Updated 22nd, April 2005

RICE SALAD
3 cups (12 - 16oz. 350 - 450g) cooked brown rice 3 large carrots, diced half a cucumber, quartered & sliced 3 stalks celery, diced 1 cup small broccoli florets 2-3 tbsp toasted sesame oil 1-2 tbsp brown rice vinegar 1/2 - 1 tbsp shoyu 2 tbsp finely chopped sauerkraut 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Cook broccoli, carrots and celery in boiling water with a pinch of sea salt for 1 - 2 minutes and refresh. Fluff up the cooked rice in a bowl and mix in the vegetables and sauerkraut. Mix the oil, vinegar and shoyu together and stir into the salad. Garnish with parsley.

BULGUR WHEAT SALAD
2 cups (16oz. 450g) bulgur wheat 3 cups (24 fl.oz. 750ml) water 1 small onion diced 1 small green pepper diced 2 carrots diced half a cucumber diced pinch sea salt 2 tbsp shoyu 2 tbsp toasted sesame or olive oil (optional) 2 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar 1 tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
Bring water to a boil and add the onion, green pepper, carrots and sea salt. Bring back to the boil and add the bulgur wheat. Cover pan and turn heat very low to simmer until all the liquid has evaporated (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and place the bulgur and vegetables into a bowl. Add the cucumber, shoyu, vinegar, oil (if using) and herbs. Mix gently together and serve.

QUINOA PILAF
2 cups (12 oz. 350g) quinoa (washed & drained) 1 onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt black pepper to taste 2 tbsp shoyu 2 tbsp sesame oil juice of a lemon 1 tbsp chopped parsley 4 cups (32 fl.oz. 1L) hot water
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add onion. Saute gently for about 5 minutes then add garlic if using. Saute for a minute and add the carrots. Continue to saute for a further 2 minutes then add the quinoa. Stir continually for 3-4 more minutes and then add the hot water and sea salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover pan and reduce flame to very low. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the flame and leave pan untouched for 5 minutes. Then transfer the pilaf to a bowl and fork through gently. Add the shoyu and lemon juice and mix in carefully. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

BEANS
1 cup (6oz 175g) beans 1 x 3" (8cm) piece kombu 3 cups (24fl.oz 750ml)water 1 tsp shoyu or pinch sea salt
Basic cooking:- Sort beans carefully for stones or grit and wash. Soak in the water for 6-8 hours. Alternatively, you can reduce the soaking time to 4 hours by soaking them in boiling water. Soaking makes the beans easier to cook and much more digestible if cooked thoroughly. Transfer them to a pan with the kombu and soaking water and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes and remove any foam that forms before covering. Cook until quite soft - usually between one and two hours, depending on the type of bean. Remove lid and add shoyu or salt. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. During cooking, add more cold water if needed. You can also pressure cook beans, releasing the pressure to season and then cooking on without pressure until the liquid has almost gone. Never add salt or soy sauce until the beans have softened. If you add it too soon, the beans may not soften at all. Use in your favourite recipes or as follows:-

BEAN SALAD
Mix cooked beans with a selection of contrasting coloured vegetables - small cut and lightly boiled (still crunchy) and add some raw, chopped spring onions. Make a tasty dressing such as tahini, mustard, soy sauce and a little water and rice vinegar or be inventive and make up your own dressing. This is delicious served with noodles.

HUMMUS
2 cups (about 14oz. 400g) cooked chickpeas 1 clove garlic (optional) 2 tsps umeboshi paste 2 tsps grain mustard 2 -4 tsps tahini 2 -4 tsps lemon juice
Blend the ingredients together, adding a little cold water if needed. Serve on bread, rice cakes or stuffed into pitta breads with some green salad, pickled gherkins, lemon wedges and parsley.

SIMPLE BEAN STEW
1 cup (7oz. 200g) cooked chickpeas (or other beans) 1 large carrot, diced 1 onion, diced 1 tbsp shoyu 1 - 2 tsps ginger juice 1 dsp kuzu parsley 1 tbsp sesame oil
Saute onion in hot oil until soft and then add carrot. Saute for a couple of minutes then add the chickpeas, any cooking liquid and, if necessary, some cold water to give a stew consistency. Simmer until the vegetables are soft and add shoyu and ginger juice. Continue simmering for a further 5 minutes then thicken slightly with kuzu, dissolved in a little cold water. Serve garnished with some chopped parsley.

SCRAMBLED TOFU
1 block regular or smoked tofu crumbled (about 7oz. 200g) 1 onion, diced 6/8 mushrooms, chopped sweetcorn kernels from 1 cob 1 tbsp sunflower or sesame oil 2 tsp shoyu 2 spring onions, finely sliced 1 sheet nori
Saute onion in heated oil until soft. Add mushrooms and sweetcorn kernels. Crumble tofu and add, mixing thoroughly. Add a little cold water and the soy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Break the nori into small pieces, add to tofu mixture and stir in. Serve on sourdough bread with finely sliced spring onions for garnish. You can add a little black pepper to the mix if you like or spread a thin layer of wholegrain mustard on the bread.

MARINATED VEGETABLE KEBABS WITH SMOKED TOFU
1 block smoked tofu (cut into 16 cubes) 16 broccoli florets 16 carrot rings 8 mushrooms 2 tbsp shoyu 1 dsp mirin 1 tbsp ginger juice 4 tbsp cold water
Blanch the vegetables very lightly for a minute or two in boiling water with a pinch of sea salt. Rinse in cold water, drain. Make a marinade with water, shoyu, mirin and ginger juice. Let the kebabs soak in the mixture for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and arrange equally on 8 kebab sticks. Strain remaining marinade and use as a dip sauce in a separate bowl. You can use regular tofu instead, preferably boiled for 2 minutes before marinating. For a variation, grill or barbecue the marinated kebabs before serving with the dip.

CAULIFLOWER, BROCCOLI AND CARROT SALAD (serves 3-4)
4 oz (110g) broccoli florets 4 oz (110g) cauliflower florets 2 large carrots in half rounds
Boil the vegetables separately in lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes each. As each one is removed from the pot, refresh it in a colander under a cold running tap. Drain the vegetables and place together in a serving dish. Toss in the dressing of your choice (the sweet dulse dressing is particularly good with this).

SWEETCORN, CARROT AND GREEN BEAN SALAD (serves 3-4)
kernels cut from 2 cobs sweetcorn 8ozs (220g) green beans, trimmed and sliced 2 large carrots in matchsticks
Prepare as above recipe but cook the beans a little longer and the sweetcorn a little less.

LEMON DRESSING
2 tbsp olive oil or toasted sesame oil juice a 1 lemon 1 tbsp shoyu 2 - 4 tbsp cold water
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Use immediately or store as for Herb Dressing.

SWEET & SOUR DULSE DRESSING 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 tbsp ume plum seasoning 1 tbsp dulse 1 spring onion, finely sliced 1-2 tbsp barley malt or brown rice syrup 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar 2 tbsp cold water
Check dulse for stones or shells then rinse and soak in a little cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and chop finely. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. This dressing is excellent with lightly boiled or steamed vegetables, particularly cauliflower and broccoli.

LEMON MOUSSE
1 pint (20fl. oz 600ml) Rice Dream Original rice milk 3 dsp agar (heaped) 2 dsp kuzu or arrowroot 3-4 tbsp rice syrup 2 tbsp ground almonds OR 1 tbsp tahini 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice pinch sea salt lemon slices or roasted almonds for garnish
Place the Rice Dream in a saucepan and add agar flakes. Soak for about 10 minutes to soften the agar. Place pan on cooker and gently bring to a boil, stirring from time to time. Simmer for a few minutes until all the flakes have dissolved and then add a pinch of sea salt. Dissolve the kuzu in 2 tablespoons of cold water and then add this to the Rice Dream, stirring all the time until it thickens. Remove from flame and add the ground almonds or tahini, the corn and barley malt syrup and the lemon juice. Adjust the taste to your liking, stir well and place the mousse in a wet, shallow bowl to cool for about an hour. Place in a deep bowl or blender beaker and whisk with a hand blender for a few minutes to lighten the mousse and make it fluffy. The longer you blend and the more air you get into the mix, the lighter it will be. Spoon into individual glass dishes and garnish (6-8 portions). This keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Alternative:- sweeten with apple & strawberry juice concentrate instead of rice syrup and blend in a few fresh strawberries instead of the lemon juice.

tsp = teaspoon dsp = dessert or soup spoon tbsp = tablespoon

© Bob Lloyd, 2005