Fun Recipes With Seaweed

You're hosting a party and you're tired of serving the same old, same old. You want to do something different, cutting edge, healthy, and fun. Why not try out some recipes with seaweed? What? Seaweed? Don't go making a face or thinking, "yuck." Although you might not realize it, we probably eat sea vegetables every day and don't even know it. Many seaweed types are used as thickeners in a processed or packaged food. Seaweed, also known as kelp, is an excellent source of nutrition, energy, and can add to a "green" or earth-friendly.

Here are some fun recipes with seafood that you can try at the next event you host.

Seaweed Salad
One half cup chopped seaweed/kelp
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 green onion/scallion, sliced fine
Half cup red onion, minced
Half tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped/minced fine
1 tsp. sesame seeds
One half tbsp. sugar

Cut seaweed into small sections with a sharp knife. Rinse well and let it soak overnight. The seaweed will expand. Rinse again and spin dry in a salad spinner. If you don't have one, pat dry with paper towels. Add all other ingredients together in a large salad bowl and mix together well. Add the seaweed and let it sit for about half an hour before serving. Toss sesame seeds on top for effect.

Homemade Sushi
Nori (seaweed) sheets, cut in half
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 bunch of bean sprouts (or alfalfa sprouts)
1 cucumber (seedless are best), peeled and cut into two inch long pieces
One third cup lite soy sauce
Wasabi paste (optional)
2 cups cooked white rice, cooled

Cook your rice, adding the rice wine vinegar to it. Set aside to cool. Using a sharp knife, slice the carrot and cucumber into narrow, thin pieces. In your hand, take a sheet of the nori and place a large teaspoon of rice into the center. Spread the rice out to fully cover the nori. Then add carrots, sprouts, and cucumber on top of the rice. Roll the nori around the filling and wet edge with water to seal. Repeat with ingredients. Arrange on a platter and serve with soy sauce and wasabi on the side.

Photo: Popsugar.co.uk

Seaweed Chips
Clean and rinse seaweed and pat dry with paper towels. (You'll want some moisture.) Add sea salt on top and add to a dehydrator. Let it go for about six to eight hours or until crispy. Or, if you don't have a dehydrator, bake on parchment paper lined cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for five hours, checking frequently.

Serve these chips with your favorite dip.

You see, cooking with seaweed isn't difficult at all and it adds a certain snazziness to your party table. If you're hosting a bridal shower, you could even work the theme of the event around a sea or beach theme, working seaweed into the mix. These recipes would be great to serve to your guest. They're nutritious, different, and sure to be all the talk of the party.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com