Japanese salad rolls
This Japanese recipe will introduce you to some ingredients that you may have not come across before. Some can be found in large supermarkets (in the UK) but you are better off looking in your nearest Japanese or Chinese supermarket.
You don't have to use these vegetables. To posh it up use asparagus, artichokes...etc. Serve it as a light starter or as a main course with some rice sushi as part of a Japanese platter. See "vegetable Nirvana" for more Japanese ideas.
Preparation of the vegetables
Vegetable oil or sesame oil
2 aubergine
6 courgettes
12 field (large, flat) mushrooms
6 red peppers
500g (1lb) spinach
Cut the aubergine into slices and pan fry in a little vegetable or sesame oil until lightly brown on both sides and thoroughly cooked through. You can macerate them first if you want to.
Saute the courgettes in a wok over high heat until browned.
Roast the mushrooms in the oven for about 15 minutes. Drizzle them with a little vegetable oil and balsamic vinegar first.
Roast the red pepper in the top of the oven until starting to blacken, place them in a bowl and cool covered with cling film. Peel them when they are cool.
Wilt the spinach in a saucepan and season with salt lightly.
When all of the above vegetables have cooled, slice them roughly and marinate them in the miso dressing below.
Miso dressing
6 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
5 tbsp miso (your favourite)
5 tbsp sesame oil
3 teaspoon caster sugar
5 tbsp sushi vinegar
250ml (1 cup) rice wine or sake
250ml (1 cup) vegetable oil
To make the dressing whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
The best lettuce to use is cos lettuce. Trim the leaves from the thick spine, fill with some of the marinated vegetable filling and roll. This process can be a little fiddly and time consuming as you will need at least three rolls per portion.
Serve the rolls with pickled pink ginger, wasabe (Japanese horseradish) and more soy sauce.
Serves 18 portions, vegan, Gluten free
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