WASABI FRIED RICE MOLDS

WASABI FRIED RICE MOLDS

Jasmine rice fried with sautéed celery and onion, mixed with steamed fresh baby carrots, fresh tomatoes and flavored with sesame oil, garlic and wasabi. Served with Wasabi Peppercorn Sauce and garnished with fresh grilled zucchini!

Serves 6-10

Rice:

3 c. water

2t. salt

3 c. Jasmine rice

Combine water and salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil, add rice, stir, return to boil, stir again. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and cook exactly 15 minutes. Remove cover, fluff with fork and transfer to large bowl to cool to room temperature.

Wasabi Peppercorn Sauce  

¼ c. Smart Balance Buttery Spread (Light with flax seed oil), margarine

2 c. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze / almond milk/coconut milk blend.

1 c. Rich’s Coffee Rich Non-Dairy Creamer (www.richwip.com)

2/3 c. additional almond/coconut milk mixed with ½ c. all-purpose flour in a jar with tight-fitting lid; shake vigorously till flour is completely dissolved

¼ c. wasabi powder

2 t. dry mustard

2 t. powdered ginger

2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. mild paprika

4 T. rice wine vinegar

5 T. soy sauce

3 t. sugar

1 T. sesame oil, light not dark

2 t. ground coriander

1 t. sea salt

lots of finely ground green peppercorn

lots of coarsely ground black peppercorn

1 t. salt

In large saucepan, over medium heat, combine margarine, almond/coconut milk and non-dairy creamer. Heat till margarine melts and milk comes to a slow boil.

Pour into pan the liquid flour, stirring continuously till thickened.

Using a wire whisk to stir, add the wasabi powder, dry mustard, ginger and garlic powder. Whisk to dissolve into the sauce.

Add remaining ingredients, whisking till smooth, after each addition.

Reduce heat to very low and simmer while you make the rice. You can’t cook this sauce too long. Just keep it on very low heat. If at some point you want to turn it off, do so, then reheat when you serve the rice. If it has thickened too much, just add a little more milk, stirring till smooth.

Now let’s prep our veggies.

2 lg. fresh zucchini; cut ends off, cut in half crosswise, stand each half on end, then slice down into the zucchini, from top to bottom into ¼ inch thick slabs

Lightly oil your stove-top grill and turn on to medium heat. Place zucchini slabs on grill, brush with a little oil, salt and pepper lightly, and grill, turning  now and then, till zucchini is tender and has grill marks on it. Turn heat off.

½ lb. fresh baby carrots; boil or steam till very tender, drain, then cut each carrot in half from tip to tip

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 c. fresh cut celery; cut each stalk, from end to end, on the diagonal into ¼ inch thick pieces

2 sm. yellow onions, cut into ½ inch squares

2 lg. Roma tomatoes, diced into 3/8 inch cubes

2 T. light brown sugar

1 t. garlic powder

1 T. sesame oil

sesame seeds as garnish

2 T. wasabi powder mixed with 1 T. water in sm. cup till dissolved and it forms a paste, to be used as garnish

In extra large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt olive oil. Add celery and onion. Salt lightly, then sauté till wilted and brown-tinged and you’re smoking the pan.

Add rice all at once, stir to disperse evenly, then stir-fry, letting some of it char on some surfaces.

Add carrots, stir to evenly distribute.

Add tomatoes, brown sugar, garlic powder and sesame oil. Stir again to evenly spread throughout. Adjust for salt and turn off heat when done to your liking.

Place ¼-1/3 cup Wasabi Peppercorn Sauce on the center of individual plates. Spoon rice into 1 cup measuring cup or custard cup, packing moderately firmly, to the rim. Invert onto center of sauce, tap bottom of cup and carefully lift off cup.

Take grilled zucchini slabs and position around each rice mold, carefully so as not to break the mold. Lean the slab up against the side of the mold, letting it fold down onto the plate, at a right angle to the rice mold.

Sprinkle with a little finely ground green peppercorn, followed by a light sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Place about 1/2 t. of wasabi paste to side of each rice serving to be eaten along with the rice, and serve.

Notes:  If you don’t have a stove-top grill, use a cast iron skillet. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil into hot skillet. Place zucchini slabs in oil, lightly salt and pepper, then hard-fry till tender and charred on some surfaces. Remove to plate till ready to use.

The zucchini creates an extra special plate presentation. It’s not necessary to the dish, however.

In future, if you want, simply make the Wasabi Peppercorn Sauce and serve it over plain rice throughout the week. Also serve it over mashed potatoes or pan-fried mashed potato patties or your favorite veggie burger or veggie chicken patty. It’s a great sauce and will serve well with any fried rice made with any combination of veggie add-ons. Be creative with the rice ingredients.