Getting Your Green's - Spanish Eggs Revisited

All I did here was create the Spanish Eggs (prev. post) and added a bed of steamed (al dente) lacinato kale and asparagus. Was really delicious! Oh and I only used one egg because I figured two was a bit much. .... oh I also sliced some peppers from the garden into loops and saute'd them before cracking an egg over them. They were hot! Sweet peppers would add a bit more flavor.

Veggie Stir Fry Sushi Rolls (yeah, no rice!)

Originally I had meant to create a stir fry over Pad Thai noodles (which I did), but then, wallah! This creation was born. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Let me know if you try an alternative stir-fry center. I think some sliced steak would be delicious to add.

Printable Recipe

Healthy Factoids
Nori is rich in iodine and iron and quite high in protein. It is also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium and riboflavin (B2).
Not only does it have all these nutritional riches, it is also a low-fat food.

No Rice, What?! I love sushi, but I don't like the amount of white sticky rice that comes with it. This recipe gives you a delicious, low-calorie way of eating sushi. Plus, whenever I think about making sushi I think it's going to be a big ordeal, taking out the rice step really makes this a quick-fix item. Really you can do any kind of vegetable and/or meat variety. This was just one example to show you how you can enjoy the benefits of Nori and sushi without all that rice!


Ingredients
Nori Sheets

Shallots or Small White Onion (I actually use dehydrated white onion)
Garlic, 2-4 Cloves sliced thin
Sweet Potatoes, cubed about 1/4"
Asparagus, broken into 1/2-1" pieces
Brussel Sprouts, quartered lengthwise (or halved if they are really tiny already)
Crimini Mushrooms, cubed about 1/4" (or Shitaki or other brown mushroom)
Cabbage, sliced thin lengthwise; feather-sliced (I used a small ruffly head - will update the name when I go back to the store. Any green will do though)
Lacinato kale, sliced small, about 1/2"

White Cooking Wine
Olive Oil for frying
Sea Salt

Toasted Sesame Seeds (I did a white/black mix)
Mung Bean Sprouts

Sushi grade Soy Sauce (or Tamari Sauce... any sushi sauce of your choice)


Special Items to help you out:
Sushi [Bamboo] Roller
Chop Sticks


Instructions
Stir fry your filling (Start with the hardest vegetables first). I suggest the following order...

1. Heat a splash of Olive Oil in your skillet. Add the Onion and Garlic Slices and saute until golden.
   
2. Add Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts (only add the Asparagus if you are using a thick variety, if thin, wait until you add thinner vegetables).
3. Toss these veggies with the sauteed Onion and Garlic. Add a splash of the White Cooking Wine, Cover and let it infuse/steam. Cook these until almost tender.
4. Add the quick cooking veggies now; Crimini Mushrooms, Cabbage and Lacinato Kale. Continue to toss and cook everything until desirable doneness. I like all my veggies to be a little Al Dent.
5. Add a sprinkle of Sea Salt to taste

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Finishing...

• Boil Some water in a kettle or a soup pot (you will only need it to be 1-2" deep). turn off after boiling if using a pot or pour into a dish almost as big as your Nori sheets.
• Take your Nori sheets and either very lightly-quickly dip them into the hot water. You can try to steam them or dip quickly. Just don't let the sheet SIT in the hot water.
• Make sure the sheet is not dripping wet, lay it out on your Sushi Roller like you would for regular Sushi making.
• Place a generous amount of stir fry near the top end (closest to you).
• Sprinkle Sesame Seeds and add a small amount of fresh Mung Beans on top of the stir fry filling.
• Roll it like regular sushi rolling. It should go pretty easy as the wet Nori should adhere a bit to itself. Keep the roll tight as you don't have the advantage of using sticky rice for extra 'stick'.
• Slice and Serve. I dipped mine in the Sushi Soy Sauce and then in the Sesame Seeds and it was just divine. Adding a little Wasabe to the soy sauce would have been yummy too.

What About Kale

REGULAR KALE VARIETY

I was first introduced to Kale by my friend, Christine Lynch of Live and Eat Better Holistic Health. This is her business, she is a holistic health counselor. She has tried to convince me over the years that kale is one of the best greens you can get and that I should ingest it daily. Well over the past year and a half I have made every effort to do just this and keep wasting at least 75% of what I purchase. I have tried it in stir fry, steam and sprinkle a bit of salt, put it in soups, hide it in a salad, you name it and I just can't stand it.

So until recently, I thought that I have finally written off kale. Deciding that it's just not for me. But then my mom discovered Lacinato Kale in the organic area at our grocery store of choice (Sherm's Food 4 Less) so I gave it a shot. It is quite a different thing than the average regular variety I had been buying.

LACINATO KALE

Lacinato is also commonly referred to as Dinosaur Kale. It has a very thick, almost leathery feeling yet when cooked (like in the soup I just posted: Garbanzo Rice-Noodle Soup) it has such a nice bite and taste. Be careful not to overcook any type of green like this or you will never like it. Consider cooking it sort of like "al dente". It's almost what I would call, "meaty". The common variety, from what I can tell is only referred to as "Kale", just has no flavor and I disdain it's thin, rough frilly texture.

Try either or, but I felt I should post this because my experience with Kale made me think I would never like it when there are actually different varieties. With it being such a healthy green to have in my diet I wanted to like it.

Our store carries the generic Kale in the regular produce area and then 2-3 different varieties in the organic area. Price is pretty comparable too and in smaller bunches sometimes which is nice if you are the only one in the house that's going to eat it.

Let me know if you try it or both and tell me what you think of the difference.

Wikipedia Nutrition Facts