Sukiyaki

Serves 4

Sukiyaki is a Japanese soup or stew usually made with meat, vegetables, and a broth made of soy sauce, mirin (a Japanese rice wine used in cooking), and sugar. I make it with brown rice noodles (though udon or soba are often used). It is one of my favorite noodle dishes and comes together quickly once all the ingredients are assembled. Most of the ingredients for this dish can be found in traditional grocery stores, though I sometimes have to go to my co-op or local natural foods store to find seitan.

• 8 ounces brown rice spaghetti
  1 leek, white part only, washed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
  2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
  3 cups mushroom or vegetable stock or Basic Soup Stock (page 146)
  1 8-ounce package traditional-style seitan, thinly sliced
  2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or agave nectar
  1/4 cup sake
  2 tablespoons mirin
  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  1 bunch fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. Sauté the leek and mushrooms in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.
5. Add the stock, seitan, syrup or agave nectar, sake, mirin, and soy sauce to the vegetables and mix well.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the spinach and noodles.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas are simply corn or wheat tortillas filled with cheese and sometimes vegetables. If you keep Cheese Sauce (See recipe below) on hand and salsa in the fridge, you can serve this easy meal to your family in minutes—or let them make it for themselves.

Serves 6

• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 recipe Cheese Sauce (recipe below)
• 6 large whole-grain tortillas
• Favorite salsa

1. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms in a large saucepan over medium heat until the onion turns translucent and starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.
2. Season the vegetables with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese sauce and cook until heated through. Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for a minute. Place a tortilla on your work surface and spoon on one-third of the vegetable mixture, then place another tortilla on top of it. Transfer the quesadilla to the skillet and heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the quesadilla over and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and vegetables.
4. To serve, cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges and serve with the salsa and sour cream.

Potato Soup

From The China Study Family Cookbook

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon dried basil (if using mushrooms)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups Cheese Sauce, or 2 cups unsweetened plant milk mixed with 2
• tablespoons arrowroot powder
• Sea salt and black pepper

1. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms (if using) in a large saucepan over medium heat until the onion turns translucent and starts to brown, about 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking.
2. Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, dill, basil, and thyme. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the cheese sauce, season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and cook another for 5 minutes.
4. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with additional fresh dill.

From The China Study Family Cookbook by Del Sroufe 

  Kids of all ages love hot dogs—they are the epitome of American food. Keep these carrot dogs on hand so your kids can have them whenever they want a quick meal. 

Makes 6 sandwiches

• 6 large carrots, peeled and trimmed to fit your hot dog buns
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 hot dog buns, toasted if desired

1. Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and bring the water back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the carrots cook until they are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the carrots and rinse them under cool water to stop the cooking.
2. While the carrots are cooking, whisk together the water, tamari, red wine vinegar, garlic, granulated onion, mustard powder, coriander, mace, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a baking dish. Add the carrots to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and the marinade and cook, turning the carrots occasionally, until most of the marinade has evaporated and the carrots have started to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve in a bun with your favorite toppings.

Six Layer Carrot Dogs

Serves 6

• 1 recipe Carrot Dogs-see recipe above
• 6 hot dog buns
• 1 can re-fried beans, heated
• 1-15 ounce jar salsa
• 2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
• pickled jalapeno peppers

1. Place the cooked Carrot Dog in the bun and top with the re-fried beans and remaining toppings

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are another of my favorite childhood sandwiches. We ate them on white bread and Mom always made the filling from scratch, never from a can. When I started making them on my own, they were nothing more than cooked ground hamburger with catsup and sugar added. This recipe, made with millet, is much better than my earlier attempts. Millet still has a reputation as bird food in this country even though it has been eaten as a staple grain in Southern Europe, parts of Africa, and Western China for a long time.

Makes 6 Sandwiches

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked millet
• 1 15-ounce can tomato puree
• 1/4 cup catsup
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce or tamari
• 1/3 cup date puree, or maple syrup
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 whole grain hamburger buns split
• Saute the onion, bell pepper, and celery over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the cooked millet, tomato sauce, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, and date puree, and cook 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Place the bottom halves of each sandwich bun on a work surface and top with some of the filling. Place the top of the bun on the sandwich and serve.