♯12 Mashed Taro Salad

The combination of Shiso and pickled plum is just perfect not only in the taste but also the color.
Smooth taro with nice and crunchy dried radish will delight your mouth.

[ingredients] serves 4
500g Japanese Taro
a handful sun-dried Daikon radish
3 to 4 pickled plum (Umeboshi), stoned and chopped
4 leaves Shiso (Green Perilla), finely chopped
1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
soy sauce, to taste

Sun-dried Daikon radish is a popular dry ingredient in Japan. The water after soaking is quite sweet and full of flavour. So I sometimes use it as a substitution for Mirin.

[direction]
1. Peel and boil the taroes in salted water until tender.
2. Mash the taro while they are still hot with the back of a spoon.
3. Soak the sun-dried radish with as little water as possible to prevent diluting the flavour. When it becomes soft enough, chop it.
4. Add the chopped radish, pickled plum, Shiso and sasame seeds to the mashed Taro and mix together. Season with a little soy sauce to your taste.

The bowl in this photo is from Hakusan Porcelain, which is one of my favourite table ware maker. Some produts may be available at following shops.
■common
Laivurinrinne 1, 00120 Helsinki FINLAND
http://www.common-helsinki.com/
■TeaSmith Limited
6 Lamb Street London E16EA United Kingdom
http://www.teasmith.co.uk/

♯11 Vegan Truffle Chocolate

Although it's made with no chocolate or cream, the texture is just like melting in your mouth! Add a little rum or chopped nuts for extra flavour and texture if desired.

[ingredients] makes 10 to 12
40g raisins
60g rice powder (Joshinko)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp beet sugar
100ml soy milk
extra cocoa powder for finishing

Joshinko is powdered nonglutinous rice. It is often used in making Japanese confectionery.

[direction]
1. Chop the raisins finely.
2. Combine the chopped raisins, rice powder, cocoa powder, beet sugar and soy milk in a small pan. Heat slowly while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. When it has thickened remove from the heat.
4. Shape into small balls with wet hands.
5. Dust with cocoa powder.

The small plates in this photo are from Toraya, which is one of the most traditional confectionery maker in Japan.

♯10 Cabbage thick soup

Serves 2

[Ingredients]
1/4 cabbage
1/2 onion
1 tbs olive oil
400ml soy milk
salt&pepper
nutmeg, optional

[Direction]
1. Slice the onion. Chop the cabbage coarsely.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and cabbage until soft.
3. Put the fried vegetable into a blender and add the half of soy milk.
Pulse until smooth, then pour into a pan.
4. Add the remaining soy milk and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Put in a soup bowl and sprinkle with a little nutmeg.

♯9 Carrot Muffins

Makes 6
[Ingredients]
100g carrot
100g plain flour
200ml soy milk
1 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs Maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
grated half of lemon zest

[Direction]
1. Cut the carrot into chunks. Put it in a blender with soy milk and liquidize.
2. Mix the carrot mixture, vegetable oil, maple syrup and lemon zest in a bowl.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into it and fold them.
4. Divide it into the muffin cups and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degree celsius.

♯8 Delicious Pumpkin Scone

Scone made with no oil but you can't tell the difference. It is really nice and soft.

[Ingredients]
100g Tofu
150g plain flour
100ml soy milk
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbs beet sugar
50g mashed pumpkin

[Direction]
1. Drain the tofu over night.
2. Mix the tofu, plain flour, soy milk, baking powder and beet sugar in a foodprocessor. Add the mashed pumpkin and pulse a few times. The dough should be certainly wet and sticky.
3. Dust the worksurface with a little flour, put the dough onto it. Roll out to 2cm thick and cut into squar pieces with a knife.
4. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 15 minutes.