Raising the Sushi Bar

Coordinating shared meals can be tough enough with just one or two family members, but when everyone’s home at the dinner hour at once, it can be nearly impossible. Greatly disparate tastes define us, ranging from the fairly healthy vegan (hi there!) to the vegetable-hating omnivore, making it challenging to get a universally agreeable meal on the table, to say the least. In a pinch there is at least one safe haven where we can all find something good to eat, however: The sushi bar.

Topping this list of “must order” items is edamame. Those young soy beans are one of the only green edibles that said vegetable-hater will actually consume, and even willingly most times! Trust me, that’s a big deal in our household. Thus, a big bowl of edamame always graces our table, to be shared communally.

Vegetable gyoza are another staple found on most menus, and what’s not to like about chewy wonton skin stretched around a savory filling? Steamed or fried, plump parcels or dainty half-moons, even bad gyoza are pretty darn good.

And of course, the main event, the sushi. There’s so much more than just the standard cucumber and avocado, but there’s nothing wrong with those reassuring staples either. Nigiri is usually off the menu for me, but hey, when it’s made of this much fiber, it’s got to be vegan!

Tiny sushi bar pattern by Anna Hrachovec

Rock and Roll

Quick and easy is the name of the game these days, at least when it comes time to throw together a meal.  My latest fixation is based on one of my favorite dishes, but slightly tweaked to cut down on cooking and prep time.  It’s not rocket science or terribly innovative stuff, but fun, tasty, and takes about 10 minutes total to slap together.  Just think sushi, but ditch the rice and reach for some soba noodles instead.

Pick any sort of soba you’d like (pictured above are matcha-flavored noodles, thus the lovely shade of green) and tie 1 – 2 ounces together at the very end of the bundle with kitchen twine or clean crochet cotton. Toss into boiling water, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Meanwhile, chop up any veggies (or tofu, tempeh, even beans!) you have on hand into thin match sticks. Here, I went with carrot, cucumber, red beet, avocado, shiitake, and daikon sprouts.

Drain and lightly rinse the cooked noodles in cold water, and let dry for a minute or two. Lay out a sheet of nori on a dry, clean workspace, and carefully drape the noodles over about half of the sheet. Cut of the top of the bundle that’s become fused together, and spread the noodles as evenly as possible. Place your veggies and other fillings in the center of the noodles, and wrap the whole thing up like you would for any sushi roll. Cut into 6 pieces with a very sharp knife, and serve with soy sauce.

Even if you aren’t pressed for time, this variation makes for a nice change of pace from the standard white rice sushi!