Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Sushi Monster!

I made sushi like over a week ago and it was the shit. I've taken forever to post about it because... I don't know, I suck. My rolls aren't wrapped so well, but this is like my second time doing it in the span of 4 years. And the pictures are pretty weak-- it's like night time and flashes blow. So, many apologies for that.

I freaking loved sushi. And while this really isn't sushi in the classical sense, it's fun hybrid that turns out tremendously well. I know asparagus doesn't sound like it would go well in a roll, and initially when I saw it at the store, I only thought it would look pretty, but the flavor combination came together nicely. I loved spicy tuna rolls, so I had to make something deliciously spicy as well. I also had an obsession with deep fried scallop rolls covered in spicy mayo-- so I made a spicy mayo that came out great. No deep fried scallops just yet, but I am planning on buying some vegan ones.

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So, first I just made some sticky white rice, per package instruction. It took about 30 minutes. I made one cup uncooked rice, which was a little too much for three rolls. I added a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar, mixed it up. Set it aside. I just bought some nori sheets as well, which I didn't do anything to.

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[[Spicy Mayo!]]
*1/4 cup of vegan mayo
*2-3 tsp. sracha
*1 tsp. cayenne pepper
*1/2 tsp. paprika
*1/2 tsp. chili powder
*dash of salt and pepper

--stir all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer with a funnel into a bottle dispenser to drizzle.

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[[Spicy Asparagus Roll]]

*3 to 5 asparagus
*2 Tbs. olive oil
*1 to 2 tsp. minced garlic
*1 to 2 slices of onion, kept in rings
*1/2 to 2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
* a few dashes of red pepper

-- Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil for a minute or two. Add the asparagus and cover. Cook about 5 minutes, until tender. Add cayenne and red pepper.
-- To assemble, place bamboo mat on table. Then, place the nori sheet on top of the mat. Then, spread rice over nori sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch open without rice on it. Place a layer of plastic wrap on top, then gently flip it over so that the plastic wrap side is on the table. Pick it up, place back on the bamboo mat (with plastic still). Place 3-4 pieces of asparagus and onions on the nori, and roll from with the 1/2 inch free. As you roll, pull the plastic wrap out a little so it's not wrapped into the roll. Once you are done, sprinkle with sesame seeds and a few dashes of cayenne.



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[[Fried Potato Roll]]

*1 or 2 russet potatoes
*water
*2 Tbs. soy milk, light
*1 Tbs. earth balance buttery spread
*Olive oil for frying
*2 Tbs. chopped green onions

-- I peeled and boiled the potatoes until a fork inserted easily. I mashed them with butter and milk, you may need to add more to give it a smoother texture, just start with these amounts and add more as needed. Stir in chopped green onions. Heat oil until it sizzles when you dropped a small piece of food in it. Patty some potatoes into the palms of your hand slightly smaller than your palm. Fry each side until golden brown.
NOTE: It was a little difficult to fry, so next time I may consider rolled the patties in some flour or panko bread crumb. They weren't a very solid mass, but they did get a little crispy on the outside.
-- Assemble the same as the asparagus roll, placing two to three patties of potato into the center of the sheet, plus a few spinach leaves and roll. Drizzle with Spicy Mayo.



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[[Avocado Roll]]

*1 Avocado

-- For this roll, place bamboo mat on table. Then, place a nori sheet on top of the bamboo mat. Then, spread rice on it evenly, leaving 1/2 inch of blank nori sheet with no rice on it for rolling. Place a few slices of avocado in the middle, then from the side with the 1/2 inch free, roll it. And there you have it, a simple avocado roll. You can also do cucumber rolls, carrot rolls, or combine all three.




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[[Cutting Sushi]]

-- To cut sushi, use a large chopping knife. GET IT WET [[this way it won't stick]], and seesaw through. You can just push down, it won't cut through the nori sheet.


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Anyways, try this out. They're pretty tasty if you ask me. Pretty modern, re-imagined sushi rolls. I would have done a tofu roll, but I can always get that at a sushi restaurant. I wanted something unique and delicious and full of flavor. I'm terrible at explaining how to roll these, so hopefully this video will help. He just covers his mat in plastic -- but how I explain it, you just have a piece of plastic wrap under your roll. Also, he's like really good-- so he just flips it over, but it's easier for your first time if you flip it over how I said it. Do whatever is easier for you, though. Watch this. Youtube rules.

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