Recipe: Sour Green Apple Kanten with Amasake Cream

We serve good quality sweets two nights a week at the Kushi Institute, Tuesdays and Fridays. So if you are thinking of stopping by to check out our campus and join us for a meal those are definitely the days to come. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance. This ensures you get your piece of the pie so to speak! Call (800) 975-8744 to make your reservation. 

This delicious recipe is courtesy of Anna Rosa Oriat Aeschlimann, one of our lovely volunteers. She has a natural talent for making the most amazing vegan and sugar-free desserts. Not only are they delectable, they are also incredibly beautiful. It's amazing what she can do with white beans and turnips or sesame seeds and carrots. It's absolutely magical. You would never guess that her rich and decadent desserts are actually good for you! If we are lucky this will be one of many more delicious recipes to come! And if you are super lucky, you'll join us on an evening when Anna has prepared dessert! 

Sour Green Apple Kanten with Amasake Cream

Serves 5

Sour Green Apple Kanten
Ingredients

2 cups organic apple juice

2 tablespoons agar agar flakes

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup

1/2 cup sour green apple, thinly sliced

1/16 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure

1. Measure out the rice syrup and place the measuring spoon in the pot you’ll be using, letting the handle rest on the sides of the pot. This way the rice syrup drips down as you set everything else up. Rice syrup is sticky, so this step saves you time and a mess.

2. Pour the apple juice in the pot, add the salt, stir in the agar flakes with a whisk and let soak for 10 minutes. Soaking the flakes isn’t absolutely necessary, but it helps them dissolve more easily.

In the meantime cut the apples. The size you cut the apples will determine the amount of time they need to cook for. One way to cut the apples for a nice presentation is to cut them into quarters and take out the seeds. Cut each quarter into four slices length-wise, then cut each slice into thin pieces. Place the cut apples in a bowl with enough water to cover and add a pinch of sea salt. This prevents the apples from oxidizing so they maintain their color.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stirring prevents the flakes from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. Simmer for 5 minutes if you’ve soaked the flakes, and 15 minutes if you haven’t soaked them, stirring occasionally. Stirring prevents the agar flakes from forming a film on the apple juice and helps the flakes dissolve. Be sure to simmer the flakes for the indicated amount of time. Otherwise, the flakes won’t dissolve in the liquid and the kanten won’t set.

4. Bring the mixture back to a boil, add the apples, and simmer for 1-3 minutes, depending on how well-cooked you would like the apples to be.

5. Pour into individual dessert cups and let the kanten set for 40 minutes inside or 2 hours outside of the fridge.

Amasake Cream

Ingredients

1 cup amasake

1.5 teaspoons agar agar powder

¼ teaspoon umeboshi vinegar

Procedure

1. Pour the amasake in a pot and add the umeboshi vinegar.

2. Gently sprinkle in the agar powder gradually and stir with a whisk as you go, waiting until all of the powder has been incorporated into the mixture before adding more. If you add the agar powder all at once, it will stick together in little lumps which won’t dissolve.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium flame while stirring constantly. Stirring prevents the agar powder from lumping. Simmer for 1 minute.

4. Pour into a bowl and set for 40 minutes inside the fridge.

5. Puree the amasake cream in a blender until smooth. Because the cream is quite hard, residue may collect on the sides of the blender. In this case pause the blender, scrape the sides with a rubber spatula, and blend again. It may be necessary to repeat this step several times.

6. You should now have a cream that is thick enough to put in a pastry bag and pipe over the kanten. Be sure to wait until the kanten has completely set before piping the amasake cream over it. If you try to pipe it sooner, the kanten will collapse under the weight of the cream.

7. Decorate the dessert in any way you like. A few thin slices of fresh green apple or lemon, small flowers, or a few roasted nuts or seeds all make nice garnishes.

© 2015 Anna Rosa Oriat Aeschlimann

Some of these ingredients may be unfamiliar to some of you, so we've provided definitions below. Many of these healthful items are available through our online shop: www.kushistore.com or through your local health foods store. To learn more about the benefits of these products and many others join us for our Way to Health programs. Visit www.kushiinstitute.org for more info. 

Agar-Agar is a sea vegetable that has the ability to set liquids, so it's a great replacement for gelatin. It comes in the form of flakes and powder. The powder has around 4 times the gelling power of the flakes, so if you're substituting one for the other, be sure to adjust accordingly. 

Amasake is a sweet and delicious beverage made from fermented grains, usually from sweet brown rice. Its creamy texture is perfect for desserts. 

Brown Rice Syrup is a thick sweet syrup made from brown rice. It's a healthy alternative to most sweeteners. 

Umeboshi Vinegar is the brine that is left over from pickling umeboshi plums, a traditional pickled plum in Japan. It's often used as a seasoning in soups and salad dressings or to pickle vegetables.

What is a macrobiotic consultation? And how will it benefit you?

Interested in a Macrobiotic Consultation? It's the perfect opportunity to discover what's really going on inside your body and how it's effecting the outside. Whether you are working on a health condition or trying to avoid one, it's a unique educational experience, and an important step toward true health and healing! 

Here's a list of frequently asked questions to review. If you have any additional questions not covered here, please contact us at (800) 975-8744 or email us at programs@kushiinstitute.org. Our counselors have over 80 years of combined experience. Through advance visual diagnosis and a detailed health questionnaire they will be able to provide recommendations specifically for you and your unique condition and needs.  

Q. What is a macrobiotic consultation?

A. It is a private session with a Kushi Institute certified macrobiotic teacher/counselor who advises and guides you toward greater health and happiness. The session takes about 60 to 90 minutes and includes personalized dietary recommendations, environmental adjustments, way of life suggestions, and medicinal drinks and home remedies suited to your individual condition and unique needs. 

Q. Who needs a consultation?

A. Whether you are new to macrobiotics or an experienced practitioner, you will benefit from a consultation. While self-healing is encouraged, it is important to get periodic advice and guidance from an experienced practitioner.  Our counselors are experienced in the art of visual diagnosis and are trained to see imbalances in organs, functions, and systems long before they develop into serious symptoms. They are also experienced cooks and are familiar with the Ki—or life energy—of foods and their effects on mind, body, and spirit.

Q. How do I prepare for the consultation?

A. After booking an appointment, you will receive a written form to fill out and email or mail back with your dietary and medical history. Please return this prior to the session. You will receive a special 49-page counseling booklet when you meet with the counselor, including recipes for special drinks or dishes. But during the session, your counselor comprehensively will go over your individual condition and make specific guidelines, so please bring a pen and notebook to take auxiliary notes.

Q. What are the qualifications of K.I. counselors?

A. K.I. counselors have all trained directly with Michio Kushi and have been certified by him or by senior teachers and counselors in macrobiotic philosophy, healthcare, diagnosis, and cooking. They have undergone many years of rigorous training, including apprenticing with Michio or other senior teachers and counselors, and advised hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of clients. 

Q. What about medical advice?

A. Macrobiotic counselors are not physicians. For medical advice, it is best to consult a doctor or healthcare professional. Macrobiotics is not opposed to medical treatment, and counselors often work together with doctors and other healthcare providers to ensure optimal care.

Q. Can I bring a family member or friend to the session?

A. Yes. Bringing someone close to you is encouraged, especially if he or she will be helping with cooking and other home cares.

Q. How much does it cost?

A. Sessions are $325 for an individual and $550 for a couple in person or over the phone. Consultations are also available on a limited bases via Skype for $375. 

Q. What if I have questions after the session? Is there follow up?

A. You may contact your counselor after the session with follow up questions by phone or email. There is no additional charge for the first 15 to 20 minutes’ of further guidance. Beyond that, you may be charged additional fee. In general, a follow up consultation, especially for a serious condition, is recommended after 4 to 6 months to comprehensively review your condition and practice.

Q. If I can’t come to the K.I., can I have a consultation by phone?

A. K.I. consultations may also be arranged online via Skype, by telephone, or by mail. For phone or mail sessions, you will need to send or email a recent facial photograph in color that can be used for diagnosis. In some cases, pictures of your hands and feet may also be requested. Please contact the K.I. office for details.

Q. Are there any recommended books I should get?

A. Aveline Kushi’s Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking (Time-Warner Books) is the standard cookbook. Depending on your condition, The Cancer-Prevention Diet (St. Martin’s Press), Diet for a Strong Heart (St. Martin’s Press), and The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health (Ballantine Books), all written by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack, may also be very helpful. These books are available from the Kushi Store, as well as many bookstores and online merchants.

Q. Where can I get the special foods recommended by my counselor?

A. Macrobiotic quality foods, including most whole grains, beans, and fresh organic produce, are widely available across the country in natural foods stores, as well as in Whole Foods Markets and other large chains. In terms of brands, Mitoku, a Japanese macrobiotic company, produces the highest quality specialty foods from the Far East. Eden Foods, the largest macrobiotic manufacturer in the United States, markets many foods grown and produced in the U.S. and Canada. In your session, your counselor will likely advise sea vegetables, dried vegetables, seasonings, condiments, and other foods that are difficult to find in ordinary outlets. These products, as well as a complete selection of the highest quality whole grains, beans, sugar-free snacks, and other foods you will need, are available from the Kushi Store and Mail order department and can be sent by UPS to you within several days.

Q. Macrobiotics helped me tremendously. I would like to share it with others and train to become a macrobiotic counselor myself. How do I proceed?

A. Many K.I. teachers and counselors were originally clients or students who healed themselves with macrobiotics. They were so inspired that they went on to professional careers as macrobiotic teachers, counselors, and chefs. They enrolled in the K.I. Leadership Training Program, a comprehensive program of three residential levels that each last one month and include professional training in cooking, healthcare, diagnosis, philosophy, and shiatsu massage. Graduates may then take Level 4, the Advanced Certification Program. Level 4 consists of six one-week sessions, including training in giving consultations and homework assignments in between sessions that involve giving cooking classes, lectures, and consultations that are reviewed by senior faculty. For further information, please contact the K.I. Program Department.

Macrobiotic teaching/counseling/cooking is an extremely rewarding career. Every day you will find satisfaction in helping to guide others with pure natural foods, holistic teachings, and respect for all cultures, religions, and traditions. Kushi Institute graduates and certified teachers/counselors are not just healers or chefs, though that is important. They are teachers of life who help guide people toward greater well-being, happiness, and realization of their deepest dreams and aspirations.

Visit www.kushiinstitute.org for more info.