{ just a bite to start the week }
{ raw vegan, gluten-free, macrobiotic }
Around the time I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2003, I delved into the world of macrobiotics. By short definition, the philosophy behind macrobiotics follows the yin and yang principal of balance. A macrobiotic diet characterizes foods with properties such as hot or cold, acid or alkaline, constrictive or expansive, calming or stimulating. It’s a rather simple logic that brings you back to basics, and I’ve since carried on many components of macrobiotics into the raw foods lifestyle and the way I prepare food today.
A dominant feature in macrobiotics is the use of fermented foods such as miso, pickles, soy sauce, and umeboshi plums, which are extremely alkaline to the body. Why is alkalinity important? A simple test of the pH levels of our bodily fluids can tell quite a bit of how well we’re doing, what the foods we’re eating are doing to us, and how closely we’re mingling with disease. Disease occurs in a highly acidic environment, so the ideal balance to maintain is a 3 to 1 ingestion of alkaline and acidic foods. Click here for more information and food designation.
{ zucchini cut 1" x 1" }
Now I happen to love salty, fermented foods. Hand me a pickled radish over a cookie. This also explains why I’m so attracted to Asian food, specifically Japanese (also the origin of macrobiotics) and this zucchini pavé has a decidedly Japanese twist.
{ whole umeboshi plums with shiso }
I made these mini pavés by cutting zucchini into 1″ x 1″ thin, bite-sized slices, then salted them, misted them with olive oil and let them sit pressed between paper towels and a heavy skillet for about an hour. For each pavé, 4 pieces of the zucchini were layered with nori, finely minced scallion and pickled daikon, and topped with basil and sesame seeds. The accompanying sauce is made with sweet white miso, umeboshi plum, shiso, lemon infused olive oil, and ginger blended together in a food processor.
<3, JMK
