Sushi

Nick really likes sushi so the other week we went and got some.  I was really scared to eat the ones with the raw fish since I'm a dietetics graduate and very aware of food safety.  The roll that I got was just made with vegetables but Nick got one with raw salmon on top.  I only tried one of his.  It was ok but I would rather have cooked salmon.  Mine was delicious though.  They put these sweet sauces on it and mine was fried.  We were telling our friends about it and decided to make our own together!  These sushi rolls look freakin legit, tasted awesome, and were really fun to make together! I think what makes them taste so good is the eel sauce (not made of eels) and hibachi sauce (both are sweet sauces)... and avocado!

 Fuzzy Wuzzy

Fuzzy Wuzzy, Mango, California, Shrimp

Fuzzy Wuzzy

Mango Salmon

Rice:
INGREDIENTS
2 c sushi or short grain rice
2 c water, plus extra for rinsing
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Rinse rice in a bowl 2-3 times until water is clear.  Place rice in medium sauce pan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook 15 minutes, remove from heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes.  Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Pour over rice and mix thoroughly.  Allow rice to cool to room temperature before making sushi.

Hibachi Sauce:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredient together in a small bowl.  Place mixture in a plastic baggy.  Cut off the corner of the bag to make a small opening to squeeze the sauce out of.

Sushi Rolls:
INGREDIENTS
1 batch sushi rice
4 sheets nori
cream cheese
1 avocado, peels, pitted, and sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut to matchstick-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut to matchstick-size pieces
1 mango, peeled, thinly sliced
2 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced
2 oz imitation crab
2 oz cooked baby shrimp
panko crumbs
sesame seeds
eel sauce
hibachi sauce
pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Cover sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place nori on mat with shiny side down. Wet hands with water and cover nori evenly with 1/2 cup rice. Sprinkle rice with sesame seeds and then turn the sheet of nori over so the rice side is down.  Here is where to can get creative.  Place fillings in the center of the nori in a line.  It is recommended to only put 3 ingredients in the roll (apparently that is all the palate can handle).  Here are a few combinations we used:

Fuzzy Wuzzy: Cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, shrimp and smoked salmon on top
Mango: Mango, avocado, carrot, cucumber, and mango and carrot on top
California: avocado, cucumber, and crab
Meat Lovers: cream cheese, crab, shrimp, and salmon on top

After filling the roll with desired fillings, begin to roll by grabbing the edge of the mat closest to you and start rolling into a tight cylinder.  Keep fillings in place with your fingers.  Pull away the mat and set aside.  Cover the roll with a damp cloth and repeat until all rice has been used.  Cut each roll into 8 pieces by first cutting the log in half and then cutting the two pieces in half again and in half one last time making a total of 8 pieces.  Top the roll with fish, eel sauce, hibachi sauce, and/or panko crumbs.  Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger (to cleanse the palate between different rolls).
–Melanie