Food Truck Friday - Box Nature Sushi

For this week's Food Truck adventure, Hilo and I wandered around a bit before finding Box Nature Sushi parked across from the Firestone in South Lake Union. In addition to their mobility, they also differentiate themselves from other Seattle sushi restaurants by offering multi-grain rice in their sushi, as well as using only sustainably caught fish.



I went for the signature sushi roll - the BN's Spicy - with multi-grain rice, for $4.50. It combined salmon and tuna, plus cucumber and greens, and claimed it had a spicy sauce. The rice added a little nuttiness to the dish, and perhaps more importantly made me feel like I'm making a good choice. The fish was super fresh tasting, and the greens were a nice addition. Unfortunately, the promise of spiciness wasn't delivered... even after I added a bunch of wasabi. I do like things on the spicier end of the spectrum, but didn't get any heat whatsoever from the roll. The wasabi was also oddly bland. (I didn't give their special blend of lower salt soy sauce a try.)



Thinking I couldn't possibly be satisfied with just $4.50 of food, I also ordered the 'Greens' salad ($6). The menu says it's a mix of kale, local greens, asparagus, cilantro, mango, tomato and edamame, but I don't recall (nor can I find in my pictures) any asparagus or edamame, nor was their much dressing. After the first few bites, I was left with a pile of dry greens. The mango gave it a bright, sweetness, but otherwise it fell short.



I would go back for the sushi, especially at that price point, but won't repeat the mistake of paying $6 for a dry salad lacking two key ingredients.

Our First Experience with Shirataki

Tonight, Dan planned another recipe from the Men's Health cookbookhe discovered early this year. It featured an ingredient I'd never heard of, let alone used, so I thought it was worth a post - particularly with so many people doing paleo and gluten-free diets these days.



The recipe is a simple noodle & veggie stir-fry, but it uses tofu shirataki - a noodle made of soy beans and yam flour. Packaged in water, the noodles require no boiling, making dinner come together all the more quickly. You just rinse them and let them sit in hot water until you're ready to use them. They come in a couple shapes (the ramen-like noodles we used, plus fettuccine style), and AmazonFresh carries both. I'm not sure how versatile they are (e.g. can they be baked in a casserole?), but the flavor and texture were good, so I'd definitely try them out again.



Black Bean, Vegetable and Noodle Stir-Fry
2 tspn olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small zucchini, halved and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed in hot water
1 15-16oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbspn soy sauce
1 1/2 tspn sodium-free seasoning mix
2 Tbspn fresh cilantro, chopped
Hot sauce

In a wok or large skillet over high heat, warm the oil. Add the peppers, onion, zucchini and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until vegetables start to soften.



Add the noodles, beans, soy sauce (we used gluten free) and seasoning mix (we used a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and chili powder). Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes longer, or until the mixture is hot. Add the cilantro. Toss to mix. Serve with hot sauce.

Mochiko Chicken & Mochiko the Chicken

Date Night after the farmers market tonight found us at Wabi Sabi - the Sushi Bar in Columbia City. Dan had been doing recon online and discovered they added some more Hawaiian favorites to their menu, so we had to go back.



In order to give all my hens equal attention, I went for another of their namesake dishes: Mochiko Chicken - a Japanese/Hawaiian style breaded fried chicken that I've only ever had at Kona Kitchen (where I recently ate my brown hen's namesake dish).

Besides being a delicious plate of food, Mochiko is also the name of our biggest hen - the big, black Australorp. She's grown faster than her sisters, and already lets out some very grown up clucks. It's the chicken equivalent of her voice changing, I suppose. Teri and Huli are sure to catch up soon, as they're all growing fast. They even get to do some free ranging in the yard (under supervision) these days.

I suppose I better track down some Huli Huli chicken soon - or somebody's gonna get jealous.

Sushi Delivery?

I stayed home from work today, not feeling great, so Date Night turned into Dinner & a Movie at home, courtesy of 2goservices and Dupont, Washington's Sushi & Teriyaki.



I had some concerns about ordering sushi from a delivery service, but figured I'd give it a try. I'm happy to report that the sushi arrived cold and the teriyaki Dan ordered arrived hot. I stuck with simple rolls: Spicy Tuna, Scallop, and a Veggie Roll.



Both the tuna and scallop rolls were tasty, but the veggie roll was a bit cumbersome (falling apart easily), and lacked much flavor at all. It was essentially a cheap salad (white button mushroom, cabbage & iceberg lettuce, and a little cucumber) rolled in rice. With a little soy sauce & wasabi, it was more palatable.



Dan's Chicken Breast Teriyaki was good (I snagged a bite), and came with rice, miso soup, and a little salad. My three rolls turned out to be too much for dinner, so I packed up Dan's salad and some leftover rolls for lunch tomorrow - with plenty of wasabi.

Wabi Sabi Sushi Bar

After work, I grabbed the light rail to Columbia City and met up with Dan at the Farmers Market to pick up some items for later in the week. After checking out the selection, grabbing a few things, and chatting with some friends we ran into, we headed up the block for dinner at Wabi Sabi Sushi.

We were quickly seated and given menus to review. There was a bit of a lag before our server checked in with us to order drinks, though that just gave us time to figure out our full order. And thanks to getting there around 6, we received 15% off everything thanks to catching the tail end of Happy Hour (Mon-Thu 4:30-6:30; Fri-Sat 9-11).



We started with the Soft Shell Crab Lettuce Wraps (normally $10), which were a little difficult to eat, but the deep fried crab was tasty and the ponzu sauce was bright.



Next we dug into a platter of three of their signature sushi rolls:

Ceviche Roll ($11) - Lime-marinated scallop, salmon, jalapeno, cilantro and cucumber topped with black tobiko and charred lime peel



Samurai Roll ($10) - Albacore, wasabi tobiko, avocado, cucumber, cilantro, fried shallots, and a spicy sauce



Saigon Tuna Roll ($8) - Tuna, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, pickled ginger, spicy mayo, and fried jalapeno pepper, wrapped in rice paper with ponzu sauce

All the rolls were delicious and a great mix of flavors. I particularly liked the fried shallots that were sprinkled on the Samurai roll, and enjoyed the creative use of summer roll wrapper to make the Saigon roll.

We noticed some similarities in the menu (both the physical menu itself, and the menu items) between Thoa's and Wabi Sabi. Both have more than a little Hawaiian influence, Ginger Margaritas, similar Mai Tai recipes, and the menus look like they were made by the same company using the same cover style and font. We wondered if perhaps they're owned by Thoa Nguyen - and a little poking around confirms our suspicions. I'm glad she decided to open another restaurant - this time in our neck of the woods - and that her signature blending of various Asian and Pacific Island cuisines remains present at Wabi Sabi - and beautifully executed.

Jennifer's Birthday

This evening we hosted Dan's family to celebrate Jennifer's birthday. Dan came up with a great Japanese-Hawaiian inspired menu, and Jennifer requested a coconut cream pie for dessert. Knowing that some of our family don't dig coconut (including her husband), Dan suggested we also make some chocolate chip cookies (since they're quick and easy) and have ice cream on hand.

The full menu ended up using a stack of cookbooks as reference: Sushi Making at Home, Quick & Easy Japanese Cuisine for Everyone, Best of the Best from Hawaii, Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook, and How to Bake.



We started off with drinks and nuts out on the back deck, then brought out some ahi tuna hosomaki (thin roll) sushi, with wasabi and soy sauce.



Then we made our way to the dining room for dinner. I baked/poached two sockeye salmon fillets in a homemade teriyaki marinade, and we served that with a cheesy broccoli krab side dish, fruit salad, and rice. Everyone seemed to really enjoy all the dishes, and more than one person went back for seconds. Dan's fruit salad was a big hit - a mix of strawberries, bananas, mango, grapes, and basil, tossed with crème fraiche, lemon juice and vanilla.



Teriyaki Salmon
2 full sockeye salmon fillets (one whole salmon)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup mirin
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tspn ginger root, grated

Mix together the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic and ginger root. Place salmon in a Pyrex baking dish (or two) and pour sauce over. Cover and refrigerate overnight, to let the flavor and moisture seep into it. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees (uncovered) - until the thickest part was just cooked through.

(Teriyaki sauce ratios from Quick & Easy Japanese Cuisine for Everyone)

Baked Broccoli
2 lbs broccoli
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 packages imitation crabmeat
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces. Place broccoli in boiling water just until color is bright and they're cooked but still crunchy (about 1 minute). Remove from boiling water and immediately place in a bowl of ice water, to stop cooking. Drain and place broccoli in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread 1 can of mushroom soup over broccoli. Spread crab meat over the top. Spread the other can of mushroom soup over the crab meat. Top with mixed cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then broil until top just begins to brown.

(Adapted from Best of the Best from Hawaii)



After dinner, we retired downstairs to open presents, then enjoy some dessert. I was surprised at how simply coconut cream pie is to make - and how much less cloying the coconut flavor is when you make it at home.



Coconut Cream Pie
Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tspn salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
3-5 Tbpsn cold water
Filling
1 cup sweetened coconut
2 cups milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut cream
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large eggs
4 tbpsn unsalted butter, softened
2 tspn vanilla extract
Topping
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 tspn vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in butter until well incorporated. Sprinkle one tablespoon of water at a time onto mixture, tossing with a fork. Push moistened portion to the side of the bowl, then repeat until all is moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands, retaining circular shape. Roll dough from center to edge forming a 12 inch diameter circle. Wrap dough around rolling pin and ease into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry dough. Trim edges to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pan, then fold under. Using the edge of the tines of a fork, press along edges to flute. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with the points of the fork (this will prevent it from puffing up too much). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Spread sweetened coconut on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 325 degree F oven for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often so the coconut browns evenly. Divide in half and set aside. Combine milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Whisk once to combine and bring to a boil over low heat. Remove from heat. Place 1/2 cup coconut cream in a mixing bowl and whisk in cornstarch, then eggs. Return the milk & sugar to a boil over low heat, then whisk about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture. Return the remaining milk mixture to a boil and whisk in the egg mixture, whisking constantly until the filling thickens and comes to a boil. (This happens quickly, and will clot if you don't whisk constantly.) Allow to boil, whisking constantly for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, whisk in the butter and 2 tspn vanilla, the pour into a bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the filling and chill until it is approximately 75 degrees F. Stir in 1/2 cup of toasted coconut, then spread evenly in the cooled pie crust.

Whip the cream, coconut cream and vanilla until it holds a firm peak. Spread the cream over the pie filling, then sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut over the top.

(Crust recipe from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook and pie recipe from How to Bake)

Hawaii Day 3: Avocado Bread, Grass Fed Beef, and Raw Quail Egg

Yesterday, we picked up some sweet breads from a bake sale at Hale Okane, the sacred grounds of the Kealaokamalamalama Church. It's an odd little plot of perfectly groomed, fenced in land right on the main drag of Kona. You're normally not allowed to step foot on the land, but apparently church bake sales are an exception. We went for Avocado Bread and Mango Bread - both in the style of a banana bread, and this morning we had a slice for breakfast. The avocado bread was good, though it didn't have that distinct of an avocado flavor.



After breakfast, we headed up the coast and ended up in Hawi, where we sought out a little tiki bar called Luke's Place that we spotted when we were here last summer.



The front of the restaurant has a British Colonial vibe, but around the corner is a full fledged tiki bar. The staff were really friendly, and the food was amazing. We both went for burgers made from local, grass-fed beef that were perfectly cooked, moist, and flavorful.



Back in Kona, we popped into Huggo's On the Rocks again, and I had a 'Polynesian Passion' cocktail - essentially a Chi-Chi with Lilikoi syrup.



When dinner rolled around, we got a little dressed up and went looking for Fujimama's - only to discover it closed. So we returned to Wasabi's instead, and although it's not as fancy as Fujimama's was, we weren't disappointed.



I started off with a Blue Lagoon cocktail, and we noshed on boiled peanuts.



We ordered four rolls for dinner, all of which were great.



We started with the classic spider roll, which is a favorite of both Dan & I and something we invariably order.





Next, we had spicy scallop rolls served in a little boat.





We followed that with a 'Crazy' roll - though I can't recall what was crazy about it.





Much crazier was the 'Sunshine' roll that finished up our meal. It was a roll wrapped in tuna, and topped with both a sizable heap of uni (sea urchin gonads) and a quail egg, raw. That roll was really all about texture, and I was surprised to find that the uni didn't overpower it.