MULTI-WHOLE-GRAIN INARI SUSHI (SUSHI GRAINS IN FRIED TOFU POCKETS/AGÉ)

When I posted this blog post about a recent picnic, I promised to  post the recipe for my multi-grain inari sushi.  It took me a few years to get this recipe right-- I had tasted enough bland and either dry or mushy brown rice sushi in my time to make me determined to do better!  I wanted a sushi that was nutritious, and delicious enough so that anyone eating it would enjoy it for what it was and not immediately think " health food"!

My rice mixture is made from short grain brown rice with some millet or quinoa added, and it is nicely seasoned.  The grain mixture provides variety and extra nutrients, but the texture of the rice predominates, which is what I prefer. (I find the millet or quinoa grains too small and separate to use alone in sushi.) This whole grain sushi mix does not taste heavy or starchy, and I was happy to discover that the seasoned fried tofu pockets or pouches (agé) are less calorific and fat-laden than I had assumed-- the seasoned ones contain only about 60 calories per pouch. We love it for summer meals.

BTW, inari sushi is great for anyone (like my husband) who does not like seaweed, and it makes great picnic food.  It should not be refrigerated, since this makes the rice hard, so plan to eat it up in one day (which is not a difficult feat!).

I hope you enjoy this sushi!

This was a batch of my multi-grain inari sushi, tops dipped in toasted sesame seeds, that I made for a picnic with friends a few weeks ago.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MULTI-WHOLE-GRAIN INARI SUSHI (SUSHI GRAINS IN FRIED TOFU POCKETS/AGÉ)     
Makes 16 pockets

16 storebought seasoned inari sushi pouches (You can buy them refrigerated in Asian grocery stores in small packets, or in cans on amazon and from online Asian food venders.)
OR, if you are preparing your own seasoned inari sushi pouches, you will need:
1 package (80 g-- 8 pieces) of abura agé (plain, unseasoned Japanese fried tofu rectangles), cut across in half to make "pouches" (You can buy them refrigerated or frozen in Asian grocery stores and some natural food stores in small packets.)

Flavoring Broth:

1 c. vegetarian broth 

2 T. soy sauce or tamari

2 T. unbleached light organic sugar

2 T. dry sherry or mirin (Japanese rice wine) (or a non-alcoholic sweetish white wine)

FILLING:

(To cook the grains, for each one, bring the water and grain to a boil in a heavy pot with a tight lid, turn down to low and cook covered for the time indicated.)

Grain Choice #1:
3/4 c. Japanese short grain brown rice + 1/4 c. toasted millet, cooked together 40-45 minutes in 

1 1/2 c. water 

(Toast the millet in a dry heavy saute pan or skillet over medium heat, stirring all the while, until light brown and fragrant. If the grains start to pop, reduce the heat.) 

OR Grain Choice #2:

1/2 cup Japanese short grain brown rice cooked in 2/3 cup water for 45 minutes

1/2 cup quinoa cooked separately in 1 cup water for 15 minutes  

(Let the quinoa stand, covered, off the heat 10 minutes.)

Seasoning:

2 T. plain rice vinegar

2 T. unbleached light organic sugar

3/8 tsp. salt

Optional but recommended: 1 T. dry sherry or mirin (Japanese rice wine)

Additions: (Traditionally, only seasoned rice is used for filling, but I like to add some color and texture with vegetables.)

1/2 c. frozen baby peas, thawed

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated

Optional: toasted sesame seeds to taste

If you are preparing your own seasoned inari sushi pouches, cut each piece of abura agé tofu across in half.  Pour boiling water over them, then drain and squeeze them carefully to remove the oil.

In a medium pot, bring the flavoring broth to a boil, add the tofu pockets and reduce the heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes, turning now and then.  Drain and cool until you can handle them.  Gently squeeze out excess liquid.   

Whichever type of seasoned pouches you are using-- store-bought or home-prepared-- carefully separate one “wall” of each pocket from the other to make the pouches.

Dump the hot cooked rice (make sure it is tender) and the millet or quinoa into a large shallow baking dish.  Mix the sugar and salt with the vinegar and wine until it is dissolved.  Pour this over the hot rice.  Turn the rice mixture with a small spatula (wooden, preferably, or a bamboo rice paddle), using an over-and-under-motion, until the mixture is cool.  (Traditionally, you fan the rice while you mix.)

Add the peas and carrots and a bit of the optional toasted sesame seeds, if you like.  Stuff the pockets carefully and evenly (there should be just enough filling for 16 pockets).  Traditionally the pouches are not stuffed full and the pouch is pinched closed at the top, but, as you can see in the pictures, I usually fill them full full and leave them open at the top. 

If you like, you can dip the tops in toasted sesame seeds.  Serve at room temperature.  Rice gets hard when refrigerated, which spoils the texture of the dish, so the sushi pouches should be eaten the same day they are made.

Enjoy!

VEGAN RICOTTA & GREENS-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS AND CREAMY ORZO SALAD (OR PILAF) WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

This is a meal that I made pretty-much on the spur of the moment last week, utilizing some ingredients that I need to use up.  It turned out to be one of our favorites so far! Lots of veggies and flavors and creamy goodness, and a minimum of effort.

I originally set out to make an orzo salad (my husband loves orzo, the pasta that looks like rice), but I ended up serving it hot because we didn't want to wait!  It was super-delicious that way, as a sort of pilaf.  The next day, we enjoyed it cold, for lunch, as a salad.  I love making versatile recipes!

CONFESSION:  There is a bit of a sameness about these recipes and I probably would not serve them together again. However, for that particular meal, as I said, I was using up certain ingredients and the idea for the orzo dish came to me partially because I wanted to use up as much of the vegan ricotta as I could!

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S SPINACH AND (VEGAN) RICOTTA-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS
Serves 2 to 4

4 large Portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 cup (packed down) finely-chopped fresh spinach (OR use chard or tender kale leaves instead), which has been washed and spin-dried
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie by Galaxy)
1/4 tsp. EACH dried basil, thyme leaves and oregano
3/4 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (fresh tomato sauce with garlic and basil)

extra vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top

Sprinkle the inside of the mushroom caps with a little salt and pepper.  Place them on a baking sheet and spray with a little oil from a pump-sprayer.  Place the pan about 6 inches under your oven’s broiler.  Broil (checking often), until the gills look juicy and the mushroom is softer and semi-cooked.  Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven to 450 degrees F on Bake mode.

In a medium bowl, mash together the ricotta, spinach, vegan parmesan, and herbs.  Combine well.  Divide the mixture evenly between the 4 mushroom caps, mounding firmly.  Sprinkle with some of the vegan parmesan. Bake for about 10 minutes.  While they bake, gently heat the marinara sauce, either on the stovetop or in the microwave.  Serve the mushrooms hot with some of the sauce spooned over them.

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Printable Copy 

BRYANNA’S CREAMY ORZO SALAD (OR PILAF) WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
Serves 4

You can substitute any vegetables you like for the ones I used.

1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups vegan broth
Roasted Vegetables:
2 medium zucchini, cut across in half and then length-wise into 3/8-inch slices
1/2 large onion (any color), thinly sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and diced (preferably of different colors, but it doesn’t matter if they are all the same)
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon vegan broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Additional:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie! by Galaxy Foods, but I hear that Follow Your Heart [Earth Island in Canada]is very good)
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

Bring the broth to a boil in a small pot and add the orzo.  Bring back to a boil, the turn to Low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. 

While the orzo cooks, place the prepared vegetables on an oiled baking sheet and spray with oil from a pump-sprayer.  Broil under your oven’s broiler, about 4-5 inches from the heat, until they are starting to brown.  Turn them over to the other side and broil again until they are softened and starting to brown. Watch carefully so that they do not char.  Remove from the oven.

When it's done, immediately stir the cooked orzo with a spoon and pour into a bowl. 

Blend the Dressing ingredients together until smooth, using a blender or immersion/stick blender.  Add to the bowl with the orzo, along with the roasted vegetables, parsley, basil, vegan parmesan and chopped olives. Combine gently.

Now, you can serve this still hot, at room temperature, or chilled as a salad, depending on your circumstances or preference.

Enjoy!

PERUVIAN SUMMER RECIPES

Just wanted to let you know that an article of mine is featured in the latest issue of VegNews magazine (Aug 2014)-- a little bit of history and four colorful and scrumptious vegan-style Peruvian recipes, inspired by foods that I remember from a childhood visit to my father's family in Lima.  I hope you get a chance to see the article and try the recipes.  

UPDATE, July 2020: This magazine issue used to be available online, but is no longer. However, I I included photos of each recipe under the photo of each dish in the preview below. You can zoom up the recipe page photos to read the recipes. 

Here's a little preview:

Vegan Chikn Anticuchos (Spicy Peruvian Kebabs)

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Soltero de Queso/Bachelor's Salad

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Escabeche de Tempeh

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Lucuma Ice Cream

I hope you'll try some of these-- enjoy!

DELICIOUS MASSAGED KALE SALAD WITH RED CABBAGE, APPLES, PECANS & POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING, À LA NAVA ATLAS

On Monday some old friends from Portland, OR came over to Denman Island for a quick visit and a picnic.  We took a driving tour around the island, stopped at one of the more interesting beaches, and then landed at Fillongley Park, with it's lovely long beach and view of the snow-capped coastal mountains on the mainland, and walk through the old-growth forest to the lovely meadow that was once a homestead.

I brought a picnic lunch to share (our guests brought a watermelon for dessert-- perfect!) and we set everything out on one of the picnic tables near the beach.  I made a vegan traditional-style potato salad (recipe from my first book "The Almost No-Fat Cookbook" and made with my Tofu Mayonnaise):

and my Multi-Grain Inari Sushi (UPDATE: recipe here!)

along with some of my "B of T" (Breast of Tofu or Crispy Marinated Tofu), with Thai Sweet Chile Sauce and lemon wedges. 

For the veggie dish, since we have an abundance of kale in the garden, I made this lovely salad, which everyone really enjoyed (recipe below):

Printable Copy

MASSAGED KALE SALAD WITH RED CABBAGE, APPLES, PECANS AND POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING, À LA NAVA ATLAS

Serves 6

This is a riff on a recipe in Nava Atlas' wonderful book "Wild About Greens", BTW.  I can't claim it as my recipe-- I just substituted apples for the pears and used my own homemade salad dressing!

10 ounces of kale (weigh after stripping from the stems), washed and spun dry

1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice

1 1/2 cups thinly-sliced red cabbage

2 medium apples (tart-sweet), washed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

about 1/2 cup of Pomegranate Molasses Salad dressing (recipe below), or more to taste

Slice the kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with the salt, olive oil and lemon juice.  Rub the mixture through the kale with your fingers.  Keep rubbing the kale until it softens and darkens. Add the other ingredients, including the salad dressing and toss well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.

BRYANNA'S POMEGRANATE MOLASSES SALAD DRESSING #2

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Mix together all of the following ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetarian broth
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

Enjoy!