soy foods; not the manufactured components that are added to processed foods and burger meat, but whole and fermented soy foods which have been enjoyed in Asia for thousands of years. Jin uses these foods in a way that is accessible and recognizable, to the eye and to the palate; a beautiful dialog of cultures.
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RECIPE FOR: Tempeh Sticks
(Adapted from Jin Hirata)
Ingredients:
8 ounces tempeh, thinly sliced crosswise
2-4 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
Directions: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Working in batches, place the tempeh slices in the skillet in one layer. Fry until golden brown, around 5 minutes. Flip the tempeh slices and brown on the other side. Repeat with the next batch, adding more oil if the pan is too dry.
The tempeh sticks are great with sautéed or stir-fried veggies, or you can try them as a snack with your favorite dip.
RECIPE FOR: Vegan Tartar Sauce
(Adapted from Jin Hirata)
Ingredients:
½ cup tofu
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ume vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or shallot
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped sauerkraut or pickles
Directions: First make tofu mayonnaise by blending tofu, miso paste, rice vinegar, ume vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. To make the tartar sauce, add onion/shallot, parsley and sauerkraut/pickles. Stir until well combined and adjust seasoning to taste.
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Category: Nutrition
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