Recipes

In the winter, I prefer hot dishes and soups to warm my body. But in the hotter months, I enjoy light and refreshing dishes. Lately, I've been cooking with a lot more veggies and making fruit/veggie smoothies. In Korea, we have a vegetable called kenip (also known as sesame or perilla leaves). It is a dark green leaf that is loaded with antioxidants to promote good health. It's very easy to use as a garnish, side dish, or a wrapper.

One of my favorite things to make is Korean sushi rolls (aka kimbop). I like to add a variety of veggies/meat to create different rolls. My favorites are spam/kimchi, tuna/kenip, and beef (with the traditional veggies). (I am still working on making them look more presentable).

 

Here is a recipe for Tuna/Kenip Roll:

Ingredients:
1 can of tuna in water base, drained
2-3 sesame leaves
2 T of mayonnaise
2 tsp. of mustard
a few slices of fried zucchini
1/2 cup of sweet brown rice
1 T of sesame oil
a pinch of salt
1 sheet of seaweed laver

In a small bowl, place the 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. Add in the sesame oil and salt. Mix it up.

Then, in another bowl, add the can of tuna, mayo, and mustard. Mix.

Lay the piece of seaweed on a cutting board. Shiny side on the bottom. Place the rice on the lower third (or half) of the sheet, depending on how much rice you want to add. Start adding the tuna, zucchini and sesame leaves on top.

Then roll the kimbop from the bottom until it is neatly packed. Quickly slice the roll into small pieces. Enjoy while fresh and warm! This is a very easy recipe and filling!

 

I also tried adding kenip into burritos. I'm a bit obsessed with these leaves - can you tell? On a whole wheat tortilla wrap, I placed Trader Joe's Sweet Basil Chicken & Turkey Sausage, fried egg, fried zucchini, freshly sliced kenip, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Quite delicious!

I love the texture and taste of kenip. It's not for everyone, but you should definitely try it if you get the chance!