Black Rice Sushi Rolls

After yesterday's success with the purple sweet potato pie, I was at a bit of a loss about what to do with some mashed pumpkin in the fridge. I didn't want to repeat the same pie recipe using the pumpkin instead. Been-there-done-that kind of thing, you know. Besides, I just know in my heart that it won't be as Ah-mazing, because, though similar in texture, they are just different vegetables. Just like you and I are different. But more alike than different, especially when it comes to food.

I'd therefore planned on making glazed pumpkin cookies instead, as I've never baked those before and they would be cool and comforting to have around too. However, life is what happens to you while you're busy with other plans. Sez John Lennon. And so, the pumpkin cookies remained as mere page in my recipe book because in the meantime, something else had cropped up in my life (a.k.a. my kitchen) that I found infinitely more interesting.... Glutinous Black Rice! And the Black Rice Sushi Rolls happened instead. Oh, I did use a few tablespoons of the mashed pumpkins in the sushi so it wasn't a complete loss. I think the rest of it will have to go into a pumpkin soup tonight. Life happens.

Black rice is apparently all the rave in 2009, so this post may be a bit of a yawn. However, if Chef Ian Pengelley of Gilgamesh, London still thinks it's cool, then so do I! The mysterious, black-purple grains are bursting with the antioxydant anthocyanin, it's low carb and lowers cholesterol too. Let's face it, black rice is good-looking (on a plate), good-tasting (like hot popcorn) and it's GOOD for you!

For this recipe, I've used all vegetable ingredients so it's suitable for vegans. If you want to include fish or meat, please go ahead and be my guest (or rather, I'll be yours?).

Black Rice Sushi Rolls
Ingredients:
Makes: 3 rolls

1 cup black glutinous rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
3 pieces baby corn
½ firm tofu
6 tablespoons mashed pumpkin
3 nori sheets
Salt and pepper, to season

You will need a bamboo rolling mat or cling film to help you roll the sushi.

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for about an hour, then drain and boil with 2 cups of water. You can cook this either on a stove or in a rice cooker, but just bear in mind that black rice takes slightly longer to cook than white rice.

2. Once cooked, stir in 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar and a pinch of salt (optional) and leave to cool.

3. Prepare the vegetable fillings:

    a. Boil the pumpkin pieces until softened, drain water and mash with a fork.

    b. Boil the baby corn for a few minutes until slightly soft, but still a bit crispy. Slice into half lengthwise.

    c. Fry the tofu in a little olive oil, cool and then slice into thin strips.

   You can season each of these with a little bit of salt and pepper, I only seasoned the pumpkin.

4. Once the rice is cooled, spoon it onto the nori sheet as shown (below). Line up your filling in a straight line, then start to roll from the end nearest to you (where the rice is closest to the edge). Make sure you press firmly along the length of the rolling mat so the rice and filling can spread a little to the opened ends.

5. Slice the roll across about ½ inch thick with a sharp, wet knife. Dip the blade in water to moisten it in between cuts. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi dip.

Crazy, sexy, beautiful!

Spanakopita Wannabes

While I was running with my friend, LAZsie the other day, she mentioned this Greek savoury pastry called Spanakopita and how ultra-delicious it was, and that yeah, I should try to make it. Jogging along steadily, she went on to describe the ingredients which consists mainly of spinach and feta cheese, all lovingly wrapped up in layered phyllo pastry. I swear, just listening to her made me gain a few calories… even while we were trying to lose some at the time.

So today, I was lying in bed and contemplating if I should try to make Spanakopita. Went downstairs, searched around and alas, there were no spinach and no feta in sight. But wait.. there was still some phyllo in the freezer! In the end, you could say that I made something inspired by Spanakopita, and it was equally as delicious. For the purposes of this post, let’s just call it the “Spanakopita Wannabes”.

The great thing about this healthy dish is that I made them using a standard muffin tray so that they didn’t fall apart and retained some sort of pyramidal shape. The phyllo-wrapped Wannabes contained these: egg-plant, baby corn, chives and shredded parmesan cheese. A winning combination, even my veggie-picky home-dwellers liked it!

Spanakopita Wannabes

Ingredients:

Makes: 8 muffin-sized portions

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced

3 baby corn, sliced

Bunch of chives, cut into 2-inch lengths

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ onion, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

8 Phyllo pastry sheets

Olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the filling first by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil and frying the garlic, onion and chives until fragrant. Add the eggplant and baby corn and stirfry until the vegetables are slightly cooked, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, set aside to cool. Once cooled, add the shredded Parmesan and mix well.

2. Thaw the phyllo sheets and make sure you place a damp cloth over the sheets while you are working with them as they tend to dry out very quickly. Rub some olive oil on both sides of a sheet, fold it into a wide cone and place the pointed end of the cone inside a muffin cup.

Fold over phyllo to seal the cone, then flip over and tuck into the muffin cup.

3. Spoon in the vegetable and cheese filling, fold the phyllo over the open side of the cone, turn it over and tuck the folded part into the base of the muffin cup.

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes until brown and crispy. Serve while still warm.

The advantage of using these vegetables as fillings is that I didn’t have to worry about them being “wet” after they are cooked. I think with spinach, you still have to squeeze some amount of liquid out to ensure that the phyllo won’t get soggy once they are filled. Using Parmesan over Feta gives good flavour too, it’s just not as moist as the real Spanakopita. I'm confident the Greeks won’t mind me copying being inspired by their dish – graciousness must after all be one of the hallmarks of a great civilization.