So, I think I already mentioned the wonderful Christmas gifts I received from my friends Hiroo and Kiki.  The recipe I made for Kiki was one of indulgence,  so in the light of being balanced and moderate in my approach to better health I thought it would be good to include a recipe that was nutrient dense and full of all good things.

So what good things does this recipe include?  Each element of the recipe has something to offer to help pump up the nutritional profile.

Sesame: This is a little power house of a seed.  High in copper, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and is a source for amino acids and protein.

Nori: About a third fibre, a third protein, contains iodine, vits A, B & C, trace minerals and amino acids

Ancient or Short Grain Brown Rice: Fibre fibre fibre!

Kale: Vits A, C and K, fibre, high antioxidant, a really great green vegetable

Shiitake Mushrooms: antioxidant, good immune support booster and high in B vitamins

Miso: lots of different B vitamins and trace minerals.  It is quite salty but it is nice to have something that seasons and delivers nutrition.

Not only does this meal pack a punch on the health front, but it is super duper tasty too!

Enjoy x

For the Tofu Sesame Galettes

Ingredients

Serves 2

300g of  silken tofu drained and weighted in a sieve for 1 hour any surplus liquid discarded – I used this tofu and it was really nice

3 tbsp sesame seeds

1 sheet of nori  cut into small pieces (I used the Clearspring un-toasted variety)

150 g buna shimeji mushroom you could use chestnut, shiitake or portobello mushrooms instead if you cannot find these

good quality vegetable or olive oil for frying

1 1/2 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp brown rice flour

4 tbsp potato flour

Method

In a hot dry frying pan, toast the sesame seeds until they begin to pop.  Take care to stir them regularly so they do not stick and burn.

Put the sesame seeds and the nori sheet into a spice grinder and process until it is finely ground.

Chop the Buna Shemji mushroom into small pieces, fry gently in a little bit of olive oil and set aside.

Using a spoon, press the tofu through the sieve.  Add to this the sesame nori mix, the mushrooms along with all the remaining ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

Heat enough oil to gently shallow fry the galettes, being careful to gently spoon the mixture into the oil as it is quite sticky and difficult to shape in advance.  Fry both sides for a few minutes until they are golden brown and the galettes are cooked all the way through.  If you prefer not to fry at all then you could try them baked in the oven for about 20-25 minutes at 180C on a non-stick baking tray.

For the Rice

Ingredients

Serves 2

250 g ancient 16 grain rice or some short grain brown rice

500 ml filtered water

pinch of sea salt

Method

Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.  Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes (for the ancient rice) or about 35-40 minutes for the short grain brown rice.

I like to stir my rice at this point with a fork and give it a little taste test.  If it is still a bit nutty/hard then add a splash of water, cover the pot and leave it to stand for 10 minutes or so.  This way the rice does not dry out to quickly and risk burning on the bottom of the pan….makes the washing up part less than fun.

For the Vegetables in Miso Broth

Ingredients

Serves 2

500 ml of filtered water

small handful of dried shiitake mushrooms

1 carrot finely sliced on the diagonal

1 spring onion finely sliced

few leaves of Kale sliced

3 teaspoons of miso paste dissolved in a little water

Method

Let the shiitake mushrooms soak in the water for 15-20 minutes until they are soft.

Remove the mushrooms slice them and along with the soak water put them in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Add the carrots and the spring onion and cook for a few minutes until the carrots soften.  Add the kale and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the kale is cooked.

To ensure the miso does not boil and the beneficial bacteria and kept in tact, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the miso.

Enjoy this? You might also like...