When visiting friends in Ireland, I came across a brand new cookbook by an Irish GP, Dr. Prannie Rhatigan, which reintroduces a vegetable that has been almost forgotten: seaweed.
Now, you might know maki sushi, the tasty little Japanese sushi rolls with nori seaweed around them and say, 'sure, that tastes alright, but seaweed in my rice or spaghetti, I don't know'. Well, I didn't know either, so I went and investigated.
Apparently, seaweed was used daily in many UK and Irish households during most of the last century but then became more and more ignored as other food options from the continent, America or the New World arose.
Which is a shame as many health institutions and magazines point out.
The Guardian website pointed out these seven reasons for including seaweed into our daily diet (link to the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/15/healthandwellbeing.features)
Now, you might know maki sushi, the tasty little Japanese sushi rolls with nori seaweed around them and say, 'sure, that tastes alright, but seaweed in my rice or spaghetti, I don't know'. Well, I didn't know either, so I went and investigated.
Apparently, seaweed was used daily in many UK and Irish households during most of the last century but then became more and more ignored as other food options from the continent, America or the New World arose.
Which is a shame as many health institutions and magazines point out.
The Guardian website pointed out these seven reasons for including seaweed into our daily diet (link to the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/15/healthandwellbeing.features)
1. Seaweed helps you digest (they even propose that seaweed should be used in white bread to help digest and to enrich the other-wise taste and nutritionally bland bread)
2. It is nutritious and low in calories. But that's not all! According to www.nutritiondata.com, Seaweed is high on Vitamin A and C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Vitamin K and E and is low on cholesterol. They also recommend using seaweed instead of salt to spice our food. However, be aware that seaweed is rich in Sodium, so use it as a substitute for salt.
3. May improve heart health. Animal testing gave first indications that Wakame can prevent high blood pressure and that brown seaweed even reduced a possible risk of a stroke. There was also a study on the most long-lived population of humans, the Okinawans, which showed that seaweed was among the 7 of 10 portions of vegetables they consume on a daily basis.
4. Great for detoxing. Yes, 'detox' is a marketing generated word which does not mean anything as your body can get rid of all the toxins itself, otherwise how would we survive?! But it sure is good to help the body doing that and seaweed seems to be a great little soldier in that battle. It gets rid of cadmium and lead, which you inhale with each cigarette (or with the one your neighbor smokes in your presents).
5. It might help you to regulate hormone, the chemical oestrogens that is. Chemical oestrogens can predispose people to breast cancer, for example. Kelp is suspected to help block these chemical hormones as it, like all seaweed, is high in lignans which transform into phytoestrogens in your body.
6. Helps you over that cold. Especially kelp has shown great healing power in reducing phlegm and in softening hardness. Furthermore, it supports urination and helps reducing those swollen patches under your eyes. You might want to try a seaweed shake as a little tonic against hangover.
7. It mixes well with other veggies. Given, it has a distinguished taste but it can be prepared in many ways and make a great match with other greens, in stews and salads or of course with sushi.
And another reason for the ladies: Seaweed is murmured to give wonderful, shining hair and glowing skin.
So, now we know that seaweed is good for you which leaves me with two questions before I embark on a seaweed explorer expedition:
And another reason for the ladies: Seaweed is murmured to give wonderful, shining hair and glowing skin.
So, now we know that seaweed is good for you which leaves me with two questions before I embark on a seaweed explorer expedition:
1. Where do I get quality seaweed and does it have to be fresh or is dried just as good?
Experts say that dried seaweed contains as much of its nutritious values as the fresh one does, which is good news for me as I do not live close to the sea.
Please try to get a certified supplier of seaweed in order to ensure good quality.
My favorites:
Seaveg in Ireland
http://www.seaveg.co.uk/
Ironbound Island Seaweed in Maine, US
http://www.ironboundisland.com
Clearspring, award winning for their organic and traditional foods
http://www.clearspring.co.uk/
Super Sea Veg
http://www.newseaveg.com/
2. What can I cook with seaweed?
Here is a recipe feature on Dr. Rattigan’s website (http://www.prannie.com/seaweed%20kitchen%20home.html):
Sea spaghetti and cheese straws
For this recipe, use sea spaghetti and nori or bladder wrack
Serves 6
20g dried sea spaghetti
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
To make the pastry
75g butter
75g plain flour
75g mature cheddar, grated
3/4 of a teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 of a teaspoon nori flakes or ground
bladder wrack
To prepare the sea spaghetti
1 Soak sea spaghetti in cold water for 30 minutes to
rehydrate, drain and place in bowl. Add lemon
juice and stir to coat.
2 Allow to marinate for 30 – 60 minutes.
3 Place in a steamer and steam until soft and similar
to al dente spaghetti. Depending on the thickness
of the seaweed this takes between 5 – 12 minutes.
4 Remove from the steamer. Pat dry with kitchen
paper.
Experts say that dried seaweed contains as much of its nutritious values as the fresh one does, which is good news for me as I do not live close to the sea.
Please try to get a certified supplier of seaweed in order to ensure good quality.
My favorites:
Seaveg in Ireland
http://www.seaveg.co.uk/
Ironbound Island Seaweed in Maine, US
http://www.ironboundisland.com
Clearspring, award winning for their organic and traditional foods
http://www.clearspring.co.uk/
Super Sea Veg
http://www.newseaveg.com/
2. What can I cook with seaweed?
Here is a recipe feature on Dr. Rattigan’s website (http://www.prannie.com/seaweed%20kitchen%20home.html):
Sea spaghetti and cheese straws
For this recipe, use sea spaghetti and nori or bladder wrack
Serves 6
20g dried sea spaghetti
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
To make the pastry
75g butter
75g plain flour
75g mature cheddar, grated
3/4 of a teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 of a teaspoon nori flakes or ground
bladder wrack
To prepare the sea spaghetti
1 Soak sea spaghetti in cold water for 30 minutes to
rehydrate, drain and place in bowl. Add lemon
juice and stir to coat.
2 Allow to marinate for 30 – 60 minutes.
3 Place in a steamer and steam until soft and similar
to al dente spaghetti. Depending on the thickness
of the seaweed this takes between 5 – 12 minutes.
4 Remove from the steamer. Pat dry with kitchen
paper.
TO PREPARE THE PASTRY
Place the butter, flour, cheese, mustard and nori
flakes in a food processor and pulse until the
ingredients form a ball. Wrap the dough in cling film
and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.
This recipe really maximizes the delicate flavor
of sea spaghetti and my advice is to make more
than you need; children love them and never
once have I had leftovers. Use bladder wrack if
available instead of nori for an additional subtle
nutty flavor. Prepare and cook as for nori.
sea spaghetti and cheese straws
Place the butter, flour, cheese, mustard and nori
flakes in a food processor and pulse until the
ingredients form a ball. Wrap the dough in cling film
and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.
This recipe really maximizes the delicate flavor
of sea spaghetti and my advice is to make more
than you need; children love them and never
once have I had leftovers. Use bladder wrack if
available instead of nori for an additional subtle
nutty flavor. Prepare and cook as for nori.
sea spaghetti and cheese straws
COOK’S TIP
The straws are perfect for entertaining as they can be
prepared in advance and stored uncooked, either in
the fridge for 24 hours, or in the freezer until needed,
before popping them into the oven for ten minutes or
slightly longer if straight from the freezer.
WHEN READY TO BAKE STRAWS
1 Grease two baking trays.
2 Press and roll out the dough as thinly as possible
to a rectangle measuring about 15 x 30cm (6" x
12”).
3 Lay one strand of sea spaghetti out on the edge of
the dough and press it gently into the dough. Roll
the pressed sea spaghetti over just once, to barely
encase (see photograph above).
4 Cut into 7.5cm (3 inch) pieces and place on
baking tray. Repeat process with strands of sea
spaghetti until all the dough is used.
5 Chill in the freezer or fridge for 20 – 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
6 Bake for 10 minutes in the centre of the oven until
golden brown.
7 Remove and leave on baking tray for 2 minutes to
settle.
8 Carefully transfer to wire rack. Eat warm or cold.
For more great recipes and to order the beautifully illustrated cookbook by Dr. Rhatigan, please visit her website at http://www.prannie.com/seaweed%20kitchen%20home.html
or book a cooking class with her in Ireland under http://www.theorganiccentre.ie/node/1267
Seaweed, here I come!
The straws are perfect for entertaining as they can be
prepared in advance and stored uncooked, either in
the fridge for 24 hours, or in the freezer until needed,
before popping them into the oven for ten minutes or
slightly longer if straight from the freezer.
WHEN READY TO BAKE STRAWS
1 Grease two baking trays.
2 Press and roll out the dough as thinly as possible
to a rectangle measuring about 15 x 30cm (6" x
12”).
3 Lay one strand of sea spaghetti out on the edge of
the dough and press it gently into the dough. Roll
the pressed sea spaghetti over just once, to barely
encase (see photograph above).
4 Cut into 7.5cm (3 inch) pieces and place on
baking tray. Repeat process with strands of sea
spaghetti until all the dough is used.
5 Chill in the freezer or fridge for 20 – 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
6 Bake for 10 minutes in the centre of the oven until
golden brown.
7 Remove and leave on baking tray for 2 minutes to
settle.
8 Carefully transfer to wire rack. Eat warm or cold.
For more great recipes and to order the beautifully illustrated cookbook by Dr. Rhatigan, please visit her website at http://www.prannie.com/seaweed%20kitchen%20home.html
or book a cooking class with her in Ireland under http://www.theorganiccentre.ie/node/1267
Seaweed, here I come!
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