The 30-Minute Vegan's Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes--from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls (22 page)

4. Grill the mushrooms until char marks appear, flipping a few times to ensure even cooking. Serve them on a platter with the Ponzu Sauce for dipping.

SPINACH SESAME SALAD (OSHITASHI)

This cold salad is not only a super simple dish to prepare, it also makes for a beautiful presentation. It is wonderful as a side dish when served with Sesame Tofu with Wasabi Cream Sauce (page 160), Nori Rolls (page 157), or Tamari Ginger Tofu (page 162).

1. Place the spinach in a small pot or sauté pan with a little water over medium-high heat. Cook until the spinach is just soft and turns a darker green, approximately 3 minutes, using tongs to gently stir. Be sure not to overcook.

2. Place the spinach in a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain well and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients except the Gomasio and gently mix well.

3. Form the spinach into four individual portions of your desired shape. Try forming squares, circles, rectangles, or oval “towers.” Sprinkle with the Gomasio before serving.

• For
Versatile Sautéed Greens
, sauté 3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced, in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the spinach or replace with your favorite green vegetable such as kale, chard, collard greens, bok choy, or napa cabbage. Cook until the greens are just soft. Add 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. If desired, top with some vegan butter.

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH BLACK SESAME SAUCE

Black sauces are cool! This one is made with black sesame seeds, which when combined with the eggplant give this dish a “baba ganoush of the Far East” effect. Use Japanese eggplant, which are thinner and smaller than American eggplant, if you can find them. If you do use the regular variety, slice the eggplant into thick cutlets.

Serve as a side with Ramen Noodle Stir-Fry (page 167), Tamari Ginger Tofu (page 162), or Teriyaki Tofu (page 159).

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the eggplant halves in a casserole dish, sprinkle with salt, and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse well, lightly oil the casserole dish, and return the eggplant to the dish. Top with freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of sea salt. Place in the oven and bake until a knife can easily pass through the eggplant, approximately 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the Black Sesame Sauce ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour into a small sauté pan and keep warm over low heat until the eggplant is done cooking.

3. When the eggplant is done cooking, spread some sauce on each cutlet, top with diced red bell pepper, if using, and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds before serving.

ARAME GARLIC RICE

We could easily call this dish “garlic lover’s rice.” If you haven’t had whole cloves of garlic cooked along with the rice, it’s something that is not to be missed. This is another quick and simple side dish that can accompany any entree. Try it with Sesame Tofu with Wasabi Cream Sauce (page 160), Teriyaki Tofu (page 159), or Kung Pao Tempeh (page 123).

1. Place the arame and hot water in a small bowl and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Drain well and place in a medium pot with the remaining ingredients over medium-high heat.

3. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to low, and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes before gently mixing well.

SPICY SHIMEJI MUSHROOMS

An extremely popular mushroom in Japan, shimeji is a generic term for about twenty varieties of mushrooms. They come in clusters that are quite artistic. Experiment with different varieties to experience the subtle and not so subtle flavor profiles. You can also substitute the more common shiitake or cremini mushroom. Serve as a side dish with any of our Japanese entrées or use as a filling in Nori Rolls (page 157) or Nori Rice Balls (page 145).

1. Place the sesame oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chile pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and red bell pepper and cook until the mushrooms are soft, approximately 7 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and mix well. Garnish with the sesame seeds and enjoy!

• Add 2 tablespoons vegan butter and gently mix well before serving.

TOASTED SESAME-ROASTED VEGETABLES

Here’s a simple marinade for all of your roasting needs. Change up the different vegetables and have yourself a good ol’ time. The vegetables are the perfect side dish for Teriyaki Tofu (page 159), Arame Garlic Rice (page 153), and Coconut Mashed Parsnips (page 186).

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the marinade ingredients in a large casserole dish. Add the tomatoes and zucchini and cook for 15 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 10 minutes longer. Use tongs to flip the bok choy periodically to keep it moist.

2. To serve, place the vegetables on a plate and drizzle with the marinade.

AZUKI RICE

Adding cooked beans is a simple way to bump up the flavor and nutritional profile of a rice dish. Feel free to substitute your bean of choice for the azuki, which is very popular in Japanese cuisine. Cross cultural boundaries and serve with Red Curry (page 70), Sesame Garlic Stir-Fry (page 113), or Madras Curry (page 25).

1. Place the rice, water, rice vinegar, and salt in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the azuki beans in a small pot with a little water. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is ready. Add more water if necessary to prevent sticking.

3. Combine the rice, beans, green onions, and sesame seeds in a large bowl and gently mix well. To serve in a creative shape, pack the mixture tightly in a ramekin dish or in a 1-cup measuring cup. Flip onto individual plates.

NORI ROLLS

Sushi rolls can be as fun to dream up as they are to serve. With such a nice presentation, you can hardly go wrong. Everyone is always wowed by these simple yet delicate edible treasures. Though it will take time to build proficiency in rolling, the technique is dependable. Keep it tight, don’t overstuff them, and work with cooled sticky rice. You don’t even need a bamboo mat, although some people swear by them, in order to get the roll as tight as can be. We use a little extra water to cook the rice to get that desired sticky consistency. The authentic Japanese kitchen steams the rice instead of boiling it. Easier than you think, the technique involves covering a steamer basket with cheesecloth before steaming the rice as you would any vegetable. An electric rice steamer also works well. Our other secret to good rice is preparing it early in the morning (perhaps as you get ready for work). Then just leave it sitting on the stove or countertop, covered, until ready to roll. This way the rice will be thoroughly cooled but not hard from being refrigerated.

For filling the rolls we recommend that you start simple, with two or three ingredients. Choose from avocado, cucumber, green onions, shredded carrots, red or yellow bell peppers, seaweed, daikon, sprouts, or micro greens. Sometimes we even enjoy some chopped macadamia nuts in our rolls.

Take a step up with slightly more involved fillings like steamed asparagus, sautéed or grilled mushrooms, roasted tofu or tempeh (see page 227), Kim Chi (page 214), or Gomasio (see page 174).

Flavor up the scene with some umeboshi paste, Miso Cashew Spread (page 143), Wasabi Cream Sauce (page 160), or Cilantro Pesto (page 181). Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons over the rice (perhaps only 1 or 2 teaspoons of the umeboshi paste) before adding your fillings.

1. Bring the rice and water to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is soft and most of the water is absorbed. A little excess water is okay and will make the rice stickier as it cools.

2. If using, add the rice vinegar and mirin to the cooked rice and stir together.

3. Allow it to cool either on the countertop, or, if pressed for time, in the refrigerator. You can still roll with warm rice but you will have to work faster as the heat softens the nori, which will tear while rolling if you wait too long.

Rolling Instructions
4 nori sheets
¼ cup pickled ginger, or to taste
Wasabi to taste
Soy sauce to taste

1. Fill a small bowl with water. Lay out all four nori sheets on a clean countertop with the long side running parallel to the counter’s edge (this gives you longer rolls).