Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Quick and Simple Handroll Tutorial

Tempeh Veggie Rolls and Rueben Rolls

Ingredients:

1--1 1/2 cups boiled or pressure cooked brown rice or brown rice combination

2 or 3 sheets of toasted nori

filling ingredients such as blanched carrot matchsticks, cucumber matchsticks, green onion, fried tofu or tempeh, mustard, sauerkraut, radish, avocado, pickled shiso leaves, pickled ginger, etc.

Instructions:

  1. Cut or tear each sheet of nori in half, so that you have 4 or 6 sheets of nori that are approximately 4"x6".
  2. Lay one sheet of nori down on your work surface with the shiny side down and the long side facing you.
  3. Take about 1/4 cup of rice and using your hands, press into a 4 inch long log shape.
  4. Lay the rice log on the nori diagonally starting at the top left corner and ending at the bottom center point.
  5. Lay ingredients on top of rice, being careful not to overfill handroll.
  6. Gently fold the lower left corner of the nori over the handroll filling.
  7. Continue rolling the handroll until only 1/4 of an inch is left unrolled. Wet this edge to seal it and finish rolling.

Admire your beautiful work and enjoy!

Notes:

This is a perfect opportunity to use up your leftover grain in a fun, delicious way.

The soybeans in tempeh are only partially cooked during tempeh production, so it is important to always cook your tempeh for at least 20 minutes to ensure proper digestability. Steaming tempeh for 10 minutes prior to marinating it (for frying or grilling) also opens up the pores in it, making it a flavor sponge.

For a Tempeh Rueben Roll, use sauerkraut, green onions, mustard, and tempeh simmered in a water/shoyu mixute for twenty minutes.

Using avocado or a small amount of seed or nut butter in your sushi will create a creamy richness and make your sushi more satisfying.

Handrolls can be dipped in sauces like shoyu wasabi, ginger shoyu, tahini sauce, etc.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Natural Epicurean Takes over Casa de Luz!

Celebrate Mother's Day with us!

On the second Sunday of every month, five students from the Natural Epicurean Academy of Arts prepare dinner for the patrons of Casa de Luz. Christina Terriquez will be leading the kitchen and creating delicious dishes in Casa's kitchen.

May's (tentative) Menu is:
Red Lentil Dahl
Millet Tabbouleh
Curried Chickpeas
Blanched Greens with Walnut Pomegranate Sauce
Fresh Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
Golden Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes OR Spiced Summer Squash

As always we strive for as much seasonal, organic produce as possible. Although our menus are planned in regard to the seasons, sometimes the produce just isn't available and substitutions are required.

NE Takes Over Casa de Luz
Sunday, May 13th
6:00-8:30
$12 for adults includes meal, hot or cool tea and filtered water
1701 Toomey Rd. Austin, TX 78704