| Moscow Food Co-op Recipes | |
Vegetarian Sushi Salad
by Jen Hirt, from the September 2004 newsletter
For sushi fans who aren’t up for the challenge of cutting raw fish and hand-rolling intricate sushi, try this vegetarian salad, or “scattered sushi,” adapted from The Vegetarian Times. When I first made this recipe, I’d never made sushi of any type, but I’d always enjoyed eating it. Finding out how all the ingredients go together to make that unique taste was pretty cool. Although this recipe calls for a little pre-planning and a skill for multitasking over the stovetop, it’s well worth it.
Vegetarian Sushi Salad
Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side dish
1 1/2 cups short grain rice
1 1/2 cups water for soaking the rice
1 package dried shiitake mushrooms
Enough water to cover the shiitakes
2 medium carrots
1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
8 oz. firm tofu
2-3 sheets Nori seaweed
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
The following ingredients are added in small amounts at different times:
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar or honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. mirin
Four hours before serving time, soak the shiitake mushrooms in enough water to cover them. Also at this time, prepare part of the sushi rice. In a saucepan, mix the rice vinegar with 1/2 tbsp. of salt and 2 tbsp. of sugar. Boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Refrigerate.
Soak the rice in the water for at least one hour. Or, if more convenient, start soaking it when you soak the shiitakes. It’s also fine to soak both overnight.
As the rice and mushrooms soak, start to prepare the other ingredients. Press the tofu to remove some water. To do this, set the whole tofu block between clean kitchen towels or paper towels and set something heavy on it for about twenty minutes.
Peel the carrots and grate them.
When the tofu has been pressed, dice it. Combine the tofu, the olive oil, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tbsp. sugar, and a 1/2 tsp. of salt in a plastic container with a lid. Shake gently to coat the tofu. Set aside.
After the shiitakes have soaked for at least three hours, discard their stems and dice the caps. Save the soaking water.
When the rice has soaked for at least an hour, bring it to a boil. Add extra water if necessary. Cover it, lower the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the grains are soft and sticky. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix the cold vinegar mixture into the hot rice. I suggest drizzling a little bit of the vinegar followed by a quick, vigorous stirring of the rice. The idea is to have the rice absorb the vinegar in a balanced way. Keep the rice warm as you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Combine the diced shiitakes, about 2 tbsp. of soaking water, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp. mirin, and 1/2 tbsp. sugar in a skillet. Simmer over lower heat for 10-15 minutes, adding the reserved shiitake water if the mushrooms start to stick. Drain if necessary, and set aside.
Transfer the tofu mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 15-20 minutes, until the tofu is lightly browned and slightly chewy. Add soy sauce or shiitake water if the tofu starts to stick, or if you want more flavor. I like to season the tofu with a little more soy sauce, straight from the bottle. Set aside.
While the tofu and shiitakes are occupying a skillet, you can cook the carrots and peas in a saucepan. Combine the carrots, 1/4 cup shiitake water, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp. mirin, and 1/2 tbsp. sugar in a saucepan. Stir well and cook over medium heat until just barely tender. Drain if necessary, and set aside.
Combine the peas, 2 tbsp. water, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tbsp. sugar in a saucepan. Stir well. Cook over medium heat just a couple minutes, until the peas are bright green.
Finally, combine the rice, the cooked vegetables, and the cooked tofu in a large salad bowl. With kitchen scissors, shred the sheets of Nori. As an option, you can lightly toast the sheets over a gas flame before shredding. You can also buy pre-roasted sheets.
Serve immediately or chill. Offer the usual sushi accompaniments of wasabi or pickled ginger.
Jen Hirt has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho. This is her final newsletter contribution for a while, since she’s roaming the Bernheim Arboretum in Clermont, Kentucky, for most of the autumn.
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