Quinoa-Lentils-Tofu Wrapped in Nori

A vegetarian diet and meditation are two of the hot topics that gain echo among business man, women and rich people. The vegetarian diet used to be popular mostly among the poor and Buddhist followers, but as our societies have become more and more like a speed of light, people are more concerned not only about the health of their bodies but also their minds. So many studies indicate that eating more grains, vegetables, nuts and fresh fruits will help to fight most of the deadly diseases, which are still of most concern for us. For most of my childhood, growing up in Vietnam without much food available to us, eating vegetables was normal to me. Also, because meats were the dish only served on some special days of the year, this helped me to adapt to a vegetarian diet easily even though inexpensive meats are always available. For some people, switching completely or mostly to a vegetarian diet will be hard at first, but they should think about the benefits of consuming more vegetables and less meats. I have this vegetarian recipe loaded with good nutrition that I think is good for people who want to begin a healthy path for their bodies and minds.

Ingredients:
One 8 oz. firm tofu, drained
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked lentils
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (the green part only)
1 tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs sesame oil
5 sheets of nori
5 sheets of dried bean curd soaked in  water (drain and let dry)
1 cup cornstarch
Enough oil to fry about one cup

Directions:
In a sauté pan, heat 2 tbs of oil. Stir in onions and shallots. Cook for 3 minutes and add garlic. Continue to cook until fragrant.
In a food processor, combine tofu, lentils, and quinoa. Use the pulse button to combine these three ingredients together. Do not blend to become mushy. Pour this mixture into a medium size bowl and add in the cooked onions mixture, green onions, and red bell pepper. Season with salt, sugar, soy sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. Add 1 tsp cayenne if you want a small kick of it. Mix well.
Cut the piece of soaked bean curd sheet a little larger than the nori sheet. First, lay a bean curt sheet on the counter top, then the nori sheet follow.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling onto the nori sheets and start to roll up tightly as a log. Make it as tight as possible.

At this point wrap each of these log in the plastic and freeze. When ready to serve thaw them in the refrigerator over night.

Place the cornstarch on a shallow dish. Cover the log completely with the flour.
Heat the oil in a shallow sauce pan. Fry the log in a low-medium heat until is golden brown. Let it cool completely before slicing to serve on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet soy dipping sauce.