Tempeh and Squash Sesame Autumn Rolls

One of the main reasons I love eating at Vietnamese restaurants is their summer rolls. Herbaceous, fresh, and clean, they will never go out of style. They are also perfect if you need a break from heavy holiday food. I decided to do a bright autumn version here, and while it is by no means traditional, it is just as bright and clean as the cucumber and carrot version, perhaps just a little more hearty.

I use soba noodles instead of vermicelli, which I believe are a bit easier to cook than vermicelli. Vermicelli can be finicky. It goes from underdone to a gloopy, sticky mess in an eye blink, at least for me who has not spent years perfecting it. So if you have tips on perfecting rice vermicelli, let me know! The soba noodles also pair well with the sesame flavors I have in the tempeh and dipping sauce. The marinated and seared tempeh and creamy avocado play off of each other's textures and add some staying power. To mimic the sweetness of carrots, I add in slices of kabocha squash, and the whole thing comes together in a delicious little roll. 

if you have never played with rice paper before, it is rather simple if you know a few tricks. I fill a pie plate half- way with really hot water, get a dish towel ready out on the cutting board or counter (this helps absorb excess water while you assemble), plunge a piece of rice paper in the water for about 15 seconds or so on until softened. I lay the softened rice paper out on the towel and begin layering on the ingredients. The trick is to keep the ingredients nice and compact, much like you would fill a sushi roll or a dumpling. Then fold the sides in like a burrito and roll away. To keep them fresh as you make them, place a damp paper towel or dish towel over the already made spring rolls.

The dipping sauce here is sesame-based rather than peanut or fish sauce-based. You could certainly sub in peanut butter for the tahini, but it will be thicker so you will want to thin out with a little water until the desired consistency is reached.

Tempeh and Squash Sesame Autumn Rolls

Roasted Squash:
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 small kabocha squash, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
salt, to taste

Tempeh:
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
8 ounces tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari, if gluten-free
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Soba noodles:
6 ounces soba noodles
water
2 teaspoons sesame oil

Sesame Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup tahini
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce or Sriracha, optional

Rolls:
12-15 pieces of rice paper
1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves washed and excessive water removed
roasted kabocha squash
seared tempeh
1 avocado, sliced thinly
handful fresh cilantro, for serving
sesame seeds, optional, for serving

Roast squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss kabocha with tablespoon oil, and arrange in single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

Prepare tempeh. Mix maple syrup, low sodium soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a bowl. Add tempeh and toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook soba noodles. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add soba and cook for 5-7 minutes or until just done but not mushy. Start tasting at the 4 1/2 minute mark. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly and toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Make dipping sauce. Combine tahini, soy sauce or tamari, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add hot sauce, if using.

Prepare rolls. Fill a large shallow dish such as a pie plate half-way with steaming water. Add rice paper and allow to soak until softened, about 15 seconds. Place on a clean towel and layer ingredients on one end, starting with a small piece of red leaf lettuce, soba noodles, avocado, tempeh, kabocha, cilantro, sesame seeds, if using, and a drizzle of the dipping sauce. Roll up like a burrito, starting with the sides, and then roll up tightly. Place a damp towel over rolled pieces while repeating with remaining ingredients, heating water as necessary. Serve with dipping sauce and additional herbs, if desired. Enjoy! Makes 12-15 summer rolls.

Vegetable Nori Rolls

One of the most appealing things to me about sushi is just how neatly organized and beautiful it is. Fillings are bound in a nori and rice bundle, with all of their colors displayed. Little bundles of freshness they are. While I enjoy sushi with raw fish, it is often difficult to find high-quality sushi-grade fish that comes from sustainable sources. Vegetarian rolls are often a go-to for me when I am out with friends and not quite sure about the quality or sourcing of the fish, which is pretty often. Fillings can get extremely creative, and I love discovering new combinations that pair well with sushi rice and nori.

Peanut and avocado is a favorite combination of mine. When I first ordered it, others at the table were skeptical of my vegetarian roll, but there was something about the salty peanuts and creamy avocado that made them change their mind. You can really fill these rolls with whatever you like as the method will be pretty much the same for all sorts of rolls you would like to create. I purchased a sushi mat a long time ago, and it is a fun tool to have on hand if you want to make your own rolls regularly or host a sushi making party. I use brown rice here that I season with rice vinegar. Of course, you do not have to season the rice, but it really does make it taste more authentic.

The rolling technique can be a little tricky at first, but there are a few key tips that will make rolling a little easier.  You can also watch a video such as this one to get the idea.

• Line your mat with plastic wrap to make clean-up easier.
• Do not be tempted to over-stuff the roll. You will end up with a nori burrito that is not as sturdy and frankly does not look as cute.
• Tightly squeeze the roll, firmly but gently, after each rotation to get the tightest, most secure roll.
• Leave about 2 inches of one end of the nori free of rice so that you can wrap the roll securely.
• When you cut the roll, use your sharpest knife and dip it in a cup of water between cuts.

The basic roll recipe is adapted from Kristy's Avocado, Mango, and Kimchi Sushi Rolls at Keepin' it Kind. I used honey instead of mirin to ever so lightly sweeten the rice because I always have it on hand.

Vegetable Nori Rolls

Rolls:
2 sheets nori, toasted*
2 cups cooked short grain brown rice, warm or at room temperature (I used a rice cooker)
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey (agave, if vegan)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari, for serving
Pickled ginger, for serving (optional)

Avocado and Peanut Filling:
1/4 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped roasted and salted peanuts

Cucumber, Carrot, Avocado and Tempeh Filling:
1/8th of a block of tempeh, sliced into 1/4-inch slices and browned in 2 teaspoons coconut oil over medium heat until golden
1/4 English cucumber, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/16-inch matchsticks
1/4 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Make the sushi rice. Mix the vinegar, honey, and salt together until combined. Stir mixture into warm to room-temperature cooked short-grain brown rice.

Assemble the sushi. Place plastic wrap on the bamboo mat to cover. Place a piece of toasted nori, shiny side down, atop the plastic wrap. Cover the nori with 1 cup of seasoned sushi rice, leaving the last 1 1/2 to 2 inches of nori furthest from you free of rice. Dip your fingers in water if the rice starts to stick to them. Line the fillings of choice alongside the closest end to you.

Roll the sushi. Beginning with the edge closest to you, lift the mat up and over the filling. Squeeze mat gently along the length of the roll to secure the filling, then peel back the plastic wrap and mat once you feel the roll is secure. Roll again, squeeze firmly but gently, and peel back the mat and plastic wrap as necessary until you reach the end of the roll. Give the roll a final squeeze to make sure it is sealed. Remove the bamboo mat and plastic wrap.

Cut the roll. Dip a very sharp knife (not serrated) into water, and slice the roll crosswise into 8 or 9 pieces.

Repeat with the other nori sheet and fillings of choice. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce, if using. Makes 2 rolls.

*To toast nori, wave the nori about 4-5 inches over a gas flame for about 30 seconds or until the green becomes brighter.

Cast Iron Skillet Bibimbap

At certain restaurants we go to, especially the ones where the menu stays nearly the same year-round, I order the same thing each and every time. If it is not broken, why fix it? I will still peruse the menu as if I am going to mix things up, but I invariably do not. I am like my grandfather who listens to all 32 ice cream flavors with immense enthusiasm only to order....vanilla. It is not that I am not an adventurous eater, it is just that I usually have chosen to eat at that restaurant because I have been craving that specific menu item.

In college, we ventured to our favorite local Korean/ sushi restaurant and I decided to really go wild and order not my usual order, the one I had ordered every few weeks for the past two years, but this noodle dish that I had spotted on the menu. One bite later, I was throwing a mini-tantrum because they were not at all good, terrible really, and I knew I should have stuck with my regular order of the stone-pot bibimbap.

Bibimbap is a Korean dish composed of a beautiful rainbow of gently cooked vegetables seasoned with sesame oil atop rice. Tofu or meat, with or without an egg, can be added. While it can be served cold or room temperature, my favorite way to eat it is hot, served in a stone pot called a dolsot. I love the way the rice turns golden and crispy on the bottom. It reminds me of that crispy layer you find on the bottom of a Spanish paella. Traditional bibimbap gets tossed with a generous dousing of gochujang, a red chili pepper paste, and I know my Korean friends would be disappointed to know that I do not really care for the paste and never put it on. My little sister once thought I had forgotten to put it on and dumped it all over my virgin bibimbap for me only to find out very quickly that I had not forgotten.

I had been wanting to try to make the dish at home for a while, but I always wondered how I would achieve that addictive crispiness without a dolsot. It was silly, really, that I did not think of using a cast iron skillet as a substitute before. And it works spectacularly. The pan is brushed with a generous film of sesame oil, brown rice is packed on top, and vegetables are arranged in neat little piles. More sesame oil is drizzled along the sides, and then the skillet cooks over medium high heat until the rice becomes toasty. I added a fried egg, sprinkled a little chopped toasted nori and toasted sesame seeds all over for extra goodness. I do not serve mine with gochujang because it is not something I care for, but feel free to serve it alongside or add another hot sauce.

For guidance in preparing the bibimbap, I referenced this recipe from Martine of Petit World Citizen and adapted it to suit my preferences and what I found worked best in the kitchen. It really is delicious.

Cast Iron Skillet Bibimbap

4 cups cooked short-grain brown (or white) rice (short-grain gives the best texture here )
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and julienned
2 medium or 3 small carrots, peeled and julienned (see pic below on how to julienne carrots)
1 small zucchini, julienned
1/4 pound (about 1 cup) bean sprouts
3/4 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg
vegetable oil or other neutral oil, divided
3-4 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1-inch x 6-inch strip of nori, toasted and cut into 1/8-inch strips, optional for garnish
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, optional for garnish
gojuchang paste or other hot sauce, optional for serving

Using one pan, cook the vegetables in stages. Heat 2 teaspoons neutral oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, a sprinkle of salt, and saute until cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and set aside.

Add another teaspoon of neutral oil to pan, add the carrots, a sprinkle of salt, and saute until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil to pan, add zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Repeat with bean sprouts, adding 1 teaspoon of neutral oil to the pan and cooking until just wilted and some of water has been released, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add 1 teaspoon neutral oil to the pan, add the minced garlic clove, the fresh spinach, and a sprinkling of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach wilts. Remove from heat, pressing any extra water from the spinach, and toss the cooked spinach in a bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil.

Assemble the bibimbap. Brush a cast-iron skillet (10 inches or larger) with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the cooked rice in an even layer. Create piles of vegetables atop the rice. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil along the inner rim of the skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and allow to cook for 7-10 minutes or until you hear the rice start to crackle and crisp. It will smell a little toasty, too. You can always take a peak at the rice to check for crispiness, knowing that the center will be a tad toastier than the edges usually and there will be some residual cooking even when you remove the pan from the heat. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Add a fried egg or two or three or four. Sprinkle with nori pieces and toasted sesame seeds, and if desired, add gojuchang paste. Admire the rainbow of vegetables, then give it a good mix and enjoy! Serves 4.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cilantro Soba Noodles

Soba noodles are a bit underrated as far as Asian noodles go. They are so often overshadowed by more familiar noodles like chunky lo mein, springy ramen, and delicate rice vermicelli. Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made of buckwheat flour, which not only provides a healthy amount of fiber and protein, but also gives them an earthy taste and meaty texture. What makes them even more appealing is that they cook in 3-4 minutes. They hold up well in a number of cold and room temperature preparations, and I have made them most often with different Asian flavor profiles- flavors of sesame, peanut butter, soy, ginger, etc.. A few years ago, I watched an episode of No Reservations that inspired me to give the soba noodle a chance in my own kitchen. In the episode, Anthony Bourdain visits a Japanese restaurant that prides itself on making the perfect soba noodle for more than 200 years. Along with many other requirements, each noodle must be 1.6 mm in width and cooked to a specific doneness. It is this attention to detail, this appreciation for and celebration of such pure ingredients that gets me excited and makes me want to get into the kitchen and celebrate these ingredients in my own way.

In this recipe, I combine the noodles with an entire head of cauliflower that I grate and roast until a bit crispy, toss everything with a bright sesame and cilantro dressing, and garnish with toasted macadamia nuts. This makes a great side dish or make-ahead lunch, and to make it a more complete meal, we served it with some diced tempeh that we sauteed in coconut oil until crispy.

Roasted Cauliflower and Cilantro Soba Noodles

1 small head cauliflower
1 1/2 T. coconut oil, melted
generous pinch of salt
4 oz. (100g) soba noodles
generous 1/4 c. raw macadamia nuts

Dressing:
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled grated (about 1/2 t.)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 T. rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. miso paste, I used brown rice miso, but any will do
1 t. low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/2 t. honey
1/2 c. cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. Using a box grater or food processor with a grating blade, grate the cauliflower, including both florets and stems. I cut my cauliflower into fourths to make it easier. Toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread cauliflower onto baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring twice throughout the baking. The cauliflower will shrink down a lot and begin to crisp a bit.

While the cauliflower cooks, toast the macadamia nuts. Place the macadamia nuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven with the cauliflower for 8-10 minutes. Because of their higher fat content, macadamia nuts cook a bit faster than other nuts so watch them carefully. Remove the nuts from the oven and very roughly chop.

Prepare the dressing. In a blender or mini food processor, place all of the dressing ingredients, except the cilantro and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides often. Add the cilantro, and pulse a few times until the cilantro has been incorporated.

Cook the soba noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt to the water, then add the soba noodles, making sure they are all submerged. Cook for 3-4 minutes, testing the noodle for doneness. When you bite into it, you should see a tiny white speck, much like you find in an al dente Italian pasta noodle. Drain the noodles and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Add the cooked soba to a bowl large enough for mixing. Toss in the roasted cauliflower pieces and the dressing. Sprinkle in half of the chopped macadamia nuts and mix everything together. Garnish the top with the remaining macadamia nuts and serve. Serves 2-3.