calling creative chefs: :) can anyone "raw-veganize" this?

[kaybee]

ok--i guess its vegan, it just needs to be turned raw...

the other day i got caught without adequate food on my driving job at work and i fell for a nori wrap that was filled with brown rice, tofu, shitake mushrooms, carrots, etc, all cooked. and in some kind of mildly spicy sause it was really good. i wish i could find a way to make a raw version of something like it...i think if i had more "meal-like" food with me at work instead of just fruit and nuts/trail mix, id be sticking with raw better....

so lets see--the nori is easy. i have raw nori. and i could come up with some kind of marinade...but the rest of the stuff, especially the rice.... i searched the forum for rice recipes and didnt find anything that sounded satisfactory to me, that would have the same heaviness and mouth-feel as rice.... ive tried the cauliflower rice and the cauliflower-parsnip rice, both were ok but were too light and "veggie-ish" i want something heavier and starchier... ive seen suggestions about using quinoa, but ive made things like tabbouleh with the quinoa in the past and found it too tough and hard to chew, and i wasnt generally keen on it... i wonder if sprouting then dehydrating quinoa in a sauce in a covered bowl to try to soften it might work.... any other suggestions for the rice? what is the deal with raw rice now? it used to be that you could use wild rice but it didnt really sprout, just butterflied open...then people said that wasnt really raw anyway. now lately ive seen posts about sprouting regular rice....but then i havent seen any real rave reviews by people using the raw rice in recipes.....

-i also have no idea how to prepare shitake mushrooms. in the past i have always avoided them because i thought they were kinda tough. they were really good in this thing though. i actually have some in the fridge (fresh) that came in my employee veggie box from work, but i wonder how to prepare/marinate them to soften them.... advise?

the tofu i dont think theres any substitute for but i can probly go with out that. its mostly the rice that im having a problem with, and how to soften the shitakes.....

thanks

kaybee

[aliciamatheson]

Hi Kaybee, I love nori rolls so here are some suggestions:

1. maybe avocado to make it more hearty?
2. process sunflower seeds with the cauliflower/parsnip mix for heartiness?
3. process up a ginger pate of: almonds, ginger, scallion, lemon - spread it on the nori rolls and whatever vegs. you add stick really nicely

Hope that helps, Alicia

[mel_s12]

Oh Oh Oh... for rice substitutes I like to grind jicama with pine nuts in a food processor!

[kaybee]

thanks--yeah, maybe sunflower seeds would do the trick. cant afford the pine nuts right now... what about the mushrooms? does anyone know how to prepare shitake mushrooms raw?

thx

kb

[shakti17]

yes, i would use a nut pate for the "rice". any one will do - mock salmon in alissa's book, or the sunflower pate.

you can make a bunch of these - fill with whatever veggies - and they ll last for a few days and also travel well

[subbacultcha]

I eat shiitake mushrooms raw, I just slice them up really small and marinate them in NS and lemon juice like I would any mushroom. They are tougher than say, portabellas, that's why I cut them up really small.

[Vivafree2]

Shitake - i choose smaller mushrooms, cut stems, wash and place in the water with salt ( 1 liter/ 2 flat tablespoons) clove of garlic, one stem of fresh dill. I keep in on the counter for first 6-10 hours and place in the fridge later.
I choose glass jar - i like to see what is going on. The liquid stays clear and mushrooms are spongy, very soft. I drain them and cut in salad or just eat with nut butter. I place cut avocado, cucumbers, pickled ginger and mushrooms in the norisheets - i skip califlower or soaked rice or hemp seeds -as some receipes suggest. I most likely use soaked and coarsly grinded sunflower seeds, never tried cashews or macadamia.

[Conscious Midwife]

soaked sunflower seeds blended with red bell pepper and seasoned with bay leaves, celery,mustard seed, red pepper, ginger and cinnamon...Mkes for a good mock salmon to put in the nori

SOAKED RAW WILD RICE MIGHT WORK FOR THAThearty startchy flavor

other wise sporouting quinoa for an extra day, or sprouting then dehydrating and rehydrating with shoya should be tasty

I agree the avocado slice is key, so make it an avo chunk

broccolli sprout and shreds of carrot or maybe even a pecan pate spread in the nori before stuffing with veggies.