Miso Soup - Serves 4

Adapted from SteamyKitchen.com and LemonThyme.com

10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 cups water
• 2 Tbsp Miso Paste**
• 1 sheet dried seaweed (Nori), cut up into 0.5" x 1" to 2" strips
• 2 Tbsp Scallions, chopped

**I used red miso, which turned out very dark but still tasted fine.  However, for the more traditional look, get 'white' miso or golden shinshu; you might find them in the refrigerated section of an Asian grocer).

Optional:

• Seafood stock boullion, or half a tub of Knorr Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup firm Tofu, cut into half-inch cubes
• 2 to 3 Shiitake Mushrooms, thinly sliced, or more if pre-dried
• Spinach or kale
• Carrot & Celery, pre-sauteed for 3-5 minutes
• Minced garlic

Directions:

1. Add water in a medium pot.  If you wish, add half the tub of the Knorr Chicken Stock as well; bring it all to a boil.  Turn heat to medium-low.  Add dried seaweed (or spinach or kale), and if desired, shiitake and tofu.
2. Spoon miso paste into a bowl.  Ladle about a half cup of the broth into the bowl and whisk it with the miso until it is a smooth mixture.
3. Turn off the heat, add the miso paste to the pot, stir well.  Taste the soup - if it needs more flavor, whisk in another tsp or so of the miso paste.
4. To serve, ladle into small bowls and top with the scallions.

Serving variation:
You'll need 2 cups of cooked rice or barley... or rice noodles.  Put into the bottom of the individual serving bowl.  Add a poached egg on top.  Ladle the miso soup over it all but allow part of the egg to rise above the level of the soup.  Top the egg with sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro.  Makes for a pretty dish!

Grains

Cooking Various Grains- Notes and Tips:

Quinoa
Rice cooker: 1 cup grain, 2 to 2.25 c water (rinse thoroughly!)


Rice: 
BROWN RICE in a rice cooker: After adding 2 scoops of rice into the cooker (using the cup accompanying the cooker), add water until it hits the "3" line.  After the cooker is finished, allow it to rest (lid closed) on WARM or unplugged for 5 to 10 minutes
BLACK RICE in a rice cooker: same as brown rice
WHITE RICE in a rice cooker: After adding 2 scoops rice into the cooker, add water until it hits the 2.5 line.


Cous Cous:
1 c grain to 1 c water
Favorite two methods:

• A) STOVETOP: In a pot, add appropriate amount of water and optional 1 tbsp butter/oil and a pinch of salt.  When it boils, add cous cous, but immediately remove from heat and cover with lid.  Let it stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with fork.
• B) KETTLE: Heat appropriate amount of water.  Meanwhile in a separate medium-sized bowl, add cous cous and optional 1 tbsp butter/oil and pinch of salt.  When the water boils, pour it into the bowl.  Seal the bowl immediately with plastic wrap or lid and let it stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with fork.

Farro:
1 c grain to 2 c water
Stovetop: Combine grain with water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 to 40 minutes, until grains are tender and have absorbed all of the liquid.

Barley: