Here’s a recipe that proved to me that my daughter will eat anything wrapped in nori with baked tofu. Though the friend she invited to eat with us didn’t care for them (she’s not a fan of sushi either), E. couldn’t get enough of these. She must have eaten 12 of them by herself. If she’s eating cabbage, I’m a happy mom.
I don’t follow a low-carb diet, but those who do will find these a good alternative to sushi. They’re light but surprisingly filling.
Cabbage Nori Rolls
(serves about 4 as a side dish)
Ingredients
1/2 head Napa or Chinese cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
6-8 ounces baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
baby corn
4-5 sheets toasted nori
pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, for serving
Instructions
Cut the cabbage into half lengthwise. Cut one half into 4 wedges lengthwise. Place the wedges in a steamer basket with the carrots and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Once the cabbage has cooled, dry it thoroughly by placing it on a kitchen towel or sushi mat covered with paper towels. Roll up in the towel or mat, squeezing lightly to remove excess moisture. Remove any thick, tough pieces and set them aside.
Place a piece of nori on the sushi mat, and have a small bowl of water nearby. Lay a thin layer of cabbage starting about one inch from the bottom and stopping 2 inches from the top. Be sure the cabbage stretches to the side edges. Near the bottom end, lay a strip of tofu, carrots, and baby corn or any combination of the three.
Lift the mat at the edge closest to you and bring the bottom edge of the nori over the tofu and other fillings. Roll forward to tightly wrap the nori around the fillings. As you approach the far edge, dip your fingers into the bowl of water and use them to moisten the top inch. (This will help the nori to seal.) Complete the roll. Place it seam-side down on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining cabbage, and cut rolls into 6-8 pieces with a sharp knife. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s) | Cooking time: 5 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
Nutrition (per serving): 103 calories, 29 calories from fat, 3.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 42.2mg sodium, 355.5mg potassium, 11.3g carbohydrates, 3.9g fiber, 1.2g sugar, 8.4g protein, 2.9 points.
Credit for this idea goes to Vegetarian Asian, a book that’s full of gorgeous photos and has some interesting ideas, but its writing is lacking (ingredients are listed but never used, recipes lack sufficient explanation.) It’s essentially a slim coffee table book with recipes, but it’s worth more than the $2 I paid for it just for some of the ideas.
Dr. TriRunner
March 21, 2010 at 11:31 amI am so excited to try this recipe tonight!! I have a head of cabbage sitting in my fridge and I've been thinking what's something new I can do with it? I have these Worthington "vegetarian choplets" that I'm going to use in place of the tofu, and will pick up some nori tonight!
Thanks!
Leena
May 15, 2012 at 4:06 pmWhat a fab and inspirational Mama you are. I hope to be half as good as you when I have kids! Thanks so much for this! xxxx
Ryann @ MyWholeDeal
May 15, 2012 at 5:38 pmSo happy to read this! Slow carb diet was giving me massive sushi withdrawal! Pickled carrots and shitake and daikon are going to snuggle up in my rolls very soon!!!
Hannah
January 8, 2013 at 6:27 pmThis was so good, I was amazed! I eat low carb veggie so I added mayonnaise. It was demolished by my family. Thanks so much, it fixed my sushi cravings.