The first thought in my brain when I think about eating seaweed is 'sushi' but that is not the only way we can get sushi into our diet. Seaweed is a sea vegetable that is formed from algae that grow in the sea. Now don't let that deter you from adding it to your diet, it really is a versatile and nutritious addition to your daily food intake.
- Seaweed contains iodine and tyrosine which support thyroid function. Thyroid function, which helps control growth, energy production, reproduction, and repair to damaged cells in your body, rely on iodine to make its hormones. Seaweed contains the iodine your body is looking for.
- Seaweed contains a unique set of vitamins and nutrients that may be a bit harder for you to get into your system. Seaweed has vitamins A, C, E, and K as well as folate, zinc, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Sprinkling some on top of your salads or soups twice a week can be a small change to get those nutrients.
- Seaweed is a great source of fiber to promote gut health. Seaweed has a higher fiber content than most fruits and vegetables.
Fun Fact: As we know, seaweed is a water plant. The thing you may not know is that when it is growing, it is never actually connected to earths surface. It uses carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to get its nutrients so it must grow on the surface of the water.
Recipes:
Seaweed Salad (Japancentre.com)
- Dried Seaweed
- 1 tablespoon Awase Miso
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 tablespoon white roasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Yuzu juice
- 1 red Chili finely sliced
- Sea Salt
First of all, let’s get this seaweed re-hydrated. You can use a ready assembled sea vegetable salad, or use a combination of wakame and hijiki seaweed. Simply place in a bowl of water for twenty minutes.
While the seaweed is soaking, prepare the dressing. This is as easy as combining the miso, soy sauce, mirin, sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice vinegar, yuzu juice, chilli and salt in a bowl and stirring with a whisk. The mixture should not be too thick and should have a delightful aroma.
Drain the seaweed after rehydrating. Slice into appropriate bite sized pieces if using wakame or other whole seaweed varieties. Place in a bowl and pour over the dressing. Stir, and add a smattering of additional sesame seeds on top and chill before serving.
Spicy Seaweed Tofu Rolls (Fullofplants.com)
- 2 blocks fried tofu
- 2 nori sheets (sushi seaweed sheets)
- 2 teaspoons rice flour diluted in 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemongrass, minced
- 1/2 small chili, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Water
Cut the tofu blocks into rectangles of 1/2-inch thick and about 2.5-inch long.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and transfer the tofu to a plate lined with kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
Cut the nori sheets into 3 strips. Cut each strip in half (see photos). The sheets should be about the same width as the tofu, and long enough to wrap it. In a small bowl, dilute the rice flour into the water and set aside.
Tightly wrap a rectangle of tofu into a sheet of nori. Slightly damp the top of the nori sheet with the rice flour mixture and finish wrapping. The rice flour mixture will help seal the rolls. Repeat with the remaining tofu.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, lemongrass, and chili, and sautée for 2 minutes.
Next, add the tofu rolls to the skillet and sautée for another 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, coconut sugar, and water. Pour into the skillet and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened and coat the tofu rolls.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with a squeeze of lime and chopped green onions! You can serve these tofu rolls with rice, noodles, or as is as an appetizer!
Sweet and Salty Sesame Seaweed Bars (abraskitchen.com)
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Tamari, gluten free soy sauce
- 6 large sheets of Nori Seaweed
- 1 1/2 cups Sesame Seeds
- 1 1/2 cups mixed Seeds and/or Nuts
- 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Chai Seeds
- 2 teaspoons of Spirulina
Preheat oven to 350.
In a small saucepan over low heat melt together coconut oil, maple syrup, and tamari. Set aside.
In a large bowl stir to combine nori, sesame seeds, *nuts/seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and spirulina.
Pour melted coconut oil mixture over seed/seaweed mixture. Stir well to combine, making sure that everything is well coated.
Spread mixture out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a thin layer.
Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
When cool break up into pieces. They will not break evenly, embrace the disorder
