Hijiki to Aburage

Cookbook * Shojin Cooking
Recipe * Hijiki to Aburage
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

This is another wonderful shojin (Buddhist Vegetarian) recipe from Japan. I really needed something healthy after demolishing the key lime cheesecake! You can find aburage in Asian specialty stores or online. Hijiki triples when cooked, so I cut this recipe in half. To improve flavor, saute the Hijiki in sesame oil before adding the broth.This is a very common dish in Japanese cooking and you could probably find a great recipe somewhere on the web!

A note on Hijiki: If I was to have a fav seaweed, Hijiki would be a strong contender. I first fell in love with it while living in Hawaii. We were regulars at hole-in-the-wall macrobiotic cafe called Well Bento in Honolulu. The original owner has sense moved back to NYC, but the amazing hijiki side remains and yes, your bento comes with macaroni - it is Hawaii after all! I've used hijiki in all sorts of ways - even in a potato salad. Be brave and try it, you might just love it.

Tofu Isobe Maki (Tofu Seaweed Rolls)

Cookbook * Shojin Cooking: The Buddhist Vegetarian Cook Book
Recipe * Tofu Isobe Maki (Tofu Seaweed Rolls)
Yumm or Yuck? * Yumm

This cookbook is out of print and hard to find, but if you are serious about Japanese Shojin cooking, you will TREASURE this little book by Kobayashi. This recipe is, like much of shojin cooking, simply prepared. Tofu wrapped in nori sheets then sauted in sesame oil and served with a simple shoyu/mirin sauce is perfection.