Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

[not2late]

I split these posts from Killerbomshell's Atkins Bento thread, since the discussion was moving away from Bentos to a specific ingredient

I like seaweed salad, myself, and it's so darned easy to prepare.

But almost any dish can be used for a Bento box: chicken or salmon pate on vegetable holders (endive leaves, hollowed radishes or cherry tomatoes), smoked salmon handrolls (cut nori sheets into squares and wrap in plastic, then have all the 'sushi' fillings/condiments in your lunch kit), fajita type stuff, a plowman's lunch (cheese, egg, pickles and a bread substitute), etc.

[Miss Phode]

Re: Atkins Bentos

[QUOTE=not2late]I like seaweed salad, myself, and it's so darned easy to prepare.

[QUOTE]

I must know. What kind of seaweed are you using? Is it Agar Agar? What else? Wakame doesn't seem to do it for me. Neither does Hijiki. Have you found a mix that you buy and just season?

[Miss Phode]

Re: Atkins Bentos

[QUOTE=Miss Phode][QUOTE=not2late]I like seaweed salad, myself, and it's so darned easy to prepare.

I must know. What kind of seaweed are you using? Is it Agar Agar? What else? Wakame doesn't seem to do it for me. Neither does Hijiki. Have you found a mix that you buy and just season?

stupid broken quote button.

[not2late]

Re: Atkins Bentos

Hijiki is what most recipes call for, but I don't like to eat it too often due to the potential arsenic and other metal contamination. So I use wakame: re-hydrate it by pouring warm water on it, drain it then rinse with cold water, then use scissors to cut it into bite sized peices.

I'm sure there's a trick to making it. I've read some recipes where you sort of stir fry the dry seaweed with the dressing ingredients, but I haven't tried that yet.

[angelstar]

Re: Atkins Bentos

This sounds like a great idea for lunches. I'm looking forward to seeing some of ur boxes and getting some fab ideas for lunches.

[astrogirl]

Re: Atkins Bentos

I really like wakame.

What's your recipe for seaweed salad?

[Miss Phode]

Re: Atkins Bentos

I like wakame in soup, but not so much in seaweed salad. I've been trying to get the guy at our favorite sushi place to tell me his recipe for seaweed salad, but so far, no such luck. I know he uses agar agar, but I'm not sure what else is in there.

[not2late]

Re: Atkins Bentos

Yeah, wakame is good in soup. So is kelp (soak it, then slice it into very thin 'noodles'---very good, imo.) I also use a seaweed product imported from South Korea (I buy it in an Asian market). It's a big bag, labeled "dried seaweed". And the ingredients just say "dried seaweed", so it doesn't help much. If I remember, I'll snap a pic of it tonight and post it here.

Agar agar....so the salad is rather colorless?

Here's the recipe I use, though I tweak it alittle by adding some gingerroot, hot chili flakes and a splash of toasted sesame oil.

http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-...0/164123.shtml

[Miss Phode]

Re: Atkins Bentos

Well, there are agar agar threads, and then other green seaweed mixed in with it. I'm still trying to find out what the other stuff is. It's rather stringy, not flat like wakame, not brown like hijiki.

[Miss Phode]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

Geeze louise! I couldn't figure out where the heck the rest of the posts went from the Bento box thread. LOL

You're so tricky!

[Miss Phode]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

http://www.thefreshlobstercompany.co...oduct_Count=13

I found what I'm looking for...sorta. This is what the stuff looks like. But notice, the first ingredint is simply "seaweed". Don't they know there are 80 different kinds of seaweed used in japanese cooking? I think it's a conspiracy.

[not2late]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

I split the thread because it was veering off the Bento Box topic.

Anyhow, sea vegetables is a good topic to have here. Since they are very nutritious, relatively low in carbs and versatile.

I think those green strands are kelp/kombu. When I use kelp/kombu in soups, I rehydrate it and slice it into very thin julienne. Granted it doesn't become bright green like that in the soup, but it might be due to the acid in the dressing. I don't know if I still have some kelp at home. If I do, I'll experiement with a little of it.

Or it could be this other type of seaweed I found at a Korean supermarket. They sold it hydrated. And you fished the amount you wanted out of these huge tubs. I can't remember what the name was......

[not2late]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

I found something, Phode!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Triton-Kaiso-S.../dp/B000NHZK96

[Miss Phode]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

I got on there to order, and just before I pushed the button to complete my order, it told me that shipping was $8.19. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I have to see if I can find it locally.

At least I know what to look for now.

[not2late]

Re: Unusual Ingredients: Sea vegetables

Okay, I did more seaweed research last night. Agar Agar strips are used in the seaweed salad. Agar Agar is also called Kanten.

I've found some online sources of AgarAgar/Kanten but they are only in the form of flakes (for use as a thickener) and in a "bar". I'll have to see if I can find the strips in the local Asian markets here.