Stunning Raw Japanese Colour Wheel Wraps

Stunning Raw Japanese Colour Wheel Wraps by GreenChefs Golubka

Contributing Monkie Golubka

 

Published on November 7, 2010

 

Filed Under Full Recipe List, Recipes / Main Courses, Recipes / Raw Tags Japanese, Sushi, Wrap

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Photography Golubka

I am ever-captivated by the creativity and extravagance of Japanese cuisine. I could stare at this set of photos for hours on end, mesmerised and intrigued by the mysterious ingredients and the form they take. Only the Japanese can make food so aesthetic, vibrant, and unique – all at the same time. The combination of ancient traditions and brave modernism bring their food culture to untouched heights.

Here, we combined maki-sushi rolling techniques with our favourite spicy Thai wrap recipe. The result was exactly what I’ve imagined and dreamed of making – a flavourful and striking dish. This particular rolling technique is called Rokusha or colour wheel, a very appropriate title. The colourful wrappers alone can be eaten as a snack, kid-approved by Paloma. (The same recipe was used to make the edible leaves that accompanied our Halloween cookies).

I am always in a state of excitement when cooking, but preparing this dish left me especially exhilarated – so much visual stimulation!

For the Green Wrapper 3 cups zucchini – cubed meat of 1 fresh young Thai coconut 1/4 cup water of young Thai coconut 1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds 1 bunch cilantro salt and pepper to taste

For the Yellow Wrapper flesh of 2 ripe mangos 2 1/2 medium carrots meat of 1 fresh young Thai coconut 1/4 cup water of young Thai coconut 1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds 1 teaspoon turmeric

For the Purple Wrapper 1 small papaya OR 1 large mango 1/2 small beet root meat of 1 fresh young coconut 1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds

For the Filling Adapted from Raw Food/Real World 1/2 cup chopped raw cashews 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup agave syrup 1/2 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoon chopped ginger 1 small chili – seeded and chopped 1 1/2 tablespoon nama shoyu 1 cup raw almond butter 1/2 head savoy cabbage – shredded 1 handful cilantro 1 handful basil – torn 1 handful mint leaves 1 large carrot – cut into thin strips 1 large mango – cut into strips 1 cucumber – seeded and cut into strips

Instructions for the Wrapper:
If you decide to make the rolls exactly like ours, you might need to double the amount of ingredients for your wrappers in order to have enough wrapping material for each group of ingredients within each colour roll.

1. Blend all the ingredients for each colour wrap separately in a high speed blender.
2. Spread thickly on Teflex sheet-lined dehydrator trays, and dehydrate for about 3-4 hours, or until dry to touch.
3. Flip and peel away the Teflex sheets. Dehydrate for another 30 minutes to an hour, until the underside is completely dry, but the wraps are still pliable.
4. The dehydration time, thickness, and final colour can vary significantly, depending on the quality of produce used.

Instructions for the Filling:
1. Mix cashews with sesame oil and salt. Set aside.
2. Puree the next 5 ingredients in a high speed blender.
3. Add the almond butter while the blender is still running, at a low speed.
4. Using your hands, thoroughly combine the shredded cabbage with the blended mixture, salted cashews, and herbs.

Instructions for Rolling The Wraps:
The rolling technique used here is called Rokusha or colour wheel, and you can find step-by step rolling instructions in a sushi encyclopedia.

1. Start with rolling the spicy cabbage for the center in any color wrap you prefer.
2. Then roll each of the remaining ingredients individually.
3. Arrange them around the center as shown in the photos.
4. Using a sushi mat, roll everything together into one whole wrap.
5. Wet the edges of the wrappers to help them stay together.
6. Let the rolls sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
7. Using a very sharp knife, cut into pieces of desired thickness, or eat whole as a wrap.

Chili Almond Asparagus

Chili Almond Asparagus

Sorry for the absence, I got pretty sick and needed to take some time off from… everything. Before asparagus season passes us by (it will be gone before you know it!), I thought I’d offer up this simple but flavorful and beautiful side dish.

There are lots of times where I’d like to make a little side dish, but I just don’t want to work too hard at it. Here’s a great recipe for just such an occasion. It’s fancy enough for company, but easy enough for everyday dinner. I first got the idea when I tossed some asparagus in a powdered faux-chicken soup stock and then roasted them. It gave the asparagus a lovely flavor, while helping the spears get golden brown and slightly crispy.

The bare-bones version of this recipe is just tossing the asparagus in oil, a little soup stock powder, and roasting until tender. This version here is the next-step, adding just a few ingredients for a lot more flavor.

Chili Almond Asparagus
Serves two to four as a side

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds, roughly crushed and divided
1 Tbs Powdered Soup Stock (I used Bill’s Chik’nish Seasoning)
2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
1 lb Asparagus Spears, trimmed
2 Carrots, peeled
2 tsp Peanut Oil (or any kind you like)
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (or any other kind)
Fresh Zest and juice of 1 Lemon

Preheat oven to 450º F.

Roughly crush the almonds so that most are ground fairly fine, but there are some larger pieces of almonds left in the mix. Mix together 1/2 of the ground almonds, the soup stock powder, and the chili flakes.

Trim the carrots to the same length, roughly, as the asparagus spears. Half the carrots lengthwise, then quarter them, and continue cutting each piece lengthwise until you have lots of long, flexible, thin strips of carrots.

In a large bowl, toss the carrots and the asparagus spears in the oils. Sprinkle the almond seasoning over the asparagus and carrots and toss well, making sure the coating sticks to the veggies.

Arrange the veggies in one layer on a parchment covered baking sheet. If there is any seasoning left in the bowl, scrape it onto the veggies.

Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and starting to color. Finish under the broiler for a few minutes (watching it, it’ll burn easily) until brown and crispy in places.

Top with the remaining almond pieces, lemon zest, and season with a sprinkle of lemon juice if desired.

This is best served hot/warm. The asparagus should be cooked through and tender, but not mushy. It’s a perfect compliment to any spring dinner or lunch.

http://veganyumyum.com/

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lentils and Rice

by SUSANV on MAY 29, 2006
ADD TO RECIPE BOX

For months I’ve been meaning to make stuffed grape leaves; it’s been in the back of my mind ever since I saw Miriam’s wonderful looking ones on Knocked Up Vegan; then Leslie posted her own delicious creations on her blog. If I’d made them then, it’d have looked like I was copying! So, I waited a respectable length of time and, inspired by Brendon’s Great Lentil Challenge, finally got down to work and made them this weekend.

I had never made stuffed grape leaves before, and what I do when I’m making something for the first time is research, research, research, let the research settle into my brain, and then do whatever the hell I want, hoping that the research will keep me out of too much trouble. I checked a few blogs (like this one and this one) to make sure I understood the rolling technique and the important physics behind grape leaves–rice swells as it cooks, so don’t roll them too tightly or it’ll burst right through the leaf–and then I decided what I wanted to put into my leaves and got to work.

And it is a lot of work! I sat down at the kitchen table at around 4:30 to begin rolling, but my rolls weren’t ready to go onto the stove until 6:00. Of course, I did pause often to take the photos that you’ll see below. But be warned that rolling the leaves, while not difficult, is time consuming. That’s to be expected for a recipe that makes 45-50 stuffed grape leaves.

One thing nobody on any blog or any cookbook told me: how to get the leaves out of the jar without tearing them the #&%$ up! I finally resorted to working them part way out of the jar and then grabbing them firmly in one hand and rocking them back and forth, inserting a finger every now and then to let a little air in and break the vacuum. It took a while, but most of them were usable.

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Lentils and Rice
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped parsley (measured after chopping)
1/2 cup minced mint (measured after mincing)
1/2 cup finely minced green onions
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned, drained of juice)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garam masala or blend of coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon
1 1/4 cups of medium or short-grain brown rice
3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed and checked for impurities
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1-lb jar grape leaves
4-5 red potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 lemon, sliced

Mix together all ingredients except the grape leaves, potatoes, and lemon slices. Drain the liquid out of the jar of grape leaves, and get the leaves out of the jar in whatever way you can. (If you’re not going to make a whole recipe, save the brine and put the leftover leaves back into it.) Wash them well, and set aside any that have holes in them (don’t throw them away).

To begin rolling the leaves, place a leaf with the veiny part facing up, the shiny side down. Cut off the stem. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the rice mixture in a horizontal line just above the cut stem:

Fold the two bottom sections of the leaf over the filling:

Then fold the sides in:

Roll the bottom of the leaf up, tucking in the sides as you go. You want this to be fairly tight, but not too tight. But if you have to err, err on the side of tightness. You don’t want any gaps or exposed filling, or it will all boil out when cooking. A finished roll looks like this:

Pour yourself a glass of wine, and do this 44 more times, until you run out of filling. If, for some reason, you run out of leaves first, save the filling and cook it with about double its amount of water. (I had leaves left over, not filling.) When you accidentally tear a leaf, wipe it off and set it aside.

When you’re finished, prepare a large sauce pan or Dutch oven by spraying or wiping it with olive oil. Line the bottom with the potato slices (these will keep the delicate grape leaves off of the direct heat).

On top of the potatoes, put a layer of the imperfect leaves that you had set aside. And then arrange your stuffed grape leaves, snuggly. Try to fit them so that there isn’t any space between them. When you’ve fit them all in, put the lemon slices on top:

Gently add water until it reaches about the middle of the top row of grape leaves, and cover the whole thing with more empty grape leaves. Place a heavy plate (I used two, one on top of the other) on top of the grape leaves to weigh them down. Cover the pot tightly, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, turn it down to very low and cook for an hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the stuffed leaves rest undisturbed in the pan for 20 more minutes.

Serve them (and the potatoes) with the dipping sauce of your choice. I would have liked to make a soy yogurt sauce, but I was all out of homemade yogurt (and the “plain” they sell in the store is actually sweetened) so i made a sort of sweet and sour sauce:

To make the sauce I mixed 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic. It was more sour than sweet, so adjust the proportions to fit your taste.

We will be eating grape leaves for quite a while. Does anyone know if these things freeze?

This recipe is respectfully submitted to Brendon for his Great Lentil Challenge. Check out all the other delicious recipes he’s got going on his blog.

5/30 edited to add: I just made a Tofu-Yogurt Dipping Sauce that was very good with these. I mixed the following in the blender:

1/3 box (about 4 ounces) silken tofu
1 tbsp. soymilk
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch dill weed
1/4 tsp. salt (to taste)

Poured it into a bowl and added about 1/3 cup of finely diced, de-seeded cucumber. Refrigerated until chilled. It tastes remarkably like soy yogurt, without the sweetness that some brands have.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

Vegan Challah

Vegan Challah

As mentioned in the marathon post, I devoured a hearty helping of challah French toast in Philly last month after the race. It was seriously the best French toast I've ever, ever had -- fluffy, filling, and extremely flavorful. Naturally, I wanted to replicate the taste in my own kitchen. 

But make my own challah? It looks so difficult!

Not only that . . . when I opened my trusty Martha Stewart baking bible to the challah recipe, I noticed that not just 1, not just 2, not just 3, but EIGHT egg yolks were required to make her version. Yes, I do eat eggs. Eight of them, though, seemed excessive. (And I get it, challah isbraided egg bread -- hence the large number of eggs -- but I ultimately planned to make French toast with it, so I opted to go a bit lighter.)

Post Punk Kitchen to the rescue! I knew there must be some type of vegan recipe floating around blogland. So when I found the vegan challah recipe on PPK, I smiled, jumped up and down a bit, and dug my hands -- elbow-deep -- into a big bowl of flour. (If you'd like to make challah using eggs, but would also like a healthier result, check out Laura's version -- made with whole wheat flour and multigrain hot cereal -- yum!)

What you'll need . . .

• 2 1/2 Tbsp dry active yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups wheat pastry flour
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 overripe (mostly black) bananas -- I actually used one banana and one extra-ripe plantain
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• another half cup of boiling water for brushing braids
• sesame seeds

Method . . .

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water (I whisked mine with a fork until frothy), put to the side to stand for approx. 10 minutes.
2. Mash bananas in your electric mixer until runny, like egg yolks.
3. In large bowl mix together the canola oil, brown sugar, salt, and boiling water. Stir until well incorporated.
4. Add the cold water to the large bowl. Stir in yeast mix.
5. Add bananas.
6. Add flour, one cup at a time -- this part is important. I used a spatula to mix mine, carefully one cup at a time. Near the end (last two cups), I used my hands.
7. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for 5-10 min, dough should be smooth and elastic.
8. Lightly coat the large mixing bowl in oil, turn the dough in it to just coat it with oil, place a damp towel or plastic wrap over the dough in the bowl and let it rise for about 1 hr (double in size).
9. Punch dough down, turn out and knead again 2-3 min.
10. Divide dough into 2 large balls. Then divide each ball into 3 sections, roll each section into long ropes and make 2 braids. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Let the braids rise on a baking sheet for 45 min. Boil a little more water. Just before putting braids in the oven, brush them with boiling water, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
12. Bake 30 min -- that's all the time you'll need. PPK says, "You'll know they're done when you tap them on the bottom and they sound hollow."
13. Let cool on a drying rack for 10 min before slicing.

The resulting challah is lightly sweet with a slight banana-y taste. If you're planning, like we were, on using it for French toast (or maybe a grilled peanut butter sandwich? say yes!), this flavor note is well appreciated! If not, deal with it. It's vegan challah, and it's amazing!

Note: This recipe yields two hefty loaves. One is still sitting in our freezer waiting for its trip to PA where -- get this mom and dad -- we'll be making MORE breakfast deliciousness for X-mas morning. And I've already received a request to make more. Guess I know what I'll be doing next week.

Overall, don't let bread baking intimidate you. EVEN when the bread is fancy and braided. If I had shied away, I wouldn't have all these glamour shots to share with you. Or two buxom brag-worthy loaves. Don't think I'm leaving you hanging, either. Tomorrow I plan to share part two of this magnificent festival of flavor: the cinnamon French toast post.

What else is new? If you haven't already, go check out Part 1 (ice cream) and Part 2 (brownies)of the Great Nutella Weekend.

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