Recipe: How to make Macro plates and why I love them

When I was in college, I maintained a regular practice of taking myself out to eat. I did this almost every night. Taking myself out to eat became a self care practice of sorts, alongside my other regular practice of cooking healthy and nourishing meals at home. Sometimes I mixed up the venue, but more often than not I went to a small macrobiotic restaurant in the East Village called Souen that was a few blocks away from my old apartment on St. Marks Place. And more often than not, when I dined at Souen I ordered the Macro Plate, an incredibly simple plate of steamed vegetables and grains, served with my choice of dressing (I always chose miso tahini). I have no idea how many times I ate at Souen, but I venture the number was possibly in the hundreds.

More than just a place for me to enjoy a solo meal, Souen was my introduction to macrobiotic food. You can read a great blurb about macrobiotics on the Souen website here, but I'll summarize some of the basic principles:

The macro plate at Souen: brown rice, steamed kale, broccoli, kabocha squash, carrot, wakame, and bean of the day

The macro plate at Souen: brown rice, steamed kale, broccoli, kabocha squash, carrot, wakame, and bean of the day

Macrobiotics is a lifestyle that stems from Zen Buddhism. It maintains that by eating unrefined, unprocessed, balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are local and in season, we can maintain good health and live in harmony. Macrobiotics is meant to evade the stigma of "diet food," insofar as the plate should be balanced, abundant, and delicious. It shouldn't sacrifice anything or evoke an air of restriction. One of the most important elements of macrobiotics is taking the time to savor and enjoy the food, chewing close to 30 times for each bite (because digestion begins in the mouth, this is also a very healthy habit to develop). Macrobiotics has a lot in common with mindful eating, a philosophy that was already quite important to me at the time, and which you can learn a bit more about from this infographic.

It's easy to get bogged down by the myriad definitions for the myriad diets that exist in the world, but I want to stress that I don't support diets of any kind and I don't think of macrobiotics as a diet. It really is a lifestyle that I found resonated very much with my own, and one that I continue to practice in my own cooking and daily life. As you'll see in the paragraphs to follow, my own macro plates look quite different from the ones served at Souen, and each one I make looks a bit different as well (making the "recipe" section of this post a little difficult to hone). I also definitely don't cook like this for every meal. I do, however, find that the premises of macrobiotics guide all of my cooking.

I like macrobiotics because I have a deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal produce and I try to integrate it into my cooking as much as possible. Eating in this way has helped me appreciate the individual and distinct flavors and textures of so many vegetables; for example, rich and creamy steamed kabocha squash is one of favorite things to eat. I like macrobiotics because I believe that eating should be about more than a simply feeding one's appetite or emotions — it should be (whenever possible) a nourishing practice that helps bring balance and well-being. (P.S. I  also love macrobiotics because I love sauces and dressings, and the whole premise of this lifestyle is preparing simple ingredients, then packing a ton of flavor into the sauce.)

To that end, I wanted to provide some general guidelines and "recipes" for how I create macro plates at home. The truth of the matter is, any combination of grains, beans, vegetables, protein, and dressing can constitute a macro plate, but I have my go-to combinations and I think they are pretty delicious and worth sharing. Here are some sample plates:

Steamed kale
Seared tempeh
Avocado
Roasted sweet potato slices
Leftover Spanish rice
Leftover falafel
Miso-tahini dressing

Steamed kale
Leftover Spanish rice
Roasted brussels sprouts
Roasted sweet potato
Seared tofu cubes
Avocado
Smoky cashew dressnig

Steamed kale
Roasted sweet potato
Roasted brussels sprouts
Seared tempeh cubes
Cilantro
Avocado
Hummus and salsa

Steamed kale
Soba noodles
Seared tempeh
Roasted kabocha squash
Smoky tahini dressing
Scallions
Cilantro

I provide these examples to demonstrate both the similarities and differences among my macro plates. They are all a basic collection of grains, vegetables, and some type of sauce, but they still vary. I almost always have: steamed kale, tempeh or tofu, avocado, miso-tahini dressing, and a collection of roasted vegetables (not often steamed, as served by Souen, since I find roasted to be much more satisfying). Sometimes I have rice, and sometimes I have soba noodles. Sometimes I substitute hummus, salsa, or another condiment in as the dressing. Sometimes I add leftovers to my plate. I usually garnish with scallions and cilantro since I love those flavors and think they make every meal better.

Today, I'm going to share a recipe for my simplest, most regular macro plate. It contains: roasted brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potato, seared tempeh, steamed kale, avocado, and miso-tahini dressing. This is one of my favorite meals, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Roasted brussels sprouts

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of brussels sprouts (aka one package? I am honestly approximating bc I don't know how to recipe)
  • 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar OR soy sauce (optional, imparts more flavor if you are looking to mix things up)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 or 425 degrees. (The variation depends on your oven, as well as how crispy you want the sprouts to get. I like mine super crispy, slightly burnt even, so I tend to go for 425.)
  2. Cut the bottom bit/root of the sprouts off, then slice in half lengthwise.
  3. Transfer the sliced sprouts to a baking dish, then toss with oil/seasonings, being sure to coat every piece evenly.
  4. Roast for 30-45 minutes (tossing mid-way through), or until the sprouts are browned on the outside and the leaves are crispy, if desired.

Roasted sweet potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (any kind is fine, use what you can find)
  • 1-2 tbsp of oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, cumin, chili (optional, imparts more flavor if you are looking to mix things up)

Instructions are pretty much exactly the same as the brussels sprouts above, except they bake for longer — more like 40-50 minutes, although cook time depends on how large you cut the potato pieces. I like to mix things up here, sometimes cutting into wedges, fry-shaped sticks, cubes, and even thin chip-like slices. You can also roast the sprouts and potatoes together if you want to save some time.


Seared tempeh

Ingredients

  • 1 package of tempeh (I generally use Lightlife usually, but any brand will do!)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or another neutral oil with a high smoke point) (don't use olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I have never measured this so I am once again guessing)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional but good to add)
  • 1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut tempeh into thin slices, about as thin as you can get it/want it.
  2. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add tempeh slices to the pan, ensuring that they don't overlap (you might have to cook in batches if you are cooking a whole block of tempeh at once). The tempeh should sizzle when it hits the pan; if it doesn't, your pan isn't hot enough. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle smoked paprika (and garlic powder if using) over the tempeh evenly in the pan. Then pour over the soy sauce, stirring the pieces to ensure they are coated. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Flip the tempeh. The side facing up should be brown and slightly caramelized. Pour a bit more soy sauce on top if desired, moving to coat the now bottom-facing side. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the bottom side is equally caramelized.

Miso-tahini dressing (inspired by Souen)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp tahini (I recommend this brand, it is the best tahini I have ever purchased and affordable too)
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • water to thin

Instructions

  1. Add tahini and miso paste to a small bowl. Stir together, adding water to thin to your desired consistency.

Assembling the macro plate

This part is quite intuitive, but to close the loop: add roasted brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, a few slices of the seared tempeh, steamed kale, and avocado (slice your desired portion) to a plate. I didn't provide a full recipe for the kale but basically: add your desired amount of kale to a pan with a tiny bit of water, and let it cook down for about 1-2 minutes, stirring to make sure it wilts evenly. Pair with a small bowl of miso-tahini dressing, garnish with desired toppings (sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, etc.) and enjoy!

Recipes: My favorite Chinese food dishes

This post is a sort of "part 2" to my last one (a restaurant review of the Chinese restaurant Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, NY). After cooking a large family-style Chinese meal for lunch this afternoon, something I do often, I decided to try to write up and share some of my favorite recipes.

Some brief background before I get started. First, my boyfriend's mom taught me how to cook most of these recipes (his parents are both from China; the city of Wuwei, in Gansu province). His mom is such an excellent and intuitive chef, the type of person who throws a bunch of ingredients into a pan seemingly at random, and thus unable to provide exact measurements or instructions to those who wish to learn them because the cooking process is so effortless for her. Despite this, I have watched her cook dozens of times over the last 3+ years and tried my best to glean her secrets and duplicate her efforts. The degree of my success ranges, but I am so happy when my boyfriend tells me that one of my dishes tastes as good as the ones he ate growing up. It is also very special to me that I can attempt to recreate foods that are hallmarks of his childhood.

Second, I am actually not very good at writing up recipes myself. I made this blog partially in effort to improve that skill, and in response to those who have asked me to provide a recipe for something I've made in the past. This is the first "recipe" post on this new blog, and I will try my best to make things as concrete as possible. However, I very much enjoy the creative and unscientific parts of cooking (not adhering to recipes 100%, and deviating when your judgement exceeds the written "rules") - so I encourage you to do the same.

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In today's post, then, I provide "recipes" for all of the dishes in the picture above, in order and starting with the top-left. I have many other Chinese recipes in my portfolio, so perhaps I'll share more another day.


Tu dou si, or shredded potato with pepper

Ingredients

  • 1-2 large white potatoes

  • 1 green bell pepper

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 tbsp vinegar (light and dark vinegar are fine, but my boyfriend's mom actually makes this recipe with sushi vinegar. Sushi vinegar is pre-seasoned with sugar and salt, which means you don't have to buy/measure those ingredients seperately - this is the brand I often use)

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (fresh garlic is also fine, but I've found it burns easily in this recipe)

  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Wash and peel the potatoes completely, then shred into thin pieces of similar size. I use a mandoline slicer with a julienne insert like this to get the job done quickly and uniformly.

  2. Wash the green bell pepper, de-seed, and then chop into thin strips, similar in size to the potato.

  3. Soak the shredded potatoes in a bowl with clean, cold water for several minutes (do not skip this step - soaking removes extra starch, and prevents the potatoes from sticking during the cooking process). Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel.

  4. Heat oil in a frying pan, then add the potatoes and pepper together. Fry for about a minute, stirring regularly to prevent sticking, then add vinegar and garlic powder. Cook the mixture until the potatoes are soft, mixing evenly throughout.

  5. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm, seasoning with extra salt to taste, if necessary.


Pai huang gua, or smashed cucumbers

Ingredients

  • 1-2 large seedless cucumbers (Persian work well)

  • 1 tsp of salt

  • 1/4 cup vinegar (again, I use this sushi vinegar in this recipe, for the same reasons as above)

  • 1-2 tsp sesame oil (I use this brand)

  • 1-2 large garlic cloves, minced

  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

  • small handful of cilantro to garnish (optional)

  • small handful of sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Wash cucumbers, pat dry, and then cut into desired shape. Traditionally, these are sliced lengthwise into sticks, and then smashed (cut side down) using the flat surface of a knife until the flesh is broken down. Smashing helps release the seeds, but I don't mind the seeds so sometimes I skip this step.

  2. Place cucumber into a bowl and coat evenly with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes, or longer (up to 2 hours), to release excess moisture from the cucumbers. Drain excess liquid, and then rinse and pat dry to remove some of the salt.

  3. Pour over vinegar and sesame oil, stirring to coat. Let marinate for at least another 30 minutes, or for several hours (even overnight) to ensure that the flavors permeate the cucumber completely.

  4. When ready to serve, shake cucumbers well to drain off any excess liquid and transfer to a serving dish. If desired, garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro, or sesame seeds.


Garlic yu choy

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bag of Chinese yu choy (available in Chinese supermarkets, can also substitute for other leafy green vegetable), chopped into 3-inch lengths, with stems and leaves separated

  • 3-4 large gloves of garlic, chopped

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan, and add chopped garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add a few spoonfuls of water to prevent the garlic from burning.

  2. Add the yu choy stems to the pan, stirring to coat them in oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they are bright green and slightly soft. Nex,t add yu choy leaves, stirring to coat and cooking until the leaves are wilted but still bright green. Season with salt to taste and stir.

  3. Remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking the greens - the stalks should still have a slight crunch. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.


Cong you bing, or scallion pancake

Truth be told, I haven't made scallion pancakes from scratch yet, though this is high on my to-learn list.

Today's scallion pancakes were cooked from frozen, which was simple, easy, and yielded a delicious outcome. I simply warmed a few teaspoons of vegetable oil in my pan, added the frozen pancake, and cooked for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then I transferred to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil, and served with fresh cilantro and chili oil with fermented black beans.


Liangban tofu, or Szechuan-style cold tofu

Ingredients

  • 1 box of extra-firm or smoked tofu (extra-firm tofu works best for this recipe, but smoked tofu like this is even better)

  • 2 scallions, finely chopped

  • 2-3 cilantro stems, finely chopped

  • 1 handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2 tbsp black vinegar (I use this brand)

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes, or desired shape and size.

  2. Mix all of the sauces and seasonings together in a small bowl, and let sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to marinate.

  3. Pour sauce over the tofu cubes and mix well, until all pieces are coated. Serve immediately, or let marinate in the fridge for up to 1 hour.

  4. Serve cold, and garnish with additional cilantro leaves, scallions, and red pepper flakes if desired.


Steamed kabocha with vinegar-sesame dressing

Kabocha is one of my favorite things to eat, and my favorite way to eat it is very simply. No formal recipe needed here - I just remove the seeds, chop the pumpkin into thin slices, and then place it in a steamer basket over some boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until soft. I serve the steamed kabocha with a dipping sauce of black vinegar with a few drops of sesame oil, which imparts a tremendous amount of flavor.

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao

One of my very favorite places to eat in New York City is Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Flushing, Queens. I was introduced to this place a few years ago by my boyfriend's parents, and we go fairly regularly when they come to visit (a big perk of living in Astoria is its proximity to Flushing).

Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is a popular Shanghainese restaurant downtown, where the service is fast, prices are cheap, and all food is delicious. It's so popular that you will almost definitely have to wait to be seated, but not very long, since - like I said - service is fast, and tables turn over very quickly. From my biased perspective, however, one of the biggest positives about this place is how vegan-friendly it is - there are a ton of distinct options on the menu, ranging from cold appetizers, to their famous dumplings, to noodles, and beyond. My favorite meals are those that allow me to eat the biggest variety of foods, and for that reason, Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao holds a dear place in my heart.

Shanghainese Chinese food is also one of my favorite cuisines in general. As I understand it, Shanghainese vegetable dishes emphasize the quality of raw ingredients, dressing them simply and flavorfully with condiments (such as dark chinkiang vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce) and garnishes (surpluses of garlic, scallions, and cilantro). These principles align with my own preferences - I like simple food that is easy to prepare, but still imparts a ton of flavor. I am no expert, but I am always learning more, and I am also fortunate to receive informal cooking lessons from my boyfriend's mom, who grew up eating and cooking these dishes. Thanks to her, I have incorporated a number of popular dishes into my repertoire, and I find myself making a family-style Shanghainese meal at least once a week, and sometimes more.

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More on my homemade Chinese dinners another time, and back to Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao. Like all authentic restaurants in New York City, they don't have a menu online, so I am using a Yelp user's photo as reference. With that said, below is a list of my favorite vegan options available. I've included menu prices to vouch for the affordability, too.

  • Sweet soy milk: this might not sound that exciting, but it is 100% the freshest soy milk you will probably ever taste, and you can also ordered a piece of deep fried dough (aka "oil stick") to dip in the warm milk. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast and it is delicious. $1.50.
  • Scallion pancake: every time I order a scallion pancake, I have a very hard time believing that it is vegan, but it - most usually - is. Fried, flaky, and full of flavor, I absolutely love these. They are even better when dipped in the tabletop ginger-vinegar sauce. $3.50.
  • Steamed vegetable dumplings (pictured): I have tried a lot of vegetable dumplings in my life and I need you to know that these are, hands down, the best. 6 for $5.50.
  • Fried bean gluten (pictured): what most people know as seitan, this rendition comes in a slightly sweet, super savory sauce, accompanied by black mushrooms and bamboo. It is criminally delicious. $5.95.
  • Cucumber and garlic (pictured): pickled to perfection, this is a staple cold dish. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao's version is particularly garlicky though, and thus, particularly good. $4.50.
  • Shredded potato salad: Shredded potato sautéed in vinegar, salt, and sugar. This is a must-try if it isn't something you've had before (it is a staple of mine now!)
  • Black fungus: aka wood ear mushrooms, aka cloud ear mushrooms, aka one of my favorite Chinese ingredients. They come dried, and when soaked overnight or boiled, they expand and take on a very distinct, chewy texture. $4.95.
  • Bean curd and cilantro (pictured): thinly sliced dried bean curd, dressed in - I believe - sesame oil and garnished with cilantro. The epitome of simplicity and flavor mentioned above! $4.75.
  • Spicy bamboo shoot (pictured): I am not usually a fan of bamboo shoot, but after enjoying this version as much as I have, I am beginning to suspect that it is difficult to prepare well and Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao has it down pat. $4.75.

There are also fried noodles available, rice cake dishes, and vegetable soups. But again, I just prefer to build my meals out of endless side dishes (does anybody else do this?), so I tend to stick to the appetizers - and I highly recommend doing the same here, so you can try a variety of dishes.

In conclusion, if you live in New York, I hope you'll consider taking a day trip to Flushing sometime to try Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, or another Chinese restaurant. If you don't live in New York, definitely consider trekking out to Flushing when you next visit - the food is seriously not to miss. And lastly, if you are interested in hearing more about my foray into Chinese cooking, please do let me know in a comment below. I have been considering transcribing some of her recipes that I use, and it might be a good excuse to finally do that! I am also considering a list on pantry staples and my favorite produce for Asian cooking, if that sounds of interest.