Monday, November 13, 2006

More sushi madness!

So the apple diet is over. It wasn't so bad. The first day's always the hardest; you want to eat everything in sight. Day 2 and 3 are much more serene. I spent the rest of the weekend passed out. Totally comatose. I was hanging on to this "recipe" for a rainy day and today is it. But before I get to that... I got some cookbooks today!!!

I finally got my vegan cupcakes take over the world. I'm a bit disappointed to see everything is vegan margarine, veggie shortening and refined sugar filled. Oh well. I was kind of expecting that. I also got Vegan with a vengeance. I like pictures in my cookbooks (my favorite cookbook so far is "Love, Eric"... pictures of EVERY recipe!). I guess I'm a visual person. I've heard awesome things about VwoV so I'll have to flip through it later some more.

The best buy though was the one I had no expectations about: "Raw food, Real world". It's soooo awesome. Amazing looking food... the guy on the cover was really cute so I think that made me want to buy the cookbook even more... lucky for me there are tons of additional pictures of him throughout the cookbook... along with pictures of yummy food! This one's definately making my top 5 cookbook list!

Anyhow... On to the recipe!





No rice sushi... version 2

Alfalfa sprouts or Broccoli sprouts
Carrots, matchsticked
Cucumber, matchsticked
Ginger-Orange tofu (see previous sushi recipe)
Nori Sheets

(Any kind of veggie combinations you want! See previous sushi recipe for more ideas like sweet potato and marinated shitake mushrooms)

Lay the sprouts in a thin bed onto the nori sheets. Add the veggies and tofu and roll in typical veggie sushi fashion.

Tada! I making this and bringing it for lunch last week. Very yum!

Missed you all!

- Ben

14 comments:

Amey said...

Hi Ben,
We missed you too! I know everyone is so crazy about the cupcake book, but I'm afraid I agree with you. I think I'll stick with my more mellow frosting recipes... and see what I can do with the cupcakes. I also TOTALLY agree with you about the pictures in cookbooks... even though it turns out that some of my favorite cookbooks don't have many pictures. I have heard good things about "love, Eric" and it's on my wish list at Amazon.
:) Amey

bazu said...

Hey Ben,
Glad everything went well with the apples, and that you're back! I've been loving baking cupcakes, but so far I've stayed away from the frosting- instead I've stuck to crumb, glaze, and ganache toppings. I would only make a frosting for a truly special occation- too splurgey! Then again, you don't make cupcakes if you want to eat well! They are naughty naughty little things.
I like the look of both your sushi posts, and will try that soon. Oh, I finally posted the pumpkin pancakes, and they are really popular- thanks again!

madeinalaska said...

Glad to hear all went well on your apple diet
The sushi looks great- I have never tried to make it- but I sure do like to eat it!!

May I suggest a beautiful vegan cookbook- Vegan world Fusion Cuisine. It does have a quite a few pictures of the recipes as well as lots of other great pictures -quotes and stuff. It does have a few raw recipes as well. I have tried a few of the recipes and man o live they have all been VERY GOOD!
They have recipes from the book here http://www.veganfusion.com/recipes.php
take care
Julee

JENNA said...

hi ben, I use to work at pure food and wine where the Raw food Real world cookbook is from! I did there pastry production. I love their soup recipes in there for the summertime. Matthew and Sarma are really talented. Although I don't think Matthew is associated with the place anymore which is a shame. Have fun with all your new books!

JENNA

aTxVegn said...

Welcome back, Ben! I hope you feel great after enduring the apple diet.

I like pictures in cookbooks too. I guess it helps me know I made it right.

The sushi looks perfect!

Candi said...

There you are! :) I thought the apples killed you. I'm glad you did the detox successfully! I hope you feel better for doing it!

Look at you with all those new cookbooks!! yay! I think we all were a little worried when we saw the TCTOTW ingredients. I love finding new ways to make them a bit more healthy. If I can't, then I will make them and give them away as gifts. Lol!

I've never heard of Love, Eric. I have flipped through Raw Food, Real World though! Awesome book! I don't think I ever bought a cookbook yet because the author was cute! LOL! I totally laughed at that. Although, Isa is hot. :p

The sushi looks great! I love the no-rice sushi you make. I don't know how you get them to look so perfect though. How adorable are those chopsticks!!

Anonymous said...

Not only is your food delicious but your pictures are gorgeous. I am always anxiously awaiting your next presentation! Beautiful chopsticks. But it's kind of curious. The chopstick holder says happy smile and it doesn't look like little panda is too happy or smiling. Maybe that's his mantra and he's trying to remember to be happy and smile? Hmmmmm....

Glad you're back and you successfully survived the apple detox diet. Hey, speaking of apples, you want to know something funny? One time I was watching this program about healthy and this man was talking about the "deficit diet" (sounds like something our country needs to go on also). Basically you eat in a caloric deficit every day and it's supposed to help you live longer. To accomplish that, one man ate tons and tons of apple peels only! Could you imagine?

Nikk said...

Welcome back!

That sushi looks awesome...I love love LOVE sprouts.

Anonymous said...

I've heard of Love but not of Eric.
Or I'm trying to forget ever loving an Eric LOL Baggage ! LOL
I'm being silly, of course. I want to check out the Raw cookbook ! More raw food for me ! I totally want more raw.
And I too love a good picture (when I can actually achieve the same presentation) LOL

Anyway, I agree about the frosting.
Isa is very good in achieving a vegan dessert that looks and tastes "Not vegan" but she is also conventionnal in her baking. A lot of sugar, a lot of fat. I have been enjoying a lot of Bryanna's and Susan's desserts. They are healthier.

Now you can be credited with making me buy nori sheets. All your sushi's fault I'm afraid.
But I haven't taken the plunge yet. I will though. I just don't know if I'll show pictures of my sushi :)

Très contente que tu sois revenu d'être "tombé dans les pommes" ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ben!!!! What a marvelous web site. I have to say that I am beyond impressed. Your recipe look so yummy, I can't wait to try them out. I love your pics, as always they are just fabulous.In case you are wondering who this is... I'm that crazy girl who made you vegan pancakes at Go Travel. I'm pretty sure that you've seen the *Go Further* movie with Woody Harrelson.. well the Raw food chef, Renée Loux is just amazing and she has a few books such as: Living Cuisine (it's an amazing book)- Congrats with your site and I will continue to check it out :) Véro

aTxVegn said...

Hey Ben! About the gf muffins - It's my own concoction:

Mix together the dry ingredients:
2 c. gf baking mix (Bob's Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills or see Gluten Free Goddess for her own special blend of flours)
1 c. regular oats
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. or more spices, whatever you like, cinnamon, allspice, etc.
I always put my add-ins into the dry mix to coat them. I use dried fruits, nuts, choc. or carob chips.

Mix together the wet ingredients:
3 smashed very ripe bananas
1/4 c. sugar or more, depending on how sweet the bananas are
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. soy or rice milk, or more, again depending on the nanners.

Mix the wet into the dry and put into a greased muffin tin. (I hate muffin liners!) Bake at 375 for 15 - 17 minutes. I get 12 big muffins. I really like the oat flakes taste, but I know some folks prefer to let the oats soften in the wet mixture.

That's it! I always experiment with it, and as long as you keep the dry mix as is, you can flavor it however you like. I know you're into pumpkin now. You could sub that for the bananas. It works every time for me.

Have fun!
- Diann

Anonymous said...

Ben..what a wonderful idea to use alaphala sprounts in sushi. I can't wait to try that!

Ben Kaelan said...

Okay so work is dead and I just realized I never replied to all these awesome comments... so here I go!

Amey : I'm all about cane sugar-free now. You should really invest in Love Eric: it's really small! LOL... but there are full page color photos for EACH recipe which is AWESOME! I love love love that cookbook! :) I'll count how many recipes there are... the size surprised me at first but it's an awesome quality book!

Bazu: After closer observation I found a few sugar free frosting alternatives I'll have to try after I sugar-free-ize a few cupcakes :) I'll keep you posted on how that turns out. Thanks again for posting photos of my pancakes :) :)

Julee: Thank you so much for your suggestion: I love getting cookbook suggestions. I took a look at that website and it looks great. I've splurged on so many cookbooks lately I'm going to have to wait a while before I splurge again heeh.

Jenna: That's sooo cool!!! Matthew's cute! haahha! I love this cookbook; my sister browsed through it and she's buying a copy too. I love all the pictures!! :)

TxnVgn: I totally didn't realize that some of my favorite cookbooks have no pictures: How it all Vegan and Volomptuous Vegan... but yea lately I'm all about pictures... I guess it's cause I care about presentation as well as taste.

Candi: Love, Eric has become my favorite vegan cookbook honestly... I love the layout and the pictures and the originality and healthiness of all the desserts. It's well worth looking into. It's endorsed by Madonna! :) Isa is hot; I'll give you that! Making good looking sushi just takes practice and gusto; the gusto part is really squeezing hard without inhibitions when you're rolling.

VivaciousV: Aww thanks for the nice comments; majoring in photography in art school helps LOL. I love that chopstick set; I got it in the UK and they don't make them anymore which sucks cause I would have gotten more. It's a set with a spoon; a korean chopstick set; they use stainless steel chopsticks and don't bother using them for rice; they use a spoon. The set also comes with a spoon :) Yuck at apple peel diet!

Nikki: Thanks! It's awesome; makes for crunchy sushi :)

Gaia: I too once loved an Eric (well it was Erik with a "k" but he was also my first love) but I've moved on and opened myself to "Love, Eric"... and trust me, it's worth it! I loooove looove loooove this cookbook... Sushi rolling is definately a trial and error thing. REad up on it online before you jump into it and then take the plunge! It's awesome to make your own sushi! Le probleme c'est pas de tomber dans les pommes, c'est que les pommes commencent a tomber sur les nerfs :)

Vero: Of course I remember you and our pancake antics! I'm working the christmas party this year (I'm going on an Amsterdam trip instead) so I'm totally going to do that with all the people here! It's going to be awesome! Loved that pancake morning! That made up for not going to the xmas party that year :) Miss ya!

Diann: THANK YOU!!! :) Now to find this Mill owned by Bob you speak of :) hehe

Megan: I wanna see pictures :) :)

Anonymous said...

this post is ancient now, but i just wanted to share another option for rice-less sushi. buckwheat noodles, cooked and placed on the nori. it's fairly low carb and wheat free. :)

-Donna