Featured Ingredient: Nori
I'd like to think that Tabi and I enjoy a fairly healthy diet.
Generally, its full of whole grains, bright vegetables and healthy proteins.
But there is one item we should eat more of: Seaweed.
Nori, wakame and the various other guises of dried seaweeds are
among the healthiest foods on the planet, packed with a smorgasbord of vitamins,
minerals, and antioxidants. That's because they soak up ocean-borne nutrients
as they dance in the currents. Researchers at the University
of California say a connection may exist between seaweed
consumption and the lower than average cancer rates in Japan .
Plus, seaweed contains plenty of iodine to promote healthy thyroid
functioning. And what’s not to love about that distinctive salty, briny flavor?
One my favorite food companies Navitas Naturals has recently
introduced an item that makes it that much easier for us to sneak more seaweed
into an everyday diet. Nori powder is made simply by blitzing those nori sheets
from sushi joints into a fine powder. It can be easily used to gussy up soups,
a batch of kale chips or any Asian inspired stir-fry. I can also attest to its
power to elevate a bowl of popcorn.
We love having these nori infused salmon rice cakes in the
fridge for a quick snack. I guess they are kind of like sushi in muffin form. The
sticky rice acts like a glue to bind all the ingredients together. If I had it
on hand, I would have definitely included some picked ginger for extra kick. These are one of those recipes where bendable silicon cups help out a lot for easy intact extraction.
So the good news is that it’s time for another Muffin Tin
Mania product giveaway. The kind folks over at Navitas Naturals would like to award one of my readers with some
of their nori powder to try out.
To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog
post that says “I brake for seaweed” along with some way of identifying yourself
such as your initials, name or email address and I will use this online
tool to randomly select a winner. I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday June 18th,
so if you entered write the date down on your calendar and check back in then
for a chance to claim your prize.
Congrats to Michelle who was randomly selected to receive her very own bag of Navitas nori powder.
Congrats to Michelle who was randomly selected to receive her very own bag of Navitas nori powder.
Nori Salmon Rice Cakes
1 1/2 cups sticky rice such as Calrose
3 to 4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 teaspoons nori powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated or finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (optional)
Prepare sticky rice according to package directions. Remove
from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Divide mixture among 12 standard sized greased or paper
lined muffin cups. Make sure to pack down the contents firmly. Set aside for
about 1 hour to set. Carefully unmold and store in the refrigerator for up to about
1 week.




















