The addition of wild rice and kale to this Japanese-inspired salad make this a nutritional dream of a salad. Nutrient rich, it should refresh and energise. I try to eat some sea vegetables every day. Another of nature’s powerhouse foods, sea vegetables provide you with all fifty-six essential elements for human health.
Many minerals we require are not present in our food in the right quantities because our soils have been depleted by over-intensive farming and chemical use. But sea vegies have them in abundance! Start by adding things like nori and sprinkle wakame on salads. You can also mix your salt with kelp granules ñ our salt jar at home when I was growing up always consisted of half kelp, half sea salt to ensure we got good amounts of natural bio-available iodine and other minerals in our diets.
Serves 4
Prep time 1–2 days activating rice
Make time 20 minutes
Equipment required mandoline
INGREDIENTS
100 g (3½ oz/²⁄³ cup) sprouted wild rice (65 g (¹⁄³ cup) raw wild rice soaked 1–2 days will make around ²⁄³ cup (see pages 26–27))
1 cucumber
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
50ml(¹∕5 cup) lime juice
1 tsp organic maple syrup
55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) white miso
2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
sea salt
4 tbsp filtered water
35 g (¼ oz/¹⁄³ cup) dried seaweeds (wakame and korengo work well here)
1 bunch kale (around 16 leaves) or other similar leafy green
2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 handfuls watercress
1 small handful mitsuba leaves (Japanese wild parsley) or other similar herb, torn
2 tsp black sesame seeds
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 large avocado, cut into 8 wedges
optional – pickled ginger
METHOD
To prepare the wild rice
1 This needs to be prepared 1–2 days prior if you’re sprouting.
2 Place wild rice in a bowl and submerge it with at least 250–500 ml (9–17 fl oz/1–2 cups) water. Soak for 1–2 days, changing the water twice daily and rinsing well. You’ll know it’s ready when some of the rice has soften and opened up or ‘bloomed’ (it will still be chewy). Rinse well in fresh water, and let it dry a bit before using.
To prepare the cucumber
1 Fill a bowl with cold water with ice, set aside. Peel the cucumbers then slice lengthways on a mandoline into long strips about 2–3 mm (1/16–1/8 in) in) thick – don’t use the middle part with the seeds. Slice the long strips into
2 1.5 x 6 cm (5/8 x 2½ in) rectangular pieces. Place the strips in the ice water for 10 minutes until they are tightly curled. Place in the salad at the last minute when all the other ingredients are ready.
For the dressing
1 Place the sesame oil, lime juice, maple syrup, white miso, mirin, a few pinches of sea salt and 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl and whisk vigorously together until combined.
2 Put the seaweeds in a cup with an additional 2 tablespoons of water to allow them to rehydrate. Place the kale and seaweeds in a large bowl and add a few pinches of sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice – massage until the kale changes to a more vibrant green colour and the leaves are soft; the sea vegetables should soften as well.
3 Add the watercress, wild rice, mitsuba, cucumber and sesame seeds to the bowl and lightly toss. Fold through the dressing. Serve with wedges of avocado and pickled ginger.
Recipes and images from The Unbakery by Megan May (Murdoch Books) available in all good bookstores and online.
