For this month’s edition of Adopt-a-gluten-free Blogger, I chose a special lunchbox theme. I hoped to collect a selection of delicious recipes from gluten-free bloggers that would be suitable for a gluten-free packed lunch. We didn’t have as many participants as I had hoped, but I hope this post can be a jumping off point for thinking about creative gluten-free lunches. In the interest of this, I am starting a list in this post of gluten-free recipes that are lunchbox friendly. I hope you will contribute ideas and even URL’s of appropriate recipes in the comments.

Cheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness brought along a gorgeous Summer Tomato salad for our tiffin that she found at Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Rachel of the Crispy Cook contributed Susan of the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen’s delicious and romantic chickpea crackers for our lunchtime tiffin! She said they were surprisingly easy to make. All I can say is they look delicious to me, and I’d love to try them too. :)

We were all hungry for dessert, and I was pleased to have Emily of Gluten Free Expedition share delicious-looking Mini Donut Hole Muffins from Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl.

Meanwhile, I (Sea) couldn’t resist bringing along Carob Brownies from Asparagus Thin’s blog. They fit perfectly into a little metal tupperware and I am certain this is one travel-safe carob brownie!

I think you can agree that this would make one delicious gluten-free lunchbox, albeit one a little bit heavy on the sweets.

What do you like to pack in a gluten-free lunchbox?

For a gluten-free vegetarian lunchbox, I like foods that don’t require silverware. If they are tasty WITHOUT being heated up, that is a definite plus, although I know many of us have access to microwaves at our school or workplace.

Here are some of my favorite ideas for lunches:

*A gluten-free sandwich on TOASTED gluten-free bread (such as Bette Hagman’s, the Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread, or Bob’s Red Mill GF Homemade Wonderful Bread-NOT hearty)
Tasty fillings: egg salad, veggie [hummus with avocado, sprouts and fresh basil etc.], peanut butter or other nut butter and jelly

*Japanese Inspired Rice Ball with Fillings such as..sesame spinach or Avocado.

*Thai or Vietnam Inspired Spring/Summer Rolls Instructions for summer roll and peanut sauce recipe here. Substitute sweet chili sauce if nut allergies are a concern. Wrap summer roll individually in plastic wrap so they don’t stick to each other, and make sure sauce container seals OR put layer of sauce in the roll in between layers of rice paper

Here are YOUR ideas for a gluten-free lunch….

Gaile suggested a mouth-watering Mediterranean lunchbox. Assemble a Mezze platter of gf prepared dolmas, GF crackers, hummus, a few hearts of palm, a couple of artichoke hearts, bites of tomato, cucumber slices, and a little side of quinoa tabouli. For vegans, marinated tofu cubes are nice. Those who do dairy can add a little feta. Pescatarians and omnivores can add smoked salmon. [Sea: olives and baba ganoush eggplant dip are other tasty options!]

Rachel usually brings leftovers into work as she has access to a microwave, but she also enjoys a tasty gluten-free cheese sandwich, stuffed celery and deviled eggs for lunch.

Kim’s 12 year old son Jon eats non-veg sandwiches on Pamela’s Wheat Free Bread (turkey & cheese, roast beef & cheese), Cold Pizza (Carol Fenster’s Crust topped with sauce, cheese & peppers), with various options like Fresh Fruit, stacked Hormel Pepperoni & cheese, Yogurt, Chips, Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch Bars, Lara Bars (chocolate mint, lemon, key lime), Chips (Cool Ranch Doritos, Blue Corn Chips, Pirate’s Booty). She also uses a thermos for meals like Spaghetti & meat sauce; Chili, cheese & chips; and Mac & Cheese. [Sea- A thermos is so useful for a hot GF meal when microwaves aren't an option!]

Karen has access to a microwave, and uses it to heat a can of Amy’s Tomato soup or grits with cheese leftover from breakfast. Sometimes she adds gluten free crackers and peanut butter. For a portable snack, she makes her own trail mix that has pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and dried pineapple. It goes good with a gluten free pudding cup. [Sea- Homemade trail mix is a great way to avoid CC issues or suspect ingredients in some packaged trail mixes!]

*Add your ideas! you share!

I’d like this post to be a “work-in-progress” so I will be adding to it as time allows. Come back anytime!

I’d like to open the first ever Adopt-a-gluten-free-blogger Event with a THEME!

For the September edition of our event, please find a recipe perfect for a gluten-free lunchbox (or tiffin, or bento) posted by a gluten-free blogger. This blogger should either only post gluten-free recipes OR have an easy organizational structure that allows readers to sort by gluten-free recipes. Try the recipe as posted (to the best of your ability) and take a picture of it (in a lunchbox/tiffin/ bento if possible) and write a post about the blogger and your experience with the recipe. Write your post between September 26- October 13. Then email the picture along with the URL of THEIR post (the one with the recipe) and the URL of YOUR post (without recipe is better) TO: Seamaiden399(at)gmail(dot)com. Then when I do a roundup, we’ll have a list of gluten-free lunchbox recipes perfect for back-to-school or back-to-work lunches! The more participants we have, the better for creating a really useful list of lunch time resources!

Another way I’d like to tweak this event would be to have sign ups for various PARTS of the lunch.
To participate, please comment below with your name, blog name, and the blogger you’d like to adopt AS WELL AS one of the following categories:

Salad
Carb (may contain protein)
Protein
Vegetable
Dessert

If you don’t have a blog- don’t worry! You can still participate. Just email me your digital picture of the finished dish, the name of the dish and the URL where the recipe was originally posted. You are also welcome to share your experience with the recipe- just add it to your email or comment (including the above information.)

To start us off, I’d like to adopt Asparagus thin in the Dessert category.

Adoption List:
1) Asparagus Thin- adopted by Sea of the Book of Yum- Lunchtime Dessert
2) Kalyn’s Kitchen- adopted by Cheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness- Lunchtime Salad
3)Carrie from Ginger Lemon Girl- adopted by Emily of glutenfreeexpedition- Lunchtime dessert
4) Susan of the Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen- adopted by Rachel of The Crispy Cook- Lunchtime Carb
5) You Pick!

Feel free to use one of my “stickers” in your post!

Enjoy the roundup of the Adopt-a-gluten-free-blogger-event for August
Here’s the announcement of last month’s edition
Here’s an example of a post for the Adopt-a-gluten-free-blogger Event!
(Note: it is best not to reproduce the recipe unless you have permission from the adopted person/ author)

When I found out he was going to have a short lunch break today (due to a little Comcast errand, sigh), I decided to do what any loving wife with ties to Japan or India might do- make my DH a very special tiffin/ bento lunch so even if he couldn’t eat it at home, he could have a real meal back at work. I didn’t count on his enthusiasm- I handed him his bento (Japanese word for boxed lunch) and he immediately pulled the thing apart and started chomping. Good thing it was all packed up.

As for the contents of aforementioned tiffin..

For some reason, the corn stir fry made me think of South American corn-salsa dishes, despite the more exotic lemongrass and thai basil notes in the dish. I couldn’t help myself- I reached into the fridge, took out some corn tortillas from the fridge, and turned them into tasty quesadillas. I used some pre-grated cheese from Trader Joe’s and added some drunken goat cheese (flavored with wine, silly- the goats weren’t actually tipsy) and suddenly had a much more gourmet quesadilla. Layer one of the tiffin held corn quesadilla triangles.

In layer two, I put a generous helping of lemongrass corn stir-fry and then added a corner of avocado sprinkled with salt and a little cup with yogurt.

Finally, in layer three I placed some fresh nectarine and peach cubes (from the farmer’s market this weekend) and freshened them up with a little fresh key lime juice.

This lunch was a great way to use up “leftovers” in an entirely new way. Amazingly, Thai and South American flavors CAN go together beautifully in a tiffin… or in a bento, for that matter. (Depending on if you want to give it an Indian or Japanese twist.) And of course, every element in the tiffin was completely gluten-free.

Now that school season is looming- what do you like to pack in YOUR (or your child’s-or your partner’s) lunch box? I’d love to hear your Lunchbox menus in the comments!

PS I picked up this beautiful little tiffin box on our last trip to India. Isn’t it great? I am getting quite a collection of tiffin boxes- they’re the handiest things ever.

Fusion South American Goat Cheese Quesadillas with Corn Saute Main Course  Corn  Thai  South American

Ingredients 8 corn tortillas 1/3 bag of a Pre-grated low fat cheese like mozzarella 1 2 inch cube of a gourmet hard goat cheese, such as drunken goat cheese (with wine), cut into slivers or shredded 1/4 recipe of Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry (Recipe posted below) 1 Avocado 1 small heirloom tomato (optional), cubed kosher salt, for sprinkling 1/2 lime or a few key limes Low fat sour cream or plain low fat yogurt Directions Heat a cast iron pan on medium-high and place two corn tortillas so that as much surface as possible is touching the pan and lightly brown. Turn one over so that the remaining untoasted side is touching the pan surface and sprinkle some of your pre-shredded cheese on the browned top. Distribute a small amount of the gourmet goat cheese over the pre-shredded stuff and then cover it with the browned side of the second tortilla, leaving the untoasted side facing up. When the quesadilla is toasted on one side, carefully turn it over and brown the remaining side. (All four sides of the tortillas will have been lightly toasted.) Remove quesadilla from pan, and make the rest of the quesadillas, following the same method. Meanwhile cube your avocado and heirloom tomato and sprinkle with salt. Squirt with a little fresh lime juice and reserve. To serve, cut each quesadilla into four triangles. Plate with lemongrass corn stir fry as a topping, and add your fresh avocado tomato “salad” on the side, along with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  A fusion creation from my own brain. Do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1279 Added:  August 12, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

Lemongrass Corn Stir Fry Side Dish  Vegetables  Thai

Ingredients 1 1/2 tbsp. peanut or other flavorful oil inner portion of 1 stalk lemongrass, chopped OR 2 tbsp. preserved chopped lemongrass 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. butter 1 medium onion, minced 3 cups corn kernels (about 3 ears of fresh corn) 3/4 cup gluten-free vegetarian broth (i use bullion) 2 tsp fresh lime zest 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice [pescatarian variation: add 1 tbsp. fish sauce] 1-2 tbsp. freshly julienned thai basil Directions Heat oil in wok on high and toss in the lemongrass. Let it sizzle and start to brown and then add your garlic, butter, and onion. Cook until they brown and then add your corn, and stir fry until brown. Add your vegetable broth and stir constantly until broth has reduced and been absorbed into the corn. Add your lime zest, lime juice, variation elements and heat. At the last minute stir in your fresh basil, taste, season with salt if necessary and serve. You can add a spicy flavor element if desired, like hot sauce or cayenne pepper.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from All You Can Eat! Chinese and Thai Cooking. Recipe ID:  1277 Added:  August 11, 2008 Last Modified:  August 12, 2008

“Bentō (弁当 or べんとう, Bentō) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, a protein element, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. ” (source: Wikipedia)

In Japan, packed lunch for children can be insanely complicated, with Mothers buying books full of decorative ideas for making the perfect bento that is as balanced in color and design as it is in nutrition. There has recently been an explosion of gorgeous blogs on the blogosphere aimed at introducing the bento to a wider audience. Some of my favorites include:

Biggie’s Lunch in a Box (See her recent post on airline meal bentos for some great ideas for the gluten-free traveler)
Maki, Just Hungry creator’s Just Bento
Bento TV for when text and pictures just aren’t enough and you crave cute video.
An old favorite,Cooking Cute, a blog that no longer has new posts but has some great archives.

While these blogs are not vegetarian, they have a plethora of ideas that can easily be made vegetarian simply by substituting a protein source. While fried dishes may not be as appealing cold, and the gluten-free bento creator may wish to steer clear of battered main dishes, sweet simmered dishes like the below kinpira gobo or vegetable salad dishes are a natural to convert to gluten-free with a switch to wheat-free soy sauce like San-J.

A collection of vegetarian sides from the following books can be a great start for a gluten-free bento, although vegetarians may find the fish and meat recipes in the first book to be less than helpful. For vegans or vegetarians, the Vegan Lunchbox Blog author’s book is a great start, although you will find more generally international recipes than Japanese recipes.

Bento Boxes: Japanese Meals on the Go

Easy Japanese Pickling in Five Minutes to One Day: 101 Full-Color Recipes for Authentic Tsukemono

Vegan Lunch Box: 150 Amazing, Animal-free Lunches Kids and Grown-ups Will Love!

We were able to enjoy these side dishes in several slightly different meals. We enjoyed all three dishes for a dinner and then a bento the next day. I also made some brown rice later and enjoyed it with the two sides once we had eaten the inari zushi. To make it more fun I shaped the brown rice using 1/3 cup measuring cups and added a leaf of parsley to each circle. Tasty AND healthy. DH pronounced the experiment delicious, and I satisfied my craving for home-style Japanese food that I enjoyed so much while we lived in Japan.

So why not try packing your own gourmet, Japanese, gluten-free bento lunch the next time eating out or relying on airlines gets you down? Nothing like a yummy bento in the fridge or cooler to make you look forward to lunch. :) Have you tried making a bento? Tell me about your experiences or favorite bento side-dishes in the comments.

Other Book of Yum Recipes perfect for a packed lunch:
Vegetarian Sesame Spinach Onigiri Recipe
Japanese Potato Salad Recipe
More Japanese Onigiri, with pescatarian Korean recipe and two Vegetarian dishes

Vegetarian Inari Zushi Main Course  Rice  Japanese

Ingredients 3 1/2 cup cooked sushi rice 1 package of fresh aburage fried tofu sheet package(containing 5 pieces)- found in the refrigerator tofu section in your local Japanese or Chinese market. (Canned varieties may contain wheat soy sauce and who wants canned fried tofu anyway, yuck.) 3 1/2 tbsp sugar (or slightly less, to taste) 2 1/3 tbsp wheat-free tamari like San-J low sodium 3 1/2 tbsp water 1 tbsp light sesame seeds 1 tsp kurogoma black sesame seeds pickled ginger for garnish if desired Directions Start your sushi rice in the rice cooker. Cut your Aburage in half so you have two pouches ready for use. Bring a pan of water to boil and add your fried tofu pouches, submerging them beneath the boiling water for two minutes or so. Take off burner and drain, submerge in cold water and then drain again. Combine your sugar, water, and tamari in the same pan (cleaned). Bring it to a boil, then add your drained aburage to the boiling flavored liquid. Lower the temperature and simmer the fried tofu in the liquid until it has all absorbed into the tofu. Get your rice and sprinkle it with light sesame seeds (toasted). If the rice sticks to your hands, get a dish filled with water and a healthy splash of vinegar to periodically dip your hands into. Grab a portion of rice (about the size of an egg) and fill the individual aburage pouch with rice. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and add a piece of pickled ginger or two if you like. Continue until all the pouches are filled. Enjoy!

Rating:  7 Original Source:  various sources, and modified by me. Please do not replicate without my permission. Recipe ID:  1170 Added:  January 7, 2008 Last Modified:  January 7, 2008

Renkon Lotus Root Sesame Stir Fry Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Japanese

Ingredients 1 whole Renkon a.k.a. Lotus Root, raw 4 green onions 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil (Japanese brand) 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp wheat-free soy sauce like San-J low sodium light sesame seeds, if desired Directions Peel the renkon/lotus root. Quickly use a mandoline, food processor, or knife to thinly slice the renkon. Put each slice in a large bowl of water as you slice it. Cut your green onions into 2 inch long pieces, separating into two piles white bulb part of stalk from green stalk. Heat a wok and add your tablespoon of sesame oil. When it is hot, add your slices of renkon and stir fry them until they are no longer fully opaque. It’s desirable to get them to brown as much as possible without burning, in my opinion. You can add the white parts of the green onion at this stage or partway through this stage if you want. When the renkon looks mostly done, add a hearty sprinkling of sesame seeds and the combined sugar and soy sauce. Mix the sauce and sesame seeds throughout the dish and let it heat until its warm but not burnt. Sprinkle the green part of the green onion stalk, let it wilt and remove from heat and serve.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  okazu 365 nichi part 2. translated into English and modified by me. Recipe ID:  1171 Added:  January 7, 2008 Last Modified:  January 14, 2008

Gobo Burdock Root Kinpira Recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Japanese

Ingredients 6″ Gobo (Burdock root), cleaned and peeled (This is a long, brown, cylindrical root looking thing, found in asian markets and excellent produce departments of grocery stores) 1 tsp cooking oil (i used peanut, anything is ok) 1 tsp sesame oil (unless you have allergies, obviously) 1/2 carrot, julienned 3 tsp GF tamari (or slightly less, to taste) 2 tsp each sugar, mirin, and sake 4 tbsp water 2 tsp cornstarch, mixed into 1 tbsp. of the above water. Directions Peel the burdock root and cut it into slightly oversized matchsticks and immediately put in bowl filled with water. When ready to prepare, drain off water. Heat oils in a pan and saute the gobo for a few minutes, and add the julienned carrot. Mix evenly and add the seasonings. Cook for two minutes or longer and add cornstarch slurry. Let thicken, and then serve. Sprinkle with black or brown toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Based on Japanese Meals on the Go Bento Boxes Recipe ID:  1175 Added:  January 15, 2008 Last Modified:  January 15, 2008

My second Chebe culinary quest that has taken me some time to complete, is that of using the cinnamon chebe mix for making a lowfat apple turnover. I only wish that I’d made it sooner, because as soon as I tasted this recipe, I knew I had a winner. It is fabulous with or without ice cream, and the crunchiness of the dough, while not the traditional buttery pastry usually found with such things, is extremely satisfying. The flavor is great, and without ice cream, you can even enjoy this turnover for breakfast without going into sugar shock. If I’d known this recipe would be THIS addicting, I would have ordered a whole box of cinnamon chebe mix, darn it. Oh well… next time I know what’s on my shopping list! These also travel well, with the caveat that like all chebe pastries, they should be eaten soon after baking OR reheated in an oven to freshen and crisp the dough.

For other By the Bay Chebe recipe, try her Jamaican-style spicy turkey knishes

*a sad note* By the Bay recently posted the sad news that Chebe is no longer certified kosher. She calls for those who are Gluten-free and keep kosher to contact the company and encourage them to re-certify their products. If this change affects you (or even if it doesn’t) I would encourage you to vocalize your feelings to the company in the interest of more gluten-free options for all. Let’s hear it for solidarity, yeah!

Balsalmic Vegetable and Bean Knish Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  American

Ingredients Dough: 1 7.5 oz package Chebe All Purpose Gluten Free Bread Mix (Dairy free) 2 large eggs (try 1 egg and one Ener-g foods egg replacer egg to lighten calories, but I haven’t tried it yet) 2 tbsp olive oil 5 tbsp water or milk substitute 2 tsp pasta seasoning mix (trader joe’s) 1 tsp garlic powder Nonstick cooking spray Filling: 1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (don’t use home cooked unless beans are very firm) 1/4 cup olive oil and butter caramelized red onions, chopped (probably about 1/4 large red onion) 3/4 cup red and yellow peppers, between a chop and a dice 1/4 cup fresh, canned or microwaved frozen corn (canned or fresh is probably better, if fresh, should be boiled) 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil with oil washed off in warm water 2 1/2 chopped green onions (1/4 cup) 1/8 cup sliced kalamata olives 2 tbsp capers, diced 1 tbsp finely chopped dill 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme 4 tbsp low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (like from kraft) 1 tbsp good quality mustard (or less) lots of freshly ground pepper Directions Prepare filling- mostly involved chopping, except for the onion and corn. I chopped a whole red onion and sauteed it in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until caramelized. Then I removed 1/4 cup of the onion and used it in my filling. (I used the rest in BytheBay’s recipe for Potato knish, adding 2 pressed garlic cloves and frying a bit longer after the onion for this recipe was removed from the pan.)Mix all ingredient thoroughly, keeping the beans intact. Then add the dressing and mustard, folding evenly through the salad. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine ingredients for dough and knead until fully combined. Roll out dough inside a gallon ziploc bag with the sides cut open. (This makes it easier to roll out the dough, as it doesn’t stick to the bag as badly as it would stick to the rolling pin.) There should be enough dough to do this several times. If you have one, use a dough press and lay one layer of dough lightly over the press, place filling evenly on one half of the press. Fold over press and press lightly to seal edges. Take a sharp knife and cut the excess dough outside the crimping edges. Open press and carefully peel samosa off, being careful not to handle the pretty, crimped edges. Place on baking sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Notes There will be about twice as much of the filling as you need for this recipe. Serve the remainder as a vegetable bean salad the next day!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Heavily Inspired by ByTheBay Recipe ID:  1133 Added:  September 6, 2007 Last Modified:  September 28, 2007

Chebe Apple Turnover Recipe Dessert  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 1 pkg. Chebe Cinnamon Mix 2 tbsp butter 3 tbsp. applesauce 3 tbsp milk 1 egg *edited* Filling 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 cups water 4 small apples -peeled, cored and sliced 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon apple pie seasoning (or pumpkin pie mix) 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon water 1 egg, mixed, for egg wash optional sugar (optional) Directions Combine dough ingredients in a bowl and knead until you have a firm ball of dough. Reserve. Put sliced apple in water with lemon juice. Melt butter in cast iron pan and toss drain apple slices into pan and saute for two minutes. Add seasonings, and brown sugar and heat for two more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vanilla. Mix cornstarch and water together completely and then add to pan. Let thicken and remove from pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take half of chebe dough and roll out between a gallon size cut open ziploc bag with the sides cut out. Cut out squares of dough and use ravioli press to make turnovers with crimped edges. I line my press with saran wrap or a cut open sandwich bag. For variety you can cut out some squares of dough and put filling in the middle and fold each corners of the dough in so they meet in the middle, forming packages. Spray cookie sheet with butter flavored cooking spray and place turnovers on the sheet. Baste them with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. YUM YUM YUM!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1138 Added:  September 13, 2007 Last Modified:  October 27, 2007

*Note: this is a fusion recipe, so not terribly authentic. That’s what makes it fun, and tasty!*

How to Make Onigiri

To make onigiri, you need short or medium grain, high quality Japanese style rice (preferably white, but you can try brown if you don’t mind it being more crumbly), salt, sesame seeds, fillings of your choice, and saran wrap. The rice should be warm (or hot, if you can stand it and it won’t melt the plastic wrap).

Here are the best instructions for making onigiri/ omusubi

I highly recommend making your onigiri in a small rice bowl, as she suggests, and lining it with saran wrap. But, I wasn’t quite satisfied with dampening the saran wrap and sprinkling it with salt. My salt clumped. So, if you want salted onigiri, you might try putting the saran wrap on the counter, sprinkling it with salt, and then putting down a clump of rice on the wrap. Then, lift the saran wrap with the rice on it, fit it into the rice bowl and proceed as her site directs. Or, just skip the salting until the rice ball/triangle is formed. Then sprinkle your hands with salt and clamp them around the onigiri to add the salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

To understand how to make traditional Japanese onigiri, do NOT watch this video.

A reader asked about furikake, the Japanese seasoning often sprinkled on onigiri. It is difficult to find this without wheat or soy sauce, but Eden Foods has some gomasio (sesame salt) and even a sesame sprinkle (furikake) that seem to be gluten-free. I was playing on amazon and found this fun widget to show you the products. i just love toys for my blog! You can click on the product to find out more about it. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Spinach Onigiri Rice Ball Recipe Main Course  Rice  Japanese

Ingredients 2 scoops of high quality, Japanese short grain white rice Kosher salt Black sesame seeds (kurogoma) Snog-worthy Sesame Spinach Filling: 1 bunch spinach, stem cut off and washed thoroughly Water, to cover one inch of dutch oven with lid Goma (Sesame) Sauce: 2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste) 1 tbsp sugar (plus a dash or two) 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar 1 1/2 tsp crushed ginger (sold at Trader joes in a jar or found at an Asian market in a tube) 1 small or 1/2 large garlic clove, pressed sweet paprika 1/4 tsp chili sauce (vietnamese sweet spicy rooster sauce) salt to taste (don’t be shy!) Directions Start your rice in a rice cooker. Prepare filling. Bring water to a boil in the bottom of your dutch oven and add your chopped fresh spinach. Cover, lower temperature, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until silky soft. Remove from water and drain, reserve. Combine ingredients for Goma Sauce in a small dish and mix until creamy, like miso in texture. Taste and adjust seasonings until perfect for your taste buds. Take drained chopped spinach and combine with enough goma sauce to make a delicious filling but not enough to overwhelm the spinach. You will have a fair amount of goma sauce left over for topping the onigiri or to use in other recipes When rice is done, fluff it and let sit on warm for a few minutes. Then take a thick piece of saran wrap or cut open thick sandwich bag (to protect your hand from the heat) and place in a small rice bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place enough rice to lightly cover the bottom. Put some filling on top of the rice and cover with a light layer of rice. Bring the bag edges together and press between the hands to form a triangle with fillings neatly enclosed inside. Put a dab of Goma paste in the center of the triangle to serve. Enjoy these yummy, yummy vegan onigiri!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Original recipe, do not replicate without my permission Recipe ID:  1135 Added:  September 11, 2007 Last Modified:  September 19, 2007