Recipe: Fresh pea and <i>umeboshi</i> <i>onigiri</i> filling

Fresh pea and umeboshi onigiri filling

Total time: 10 minutes

Servings: Makes enough to fill and garnish 4 onigiri

Note: Umeboshi are pickled plums and are generally available at Asian markets.

Pinch salt, for salting the boiling water

1/2 cup fresh peas

3 umeboshi, pitted and finely chopped

1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil to blanch the peas. Blanch the peas for a minute to bring out the color (do this while the rice is cooking for the onigiri). Drain the peas and set aside. These can be folded into half the amount of cooked rice for the basic onigiri recipe.

2. Divide the chopped umeboshi and use to fill 4 onigiri, forming the fresh pea rice around each onigiri.

Each of 4 fillings (before adding to onigiri): 42 calories; 2 grams protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 2 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram sugar; 575 mg sodium.