Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Spicy Southwestern Barley Bean Maki


There is just something about sushi that makes me smile. I don't know if it is the cute little pieces of maki or fun with chopsticks, but I love sushi! So this week when I made a big batch of barley and cooked up a pot of dry beans, I decided to mix it up a bit. Throw in fresh spring onions from my CSA, some spices, Garlic Gold, and pickled jalapenos... wrap that all in nori... and suddenly dinner is made and I have that sushi smile on my face.

This recipe calls for my own version of refried beans which I will explain how to make below. It also includes the addition of diced jalapenos. You can add as much or as little of the jalapeno as you want. The pickling juice adds tang to the dish and the peppers give it a small kick and add crunch, so I wouldn't eliminate them entirely! Instead of rice, I made Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley according to directions. It was easy-peasy and adds a unique texture and flavor to the rolls. When it comes to beans, you can use canned beans if you want, however I just make a pound of dry pinto beans in the slow-cooker with a piece of kombu which is an inexpensive way to get a lot of beans!

I didn't include serving size because I ate the entire dish myself. However, I guess it could serve two if you are willing to share ;o)

Spicy Southwestern Maki
4 pieces of nori
1 cup pearl barley, cooked
1 recipe of Jalapeno-Garlic Refried Beans
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced (or less!)

Using a bamboo mat, pat a thin layer of barley on one side of the nori. Form refried beans into a thin snake and place on top of barley. Add diced jalapeno and roll. If you have never made your own sushi before, The Sushi FAQ has a great pictorial step-by-step guide to making maki.

Jalapeno-Garlic Refried Beans
1 tsp Garlic Gold olive oil
1/4 cup diced fresh spring onion
1 cup cooked pinto beans
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp jalapeno pickling juice

Heat oil in a small frying pan and add onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions start to wilt/yellow. Add beans and spices (everything except pickling juice). Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat, add juice, and mash with a fork or potato masher.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, yum, C! This sounds amazing!

Russell at Chasing Delicious said...

These look scrumptious. What a great idea!

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness i'm not alone! I thought of refried bean maki for my new (vegan) bento! I thought it'd be a good protein dose of yum! I've never heard of 'garlic gold oil' (uk dweller), so i'll presume some grused garlic might suffice? :)

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