Seaweed and Cooking

For those who want to experiment with a new ingredient in the kitchen, you can try preparing tasty dishes based on seaweed. Mainly used in diets free from animal products, seaweed is one of the staple ingredients of macrobiotic cooking.
Characterised by Eastern cuisine, seaweed is a food with a high protein content, rich in minerals and vitamins. There are almost 30,000 different species in nature, and many of these have also become popular in Western countries.
Before discussing recipes based on seaweed, let’s take a look at some of the most common varieties that can be found for sale, and for which dishes they are most suitable.

Seaweed is a food with a high protein content, rich in minerals and vitamins.

• Nori Seaweed: this variety of seaweed is used for preparing Sushi. Also known as "sea lettuce", this seaweed is sold dried. A characteristic of this seaweed is its ability to dissolve fats present in the body and reduce cholesterol levels.
• Combu Seaweed: with a sweet flavour, it is ideal for preparing dishes based on legumes. It can be consumed both raw and cooked.
• Wakame Seaweed: this type of seaweed appears in the form of ribbed leaves that need to be removed before use in cooking. With a delicate flavour, it is suitable for preparing soups or cooked with other vegetables.
• Agar Agar Seaweed: it is used as a thickener for puddings and creams, given its gelatinous consistency. With a strong and decisive flavour, it is recommended to consume it after soaking for a few minutes.

Some recipes with seaweed.

Seaweed Ravioli
For the preparation of this dish, you will need:

• 150g of spelt semolina
• 150g of durum wheat semolina
• 100g of spelt bread
• 70g of Hijiki seaweed
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 100ml of water
• 200g of tofu
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• yeast flakes

Soak the seaweed for at least 20 minutes and then cook it in a saucepan with 200ml of water. When it has absorbed almost all the water, add the soy sauce and finish cooking. Prepare the filling for the ravioli by placing the bread, tofu, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of oil in a mixer. Blend everything and finally add the seaweed.
Prepare the dough with the two flours, water, and a tablespoon of oil.
Let the dough rest for about twenty minutes and roll it out with a machine. Cut out squares of dough measuring 3 x 3 cm and make the ravioli. Cook in salted water and season with oil and yeast flakes.

Seaweed Omelette
For the preparation of this omelette, you will need:

• dried Dulse seaweed
• eggs
• grated cheese
• salt
• olive oil.

Rehydrate the seaweed in warm water and chop it roughly. Beat the eggs with the cheese and a pinch of salt, and finally add the seaweed. Pour the mixture into a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and cook the omelette for a few minutes on both sides until the eggs are set. Eat while still warm!

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