I was wondering what I had on hand to roll anything with, I had roasted seaweed but small squares, more or less these are sold as a snack and wouldn't do at all for how I needed to use them.
I abandoned the thought of a traditional route and decided I could use pasta to roll up my maki. I chose to use some swiss chard I had already blanched and in the freezer, you could use spinach easily. I incorporated the pureed swiss chard into the dough to give the green color of seaweed.
Then I set about coming up with a filling that could be used to replace the sticky rice. I had half a block of tempeh in the refrigerator and decided to use it. Crumbling it and cooking it in liquid and allowing that to sit made it sticky enough to use here.
For o top of the tempeh and inside the roll I used some roasted peppers cut very thin and some eggplant I pan fried to get a bit crunchy, giving a texture difference I think was necessary.
In the end I did top it with a bit of a very simple red sauce--just sauteed onion with garlic in some olive oil, seasoned with salt and added tomato puree I had canned the summer before.
I sprinkled some black coarse salt and some merlot salt on top of the "maki" slices to mimic fish roe.
So this may be more steps than you want, but the idea is a fun starting point. Buy pasta sheets, use a quick cooking rice, roasted peppers and assorted items from the salad bar at any good grocery store. Making it simple so you can get on with it!
Makes enough for 6-8 slices
Pasta Sheets
1 cup "00" flour (or all purpose)
1 egg
1 TB olive oil
1/2 TB salt
1/2 cup swiss chard or spinach, blanched and pressed, then pureed
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until dough starts to come together. Turn onto floured board, knead for a few minutes until dough is elastic. Cover with a bowl and let rest until ready to proceed.
*Note: this makes enough for at least 2 sheets, I only used one and froze the other.
Tempeh ("sticky rice")
1/2 block Soy Boy 5 grain tempeh
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
salt
Crumble tempeh into small sauce pan with tight fitting lid. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat but leave lid on.
After a few minutes open the lid and mash the tempeh with a large fork until it becomes somewhat sticky.
Roasted Peppers
1 red bell pepper or 2 ancient sweet peppers
Slice in half vertically and place on sheet pan and put in broiler. Once skins are black remove let cool slightly and peel away skin. Slice in 1/4" strips
Eggplant
1/2 medium eggplant
1/4 cup vegetable stock or other liquid
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp salt
1 TB olive oil
Mix together dry ingredients in a ziploc bag. Cut eggplant in half across the width of it. Then make 1/4" strips. Toss eggplant in vegetable stock. Then place into bag with dry ingredients and shake to coat. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 TB olive oil. Once the oil is hot add half the eggplant strips. Turn the strips once they are brown on one side. Brown the second side and repeat with remaining strips.
Assembly
Place a sheet of plastic wrap on counter (unless you have a bamboo mat, then use that). Put pasta sheet on top of that. Spread tempeh on top of pasta, almost to the edges. Towards the side you will start rolling from place the strips of red pepper, then the strips of eggplant. Now start rolling as tight as you are able to. Carefully remove from the plastic wrap and slice into 1/2'-1" pieces. Serve topped with coarse salt and/or tomato sauce.
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