Nishime With Beets!

I love love LOVE beets.  (And they are supergood for me...and you!)

Here are a couple unfortunates attached to them:

1. They stain your hands.
2. They are almost always served with dairy.

So, I make it a point to make them at home whenever I'm feeling up to the scrubbing that comes along with the preparation.  I have a couple really yummy recipes for them (including roasted ones and borcht'ed ones), but I think this one may be the most healthy and totally delicious.

Here's how I did them:

Ingredients:

2 large onions cut into large chunks

4 medium beets cut into large chunks

1 daikon cut into large chunks

1 piece of kombu (apx 2-3")

Shoyu

2 tablespoons Miso (I used barley, but you can use whatever you like)

1 tablespoon Kuzu Root (if you don't have any or can't find it, use any starch like potato or corn)

1. In a large sauce pan place the kombu.
2. Layer on top in the following order: onion, daikon, beets.
3. Fill the pan with apx 1" in of water.
4. Bring to a boil on high heat.
5. Lower to a rolling simmer and cover the pan.
6. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the cooking liquid is reduced by half.
7. Add the shoyu (do this to taste, I like my food relatively salty, so I am generous with it).
8. Cook for another 5 minutes.
9. Remove the veggies into a serving bowl.
10. With the liquid still in the pan add the miso and dissolve over extremely low heat (you never want to boil miso).
11. Add the kuzu root and mix until the liquid begins to thicken.
12. Pour the mixture over the veggies and serve.