Jenmenke

Road Warrior

fast

Exactly How Far Will She Go?

I wonder myself sometimes.

I bought this formerly lovely broccoli — I don’t know — a week ago? Two? Actually, now that I think about it, Michelle Sandquist bought the broccoli for me when her family came over for dinner last weekend.

Oh dear. I just looked at the calendar and realized it wasn’t last weekend it was the weekend before last. July 9th to be exact.

OK, so the broccoli was 15 “crisper days old” when I unearthed it and decided it was “just fine”.

Yes, it looks bad, but honestly, it tasted “just fine.” Not slimy at all. Just strangely brown colored…

I simply vigorously rubbed the brown nubbins’ (Morgan absolutely hates the word “nubbins” and so I use it just as much as I possibly can) into the sink…

and proceded with the recipe I intended to make two weeks earlier.

I’ve mentioned I’ve been busy lately, right?

This salad was served at who-knows-how-many graduation parties this spring. I have always loved it, saying “What IS the dressing on this? It’s SO good!” to many a hostess, only to be met with blank and/or incredulous stares.

Apparently, EVERYONE knows how to make this salad dressing except for me. But since I consider myself a cultured and experienced cook, I can’t admit that I truly am the only one in the dark. and so I share it with you today in case you, too, are broccoli salad clueless. (With some tweaks, of course). (Let me know in the comments if I really am the only one who didn’t know the wonder of combining mayo with cider vinegar and sugar)

Broccoli Bacon Salad

  • 1/2 cup light or regular mayo
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 head broccoli cut into small pieces. (I use most of the stem, too, but peel tough part off)
  • 1 small or 1/2 a medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1/2 – 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
  • Lots ‘O Bacon crumbles (I used the stuff in the big bags at Costco, because it’s so easy)

Put broccoli, onion, craisins, almonds and bacon in a large bowl. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together. Adjust to taste. If you like it creamier, add more mayo, sweeter, more sugar, etc. Pour dressing over ingredients and mix well. Serve at room temp or chill.

Try to disregard how awful mine looks. Trust me, it tasted just fine.

OMG Meatless Monday Twenty Seven

Refreshing and Filling, No-Cook Summer Salad

I’m totally guessing what number Meatless Monday I am on. I haven’t written in over a week, soccer camp starts in an hour, I only have 32% battery left on my laptop and TIME’S-A-WASTING! I’ve got to get the MEAT of the post before I turn into a pumpkin.

Speaking of pumpkins… Mine are so behind that I am scared I won’t have any for Halloween. Not to mention watermelon in August…

It’s impossible for me to get to the point. You know that, right?

For the record, we have not stopped doing Meatless Mondays, I just am not up to date on them. Due to the hysterical nature of the past four weeks of my life, we have also suffered some repeats. I never know what to do for repeats. Is that cheating? I mean, I never set out to become some “Julie and Julia”  by doing something new every time, but for some reason I feel like repeats are lame. Maybe I’ll just pick one thing out of a meal for a repeat. Oh I don’t KNOW! No wonder I never get my posts written!

For this meal, I actually followed a recipe. Well *almost*. It’s called Tabbouleh with Garbanzos.

But I don’t call it Tabbouleh. Because for those who don’t know what Tabbouleh is, I feel that the name can cause one to flip the page (or click the button) too fast. Or glaze over. Or ignore it. It’s like Falafel. I sort of say, “hmmmm…” and move on. To avoid that fate, I call this recipe:

Bulgur Wheat with Garbanzos.

So there.

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat. And what is bulgur wheat? It takes like yummy, nutty rice. But tabbouleh is also made with lots of chopped parsley, which I never planted this year, therefore my recipe is not really tabbouleh after all. My recipe was adapted from Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Free Weeknight Kitchen emails that I receive each week. They are always inspirational, whether I cook them or not. Plus, I get to absorb all her knowledge and experience without having to listen to her podcast, which I never seem to have time for anymore.

We’ve had about the most humid and stinky summer that I can remember. But then, I can’t seem to remember anything any more, so that might not be saying much. Suffice to say, turning on the oven or the stove doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that we didn’t have air conditioning for a few weeks, due to that pesky lightning strike. Or did I tell you? I can’t remember… Isn’t this fun?

Never mind. the point is that you don’t need to cook ANYTHING!

Well, wait a minute. You do have to boil 2 cups of water, but you could do that in the microwave if you wanted.

Bulgur Wheat with Garbanzos

  • 2 cups bulgur wheat
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 t salt
  • ground black pepper
  • a few pinches each of cardamom, ground coriander, cumin and cayenne
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 a cup or more)
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
  • 1/2 cup (or whatever you can find that your husband didn’t weed whip) chopped fresh mint
  • 1/2 cup (or whatever you can find that hasn’t gone to seed) chopped cilantro
  • 6 large leaves of fresh basil. Don’t cut until ready to serve or it will turn black

    Put bulgur wheat in a large bowl and add 2 cups of boiling water and stir. Let stand 30 – 60 minutes. (if there is standing water after that time, drain it before proceding)

    In a small bowl add lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk in the oil to make an emulsion. Add the spices which of course are optional if you don’t have them. Never, I-repeat-never, make a special trip to the store.

    Add the tomato, cucumber, onion, garbanzos, toasted pine nuts, and craisins to the bulgur and stir with a fork. Add the mint and cilantro and drizzle the dressing and stir well. Before serving thinly slice the basil leaves and sprinkle over the top.

    Salad can be served room temperature or cold.

    I swear to God, even my kids liked it. I simply could not believe it. Maybe it was the heat that addled their brains?

    Al Sicherman’s Rhubarb Pudding Cake

    My Very Favorite Rhubarb Recipe

    Dear Mom,

    Your rhubarb cake recipe has been usurped. And here’s why:

    1. I have to make glaze for your recipe and I hate making that stupid glaze.
    2. Al’s recipe keeps for much longer than yours.
    3. Al’s recipe doesn’t call for buttermilk. I never have buttermilk, so I always use milk with a teaspoon of vinegar in it. I’m convinced that–for your recipe–that is an inferior substitution.
    4. I get a sick thrill out of pouring boiling water over the sugar-covered batter in Al’s recipe.
    5. I like the crisp top on his cake.

    Please don’t feel hurt.

    Love always and forever,

    Jennie

    This recipe was published in the Minneapolis StarTribune upon Al’s retirement from over 400 years of service to the newspaper.* Out of all the recipes, I thank God every day for this one.

    Preheat oven to 350. Chop 4 cups of rhubarb. I often use more, but never less.

    Spray 9 x12 pan with cooking spray (I always spray on the open door of my dishwasher to contain the mess)

    Then spread chopped rhubarb in pan in an even layer.

    Sift together 2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar , 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt into the bowl of a mixer. (Fatty sometimes reduces sugar to 1 cup. did it first time on accident and didn’t notice it, so I do know it works just fine.)

    Add 6 tablespoons melted butter, 2/3 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix thoroughly, scraping beater and sides of bowl. Beat in one egg.

    Spoon batter onto rhubarb, then spread evenly and carefully, attempting to completely cover the rhubarb.

    Mix 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar (I always try to use less than 1 cup, but the sugar is what gives the cake the crispy top), 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl and spoon/sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.

    Pour 1 1/4 cup of boiling water gently over the top of the cake.

    Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, until top is evenly browned and toothpick comes out of cake part clean. (The bottom will always be gooey.)

    Let cool as long as you can stand it before digging in. It is, as my battered recipe states, “to die for.”


    * I like to make up ridiculous ‘facts’ like this so that I don’t have to actually go and research it. You get the point. Al was at the StarTrib a very long time. Thank you Al.

    Al Sicherman’s Rhubarb Pudding Cake
    • 4 c chopped rhubarb
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 2 t baking powder
    • 1/2 t salt
    • 6 T melted butter
    • 2/3 c milk
    • 1 t vanilla
    • 1 egg

    Topping

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 T cornstarch
    • 1 t cinnamon (Al’s calls for 1/2 t. I like a bit more)
    • 1 1/4 cups boiling water

    Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 12 pan with cooking spray. Chop/slice rhubarb and spread in an even layer in pan.

    Sift together flour, 1 1/2 c sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl of an electric mixer. With mixer on low, add melted butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well, scraping sides and bottom. Add egg and mix on medium until thoroughly mixed.

    Spoon onto rhubarb and then carefully spread batter over rhubarb, completely covering. (I have found an offset spatula makes this task much easier).

    Mix topping ingredients together and spread over batter.

    Gently pour 1 1/4 cups boiling water over entire surface. Bake at 350 for 5o minutes. Toothpick should come out of cake layer clean.

    Fast Easy Ciabatta Bread

    Redux.

    I know I have written about ciabatta bread before, and I have the video up on YouTube. Yes. It should be enough. But until everyone I know is making their own bread, it is not enough. This ciabatta bread is so easy, I just won’t rest until you try it. So please, just comply. It will save me nag time.

    Another thing:

    Traditional ciabatta bread is made a little differently. I have made it that way, and I have made it this way. The traditional ciabatta bread is supposed to be better. Have more flavor. Better crumb.

    Blah. blah. blah.

    I just can’t tell the difference.

    Maybe I’m just too rough around the edges.

    Or dumb.

    Uncouth.

    Unsophisticated palatte.

    Whatever.

    I guess my point is, unless you are more refined than I, you won’t notice the difference either. So why go to the extra trouble when you can make it so quickly and easily? I keep coming back to my fast recipe. Start it in the morning, eat it in the afternoon, gone by nightfall. Go to bed. Repeat.

    Anyway, I just thought that maybe if I posted pictures, instead of a video, maybe more people would read it and be engaged. Are videos off-putting? I have no idea…

    I also think that maybe my weight version of the recipe could be off-putting. So I’ve tried to make it easy for regular volume measurement baking.

    But you do need a stand mixer. So, if you don’t have one of those, and still want to make this bread, visit thefreshloaf.com and search ‘ciabatta no mixer’. There are lots of amish-types over there making it successfully by hand. And they probably have really nice looking, muscular arms, too.

    Not me. I got a nice cherry red mixer so that I can have nice, puffy, shapeless arms.

    Set up: Put a baking stone to go across one oven rack. If not using a stone, then plan to bake the ciabatta directly on a sheet pan/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Plan to add a few minutes to the baking time if not using a stone.

    If using steam (which contributes to slightly more rise and a thinner, crisper crust), place a medium cast iron fry pan in the bottom of the oven which you preheat in the overn and pour hot water in to create steam.

    Go get some bread flour, salt and instant yeast (I use SAF instant yeast).

    Measure 3-5/8 cups of flour (500 grams) into the stand mixer bowl, add 2 teaspoons of salt (10 grams) and 1 teaspoon of yeast. Then add 2-1/8 cups of tepid water (485 grams). Mix on low with the regular paddle attachment for about 3 minutes and let stand about 20 minutes. [When I’m in a rush, I skip this step, having no idea what the purpose of it is.]

    After the rest, turn the mixer to high (speed 8 on a KitchenAid) until the dough starts to crawl up the paddle. Wait too long and you’ll have a mess on your hands, so watch carefully. I recommend a Mukka Latte and the newspaper to pass the time.

    Once the dough begins to climb, clean the paddle off and switch to the hook, resuming mixing on medium high speed until dough begins to whack around the sides of the bowl and stay together, mostly clearing the sides of the bowl.

    Pour into a greased container and cover either with a lid or plastic wrap.

    Allow to rise as long as it takes to more than double the volume. For me it takes about 3-4 hours in the cooler months when my kitchen is about 66-67 degrees. It takes much less time in warmer months.

    After it has more than doubled, dust the work surface well with flour and pour the dough out.

    Flour the dough generously. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Using two bench scrapers (big hand-held spatulas), lift, pull and stretch the dough, folding it over on itself once in every direction.

    Flour well once more and cover well with a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.

    Turn your oven on to 500 degrees around this time. Stretch and fold each piece once more then, using your knuckles, gently pound out the bubbles and mostly deflate the dough (bottom left photo). Dust more flour across the tops when your knuckles start to stick. Don’t obsess about adding too much or too little flour. It will be impossible to completely flatten it — and you wouldn’t want to. What you are doing here is getting rid of the bigger bubbles so that you don’t have big, gaping holes in your baked bread. Even when you take this step, though, big bubbles do sometimes happen. After deflating, use the bench scraper, dust loaves well with flour again and coax the dough into the final shape of the loaves. Cover again for 30 minutes.

    Dust a large sheet of parchment paper set on top of a similar sized cutting board, with flour. Using two bench scrapers (or any other MacGiver-type apparatus that works), scoop/pinch a loaf up/together and flip upside down onto the floured parchment. Dust the top with flour again, dip the scrapers into the flour and coax back into a nice loaf shape. Repeat for the other loaf. Dust with flour again before baking.

    If using steam, fill a cup with about 3/4 cup warm/hot water and have it ready. Slide the loaves, along with the parchment onto the baking stone. Then carefully pour the hot water into the cast iron pan below. Shut the oven door and set the timer for about 8 minutes. You’ll want to keep an eye on things, however. I moved my loaves from front to back about 3/4 of the way through the baking time because the rear position tends to burn. You will learn your oven better after you make bread a couple times. 500 degrees is hot and things are a little more intense at that temp.

    When the loaves are well browned, remove to a cooling rack. Internal temp should be at least 200 degrees. Let loaves cool completely before cutting. If you can’t wait, just know that the bread will compress if you cut it before it is cooled and the interior will be a little damp and mooshed. [But it will still taste good.]

    One of my Favorite Things

    My Mukka Express!

    Every single day — well almost every single day — I drive the kids to school, then come home and make myself a Latte. Oh, I know. I should work out first. I should march straight outside for a run or walk. Or head up to do yoga before I have my coffee.

    But I don’t.

    And I won’t.

    And therefore, there are many days I never actually do go out for a run or a walk.

    And I never head upstairs to do yoga. I don’t even know what made me write that.

    It’s not because I don’t like yoga. I do. I just can’t do it at home. I’ve tried. There is no “relaxing into the breath” with two dogs whining outside the door, the phone ringing far away, knowing a client is going to read about me doing yoga instead of doing their logo on Twitter an hour later.

    Ok, I suppose I could refrain from blabbing about it on Twitter.

    No, actually I couldn’t. I blab about everything. Not necessarily on Twitter, because I really don’t like Twitter all that much…

    Where was I…? My latte.

    I. Love. My. Mukka. It has become a horoscope of sorts. Because every day the milk froth is a little bit different. And trust me: I’ve tried running experiments. It’s not the milk. And what else could it be? Some days the froth is sort of lame. And other days all fluffy and puffy. Fluffy and puffy is good.

    But when I get a huge froth and my cupeth *almost* runneth over?

    Well, then I know it’ll be a good day.

    It takes just minutes. I add the water to the line on the inside:

    Add finely ground coffee:

    Screw the top on and add the milk to the line inside the top part:

    Wait about 2 minutes till the steam thing pops and starts bringing the espresso into the milk

    Then it gets quiet for another minute or two until all the rest of the water and steam starts making noise again and finishes frothing the milk

    Sometimes there is so much froth is comes up to the top rim. Sadly, not today.

    Mmmmm….

    As you can see above. My cup does not runneth over today. It is a lame froth day. But it doesn’t matter. It still tastes the same. So was my day bad? Actually, it sort of was…

    Anyway, another great thing is the Mukka dollars it saves me. [get it?] If you spend $3 or more on coffee three times a week or more, well, You Do the Math.

    (I think I’ll end every post with “you do the math” from now on. It has a certain punch to it, no?)

    Meatfull Sunday

    In the direct opposition to Meatless Mondays, we had a Meatfull Sunday. Albeit was the Superbowl. And we do have a loose tradition of eating chili for the Superbowl. So it’s not like I was snubbing my nose at going meatless. It just seemed funny to me that while I was thinking ahead to the next day and Meatless Monday, I was dumping three pounds of ground beef into a pot.

    Anyway.

    Chili is not a food I would have eaten until roughly 1991 or so. I believe I have mentioned previously that I used to be a somewhat picky eater. Oh, how it pains me to admit that now! I despise picky eaters.

    I guess that makes me something of a hypocrite.

    Well. Add it to the list.

    Dave does like chili, however, so after getting married, I needed to find a happy medium. For my first foray into chili eating, I made a chicken chili recipe out of The New Basics Cookbook, adapting their vegetable chili recipe. This post is not that recipe, however. It was merely a segue to my own ability to eat chili, that took me to this chili recipe contained in this post.

    This recipe is not my invention.

    I do, however, own it.

    …after winning it at a small and sad silent auction.

    I have no idea the legalities of recipe ownership and whether I do, indeed, own the rights to it after paying a ridiculous amount for the framed version of it at that auction.

    And frankly, I don’t care.

    I will give credit to its creator, Steve Neddermeyer — better known as ‘Uncle Neddy’ — who beat my Chicken Chili recipe in a chili contest with this recipe. Uncle Neddy is a local celebrity, known for driving around and serving his pork chops on a stick, along with various other accouterments out of his souped-up trailer. He works most events as donations for charities and non-profits that he supports. Pretty amazing guy, really.

    He probably should have excused himself from the Chili Contest, though, being that he’s practically a professional, don’cha think?

    That was about five years ago, and I’m still mad.

    At the auction, assuming I would be starting a bidding war — and making much needed money for the school — I put $50 in for the starting bid.

    I won the recipe.

    And while Dave wasn’t thrilled with my bid, I have to admit that he loves it.

    So do the kids.

    …more, even, than my chicken chili. Charlie just looked over my shoulder as I write, and — thinking he was complimenting me — said “That was the best chili I’ve ever had. Really. It’s the best. I like it even more than the chicken chili.”

    He was trying to be sweet. He didn’t know he ripped my heart out of my chest, raw and bleeding…

    Anyway.

    I made it yesterday and share it with you now. It really is good.

    Uncle Neddy’s Award Winning* Chili Recipe
    • 2 lbs ground beef
    • 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
    • 1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
    • 1/2 cup yellow pepper, chopped (I substitute 1/4 c hot pepper)
    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • Famous Dave’s Steak seasoning (I substitue Chef Paul’s Cajun Redfish Magic)
    • 1 tsp celery salt
    • 2 T chili powder
    • 1 t paprika
    • 2 t balsamic vinegar
    • 2 T brown sugar (I use only 1 or less, as we don’t like it sweet)
    • 1 can kidney beans (I use pinto. kidneys are too big)
    • 1 can chili beans (I use great northern or chili beans)
    • 2 cans tomato soup
    • 2-16 oz cans tomato sauce (I used 4 cups garden tomato sauce from freezer)
    • 1 t black pepper
    • 1 t garlic powder
    • 1/4 t cayenne pepper
    • 1 t dry mustard
    • 1 1/2 c water
    • I also added 2 t ground cumin

    Brown ground beef, drain and remove to bowl.

    Saute onion and peppers in 2T oil. Add remaining ingredients and ground beef to pot. Simmer for at least one hour and up to 3 hours, partially covered. Add more water if needed.

    Serve with crispy fried corn tortillas or chips, sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese, hot sauce, crumbled Cotija cheese and of course, cornbread with honey butter.

    * judges were locals, known to have eaten many pork chops-on-a-stick free of charge. Award is pending appeal.

    Meatless Monday Three

    Ridiculously Simple Miso Soup

    This is not the Meatless Monday recipe I had planned to share. It is, I admit, a really LAME recipe to share, given it’s simplicity. And the fact that it hardly constitutes a meal.

    I think many would say, “Why even bother posting Miso Soup?”

    Well. I’ll tell you why.

    Warning: Tangental information approaching.

    I love miso soup, but I only ever get it when I go to have sushi. Which isn’t very often. I knew I could make it, but didn’t figure it was that practical, having miso paste and tofu in my fridge when I am the only one who would probably ever eat it. But with the advent of Meatless Mondays, it would make the perfect easy Monday lunch! So I set about to gather up the ingredients to have on hand.

    And I looked.

    And I looked.

    It was not nearly as easy as I was led to believe it would be.

    I am spoiled with the availability of ethnic ingredients at even the po-dunk grocery stores I frequent. Twenty pound bags of jasmine rice, real — from Thailand — green curry in a can all ready to go for a quick evening meal, etc. And by the way, I know it’s from Thailand because a good friend of mine lived there for several years and turned me on to it! It’s Aroy-D brand.

    Anyway, the miso paste was elusive. Byerlys and Lunds were out of it the two times I was there during December. Cub didn’t carry it. I finally found it at Byerlys after the holidays. I figured the seaweed in the miso soup was just nori, but it could be Kombu (?). Who knows. Nori would have to do because everyone has nori. Dashi, a type of fish stock used in miso soup, however, I STILL can’t find!

    Lord knows I am not going to make a special trip to an asian grocery deep in the heart of Minneapolis just for dashi. So, last Monday, I wondered if I could just go ahead and make it without the dashi. I gave it a try, instead giving my miso a dash of fish sauce, which I always have on hand. And threw some other stuff in that isn’t normally found in miso soup. Or at least the miso soup I have had up until now.

    It was really, really good!

    So, I snapped a picture and attached it to a post on twitter.

    I have something to say about twitter. I should probably write a whole post on twitter. (In fact, maybe I will do just that). But here it is in a nutshell:

    GIVE ME A TWITTER BREAK.

    It is NOT the “oh-so-touchy-and-feeley-connection experience” you keep hearing about. At least it isn’t for me. And I don’t believe for one minute that it is for half the people who are saying it is. In fact, it INFURIATES me because I feel like there is something WRONG with me that I don’t seem to have the success and good feelings about it that everyone else seems to. And I’ve been on it for almost two years! I was way ahead of the curve! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? *pant, pant*  Rant over.

    I do have people I follow and who follow me that I genuinely like and have fun little interactions with. A few. Like about 20. That’s 20 people out of somewhere around 350.

    People are always saying how “valuable” it is and how amazing it is that you can ask a question and get instant answers.

    Really?

    Not me.

    Two weekends ago I tweeted

    “Desperately need new jeans. Used to wear 501’s. Switched to Lucky Riders and Lil Maggie. Need v long inseam but not too tight. Recommend?

    Not one reply. Not one. No one even made fun of me, which I surely deserved.

    Most of the time I feel like I am tweeting to no one.

    So what’s the point?

    Oh who the Hell knows. And yet I keep on doing it. Probably some egomaniacal need to blast out personal information. Yet another chance for psychoanalysis, for sure.

    (I told you it was an unrelated tangent).

    But bringing it back around, like I always do: last monday I tweeted a picture of my miso soup and said

    “My first attempt at miso soup ever. So good! Even with no dashi!”

    And I got a TON of (well. a ton compared to normal) replies asking for the recipe, which I gave out — in less than 140 characters, because it is that easy:

    “2T red miso paste, 2c H2O, 1T nori-flamed, 1/4c diced soft tofu, dash of fish sauce, salt, chili flakes, sesame oil, green onions!”

    So I figured if there was interest on Twitter, there would be interest here.

    Plus — and this almost never happens — we are not able to sit down to dinner as a family this entire week. And I’ll be DAMNED if Dave is going to miss Meatless Monday again, being that book club was on monday, soccer was on tuesday and he is out of town the next two nights. So I am holding off on a true-blue, full-blown, meatless monday recipe until I can torture us all. Together. As a family. As it should be.

    So, without further ado,

    Ridiculously Simple Miso Soup (without the Dashi!)

    (this makes quite a bit for just one person’s lunch. If you want less, halve the recipe like I did the next time)

    • 2 T Miso Paste (Mine is red, because that’s all they had. I have no idea what the difference is)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 T thinly sliced nori (first “toast” it by running it over a flame (stove burner) a few times until it is bright green)
    • 1/4 cup (or more) SOFT tofu diced into 1/4″ cubes (you can use firm, but I had soft for the first time and it is WAY better than firm in miso.)
    • dash of fish sauce
    • 1/4 t chili with garlic sauce (or a dash of red chile flakes)
    • 1-2 T sliced green onions
    • dash of sesame oil
    • Anything else you might want to add: edamame, rice or cellophane noodles, side of rice…

    Add the miso paste to the water and heat, whisking to dissolve the paste completely. I think some recipes call for you to strain the broth after this step, but I didn’t. Because I’m lazy. And it was just fine.

    Once dissolved, add nori, tofu, fish sauce and chili (add frozen edamame and noodles here if using). Simmer gently for about 4 minutes. Add the green onion and simmer for another minute. Then drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

    Resist the urge to tell your son, when he asks what it tastes like, the thought that immediately pops into your head:

    Dirty feet.

    Yum. I love miso. But that is, indeed, what popped into my head.