We're often asked about pantry staples — specifically, what are the essential Macrobiotic ingredients that every health-conscious chef and home cook should have in their kitchen? There are a few, but where function and flavor reign supreme, miso is most certainly at the top of the list.
In macrobiotics, miso is considered cancer-fighting, blood cleansing and enzyme rich. It's also full of probiotics.
Better still, it's an umami flavor bomb, and it imparts cheesy, meaty flavor to any recipe in which it's used. Sauces, dips and marinades make particularly good candidates for miso application.
Below is a miso-infused marinade that takes tofu recipes to the next level.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white miso
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 tablespoons ginger juice (1-inch knob)
- 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup rice syrup
- 1 cup water
- 14 ounces tofu (1 block), sliced into 6 slices (lengthwise)
- 2 cups miso marinade
Directions
- Turn broiler on high heat. Whisk together miso, garlic, ginger juice, brown rice vinegar, lemon juice, rice syrup, and water in bowl.
- Transfer mixture to 12-inch sauté pan. Place tofu slices in pan. Bring marinade to boil then reduce to low simmer.
- Simmer tofu for 10 minutes on one side, then gently flip tofu and simmer for another 10 minutes on other side. As tofu simmers, marinade should reduce considerably and become thick.
- Remove tofu from marinade. Spread any remaining marinade on top of tofu.
- Broil tofu under salamander for approximately 5-7 minutes or until it begins to caramelize.
This post was originally published by the Natural Gourmet Institute. Learn more about today's Natural Gourmet Center.
