Walnut Nori Rolls

Nori rolls are a great addition to summer picnics. These, made with a flavorful walnut paste, are delicious served plain, but are also excellent with a Tamari dipping sauce spiced with a dab of wasabi paste and some pickled ginger on the side. They are best eaten within a few hours of assembling as the nori wrapper becomes soft and chewy over time. Though some people I know like that part the best! This recipe was inspired by the amazing Walnut Nori Rolls at my favorite restaurant in Vancouver, BC—Eternal Abundance Café.

yield: 8 rolls  |  prep time: 15 minutes | assembly time: 35 minutes | resting time: 2 hours (optional)

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ingredients

Walnut Paste:

• ½ cup walnuts

• ¼ cup pecans

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

• ½ cup diced red bell pepper

• 1 stalk celery, diced

• 1 small carrot, diced

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 ½ tablespoons mellow white miso

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ¼ cup parsley or mint

Roll Fillings:

• 8 nori sheets

• 1 cup mixed sliced raw vegetables

• (carrots, peppers, cucumber, avocado, etc.)

• Sprouts, such as alfalfa or broccoli

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directions

1. For the Walnut Paste: In a medium bowl combine the walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Cover with filtered water and allow to soak at room temperature for about 2 hours to soften. Drain thoroughly. This step is optional but gives a smoother texture to the paste.

2. Transfer the nuts to a food processor and add the bell pepper, celery, carrot, nutritional yeast, miso, paprika and fresh herb. Blend thoroughly until the mixture becomes an even paste. Transfer to a bowl or refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

3. Toast nori sheets before assembling. Hold each sheet separately about 4-5 inches away from the heat source of a stovetop burner, turning the sheet and toasting it evenly.

4. To assemble, place a bamboo sushi mat on your work surface with the stitched lines vertical in relation to the front edge of your work surface.

   (In other words, so you can roll it from bottom to top when making the roll).

5. Place a toasted nori sheet on the mat, shiny side down. Spread a thin layer of walnut past on the nori, covering the entire surface evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch strip at the top uncovered.

6. Arrange slices of cucumber in a line across the roll about 1/4 up. Arrange other vegetables on either side and sprouts on top. Do not over fill.

7. Using the mat, roll the nori around the filling, pulling tightly to make a neat roll with the far edge down when you finish rolling.

8. Transfer to a cutting surface and cut into slices with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container, or better yet serve immediately.

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Miso Lemon Tofu with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

Lemon juice and zest give the tofu in this recipe a fresh lemony burst in flavor which is complimented by a touch of sweetness and a spicy cilantro sauce. The dish is simple to prepare, with steps that can be taken in advance or over the course of a couple of days if you only have 10 minutes to cook here and there. It’s excellent served piping hot or at room temperature as either an appetizer or main course.

yield: 6 servings  |  prep time: 20 minutes | cooking time: 15 minutes

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ingredients

• 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu

• 1/4 cup mellow white miso

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 heaping teaspoon lemon zest

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (split between tofu and sauce)

• 1/4 cup olive oil (split between tofu and sauce)

• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, tough stems trimmed and discarded

• 2-3 tablespoons water

• Salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Slice the tofu into 1-inch slices. Arrange on a clean kitchen towel and cover with half the towel then place a weighted board on top so the tofu drains for at least 20 minutes.

2. Combine the miso, lemon juice, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons maple syrup and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Add the drained tofu and toss to coat with marinade. May be prepared up to 24 hours in advance if refrigerated.

4. In a blender, combine 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, cilantro, and water and remaining maple syrup. Blend.

5. Season to taste with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. This sauce can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

6. When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet until hot but not smoking. Add the tofu and cook, tossing often, until it is crispy and browned. Serve with sauce alongside.

Mysore Style Beet Palya

Beets are one of those humble superfoods that go unnoticed amongst many food fashion trends, but are nutritionally powerful, full of Vitamin C, potassium, manganese as well as folate. They're a staple in South India which serves as inspiration for this dry stir fry--a Palya. The dish goes well with Western and Indian meals and you can add the chopped beet tops for more variety in texture and added nutritional value.

yield: 4 servings | prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 15 minutes

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ingredients:

• 1 pound beetroot

• 2 teaspoons urad dal (split peeled mung beans)

• Water

• 1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• One pinch of teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 dried red chili

• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut

directions: 

1. Rinse the urad dal. Place in a small dish and cover with water for a few minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

2. Trim tops from beets and either chop to use in this recipe or set aside for another use. Rinse the beets well and peel, then cut into small cubes. You should have about 4 cups of beets.

3. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium flame until hot, but not smoking. Stir in the mustard and cumin seeds then cook, stirring often, until mustard seeds have darkened and begin to pop. Add the drained urad dal, hing, turmeric and chili. Cook briefly to darken the chili.

4. Add the beets and salt to the pan and toss well. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium low, add enough water to come about 1/8 of the way up the beets. Stir in the coconut and cover.

5. Continue to cook until the beets are tender, About 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and adding more water if needed. Turn into a serving dish when all water has evaporated and beets are tender. Serve piping hot.

Chipotle Grilled Corn Medallions

Super simple, tasty and a very interesting way to serve corn on the cob. This recipe was inspired by corn served at Menla Mountain Retreat for dinner one evening this year during the “Yogis and the Buddha” retreat. I’ve recommended brushing the “medallions” with spicy chipotle butter, but just plain, unadorned medallions can be very tasty as well.

yield: 8-12 servings  |  prep time: 15 minutes  |  cooking time: 12 minutes

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ingredients

• 6 ears corn, husked

• 2 tablespoons tamari

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 4 tablespoons minced cilantro

• 4 tablespoons butter, oil or coconut butter

• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

• Powdered dried chipotle for dusting

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.

2. Cut the corn into ½-inch thick rounds and transfer to a shallow baking dish.

3. Combine the tamari, mirin, lime juice, cilantro, butter and salt in a small mixing bowl. Pour this mixture over the corn then turn the rounds of corn to coat evenly with the tamari mixture. Sprinkle a light dusting of chipotle powder over the medallions. The medallions may be prepared up to 3 hours in advance to this point if covered and refrigerated.

4. Place the corn in the preheated oven and cook until piping hot and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts

Instead of whole Brussels sprouts, in this recipe the leaves are separated out individually and then quickly pan seared with hazelnuts for added crunch. The recipe was inspired by a dish served at the urban style restaurant, Riffs on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

yield: 4-6 servings | prep time: 30 minutes | cooking time: 15 minutes

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ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts

• 2 scant tablespoons olive oil

• ½ cup finely diced white onion

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

directions

1. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. When heated, place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and toast, stirring the nuts frequently, until they are lightly browned to the core and skin has begun to separate. This will take about 10 minutes.

2. Immediately transfer nuts onto a clean kitchen towel laid out on the counter and wrap the towel around them. Using your hands, roll the nuts around in the towel and rub them to remove the skins. Discard the skins and roughly chop the nuts, then set aside.

3. Meanwhile, trim the stem ends off of the Brussels sprouts and using the tip of a sharp paring knife carve out the core of each. With your fingers, separate the leaves and place them in a strainer. Toss under cold running water to rinse well and set aside.

4. The nuts and Brussels sprouts can be prepared in advance, nuts kept at room temperature, Brussels sprouts covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

5. Just before serving, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and toss to coat with oil, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes before adding the garlic. Reduce heat more and cook, stirring often, for another 8 minutes until onions are translucent, but not burned.

6. Raise the heat again to medium high. Add the Brussels sprouts leaves and toss to coat with oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, tossing constantly. Stir in the chopped nuts and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, tossing, until the leaves are bright green and just tender, about 4-5 more minutes. Immediately turn out into individual or one large dish. Serve piping hot.

Mustard-Glazed Brussels Sprouts

These days with kale having possibly peaked in popularity and cauliflower rushing to claim its spot, the tiny cabbagelike vegetable that used to be relegated to holiday meals alone is waiting in the wings to be the next in the Brassica Olracea family to be adored. In this recipe, the flavor of mustard complemented by a touch of garlic and mellowed out by butter (or coconut butter for vegans) giving the dish an inviting aroma and irresistible flavor.

yield: 4 servings | prep time: 8 minutes | cooking time: 20 minutes

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ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts

• 1 cup light vegetable stock or water

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon sugar, agave or coconut syrup

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut butter

• Salt and pepper to tast

directions

1. Trim the tough ends from each Brussels sprout, discarding any damaged leaves as well. Using the tip of a paring knife, poke an X-shape into the end of each sprout so that it will cook evenly. If the Brussels sprouts are large, instead of scoring the base, cut them in half. Rinse trimmed vegetables well.

2. Bring the stock to a boil in a large skillet. Add the Brussels sprouts and return to a boil. Cover the pan and cook, tossing the Brussels sprouts around in the stock occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Using a garlic press, add the garlic to the pan along with the mustard and sweetener.

3. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Most of the stock should have been absorbed or evaporated by this time; there should be just enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

4. Remove from the heat and gradually add the butter, tossing the pan to allow it to thicken slightly as it combines with the stock, working in enough butter to to coat the Brussels sprouts with a delicate glaze.

Spinach Gomae

This dish, spinach with sesame sauce, is frequently found on menus at Japanese restaurants where delicate servings accompany miso soup, nori rolls, simmered root vegetables, and tempura. I give proportions for more dressing than you need for just under a pound of spinach, but it keeps well and is a great homemade condiment to have on hand. That way you can whip up a batch of Spinach Gomae in less than 10 minutes (since the putting together the dressing is the only part of this recipe that takes time) or toss noodles in the dressing (Asian or Western style noodles work), which is usually a favorite among the under five-years-old set.

yield: 2-4 servings  |  prep time: 15 minutes  |  cooking time: 3 minutes

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ingredients

• 1 bunch spinach (about ¾ pound)

• 7 tablespoons white sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons sake

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 3 tablespoons honey or other sweetener

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

• water to taste

• pinch of salt

directions

1. If the spinach is wrapped with a tie or rubber band, remove the tie but leave the spinach in a bunch, stem ends together. Trim and discard about an inch from the ends of the stems and also discard any damaged leaves.

2. Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the spinach in the water. Gently separate the leaves and move them around to rinse off the dirt, being careful to keep stem ends pointing in the same direction. Lift the spinach out of the water, discard the water, rinse the bowl quickly so no dirt remains in the bowl, then fill the bowl with clean water and rinse again. Repeat this step as many times as is necessary until no dirt remains in the water when drained.

3. Once the spinach is clean, set aside briefly or chill covered for up to 8 hours before serving.

4. To make the dressing, gently toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring the seeds constantly so they do not burn. Once very lightly browned, immediately transfer to a small bowl so they do not continue cooking. Set aside 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds for garnish.

5. In a suribachi (Japanese mortar with ridged surface) or an electric spice grinder, grind the sesame seeds to a fine meal. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in the sake, mirin, sweetener, and soy sauce or tamari. Mix thoroughly. Thin the dressing if desired with a small amount of water. Set the dressing aside or cover and refrigerate for up to a month.

6. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a rolling boil. Pick up the spinach by the leaves and dip the stem ends into the water and cook, without dipping the leaves in the water, for about 30 seconds—the water will just about be back at a boil. Add the ½ teaspoon of salt to the saucepan and gently submerge the rest of the spinach into the boiling water. Cook for an additional 15 to 30 seconds or until the spinach is just tender. (Cooking the stems first allows leaves and stems to cook evenly). Immediately lift the spinach out of the water, still keeping stem ends together with tongs, then place the spinach in a strainer. Run cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking, then gently squeeze excess water out of the spinach.

7. Cut the spinach into 2-inch lengths. Divide the spinach among 4 small serving bowls, toss just enough dressing over each serving to very lightly coat and garnish with reserved sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Leftover dressed spinach keeps for about a day if covered and refrigerated.

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note

Do not drain the spinach by dumping it into a strainer because if the spinach had dirt clinging to it (most spinach does), it will have fallen into the bowl of water. If you pour the water back over the spinach, you’ll be pouring the dirt back onto the leaves.

Chipotle Grilled Corn Medallions

Super simple, tasty and a very interesting way to serve corn on the cob. This recipe was inspired by corn served at Menla Mountain Retreat for dinner one evening this year during the “Yogis and the Buddha” retreat. I’ve recommended brushing the “medallions” with spicy chipotle butter, but just plain, unadorned medallions can be very tasty as well.

yield: 8-12 servings  |  prep time: 15 minutes  |  cooking time: 12 minutes

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ingredients

• 6 ears corn, husked

• 2 tablespoons tamari

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 4 tablespoons minced cilantro

• 4 tablespoons butter, oil or coconut butter

• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

• Powdered dried chipotle for dusting

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.

2. Cut the corn into ½-inch thick rounds and transfer to a shallow baking dish.

3. Combine the tamari, mirin, lime juice, cilantro, butter and salt in a small mixing bowl. Pour this mixture over the corn then turn the rounds of corn to coat evenly with the tamari mixture. Sprinkle a light dusting of chipotle powder over the medallions. The medallions may be prepared up to 3 hours in advance to this point if covered and refrigerated.

4. Place the corn in the preheated oven and cook until piping hot and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Spinach with Parmesan

This dish is an excellent way to use leftover greens of any sort, or if you are in a pinch for time and want to use frozen chopped spinach, that works well too. Of course fresh, baby spinach is the number one choice if time allows!

yeld: 4 Servings  |  prep time: 10-15 minutes  |  cooking time: 20 minutes

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ingredients

• 2 pounds baby spinach, cleaned (or 1 12 oz. bag frozen chopped spinach )

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• 3 eggs, beaten

• ¾ cup (or more) grated fresh Parmesan

• Salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Steam the fresh spinach over rapidly boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to a strainer and run cold water over the spinach so it retains its green color and stops cooking. If using frozen spinach, thaw the completely. In either case, drain the spinach and squeeze out extra water by hand or by placing it in a dish towel, drawing the towel up around the ball of spinach and twisting to extract the water. Chop the spinach.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the chopped onion and toss to coat with oil. After about 30 seconds, turn heat to medium low) and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

3. Add the spinach to the skillet and toss. Using a garlic press add the garlic to the pan and mix in. Add the nutmeg and a little salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

4. Turn the heat to medium high and add the beaten eggs. Cook, stirring constantly, until the eggs are fully cooked and the spinach is heated through, about 4 minutes.

5. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of Parmesan over the spinach. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, then turn out into a serving dish. Serve hot with additional Parmesan along side.