As the weather continues to swing drastically from week to week…or even day to day lately…it is difficult to “plan” a meal. Yesterday it was pouring rain and 80 degrees. Today it is 65 and tomorrow is meant to be around 60. I know summer in the states doesn’t officially begin for another week or so but, this weather feels odd to say the least. This constant flux in temperature creates a flux in menu planning. If I have already purchased my food for the week, I hate to go out and buy lots of new things to accommodate the changes in temperature. So what’s the solution?

Well for me I go to my old standby recipes to supplement what I am already making. A simple and easy addition to any menu is soup. On a hot day a light chilled soup will instantly cool you down with out a tremendous amount of calories. On a cold day a quick soup as part of dinner or as a snack will warm up those chilly bones. So today I give you two such options for whatever weather you’re having right now.

The first soup of the day goes out to Cinnamon in SF. I have been promising to show her how to make Miso soup from scratch since December. I actually filmed it then but, never found the time to post it. So Cinnamon here ya go.

Miso is not just simple to make but, delicious and of course nutritious. You start with a soup stock called a Dashi. You can make a vegan/vegetarian dashi or you can make a seafood based dashi for this soup. On the video you will see three ways to create your soup base: tea bag, soup powder, or DIY. All three are inexpensive and easy to use. I found the two package varieties at my local Asian market for extremely cheap but, have also seen them at whole foods and main stream grocery stores in the Asian food aisle. Otherwise you can most definitely find them online for really cheap. They are also great for any kind of quick soup stock and for me better than using those cans or carton soup bases. (especially since it is nearly impossible to find prepared seafood stock).

The only other specialty ingredient is the Miso Paste. Now this I am starting to see everywhere. Trader Joe’s has one, Kroger, A&P in NYC, Whole foods, Safeway in Cali. I am fond of the plain Shiro Miso paste but, there are a wide variety to choose from. You can also add carrots, mushroom, bok choy, and other veggies to make this an even heartier soup. Miso takes about 10 minutes from start to finish and has very few calories. I have made it with traditionally Asian meals but, also with things like ginger miso salmon and asparagus. I love Miso soup…and when I learned how fast, easy, and inexpensive it was to make at home it became a regular at my table. Hope you will love making it too.

The second soup is the chilled Greek Cucumber soup. This one comes straight from my love of Greek food. I went to Greece for spring break during college and completely fell in love with authentic Tzatziki yogurt sauce. I love it so much and can pretty much put it on any thing. I’ve used it as a salad dressing, as a marinade, not to mention it’s typical use as a sauce for Souvlaki. Love love love this sauce. Once I added too much water and it became soupy and I thought..um YUM why not have it as soup! ha ha. And others have clearly shared my love of this as I found hundreds of recipes online when I googled Tzatziki soup.

And oh what a soup. All you need is a handful of herbs and vegetables with a food processor or blender and about 8 minutes. It really is just that simple! I used fat free greek yogurt, shallots, garlic, red onion, dill, english cucumber and chives. All things you can find in most any super market. (I bought all these ingredients at Walmart in Athens…yeah I know.) You can make it as light an airy or thick and chunky as you like. I personally love garlic and onion so I used a lot but that is SO not necessary. The recipe below is a lighter version then what I usually make for myself because well onions and garlic are pungent and not everyone likes it as “kicking” as I do. So please note that as always you can alter these recipes to your own palate.

We don’t always have a lot of time to change our weekly menu midstream even if the weather decide it wants to change from day to day. So an easy way to go with the flow is to add a complimentary cold or hot soup to warm us up or cool as down. These are great in between meal snacks with few calories but, can also help you make it to the next meal without killing your waistline. I hope you enjoy them.

Bon Appetit

MISO SOUP

8 cups of Dashi
1/2 pack of soft silken tofu (optional)
OR if you like tofu texture (I don’t) you can cube the firmer tofu
1-2 tablespoons Shiro Miso Paste
1 tablespoon of Wakame seaweed

Optional Add-ins: celery, carrots, mushroom, quinoa, sesame oil/seeds, red pepper flakes, cilantro, bok choy, and green onions.

1) bring water/dashi to boil
2) add in silken tofu and blend with immersion blender or pre-blend
3) add in seaweed (and optional vegetables)
4) turn off the heat
5) add miso paste (stir in a little at a time)
6) serve

CHILLED GREEK CUCUMBER SOUP

2 English Cucumbers
1 small Shallot
1/4 to 1/2 small Red Onion
3-5 cloves of Garlic
4- 6 sprigs of chive
1-2 tablespoons of dried dill (I prefer dry over fresh but, obviously can use fresh)
2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
12 oz Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt
3 tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sea salt (or to taste)
Pinch of White Pepper (optional)

Vinegar Options: Champagne vinegar, Red Wine vinegar, or Apple Cider vinegar

1) Remove the skin from the cucumbers
2) Cut the cucumber in half
3) Cut the cucumber half’s in four equal spaced stripes
4) Then dice and place in a bowl
5) Add all the remaining ingredients PLUS half of the diced cucumber into a food processor.
6) Blend until a thin and soupy consistency. Add water to thin out.
7) Mix the remaining cucumber and blended mix in a large bowl
8) Refrigerate before serving
9) Add additional salt or acid (vinegar/lemon) before serving

Garnish with mint leaves or lemon wedge

NUTRITIONAL TIDBITS

Onions: Chromium, Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber, Manganese, Molybdenum, Vitamin B6, folate, Potassium, Phosphorus, Querctin and Copper. This multifaceted food is found in so many recipes for it’s distinct flavor but is often overlooked for its many healthy properties. Onions are very rich in chromium, a trace mineral that helps cells respond to insulin and lowering blood sugar. Chromium levels are depleted by the consumption refined sugars and white flour products as well as the lack of exercise. One cup of raw onion contains over 20% of the Daily Value for this important trace mineral. B6, Chromium and sulfur in onions also helps to lower high blood pressure and high Cholesterol. Onions like garlic has been shown to support gastrointestinal health, and contain anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.

Cucumber: Vitamin C, Molybdenum, Vitamin A, Manganese, folate, dietary fiber, tryptophan, magnesium. The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers’ hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium. The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone.

Mint: Vitamin A, Manganese, Vitamin C, Perillyl alcohol*, rosmarinic acid* (*photo nutrients). Mints are great for your tummy! Peppermint has been shown to calm IBS, indigestion, colonic muscle spasms, etc. These healing properties of peppermint are apparently related to its smooth muscle relaxing ability. Once the smooth muscles surrounding the intestine are relaxed, there is less chance of spasm and the indigestion that can accompany it. The menthol contained in peppermint may be a key reason for this bowel-comforting effect. The photo nutrient Perillyl alcohol is plentiful in peppermint oil. In animal studies, this phytonutrient has been shown to stop the growth of pancreatic, mammary, and liver tumors. It has also been shown to protect against cancer formation in the colon, skin, and lungs. These animal-based studies have yet to be matched by equally sound human studies, however. Peppermint contains the substance Rosmarinic acid, which has several actions that are beneficial in asthma. In addition to its antioxidant abilities to neutralize free radicals, Rosmarinic acid has been shown to block the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals and encourages cells to make substances called Prostacyclins that keep the airways open for easy breathing.

Garlic: Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin B1, Copper, and Protein. Garlic has many great properties, but is known for its Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity, Cardiovascular health, and potential reduction in certain forms of cancer. Vitamin C is mostly known for how it helps boost our immune system during cold and flu season, fight against scurvy, and gum health. The protective role of vitamin C goes far beyond our skin and gums. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, joint diseases and cataracts are all associated with vitamin C deficiency and can be partly prevented by optimal intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C achieves much of its protective effect by functioning as an antioxidant and preventing oxygen-based damage to our cells. Structures that contain fat (like the lipoprotein molecules that carry fat around our body) are particularly dependent on vitamin C for protection. Much of the body’s chemistry depends upon enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that help chemical reactions take place. Because vitamin B6 is involved with more than 100 enzymatic reactions, its function in the body is diverse and far-reaching. It is difficult to find a chemical category of molecules in the body that do not depend in some way on vitamin B6 for their production. Many of the building blocks of protein, called amino acids, require adequate supplies of B6 for synthesis. Nucleic acids used in the creation of DNA in our genes also require this vitamin. The processing of carbohydrate (sugar and starch) in our body depends on availability of vitamin B6. This vitamin is particularly important in facilitating the breakdown of glycogen (a special form of starch) stored in our muscle cells and to a lesser extent in our liver. Because carbohydrate processing plays such a key role in certain types of athletic events, researchers have looked closely at the role vitamin B6 plays in carbohydrate processing during physical performance.

Seaweed: Iodine, Vitamin K, Folate, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, and Tryptophan. Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties. Iodine helps promote thyroid health, vital in the creation of T(4) and T(3), because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being. Wakame seaweed is a excellent source of calcium and good fat burner. Nori is an excellent source of iron. Kombu is great for digestion difficult things like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. But use these sea vegetables sparingly as a little bit goes a long way and they are rich in Iodine.

Miso: Manganese, Vitamin K, Protein, Zinc, Copper, Dietary Fiber, and Omega 3. Miso if a fermented bean paste that comes in varying degrees of flavor, from light to rich and pungent. Part of the miso is fermented with a B12-synthesizing bacteria, miso has been commonly recommended as a B12 source for vegans. Miso is quite high in sodium (1 ounce contains 52% of the recommended daily value for sodium), so it should be used sparingly. Zinc is a huge immune system booster. The different types of miso include:
hatcho miso (made from soybeans)
kome miso (made from white rice and soybeans)
mugi miso (made from barley and soybeans)
soba miso (made from buckwheat and soybeans)
genmai miso (made from brown rice and soybeans)
natto miso (made from ginger and soybeans)
Darker color misos are stronger and more pungent in flavor, they are generally better suited for heavy foods. Lighter colored misos are more delicate and are often times more appropriate for soup, dressings and light sauces.

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