Spicy Nori Popcorn Seasoning - Recipe

Spicy nori furikake seasoning for popcorn

I apologize that it has been a little quiet here at the veg shed, and it probably will be hit and miss for the next few weeks, as family priorities and enjoying the summer take precedence over late night blogging sessions for a bit.

I think you'll enjoy this simple condiment for popcorn, whether you simply eat the heck out of it while watching Forbidden Planet or offering it on the side of a Japanese fusion veggie ceviche.

Technically what we are making here is a very simple furikake, a dry seasoning usually used on rice but actually delicious in many contexts. Gomashio is another example. A good Japanese grocer will sell many such blends, some vegetarian and others not. Making your own opens up a world of possibilities. Grinding the seasoning very finely allows it to adhere to the popcorn.

This will take you all of 5 minutes, you can pretty much knock it out while the corn finishes popping. After you've made it once you'll be easily able to adjust the salt/umami/heat ratio to your own preference.

Spicy Nori Popcorn Seasoning
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Makes enough for many, many servings of popcorn

• 2 sheets nori
• 1 dry chili pepper of your choice (morita is nice), seeds and ribs removed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (fleur de sel is a good choice)

1. Hold a sheet of nori in a pair of tongs and toast lightly over an open medium flame, being careful not to set it on fire or burn your hands. Toast for maybe 20 seconds, moving it around to get the whole sheet. Repeat with the other sheet.
2. Do the same thing with the chili pepper.
3. Break up the nori and the chili pepper small enough to put into a spice grinder, add the salt, and whiz for a long time, until it is a completely fine powder. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
4. Sprinkle liberally on freshly popped corn, tossing to coat.

Tofu and Kimchi Dinner for One - Recipe

Tofu, kimchi and lots of garnish - dinner for one in no time flat

You could be eating this in less than ten minutes and using only one pot. We had one of those nights where the kids just needed to go to bed early (know how that goes?) and I ended up making this just for myself. It took me right back to my bachelor days, when I took a lot of pleasure in making a tasty dinner for one. Much of the joy in cooking is social, but when you are the only guest, you can take advantage of cooking exactly to your own taste.

[Quick aside: see that lovely new ad for ChefShop.com over in my sidebar? That is there because Tim Mar and his crew source some of the most amazing ingredients I've ever tried. Surf their site, you'll love it. And you'll be supporting Herbivoracious!]

Oddly enough, I didn't even make rice for this meal. I just ate a lot of tofu. So sue me. But you probably might like some rice.

I wouldn't dream of making this in anything other than my cast iron skillet.

Of course if you do have company for dinner, you can easily multiply this recipe as needed. It could also be embellished with sauteed shiitakes, finely shredded nori, a fried egg, or a handful of sugar snap peas.

Tasty vegetarian kimchi can be a little hard to find. You have to look closely at the ingredients to see if there is shrimp paste etc. in it. One brand I like is Dae Han Tofu Company, or if you are in Seattle, keep your eye out for the non-traditional but delicious Firefly Kitchens booth at the Farmer's Markets. Good stuff.

Tofu and Kimchi Dinner for One
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Serves 1

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 pound extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2" dice
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• salt
• toasted sesame oil
• 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetarian kimchi
• 1 tablespoon ssamjang or 1 teaspon kochujang, or 1 teaspoon sriracha

1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over a very high flame. Add the oil, and 5 seconds later, the tofu and a great big pinch of salt. Fry, tossing occasionally until golden brown. Add the onion and grated ginger and fry for 30 more seconds.
2. Mound the tofu into a bowl. Drizzle on a little sesame oil, and garnish heavily with the green onions and sesame seeds. Add a nice pile of kimchi and the hot sauce of your choice. I really love ssamjang because it is only moderately spicy, with a lot of flavor complexity, so you can use quite a bit of it.

Braised Baby Artichokes with Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes - Recipe

Braised baby artichokes with fennel and cherry tomatoes

Baby artichokes love, love, love to be braised. It gives them the opportunity to develop multiple levels of flavor: the browned flavors from an initial sear, the mellow sweetness of the tender artichoke heart, and slow infusion with aromatics. 

Artichokes are mostly associated with Mediterranean flavors, and I didn't see any reason to swim against that tide here. Fennel, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, garlic, lemon and white wine all fit right into that profile. You could happily add black or green olives or lemon zest or Parmigiano-Reggiano (if it doesn't need to be vegan). Peas or fresh fava beans could replace or augment the fennel. The tomatoes break down just a little bit to help flavor the sauce.

I happened to have beautiful baby fennel, so I simply quartered the heads lengthwise. If yours is all grown up, cut it into batons about 2" long and 1/3" square.

We ate this as a course all by itself. Ok, we ate it on the couch at 11 PM, because neither of us had a normal dinner that day. You could serve it as a side dish, or even better as the condiment for pasta, polenta, or risotto. (Which goes back to what I was saying about vegetarian meal planning.)

Most of the work for this dish is in preparing the baby artichokes. It isn't hard but it does take a little practice and time. Saveur has a good photo essay for the first few steps.

Here is how I do it: fill a bowl with water and the juice of 1 lemon. Trim off the upper 1/2 of each artichoke. Break off the tough outer leaves and use a paring knife to remove their base. Trim the end of the stem and peel the stem. Cut into quarters lengthwise and use the paring knife to cut out the hairy "choke". Immediately toss the completed quarter into the acidulated water.

I think the hardest part is just to accept that you are going to be throwing a lot of the artichoke away. But be a little ruthless and you'll be rewarded with a tender, delicious heart, stem and a few leaves. The first chef I ever worked for told me I was being "too nice to the vegetables" - it wasn't that she didn't hold them in the highest regard, but she taught me that the best way to honor them was to trim away the less edible parts so that what I served shined.

Braised Baby Artichokes with Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 2 as a hearty side dish or pasta condiment
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free

• 2 lemons (divided)
• 8 baby artichokes, trimmed and quartered (as described above)
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fennel batons (reserve some of the greens, minced, for garnish)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
• fresh ground black pepper
• minced parsley

1. Fill a bowl with cold water. Squeeze one of the lemons into it and throw in the lemon halves. Prepare the artichokes quarters, throwing each one into the acidulated water right away to prevent browning.
2. Heat a medium-sized skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the olive oil, and a few seconds later, the garlic. Add the artichokes in a single layer and a big pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice to develop some browning on as many surfaces of the artichokes as possible.
3. Reduce heat the heat to medium low. Add the fennel, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, white wine, juice from the second lemon, and another pinch of salt. Cover.
4. When the artichokes are fully tender, probably about 15 minutes, remove the lid and raise the heat to cook off any excess water. Remove the rosemary sprig. Transfer to serving bowls and drizzle on the little bit of sauce remaining in the skillet. Garnish with black pepper, parsley, and the fennel greens.