Sprouted Brown Rice Bowl With Carrot And Hijiki Food

SPROUTED BROWN RICE BOWL WITH CARROT AND HIJIKI

Steps:

• Place the hijiki in a medium bowl, and cover with water. Soak 15 minutes, and drain. Place in a medium saucepan, and add just enough water to cover, along with 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Drain.
• Combine the remaining soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl, and place within reach of your wok or pan. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water quickly evaporates from the pan. Swirl in the peanut or canola oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and then tilting the pan side to side. Add the tofu and stir-fry until lightly colored, one to two minutes. Add the ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds.
• Add the carrots, and stir-fry for one minute until they begin to soften. Add the hijiki, soy sauce and mirin. Continue to stir-fry for another two to three minutes until the carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in the sesame oil and rice, and toss together for a minute or two, pressing the rice into the sides of the wok before scooping and stirring. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

HOW TO SPROUT BROWN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse brown rice in a sieve and place in a glass jar or bowl. Add double the volume of warm water, cover loosely with a towel to keep bugs out, and set aside in a warm area of the kitchen for about 12 hours.
• Pour the rice back into the sieve and drain the soaking liquid. Rinse well with fresh water, and shake off excess moisture.
• At this point you can return the rice to the vessel you soaked it in, cover it back up with water and repeat the draining-rinsing-soaking steps 2 to 3 times per day. Or, you can leave the rice in the sieve over a bowl, cover loosely with a towel, and repeat the rinsing and draining process 2 to 3 times per day.
• After 1 to 2 days you will begin to see a very tiny sprout emerge from the end of the grain of rice. This is the point at which you want to "harvest" your rice or cease the sprouting process. If the process continues and the sprout grows further you may affect the flavor of the rice.
• Use the rice right away or store it in the refrigerator, after letting it drip dry, for several days. When cooking sprouted rice take into account that the amount of water needed will be less than usual because the grains have already absorbed quite a bit of moisture. The cook time will also be shorter.

RICE WITH CARROT AND HIJIKI

Steps:

• Place the soy in a saucepan along with 4 cups of water and bring to the boil.
• Add the rice, carrot and salt and cook over a low heat (covered) for 50 minutes Alternatively throw it all in a rice cooker and press go.
• Meanwhile bring the apple juice to the boil and remove from the heat. Add the hijiki and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Drain the hijiki and mix into the cooked rice.
• Serve hot as a side dish or main dish.