Macrobiotic Meal of the Month - February 2009

Kinpira is a traditional macrobiotic dish (and Japanese) revered for it strong energetic properties. It is sautéed on a high flame and then simmered. This dish has a strengthening quality to it. I ate this a few times a week when I first started my healing macrobiotic diet. I need to make this more often, especially during the cold winter months here in Maine.

Burdock is commonly used in this dish and it is also known as a vegetable that strengthens the body and purifies the blood.

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Carrot, Burdock & Shitake Mushroom Kinpira

2 large carrots, sliced into **matchstick pieces
2 piece of burdock root, sliced into matchstick pieces
4 shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil (oil can be omitted & a water saute can be done instead)
1-2 teaspoons of good quality (I use Eden or Mitiku brands, 1-3 years aged) soy sauce (wheat-free tamari can be used)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt can be used in place of soy sauce, if needed
Optional: 1 teaspoon of ginger juice can be used
1 tablespoon of mirin (a sweet rice wine used for cooking)

This recipe is wheat-, gluten- & (if you omit the soy sauce & substitute salt) it is also soy-free, if needed.

**To slice the carrot and the burdock into matchstick pieces, first slice thinly on a diagonal. Line up the thinly sliced vegetable rounds and cut again, this time into matchstick pieces.

Heat oil on medium to high flame, and saute vegetables, stirring for 5 minutes. Add 1- 1 1/4 cups of water, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 more minutes. Water will cook down, but check water level to prevent burning. 

Serves 6.

Enjoy!  ~Meg