Seaweeds are one of natures most potent super foods!
Seaweed has access to all the nutrients and therefore is one of the most nutrient and mineral dense plants on earth.
A few benefits of seaweed:
– Seaweed is particularly high calcium, containing up to 10x the amount of calcium in milk and 8x the amount in beef.
– Helps to regulate and purify our blood! Seaweed has a chemical composition close to that of our blood which means it is extremely helpful in purifying our blood.
– Seaweed is high in Iodine, which is essential in maintaining a healthy Thyroid, to help produce and regulate hormones.
– Studies have shown that seaweed is potent in antioxidants which helps with inflammation.
Seaweed comes in three edible varieties – red, green and brown. The most commonly used is the brown varieties, such as kelp, kombu and wakame. Red varieties include Dulse and nori which is used in sushi rolls!
There are heaps of ways you can use seaweed in your daily cooking, especially to create a delicious stock. Kombu has been used in Japan for centuries as a mineral rich flavour enhancer, by adding kombu to soup and sauces. Food Matters suggests adding a strip of kombu when cooking beans to make them more digestible and to reduce gas or adding a strip of kombu to your sprouts when soaking them to allow them to soak up the minerals.
You can sprinkle wakame in soups, stocks, stews, stirfries and salads to enhance flavour and mineral content. Of course, you can always make a sushi roll with sheets of nori like we do! Be sure to eat seaweed in moderation and use top quality seaweed products, certified organic brands where possible.
Samantha, owner of Peko Peko, recommends adding pieces of kombu to soups and stews to enhance flavour and increase nutritional value. You can also make ‘Kombu Dashi’ made by letting the Kombu kelp sit in water and use the water as a base for soups and other water based dishes (cooking grains etc.)
The following recipe Tsukune from kurakonusa, is a great way to start incorporating kombu into your diet! Tsukune is a Japanese recipe consisting of ground chicken shaped as a meatball and covered with teriyaki sauce. Other meats can be used such as cooked salmon, or even tofu.
Tsukune
Makes 3 small patties
Ingredients
6g Kombu Kelp
150g Ground Chicken
1/3 tsp salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp flour
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Teriyaki sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice seasoning)
1 1/4 tsp stevia
Method
Soak Kombu kelp in water for 30 minutes until soft. Cut kombu into squares.
Add all the ingredients in a bowl and knead till it gets sticky.
Shape ground chicken mix into bite sized round patties. Pour oil into a frying pan and place the patties in the pan. Cook until golden.
When cooked, add teriyaki sauce and mix well.
