Hello chickpeas!
So sorry I didn’t get a chance to post over the weekend! I ended up being pretty busy and the time I actually had to write the post was spent struggling with my laptop and photo editing software. Things seems to be working all right now, fingers crossed!
Speaking of the weekend, I hope you all had a great one! Mine was spent doing school work, working, but also some much needed relaxing and spending time with some awesome people, you know who you are :)
Did you all see my post Thursday on maple miso tahini spread? If you didn’t head over here to check it out!
Today’s recipe uses that spread to make a delicious and unique wrap that would be great for breakfast, lunch or even a snack! It’s salty, sweet and all kinds of healthy.
But wait, you’re thinking. How can this be salty, sweet and healthy? Well, it’s all thanks to some help from my once of my favourite ingredients, miso and some sea veggies.
Miso is one of the forms of soy no one should be hesitant to include as a part of their diet. As a fermented form of soy, it provides your digestive system with loads of beneficial bacteria, is a complete protein and a good source of vitamin B12, and it helps with digestion by helping your small intestine synthesize and absorb nutrients. It’s packed with antioxidants, and despite it’s high sodium content, research suggests this sodium doesn’t negatively impact your cardiovascular system the way highly processed refined salt does. It’s a whole, unprocessed form of sodium, something our bodies need to function properly!
When choosing a miso remember these things:
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- miso soup in a restaurant can be great, but they often used a highly processed powder to make it, taking away the health benefits. Sad day right?
- choose organic, non-GMO miso paste. This ensures the soybeans are high quality, free of pesticides and free from the potentially harmful effects of genetically modified foods
- choose unpasteurized miso- this retains all the living enzymes!
- there are 2 main varieties- red and white, sweet and more savoury so try them out and see what you like best!
Sea veggies are another very beneficial source of healthy, whole sodium in the diet. They are extremely anti-inflammatory through a substance called fucoidans, are very high in anti-oxidants, are an important source of iodine and other minerals, are a concentrated iron source, can help prevent estrogen-related cancers like breast cancer, as well as being anticoagulant and antiviral! And since they do contain a good source of sodium, they can be used to add a salty flavour to foods without actually adding refined salt.
Some things to think about when purchasing sea veggies:
- there are so many varieties! Nori, arame, wakame, kombu, dulse, kelp, spirulina, chlorella….try them all! They all have unique flavours and uses
- some are sold as tiny flakes, making them great condiments- try looking for kelp and dulse granules
- look for raw, organic sea vegetables, especially nori which is more commonly found roasted. When served sushi in restaurants, unless specified raw, they use roasted which while good, doesn’t retain the complete nutritional profile and thus you don`t reap all the benefits! Upaya Naturals sells great raw nori sheets.
Now I bet you want that recipe don’t you?
The banana and maple in the spread plays off the saltiness of the nori and miso. The avocado adds a great creaminess and I used some Thai purple sticky rice to increase the staying power of this wrap, but feel free to use any grain you like, or none at all! I liked the colour the purple rice added.
Banana, Avocado and Rice Nori Miso Roll (Vegan, Gluten-free, Refined Sugar-free)
Ingredients (1 roll)
- 1 raw nori wrap
- 1 tbsp maple miso tahini spread
- 1/4 of an avocado, sliced
- 1/2 a banana, sliced
- 1/2 cup purple rice, cooked, or grain of choice
Instructions
Lay the nori sheet so the lines are parallel to the edge of your counter. About 1 inch from the edge spread the maple miso tahini spread in a line parallel to your counter. Add the rest of the ingredients along that same line. Roll it up, slice and eat!
I'm sharing this recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays and Wellness Weekends!!
I hope you all try this wrap out- or really any wrap in nori- it’s such a great alternative to grain based wraps- nothing refined about it, gluten-free and so mineral-rich!
Have a great Monday everyone, hope the week starts out on the right foot!
Oh how I love seaweed in all forms! Not the biggest fan of squidgy mushy fresh banana, though, so I may have to find a substitute there… I like the salty-sweet theory behind your recipe, though! ;)
Thanks Hannah! We are all entitled to our preferences :)
there was a time i was eating banana/avocado salad for breakfast! everyone thought i was crazy but i loooved it! :) great nori concoction!
banana and avocado are seriously so good- so creamy and sweet. I don’t think yo’re crazy at all!
How beautiful… love that gorgeous purple rice. I would no doubt love this…. it involves so many of my favourite ingredients.
Have you tried the Japanese eggplant/miso dish? Nasu Dengaku? It’s an amazing sweetie/salty combo…. roast eggplant filled with a sweet miso (incredible) sauce…. seriously it’s almost like a dessert – you should check it out if you haven’t tried it, I KNOW you would love it.
All this talk of miso/sea veggies and I want to go eat Japanese!
Thanks Lou! You would 100% like this, it is so up your alley. I hope you try it!
You know that sounds very familiar but I have never had it! I’m definitely going to try that next time I go out for Japanese! I’ll let you know how it goes!
Haha I actually went out for Japanese on Sunday, as if I wasn’t eating enough of it at home ;)
This looks fantastic – who knew banana could go in sushi rolls and sound so wonderful!
It’s delicious Kari, you must try it :)
This is such a unique combination Gabby! I looove nori and making rolls with it. That purple rice is cool!
Thank you Heather! Nori is my new favourite wrap, who needs grain wraps? Isn’t the rice gorgeous? My new favourite!
I love me some miso! I’ve also become pretty addicted to eating those nori seaweed snacks. They’re just so good, and good for you! :)
Those nori snack are amazing!
I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like this! It’s very creative Gabby! I love seaweed…I love to pretend arame is actually noodles…hehe.
Thanks Lauren :)
Sea veggies are so fun- I do the same thing ;)
i was going to ask the same question about the banana. though i think it probably works! i love the dark purple rice. withthe banana it is such a pop of gorgeous color!
It definitely does Richa, unless I have super weird taste. But I think you’d like it! Isn’t the colour of the rice gorgeous? I just had to throw it in there, such a nice contrast to the yellow and greens!
I’m a big fan of nori wraps any which way you roll them, but the banana inclusion is really throwing me through a loop! I may just need to take your word for it right now, because it’s hard to imagine how it would pair with all those savory ingredients. The craziest combos can turn out best though, so may very well give it a try at some point.
The banana works so well, you need to try it Hannah! The salty and sweet totally balances out. Let me know what you think!
Looks gorgeous Gabby! I am sure the mix of sweet and salty is so good!
I missed you – for some reason I don’t get your news anymore?
I’ll sign up again and see what happens :-)
XX
Thanks so much Anne!
It seems my email subscription service isn’t working anymore and I have no idea how to fix it! I didn’t change anything and wordpress support is useless :( Hopefully I figure out something soon! Glad to see you back here though!
Oooh what an interesting combination! I can totally see how it works well together though and it is so pretty! I should start using miso more, it’s such a great ingredient. I’ll have to give this a shot for sure!
Thanks Sarah! It’s actually crazy how well all these ingredients work. I need to use miso more often too. It’s so good for you and so tasty! I hope you like it when you try it!
Banana and sea veggies? This is unique butlooks genius :D
And guess what I lost my subscription to your blog – so so sorry!
Cheers
CCU
Thanks Uru!
Yes everyone seems to have lost it and I have no idea why! resubscribing doesn’t seem to work either. I’m trying to figure it out, but wordpress support is no help and I have no idea where to start :(
Ok, I have to admit, I am a bit surprised with the combination. :-) and very curious. By the way, I managed to find non-soy miso and can't wait for it to arrive and try it! I also love adding dulse granules to salad. So good.
It’s delicious. I know it sounds weird, but it totally works.
Awesome, so glad you found some miso you can have! Can’t wait for you to get experimenting with it. You’ll have to let me know how it goes.
Yes dulse granules in salads are key!!
I would never have thought to combine banana with all those ingredients but it could work! I will have to check my nori sheets to see if they are raw!
It actually works so well, trust me :)