Daikon Radish Salad with Coconut (Koshimbir)

Hello! This post features daikon radish that we harvested yesterday at Muir Ranch. The radish is a bit smaller than usually found in the store, but tastes so yummy. It’s funny that one is spicier than the other. When shopping for daikon, look for firm specimens that aren’t too big – stick to less than 12″. I like to see some leaves growing on the end (these can be cooked too – I’ll try to post some recipes for these later) but it’s not necessary. If you do have greens growing on the end, trim them when you get home if you won’t be using the radish in the next day or two. This will keep the radish fresh longer. This goes for beets and carrots too.

The recipe here is based on a the Radish Koshimbir recipe from Rasachandrika, a wonderful and unique Konkani Indian cookbook. I tweaked it a bit by leaving out the typical green chilis and adding cilantro. Koshimbir is made with many other veggies such as carrots, beets and cabbage. Give it a try on a hot day, it’s refreshing!

Daikon Radish Salad with Coconut (Koshimbir)

1 medium daikon radish (about 1 cup shredded)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup coconut (fresh-frozen or desiccated)
salt to taste
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 tsp coconut oil (or other oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds

Wash and trim the tip of the radish. Peel the radish and grate into a bowl. Toss in the cilantro, coconut, salt and lemon and stir well. Set aside. Heat the coconut oil in the small pan over medium. When hot, add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, turn off the heat and immediately pour over the salad.

 

Tempeh and Portabella Salad Sandwich

Hello- Super quick post today for a super quick but so delicious sandwich. This is my second post in a row on tempeh. Well, I had a half package leftover from a few days ago that I need to use. If you aren’t familiar with tempeh, you should really check it out. It’s high-protein, inexpensive and being a soy product, pretty much takes on the flavors that you add to it. Trader Joe’s has their own version of it that I highly recommend.

I had some nice local sourdough bread at home so a sandwich was calling my name. Though I’m not a big mayo fan, I used Vegenaise which is a vegan mayo substitute. This was used to bind the tempeh and mushroom mixture and doesn’t really enhance the taste much. If you don’t have it, you could puree some silken tofu with a bit of lemon juice and salt or even use mustard instead. You can change up the bread as you like.

Tempeh and Portabella Salad Sandwich

1/2 package tempeh (any kind)
1 large portabella mushroom, sliced thinly
1/2 medium size onion, sliced
2 tsp oil
1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning or other seasoning of your choice
pinch of dried oregano
salt to taste
1 tbsp Vegenaise or other binder
4 lettuce leaves
2 slices of sourdough bread
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Chop the tempeh into small chunks or crumble it with your hands and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat and add oil when it gets hot. Add the mushroom pieces and onions and stir occasionally, allowing them to cook until almost done. Then add the tempeh pieces, garlic, seasoning, oregano and salt and a bit more oil if necessary. Allow to cook until the mushroom and onions are starting to brown and cook through. The tempeh doesn’t have to “cook” but you want to get it starting to brown. When it’s done cooking, remove the mixture to a bowl to cool for a few minutes.

While waiting for the mixture to cool, toast your bread. When it comes out, slather with mustard and put on a plate. Tear some lettuce leaves and place on both pieces of bread. Now go back to the tempeh mix – add the vegenaise and mix well. Taste for seasoning and put on top of your lettuce/toast. Place the pieces together and enjoy!