Liv's BBQ Sauce

Recipe Notes

Prep 10-15 minutes

Yield 4-6 servings

Barbecue Sauces are sweet, sour, tangy. But the best ones have the mysterious, indescribable laser beam of umami. The source of that is our excellent soy sauce. Our BBQ sauce unabashedly sings “UMAMI” and is built on an un-shy amount of the LCE Delicate or Finishing Soy.

Use this as a mopping sauce on whatever you barbecue or grill. Make sure you do it on low heat or the sugars will burn.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy or Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy

• 1/2 cup Cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar

• 1 1/2 cups Roasted peeled tomatoes

• 1/4 cup Canned chipotle chiles

• 1 t Garlic, minced

• 1 t Shallot, minced

Preparation

1. Place ingredients in jar of blender and process until smooth

2. Pour into saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Cool before using, or store in refrigerator.

All-Purpose Umami Grill (AUG )Sauce

Recipe Notes

Prep 2-3 minutes

Yield 4-6 servings

The Liv Cook Eat black bean soy sauces are perfectly blended to be served just poured out of the bottle. It’s Umami unloaded! But with just 3 more ingredients, it can become the BBQ alternative for anything: proteins, vegetables and starches. Think of this as your universal teriyaki sauce. I love calling it the “AUG” sauce—it AUGments everything.

To grill vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, or potatoes, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and toss together. Grill on medium-low

Ingredients

• 4 T Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy or Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy

• 1-2 T Cider vinegar or rice vinegar

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 T maple or agave syrup

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in small bowl. Stir together.

2. Combine with chicken, ribs or fish or vegetables (potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots) and marinate for 2-4 hours.

Steak Sauce

Recipe Notes

Prep 2-3 minutes

Yield 4-6 servings

The Liv Cook Eat black bean soy sauces are perfectly blended to be poured just as—straight out of the bottle—on steaks, sashimi and sushi, rice, roast chicken, and just about anything you’d like to accentuate with flavor. It’s Umami unloaded! But if you hanker for something that’s reminiscent of–and better than–Steak Sauce or Worcestershire sauce, try this easy, 2-minute preparation.

If you’d like to tone down the spicy tingle of  this recipe, use less Sriracha.

Ingredients

• 4 T Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy Sauce

• 2 T Sriracha Hot Sauce, Shark brand preferred

• 1 t Fish Sauce (optional)

• Pinch grated ginger

Preparation

1. Place first three ingredients in small bowl and stir.

2. Add ginger

All Purpose Dipping Sauce

Recipe Notes

Prep 2-3 minutes

Yield 4-6 servings

The Liv Cook Eat black bean soy sauces are perfectly blended to be poured just as—-straight out of the bottle—-it’s pure umami! But it’s always good to have a dipping sauce on hand for things such as dumplings and egg rolls. This one is based on our Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy.

This all-purpose dipping sauce is also great when drizzled on hand-held foods such as tacos, gyros. Just a tiny drizzle along with salsa or yogurt sauce will give that flavor boost, with no hint of soy sauce–Just umami.

Ingredients

• 4 T Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy Sauce

• 1-2 T Rice Vinegar

• 1 t Sriracha or other hot sauce

• 1 t Shredded ginger

Preparation

1. Place first three ingredients in small bowl and stir.

2. Add ginger

Lamb Shanks

Recipe Notes

45 minutes (prep), 3-4 hours slow-cooking

Serves 4 as a main dish

Lamb shanks are the perfect braising cut–a balance of lean muscle and naturally  moist and healthy cartilage. This tender, umami- saturated stew (like boeuf Bourguignon or pot roast) will wow you. The soy sauce accentuates all the natural  flavors. When you taste this, you will automatically start adding the Liv Cook Eat Soy Sauces–and ultra umami to any stew. It naturally highlights tomatoes and red wine–you’ll  love this umami boost  in your Bolognese sauce. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons and any stew will just LIGHT UP.

*I prefer a homemade  mix of whole spices cooked in the braising liquid. Ground spices leave a bitter aftertaste and cloud up  the braising liquid; the umami factor shines through and the gravy becomes  translucent. The flavors and aroma of the whole spices are subtly brewed into the liquid. See recipe below.

Ingredients

• 4 (~400g) each lamb shanks

• 4 slices fresh ginger

• 2 scallions

• 1 1/2 cups Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy Sauce

• 2 T sherry

• Water to cover

• 2 t 5-spice powder or whole spice mix*

• 1/2 cup each minced carrot and celery

• 1 cup minced onion

• 2 T olive oil

• 2 cups red wine

• 1 can (2 cups) diced tomatoes

• Herb bundle (1 sprig ea. of thyme, parsley + 1-2 bay leaves)

• 1/4 cup parsley or scallions, minced
  

Preparation

1. In the bottom of a 2 ½ qt. porcelainized iron pot, bring soy, sherry, ginger and scallion to a boil. Add shanks 2 at a time and cook until the outside of the shanks are coated brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and repeat with 2 other shanks.

2. Return all shanks to pot. Add water to  cover, bring to a boil, add spice mix and simmer, with lid on, for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

3. As soon as lamb meat is just fork tender, gently remove shanks. Discard spice package, ginger and onions and skim off fat (you may refrigerate the gravy to congeal the fat so it is easily removable). Return shanks to gravy. The recipe may be  prepared a day ahead up to this point. Refrigerate the whole pot and you can easily take off the congealed fat on day 2. Then proceed to  step 4.

4. In a fry pan or wok, saute carrot, celery and onion in olive oil. Meanwhile, reheat the pot of shanks.

5. Add the vegetable saute, red wine and tomatoes and thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Cook, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

6. Remove herbs and lamb shanks.  On high heat, boil  the liquid until it is reduced to about 2 cups. Return the lamb shanks, cook on medium low,  and serve hot. 

7. Garnish with chopped parsley or green onions, if desired

* Recipe for whole spice mix: ½ stick cassia bark (or cinnamon), 2 star anise, 2 pieces Chinese dried tangerine peel, 4 cardamom pods, 1t dried Sichuan peppercorns, ½ t cumin, ½ t fennel seed, 1 large cardamom (optional). Place in large tea strainer or wrap in cheesecloth and place in braising liquid.

Umami Brownies (gluten free too)

Recipe Notes

15 minutes (prep), 25 minutes baking

Yield 16 brownies

The smokey, chocolate, bottom-of-the-barrel  notes of the Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy Sauce highlight chocolate desserts and unleash umami. This is a brownie with a long lasting  punch. You can substantially decrease sugar in desserts by tuning up umami.

I took this  GF brownie recipe from one of my favorite sites, recipetineats.com, and adapted it. I was able to reduce the sugar without any loss, and a gain in umami. You may use 85g almond flour (1 cup) instead of almonds.

Ingredients

• 1c/ 150g Bittersweet or dark chocolate chips (70% chocolate)

• 6T/ 85g Unsalted butter

• 85g Slivered or sliced almonds (or 85g almond flour)

• 1/4c / 25g Rice flour (scant 1/4c)

• 3/4c / 150 g Brown sugar

• 2t Liv Cook Eat Finishing Soy Sauce

• 1t vanilla

• 2 eggs
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

2. Place chocolate and butter in a 1-2 quart container and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until just smooth. Set aside.

3. Blend almonds and rice flour in food processor until just fine-grained, and not paste-y.

4. Add sugar, vanilla and soy sauce to chocolate mix. Stir in eggs. Add almond/rice flour mix. Stir until just incorporated.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until tester comes out almost clean. I like these brownies moist.

6. Allow to cool for 30 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. Best served slightly warm, or at room temperature.

Chocolate Mochi Cakes

Recipe Notes

20 minutes (prep), 60+ minutes baking

Serves 24

The Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy beautifully accentuates umami in these chewy, gooey mochi cakes. Umami reduces the need for sugar. I took a favorite  recipe, Dandelion Chocolate’s Mochi Muffins, and cut the sugar by 40%. No surprise,  the unparalleled flavor of Dandelion chocolate shines through while the white cake is umami-heightened by the subtle, light-colored soy. 

The texture of these cakes feel like comfort and whimsy, like mochi, and boba and like bubble gum! The optional raw cacao powder gives an extra chocolatey boost. 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (75g) extra virgin coconut oil, melted in microwave

• 4 cups (450g) sweet rice flour

• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 4 large eggs, room temperature

• 3 cups coconut water (or almond milk)

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 4t Liv Cook Eat Delicate Soy

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups (120-180g) Dandelion chef’s chocolate

• 1⁄4 cup Navitas raw cacao powder (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and center the oven rack.

2. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then stream in coconut oil, vanilla, soy and coconut water.

5. One cup at a time, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.

6. Stir the ground chocolate and cacao powder into the batter.

7. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, using about a scant 1⁄2 cup to fill each muffin.

8. Bake for 40 minutes.

9. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Enjoy immediately. Or store refrigerated. They freeze for up to three months, and can be defrosted and microwaved to warm. Comfort food - and with an umami punch.