Long before everything was blogged, print ruled
the sentences. Here’s the culinary history of Avanti & the musing of
Chef Mark Cleveland in culinary fun stuff from before any #face had been
#book-ed
Whole Life Times, June ‘99
Root Vegetables & Multigrains Nurture The Body & Soul
As the weather heats up, it’s a great time to invigorate the body and strengthen the immune system with this light and satisfying soup of root vegetables and sun-dried tomato and multigrain wontons.
In addition to the energy powerhouses of roots, this soup allows us to incorporate a selection of herbal teas to target any specific health hot spots. We all know about the healing properties of herbal teas. New information seems to come out daily. And yet who has the time or the desire to drink cup after cup of grassey flavored tea. Here we put them to good use providing background flavor and healthful properties all in a single bowl of richly flavored soup!
With this soup and these wontons we celebrate the many stimulating root vegetables that Mother Earth nurtures for us under the soil; the healthful herbs that she offers for our healing; the nutritious grains that she created to sustain us; and her partnership with the sun to energize and give us life. Create and enjoy!
To round out the meal serve a side of roasted tofu to complete the protein strand and a tossed green with a living miso and citrus dressing to tickle your intestines.
If you whip up all of these creations on one day, you may have enough for several days of lunch and dinner treats. Left over tofu and salad (wash and dry your greens, but only dress enough for each day’s salad) make a great pita sandwich. And believe it or not, the root soup is an energizing way to break the fast in the morning!
Herbal Soup w/ Root Veggies
Recipe By: Mark
Cleveland
Serving Size: 10
Preparation Time: 1:00
Categories: Soups
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
2 whole leeks
1 small daikon
1 small jicama
1 whole rutabaga
1 whole turnip
2 small lotus
roots
1 medium parsnip
2 medium onions
2 whole carrots
3 inches ginger to
taste
1 gallon water
7 herbal
tea bags vary
type & number
1 cup sherry
3 tablespoons miso your
chosen flavor
2 oranges juiced
Add all ingredients except miso to cold water. Bring to a simmer. Mix miso with 1/2 cup water and set
aside. When soup begins to boil
and veggies begin to get tender add tea bags and simmer until veggies are done. Remove tea bags and serve.
—————
Notes: Today
we used Burdock Root, Horsetail Grass, Dandelion Leaf, Passion Flower,
Fenugreek, Ginger-Peppermint & Cornsilk tea
Per serving: 120 Calories; 1g Fat (6% calories from
fat); 3g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 234mg Sodium
Sun-Dried Tomato & Multi-Grain Won Tons
Recipe By: Mark
Cleveland
Serving Size: 20
Preparation Time: 1:00
Categories: Gyoza
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
6 ounces sun-dried
tomatoes minced
3 cups brown
and wild rice cooked
2 cups rye
berries "
2 cups quinoa "
2 cups millet "
5 whole shallot minced
& sautéd w/
2 tablespoons pure
olive oil and
1/3 cup shaoshing
wine or
sherry
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons red
miso
1/2 cup toasted
sesame seeds
black
pepper
2 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
2 packages won-ton
wrappers
Saute shallot in oil til soft, then add shaoshing wine
or sherry. When slightly
carmelized and golden add garlic
and saute just until garlic is fragrant (about three minutes). Mix all ingredients together. Prepare wontons by spooning scant
teaspoon full of filling into wonton skin. Wet edges of skin and seal attractively. Boil wontons in salted water for 3 to 5
minutes until tender and hot.
Serve four or five wontons in a bowl topped with Root Vegetable
Soup.
—————
Notes: I
usually cook all the grains separately.
But you can cook them all together -- they will be a little softer that
way. I also cook the millet and
quinoa in a mixture of the soaking liquid from the sun-dried tomatoes.
Per serving: 297 Calories; 7g Fat (21% calories from
fat); 10g Protein; 50g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 382mg Sodium
Basic Roasted Tofu
Recipe By: Mark
Cleveland
Serving Size: 16
Preparation Time: 1:00
Categories: tofu
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
1 pound extra
firm tofu
1 pound firm
tofu
1 whole onion minced
1 head garlic "
5 inches ginger "
2 whole jalapeno "
3 bunches fresh
herbs "
3 cups vegetable
broth
1 cup sake,
sherry or wine
3 tablespoons miso
1 tablespoon sesame
oil
2 tablespoons olive
oil
wisk together oils, sake and miso. Add veggies and broth and stir. Slice tofu and layer in a rectangular
baking pan. Pour marinade over
tofu. Bake at 375 for 30 mins or
until liquid has reduced by at least half. Cool and transfer to serving platter or storage
contianer. Top with remaining sauce.
—————
Per serving: 174 Calories; 9g Fat (46% calories from
fat); 11g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 243mg Sodium
Miso mustard citrus dressing
Recipe By: Mark
Cleveland
Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 0:30
Categories: Dressings
Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation
Method
2 tablespoons white
miso
2 tablespoons mustard
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons chives "
3 whole nasturtium
leaves "
1 tablespoon chopped
fresh thyme or
other herbs
sea
salt
black
pepper
3 whole oranges juiced
1 whole lemon "
2 whole limes "
2 tablespoons olive
oil
Blend miso with citrus juice. Pour all remaining ingredients into jar with a tight fitting
lid. Shake well. Adjust seasonings. Enjoy over salad, steamed or raw
veggies. Also great over cold
cooked beans or with pasta salad.
The possibilities are endless!
—————
Notes: There
is no reason that dressings must have 60% oil. This one should enlighten even the most severe French chef.
Per serving: 71 Calories; 4g Fat (43% calories from
fat); 2g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 210mg Sodium
Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win
Situation!
Eat, Live & Party Well
Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland
Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic,
sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.
Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary
philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful
eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.
Our successful restaurant Avanti Café was located on
17th St in Costa Mesa from 2005 through 2014. Follow us on social media to see what
is new and in store for Avanti in our culinary futures.
At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to
sacrifice taste to eat healthy; you can Eat Well & Live Well
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This eggs anytime meal is resplendent w/ Meyer Lemon Shoyu Butter. Creamy from the butter, tart from the citrus and loaded w/ shoyu umami. Wilted organic romaine, coconut & corn tofu, pineapple sage blossoms. And it all came together in less that 15 mins.
You'll add flavor quick as can be to any dish that starts w/ vegetables. Sprouted garbanzos and romesco cauliflower, simmered in the garbanzo bean broth and garnished with a teaspoon of Meyer Lemon Shoyu Butter. That's all it takes for a scumptious dish. 
