What Kind of Diet is Healthy
If I knew for certain exactly what kind of diet could keep us all healthy I would certainly impart that information to you. There are many theories and associated diets, and I do borrow from quite a few,
but my judgments are subjective, based on how I feel, my tastes, and what I've learned about food.
I was on a macrobiotic diet for a few months many, many years ago, and I found it very time consuming, but I did feel fantastic. I really missed potatoes and tomatoes which are not eaten on the diet. The macrobiotic diet food triangle has whole grains on the bottom, pickled foods and vegetables in the next tier, then vegetable oil, seasonings and condiments, on up to nuts and seeds, and fruits in season (or dried or cooked). Near the top are fish and seafood, then dairy, and up to eggs and poultry. It ends with meat which macrobiotics never eat or eat very infrequently or when transitioning to the diet. The diet emphasizes eating foods that are locally grown. That is always a good thing in so many ways.
When I feel that I've been eating a lot of highly spiced or garlicky dishes (which I tend to do) and I want something that feels easily digested and nurturing I turn to my favorite macrobiotic recipe:
This is the macrobiotic version of Bechamel sauce, but it bears no real resemblance to that rich sauce. You can have this sauce on brown rice or another grain, or whole grain soba or udon. I like the Eden Organic Traditionally Crafted buckwheat and wheat pasta. I season with some sesame salt which is known as "Gomasio" and is also available with bits of seaweed in it. It is delicious and surprisingly low in sodium. I adapted this recipe from Cooking for Life which is apparently out of print but available in used form on Amazon. This is a really quick, easy dinner. A meal in a bowl.
"Bechamel" Sauce
Ingredients:
1 t oil
2 T rice flour (I use brown rice flour and store in freezer after opening.)
1T tahini
1 T miso (I use mellow white or brown miso - there are many kinds and brown has a richer, stronger flavor which I love)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large (or 3 small) scallions, chopped, white and light green parts only
1/2-1 cup assorted veggies, cut small (broccoli and carrots work really well)
1/4 t salt, optional
2 cups water
Gomasio (in the "Asian" section of your supermarket near the packages of dried seaweed)
Cooked brown rice or one package soba or udon noodles or whole grain pasta of your choice ( I love Eden traditionally made soba which comes in a box - but don't overcook!)
Hear the oil a bit in a medium saucepan and then sauté the onion and scallions over a low heat for several minutes until they almost transparent. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour, tablespoon of miso, and the tablespoon of tahini to the onions and scallions. If you're using salt, add it now. Turn the heat down and stir or whisk a bit to cook the flour as if you were making a real cream type sauce. Then add the water gradually, whisking continuously and bring to a boil, stirring or whisking a bit more to make it all nice and smooth. Simmer the sauce, partially covered, for about 10 minutes. (This is a good time to start the water for pasta, if using. ) After the 10 minutes, add the veggies to the sauce and cook until they are crisp-tender, (and add pasta to the boiling water). As mentioned, serve over rice, whole grain pasta or some sort or veggies. Sprinkle with gomasio.
Next week we talk green juice, and the best, fastest recipe for black bean chili!
Enjoy and Be Healthy!
