When lightly cooked, watercress, a normally spicy green, takes on a buttery, almost nutty flavor. It is full of nutrients and a delicious part of this super-easy macrobiotic dish. Carrots add sweetness, and the umeboshi-sesame dressing adds a hint of saltiness and tartness to balance everything out. Delicious.

Quickly Boiled Watercress and Carrots

What you need:

1 carrot, thinly sliced on a diagonal

2 bunches of watercress

water

What you need to do:

Place 1 inch of water in a pot and bring to a boil.

Cook carrots for 50-60 seconds.

Use a slotted spoon to remove carrots, leaving the water in the pot.

Drain Carrots in a colander.

Simmer watercress for 50 seconds, stirring or mixing quickly to cook evenly.

Remove watercress, drain, and place on cutting board.

Slice into 2-inch pieces.

Mix carrots and watercress in a serving bowl.

Serve with Umeboshi-Sesame Dressing.

Umeboshi-Sesame Dressing

1/2 cup roasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup umeboshi vinegar

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped scallions

What you need to do:

Place roasted sesame seeds in suribachi (you can also use a bowl and spoon or even better a coffee grinder – but use for just a moment, you don’t want to turn the seeds to powder!) and grind until half crushed.

Add vinegar, water, and scallions.  Grind for 1-2 minutes.

Adapted from The Macrobiotic Way by Michio Kushi, Avery Publishing Group.

Try this recipe and then come back and let us know what you think!

Tags: boil, bunches, carrot, coffee grinder, colander, cook carrots, cup water, cutting board, inch pieces, Macrobiotic, mix carrots, pot, sesame seeds, spoon, suribachi, vinegar water, watercress