292266 Thu Mar 20 13:53:58 -0800 2003 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1594629 Along with several other unpalatable dietary changes, it has been advised that I add some "sea vegetables" to my diet. Dried bullwhip kelp was recommended, as it is readily available at the local health food store, and was touted as being "really tasty -- sort of like eating potato chips". Well, readily available it is; potato chips it ain't. Maybe at first while it's still dry and crunchy and vaguely vegetabley (with a strong hint of the ocean), but once it's rehydrated by saliva, it's like eating, well....seaweed. I suppose I'll get used to it, maybe even get past sort of gagging on it, but I'm wondering...there must be more interesting (read:edible) "sea vegetables" out there. I've had some delicious prepared seaweed salad from the local fish monger, but I suspect it's loaded with other stuff I'm trying to avoid. What about products from Asian markets? Someone please help me. PLEASE! In addition, I'm having to give up coffee and beer and wine and refined carbs and sugar (of course) and to start eating things like blue-green algae and spinach juice and ground flax seeds and astragalus & ashwagandha tea. It's the anti-Chowhound diet. How will I survive? Help me, someone, HELP ME. With apologies to those who recently lamented the preponderance of dietary discussion here. I'm certainly not dancing for joy at the prospect of such abstemiousness. As penance, I promise to post a closely guarded recipe for Portuguese Almond Tart. Thu Mar 20 13:53:58 -0800 2003 0 GG Mora 1 1594634 MMmm. Toasted nori sheets with sesame oil and salt. Kelp & dulse granules sprinkled over rice. Wakame and cucumber salad. Eden brand is available at health food stores and is very high quality. Thu Mar 20 14:58:23 -0800 2003 1594629 0 MU 1 1594640 Hijiki (Japanese name) is a seaweed that looks a bit like little brown toothpicks and is slightly crunchy. A common way of eating it is as a vegetable or salad with carrot that has been similarly slivered. There is generally a soy sauce based dressing. Many Asian grocers have the Japanese condiment which is dried seaweed flakes and other flavorings, such as dried fish and sesame seeds and egg, that Japanese and some Koreans sprinkle liberally on their rice just as ketchup is dosed on fries. It is called furikake and the main is ingredient is flakes of dried nori seaweed, the seaweed used in wrapping for sushi. It comes in little shaker jars or single serving packets. Wakame seaweed can be found at all Japanese, most Korean, and many Chinese grocers. Although it is sometimes sold totally dried, preferable for ease of use and nutrition and taste is the wakame that is fresh and salt packed which will last, refrigerated, for months, probably up to a year. A quick rinse of the salt and quick chop and it goes into miso soup at the very end. As long as you add it at the end after the heat has been turned off it isn't slimy. A basic and IMHO tasty miso soup can be made in little more than the time it takes to boil water. Ingredients per serving: 1.5 cup water 2 tbl dried bonito flakes (or a large pinch, not practical to try to put the flakes into measuring spoon) 1/2 tbl miso about 2-3 tbl (before rinsing) salt packed wakame optional: 1/2 tsp dashi [Dashi is a powder that is msg and seaweed and fish flavor extracts. A little bit can add some depth to broth flavor but it isn't necessary.] 1x2 inch block tofu 2-3 spinach leaves (depending on size) [see note below for other optional items instead of tofu and spinach] 2/3 tbl scallions slices thin (1/8 inch?) Put water in pan over med high heat and immediately add bonito flakes (optional dashi added at this point too). While water is heating rinse the wakame and spinach. For the wakame, hold under water in hand, rinse off salt, shake off excess water. Cut into pieces about 1 inch squares. [If you can only find dried wakame, follow package directions for rehydrating and then continue as with this recipe.] The spinach should not be much larger than about 2x3 inch pieces so cut if necessary. Wash and cut scallions if you want to have them. Have tofu block ready to be cut. When it comes to boil lower the heat so the water is at low simmer. [Note: Many recipes have you strain the bonito flakes from the broth. I never do, but you may wish to.] The soup should be finished just before serving, so do the next steps at that time. Into the simmering broth add spinach and and cut tofu into small 1/4"-1/2" cubes and add it. This step would be varied according to the type of miso soup you are making. Besides spinach and tofu, you could add potato cubes and green beans or slices of shitake mushroom and tofu or just tofu or several other vegetable combinations or none at all. The main thing to keep in mind is that the vegetable should be cut to small bite size that will cook quickly in the simmering broth. The cooking time will be affected by your choice. Since spinach will cook in just a couple minutes and the tofu doesn't need cooking, with them you don't need to wait before going to next step. With potato and green beans, for example, you would let the potato simmer for a few minutes until it is parboiled, add the greeen beans, let it simmer a couple of minutes more and then finish. Dissolve the miso into the soup. This can done by having the miso in a spoon and holding just below surface of broth and using a fork or chopsticks to mix the miso into the soup. I estimated the amount, feel free to adjust to taste. Turn off the heat, add wakame. Cover and let set for a minute or so as you get bowl(s). Add scallions on top once soup is in bowl. Serve ASAP. I find that miso soup works as an accompaniment to any fish or vegetable dish or even meat entree as long there isn't a dairy or white sauce gravy or tomato dominated entree. And, of course, it works better with rice meals than with pasta meals. cheers. wray Thu Mar 20 15:57:57 -0800 2003 1594629 0 wrayb 2 1594646 WOW. Thanks for taking the time to type that up! I actually enjoy miso soup and tofu, I just don't have experience with "sea vegetables". Fortunately, I can still eat meats and vgetables and complex carbs. I just need to add as much impeccable nutrition as I can - hence the seaweed, algae, etc. And it's not forever. I mean, would a life without garlic mashed potatoes or tamales or McNeil's Ale or Tarte au Citron be worth living? Thu Mar 20 17:21:10 -0800 2003 1594640 0 GG Mora 3 1595412 I'm new at this whole nutritional Asian thing and have not been able to find the wakame seaweed and would like to know where everybody gets theirs. Also would like some recipes if anyone wants to send me some. Thanks Nancy Fri Jun 20 21:52:30 -0700 2003 1594646 0 nancy 1 1594642 Hi, GG, Sounds like you were told to go macrobiotic. I'm not an expert by any means, but the books by either Michio or Aveline Kushi will help. And I've put a link for recipes below. Does Open Sesame (macrobiotic restaurant run by the Kushis) still exist, Chowhounders? Don't bum out, GG. Mmmmm, miso soup :-) Link: http://www.kushiinstitute.org/community/seavegrecipes.html Thu Mar 20 16:02:00 -0800 2003 1594629 0 Laughing Goddess 1 1594649 Oh GG I'm sorry you are facing such a tough lifestyle change. I know it must be really hard. As for the seaweed, I REALLY like toasting sheets of nori directly over the burner and crumbling them onto salad or stir fry. It gives an almost shrimp or crab flavor...almost... Thu Mar 20 18:12:55 -0800 2003 1594629 0 suzannapilaf 2 1594745 Right, to me it can be like a faint taste of the ocean being added. And that is much healthier than some of the premade furitake I mentioned in my post. For bit more texture you can use scissors to cut the toasted nori into matchstick slivers instead of crumbling. cheers. wray Fri Mar 21 18:03:57 -0800 2003 1594649 0 wrayb 1 1594657 Just a couple of weeks ago, I had the most delicious seaweed dish at my mother's. It was incredibly flavorful. I forgot how healthy it was. I thought it tasted incredibly complex but was surprised how easy the recipe was. My mom bought packaged seaweed at the Korean market -- sorry, don't know exactly what kind it was, but it was like long ribbons prepackaged with salt. She told me to soak it in water for a while to drain the salt. Then she stir-fried it in a wok with some garlic and olive oil. That's it. I suppose a bit of sesame oil and chopped scallions couldn't hurt either. Thu Mar 20 20:52:37 -0800 2003 1594629 0 Miss Needle 2 1594747 Most likely that is what the Japanese call wakame although it could have been the thicker wider kelp (konbu), but that can be very very chewy which is why I am guessing wakame. Interesting way to prepare. cheers. wray Fri Mar 21 18:07:19 -0800 2003 1594657 0 wrayb 1 1594658 "purple vegetable" (tr. from Chinese) is a type of seaweed that can be found sold in dried sheets in Chinese supermarkets. Rinse, and drop them into hot soup a minute or two before serving. I love mine in a chinese meatball soup. Thu Mar 20 20:55:59 -0800 2003 1594629 0 Limster 1 1594667 There are lots of great seaweed in Japanese cuisine. The Nori sheets have already been mentioned - this is wrapped around maki sushi, shredded for many things including soba noodles. Wakame is thin whole kelp that is often used in miso and other soups. It is available in dried whole chuncks as well as pre-sliced up small dried pieces. The pieces are more expensive, but I find the convenience to be worth it. You can doctor up some instant green-tea rice Ocha-zuke (the flavoring is available in packets, and you sprinkle over rice and add hot water) - if you add the wakame, it provides a great protein source. Kombu is a thick kelp that is typically sold in small squares. It is usually used for flavoring - it is a must for making dashi, the base for all Japanese soups. You can also eat it - in fact it is sugar coated as candy. A great delicacy is Kazunoko Kombu - which is the Kombu seaweed with herring roe stuck to it. There are other smaller forms as well, including hijiki, which is salted down and eaten with rice. I grew up in Japan and never considered seaweed to be some sort of special macrobiotic food - it is just a delicious food. Thu Mar 20 23:16:51 -0800 2003 1594629 0 applehome 1 1594775 I often make a salad from Arame which, when I take a big bowl of it to work, is gone in 60 seconds (and my co-workers are NOT health foodies). Pour boiling water over Arame, let sit for 10 or so minutes, drain, then toss with grated carrots, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, and if desired, some chinese chili paste. That's it. I buy my seaweed at the health food stores, not the Asian grocers, because it is quite possible that the stuff from Asian grocers comes from polluted waters. Sat Mar 22 08:06:00 -0800 2003 1594629 0 Pat P 1 1594812 Wakame salads are great, as Pat P and Mu note. Add seafood for a more substantial dish, as in this recipe from Hiroko Shimbo's "The Japanese Kitchen." CRAB, WAKAME AND CUCUMBER SALAD IN SOY-VINEGAR DRESSING (serves 4 as a side dish) This calls for dried instant wakame, which Shimbo recommends for convenience. Daikon or other radishes, carrot or cabbage would work in place of cucumber. Other seafood could sub for crab; one I've tried in salads like this is tuna, seared or broiled and cut in cubes. You could also cut way back on the amount of sugar suggested here. 1 Japanese cucumber or 1/3 large cucumber 1 1/2 tablespoons instant dried wakame, soaked 2 minutes in water 1 cup cooked crab meat, tossed with juice of 1/4 lemon 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup sweet soy-vinegar dressing (recipe below) Dissolve the salt in 2 cups cold water. Slice the cucumber as thin as you can, and soak it for 10 minutes in the salt water. This is meant to remove excess water from the cucumber and make it better absorb the dressing. Drain the seaweed, rinse it in cold water, then squeeze out excess water. Do the same with the cucumber. Toss the cucumber, crab and wakame with the dressing, and serve. SOY-VINEGAR DRESSING, OR SANBAIZU (makes 3/4 cup) 1/2 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sweet cooking sake (mirin) 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. This will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. "EAT-A-LOT" WAKAME SOUP (serves 4) I love miso soups like wrayb's below. For a simple but flavorful soup without miso, here's another idea from Shimbo's book. She uses chicken broth instead of dashi here, going for what she calls a "richer, international flavor." 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon peeled, julienned ginger 3 green onions, sliced, with green and white parts separated 4 1/4 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup sake 1 tablespoon instant dried wakame, soaked 2 minutes in cold water and drained 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted tamari soy sauce to taste ground white pepper to taste Heat the sesame oil at medium heat; saute the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add the white part of the green onion and saute for a minute. Add the broth and sake and bring to a boil, then add the seaweed and sesame seeds. Season with white pepper and a few drops of tamari. Stir in the green part of the green onion, and serve. NORI SEAWEED AND PORK ROLLS For a change of pace from these relentlessly healthy dishes, how about some deep-fried meat? These pork and nori rolls are from "Flavors of Japan" by Delphine and Diane Hirasuna. By the way, the authors' grandmother used to tell them that eating lots of seaweed would keep their hair from going gray. 1/2 pound ground pork 1/4 yellow onion, minced 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 sheets nori (standard size is 7 or 8 inches square), cut in half 8 strips of green bean, carrot or red bell pepper, briefly boiled 1/4 cup flour 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or cracker meal vegetable oil for frying mustard and soy sauce for dipping lemon for garnish Mix the pork, onion, salt, pepper and a quarter of the beaten egg. Put a half sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat, if you have one, and spread a quarter of the pork over the nori, leaving a 3/4-inch strip open at the edge farthest from you. Lay green bean, carrot or pepper strips across the center, and roll up the nori and pork as if making makizushi. Seal the edge with some beaten egg. Dredge the roll in flour, dip it in egg and coat it with bread crumbs. Repeat with the rest of the nori, meat and vegetable. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry the rolls until the pork is cooked and the coating golden brown, around 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Slice the rolls and serve with lemon slices, mustard and soy sauce. A tonkatsu sauce would work, too. Sun Mar 23 02:45:28 -0800 2003 1594629 0 squid-kun