The Kinky Coconut: Vegan Tempeh & Vegetable Stir-fry and Raw Vegan Mediterranean & Asian Nori Rolls

These recipes will be needed for the next phase of the 30 Day Self-Love Detox Challenge but they're also yummy to eat when you want healthy vegan nom nom's. The Asian Nori rolls are always a big hit and I have never had a problem getting meat mouth's to eat seconds when I make them. Unless they do not like seaweed but that's a case of, you win some, you lose some.

Have fun!

VEGAN TEMPEH & VEGETABLE STIR-FRY:
Ingredients:
1/2 Pkg Organic Tempeh, defrosted, cut and sliced into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp Kuzu mixed with 1/4 Cup Vegetable broth
1 Cup Vegetable or herb broth
1/4 Cup GF Tamari
1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp Sesame oil
1 Cup broccoli florets
2 Carrots sliced
1 Onion medium dice
1 1/2 Cup Chinese cabbage chopped
1 Spring onion bunch
1 Large clove garlic minced
1 Small knob ginger sliced
1 Can Sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 Pkg Sweet potato noodles aka Glass noodles

Method:
-Prep glass noodles by putting a bunch in a large bowl, pour boiled hot water to cover and leave to soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain and repeat process if noodles are not tender and easy to eat. With smaller noodles it usually only takes one try but with thick noodles, like the one's in the pics, they took me 3 times of draining and soaking. Keep aside and strain off water just before serving with tempeh, if they are not hot enough you can pour boiling water on them and drain again, they will heat quickly.

-Prep Tempeh as shown in the pictures below, saute in 2 Tbsp oil until browned, remove from heat and keep aside. Alternatively, you can saute them with the onions if you are not a big fan of fermented soy and prefer to give it more flavour from the vegetables.

-In a large enough pan, heat sesame and toasted sesame oil, saute onions for 2 minutes, add broccoli & carrots, cook 2 mins, add Chinese cabbage, water chestnuts, and ginger and cook for 2-4 minutes- stir often.

-Add garlic and cooked Tempeh pieces, stir through then add Tamari and stock, stir through.

-Add Kuzu mix and cook through while stirring for 1-2 minutes, it will thicken. Remove from heat, and serve immediately over hot glass noodles.

Tempeh is different from tofu and is allowed sparingly on this detox because it is fermented. The fermentation process stops the toxic properties in soy from being an issue, makes it more easily digestible, and adds good bacteria to your diet. It means something else too though, it's got a taste that we in North America are not so used to, I don't balk at it but I also like the taste of Natto with tamari over rice. You want to see some serious fermented food? Check out Natto. Big in Japan and popular with doctor's because it is one of the few sources for Vitamin K, if you want to learn more about Natto you can check this link out and below is a pic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D

Back to tempeh, so it has a kind of spongy look to it and there is a mild mushroom scent but it's not like mushroom. It is the fermentation process that gives it this look, texture, and smell.

Found in the freezer section of health food stores, I always buy plain or with some seaweed, organic, and use a bit as I need then freeze the rest. It is a meat replacement that I eat sparingly because soy can be a goitrogen but it's fermentation process makes it an alright, once in a blue moon food for me.
If you have a thyroid issue, I highly recommend reading the information in the link provided here as it is VERY important to know what foods are safe and those that inhibit thyroid function. Caution though, as there are some graphic goiter pictures.
http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2015/07/goiters-and-thyroid-plus-natural.html

This is how to cut the Tempeh and I like to cook mine until crisp before hand but as I stated, I like the taste of Tempeh because I am used to fermented foods. Do what works for you.

Kuzu is wild Japanese arrowroot and is found in the Asian section of your health food store. I have always used Mitoku brand which is organic. It can be a bit pricey but I use it sparingly and although it has gone up over the years in price from $4.99 to almost double; the benefits of it outweigh the expense. Kuzu is a natural thickener but it also has soothing properties for the intestines, it is sometimes used as a tea in Japan and has been applied with other herbs as plaster for wounds. It looks like white starchy rocks, they dissolve easily in Miso, broth, and water. I even use it to thicken my Macrobiotic apple sauce. You will find it is used more often in Japanese and particularly Macrobiotic cooking.

Glass noodles are made from the starch of sweet potatoes, they are a great noodle, have a fun chewy texture, and replace rice or regular wheat noodles nicely. They are gluten free and are usually made with only the sweet potato starch and water, cheap as well-they cost around $1.99-$2.99 a package in Asian markets.

This is how I stir fried the vegetables, stir-fry is a quick process. Cooking happens on a medium high heat so it's important to not leave your vegetables and other ingredient's in the pan for too long. I always like a little firm, fresh, vibrant bite to my vegetables.

Yummy!

These Nori rolls are super easy to make, you can use any kind of filling you like, sometimes I use only vegetables & other times I add sliced mango to give a fresh bite. Mixing the fresh vegetables with vegan vegetable slather or chickpea's mashed with a clove of garlic and a spritz of lemon juice, make for a great nourishing base that you can enjoy piling crunchy vegetables on.

Here is the link for the vegetable slather:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gluten-free-raw-food-vegetable-slather.html

I used it as a base for the rolls with the pickled daikon and carrot rolls. The pickled carrots and daikon are here:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2016/04/day-13-self-love-detox-challenge-and.html

You can also sprinkle the filled rolls with some vegan cheezie sprinkled before folding them, the recipe is here:

http://thekinkycoconut.blogspot.ca/2013/03/vegan-cheezie-sprinkles.html

RAW VEGAN MEDITERRANEAN & ASIAN NORI ROLLS

Ingredients:

Sushi nori squares (We used 8 because we were feeding 2 people)

1/2 Cup rawfood vegetable slather

1/2 Cup cooked chickpeas mashed with 1 clove garlic pressed and 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice & 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil. Mix and keep aside

1 Cup pickled daikon & carrots

1 Cup thinly sliced cucumber

1/2 Cup sliced peppers red or yellow

a few Scallion stakls sliced in half (I used 4)

6-8 Basil leaves

2 Lettuce leaves

2 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and then sliced when softened. Marinade in 1/4 tsp sesame oil, with 1 Tbsp GF tamari, and a few slices of pickled ginger. Stir and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

1/2 Tomato sliced

1 Ripe avocado sliced

1 small bowl of cool water (for rolling Nori)

Method:

-Using a bamboo sushi mat, lay a piece of Nori flat.

-For Mediterranean rolls, follow the next picture and stack the filling then vegetables as you see. Chickpea mash (do 2 with mash), or use garden vegetable slather (do 2 with slather) basil leaf, tomato, scallion, peppers.

-For Asian rolls follow the second set of pictures. Thinly sliced cucumbers, lettuce, avocado, marinated mushroom, pickled daikon & carrots, and sprinkle some cheezie sprinkles if you like.

-Once fillings are done roll and seal with water at the edges as the pictures show you below. Be patient, and don't over-fill or they will split and become an awful mess. Take your time and be gentle, seaweed paper aka Nori, is delicate but tastes great.