Tofu, Carrot & Cucumber Sushi

I already have a recipe for Sushi on my blog and this is just a slight variation. I used Baked Sweet Chili Tofu along with some fresh vegetables such as Carrots, Cucumber and Avocado. 

The vegetables to use are a combination of crunchy & fresh, such as cucumber, carrots and the creamy& fatty such as an avocado or a mango.

Here's a link to the Recipe:

Sushi Recipe

Mango and Avocado Sushi - Vegan

This is a delayed post, since Sushi makes a regular appearance on our dinner table. I only make the Veggie ones at home and I have not ventured into making the ones with fish yet. Yeah, ok, I haven't even tasted the ones with fish. Maybe one day I will. I really enjoy the vegetarian ones though. 

I use some baked sweet potato to make it a hearty roll.

The Mango and the Avocado give it the texture that can mimic a fresh fish.Cucumber and Carrots give it the needed freshness and Crunch.

I buy most of my Asian ingredients from the Asian Market - HMart. They have endless Isles of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese.........and many more.

The Nori sheets are available at some regular grocery stores too. Sushi rice is good to use, if not, regular short grain or Jasmine rice will work too. The most important ingredient for Sushi in my opinion is Wasabi :) 

I love that hit that the Wasabi has and sometimes I love to go overboard!

Ingredients:
Nori Sheets - 4
Sushi Rice - 1 Cup
Water - 1 1/2 Cups
Vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Sweet Potatoes - 2
Jalapeno - 1
Carrot - 1 big
Cucumber - 1
Ripe Mango - 1
Avocado - 1

For Flavor:
Wasabi
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

Cook the Sushi Rice with the 1: 1.5 Cup water. When hot, mix the Sugar and Vinegar and some salt. Add to the rice and mix well. The rice should not become mushy.

Peel and cut the Sweet Potatoes into 1 inch thick and long strips. Season the Sweet Potatoes with some oil, salt and paprika. Bake in a 400F oven until soft and cooked through.

Cut all the vegetables into thin long strips.

Place a Nori sheet on a Sushi bamboo mat.Place a big scoop of rice on the nori and spread into a thin layer. 1/3 of the way in, place the Sweet potato strips, Cucumber, Mango and Avocado slices.

Place the end of the sheet over the vegetables, pull with the bamboo mat until tight and then roll the rest of the sheet. Wet the edges with water and complete the roll. 

Close with the bamboo mat and pull to tighten. Cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces using a sharp knife.

Serve with the Soy Sauce, Wasabi and Pickled Ginger.

Ramen with Veggie broth

Our family loves Japanese food. We love Sushi but Ramen and tsukune are our favorite. A problem with Ramen is, it is very difficult to find a good vegetarian or chicken based broth, since almost all Ramen is made with pork broth. 

I tried making it at home and it's actually very simple to make. Adding Miso paste to the Veggie broth brings a depth and flavor that is very hearty. Perfect for the cold climate.

This is a very healthy and filling meal.

Ingredients:
Ramen Noodles - 1 pack
Corn kernels - 1/2 cup
Small Broccoli - 1
Spinach leaves - 1 cup
Eggs - 2
Mushrooms - Few

For Broth:
Veggie Broth/Stock - 3 to 4 cups
Miso Paste - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Light Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Big Piece of Ginger - crushed
Cilantro stalks - one bunch
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cinnamom - 1 inch
Black Peppercorns - few
Cloves - 5

Boil all the ingredients for the broth and strain. Boil the eggs, peel and cut into halves.
Soak the eggs in a light drizzle of soy sauce.
Blanche the spinach, corn, broccoli florets and mushrooms.
Boil the ramen noodles and strain.
Add some ramen to a bowl, top with the broth and add all the veggies to the bowl to the side.
Top with half and egg to each bowl.