Welcome to our first episode of Nada at Home!
We’ve selected members of our community to participate in the Mystery Box Challenge where we send a box of goods to be transformed into a healthy recipe in an effort to showcase how delicious package-free ingredients can be! Through this series, our aim is to inspire our broader community & shed light on the local suppliers we source from.
For our first episode, we featured one of our own: Laura, Nada’s Sourcing Coordinator!
Laura was lucky enough to grow up in a very “foodie” household which shaped her interests & values as she grew older. She began to realize how much food affects everyone on a daily basis and how inextricably tied it is to many societal issues. As she learned more about the complexities and flaws within our food system, her passion for food continued to grow.
Laura believes that sourcing locally is key to changing the way society thinks about food as it affects so many components of sustainable living; goods don’t need to be shipped as far and thus less packaging is required. Local foods are often seasonal and growing seasonally doesn’t call for as many harmful pollutants to aid in the growing process. Laura is also passionate about shopping seasonally as it forces people to recognize that not everything we consume is always readily available- an incredibly important lesson to learn in her eyes.
In the kitchen, Laura loves the creativity that accompanies working with raw ingredients and unprocessed foods as it allows her to create anything she wants and proves that delicious food does not have to be complicated.
We’re so thankful to have Laura as our first feature. Read on to learn more about her at-home creation!
Ingredients
Laura loves to cook, so we knew she would be up to take on the Mystery Box Challenge. So let’s start with what was in the box to see where things go;- Ramen Noodles from Workshop Vegetarian Cafe
- Soy Tempeh from Tempeh Natural Foods
- Sweet Potatoes from Discovery Organics
- Portobello Mushrooms from Discovery Organics
Recipe
The final product resulted in a Portobello Mushroom Ramen with Crispy Tempeh. It’s super interesting to see how Laura utilized raw ingredients to make something original and asian-inspired. A zero waste tip courtesy of Laura;
“Rethink what’s normal. Things we have become accustomed to (like putting veggies in plastic bags) may seem normal, but there are ways to do things more sustainably.”
Now for more information about the recipe. Bon Appétit!
Portobello Mushroom Ramen with Crispy Tempeh
Serves 4Broth Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups veggie stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup portobello mushrooms, diced
- ⅛ cup mirin (or rice vinegar)
- 1-2 tbsp white miso paste
- Pepper, to taste
- For spice, add sriracha to taste, or hot chili oil
Other Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 4 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups spinach, chopped finely
- 8 oz tempeh
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
Pre-heat oven to 400°F
Instructions
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Over medium high heat, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil until tender - about 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium, add the garlic and continue to cook onions until they are caramelized. Add the veggie stock, water, and portobellos. Bring to a simmer.
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Simmer for 25-30 minutes uncovered on medium heat. Add miso, and pepper to taste. Adjust salt to your liking (feel free to add salt, soy or more miso).
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Wait 10 minutes to cool and then blend in batches. Add more water until desired consistency is reached.
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Cook 4 squares Workshop Vegetarian Cafe Ramen noodles for 3-4 minutes in boiling water and then drain.
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Chop sweet potato and zucchini and combine with sweet paprika, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tsp ginger and olive oil.
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Marinate tempeh in soy sauce, honey, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tsp ginger.
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Roast sweet potato, zucchini, and tempeh at 400°F for 30 min.
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Add roasted veggies, tempeh, raw spinach, and noodles to a bowl and pour in broth.
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Top with sesame seeds, seaweed and sriracha (if you want)!
And there you have it, package-free Portobello Mushroom Ramen with Crispy Tempeh based from raw ingredients.
Zero Waste Cooking Tips
Integrating zero waste practices into your cooking routine can be intimidating, but we have found that adding simple steps little by little can be an effective strategy. Check out some tips to bring into your kitchen at home!
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Food waste is a large source of carbon emissions in the life cycle of food. Creating an at-home compost is a great way to reduce the amount of food scraps and food waste that your produce while cooking. A tip is to keep your compost in the freezer so it doesn't continue to rot and produce strong smells.
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In conventional grocery stores, “imperfect” foods like deformed veggies are thrown away and not put on the shelves to be sold. Using "imperfect" produce is another way to lower food waste in the kitchen. It also adds an extra challenge of creating something beautiful out of damaged produce!
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Store produce properly to avoid spoilage! Put herbs in glasses of water, wrap veggies in damp produce bags or a tea towel to keep them fresh, and separate bananas from other fruit to prevent over-ripening.
