Categories
Maki Recipes

Happy Crab Roll

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about love, and dreams, and what it all means. Why do some people work their lives away in a job they hate, just to pay the rent, while others get to have the life of their dreams? Why do some marriages fail after only a few years, others go for decades then fall apart, and yet others can still be going strong after 70 years?

Happy crab roll

A week ago, Son and I went with my family to my great aunt and uncle’s 70th wedding anniversary and renewal of vows. You read that right – 70 years. And they’re still happy. The way they look at each other… it’s plain as day that they still love each other deeply. How can, after 70 years, two people still be so madly in love with each other? (To put that into perspective, that’s over three times my lifetime, or eighteen times as long as Son and I have been together.)

Happy crab roll

I may not know today what goes into a love story such as theirs, but it gives me a lot to think on and strive for in my own life.

Happy crab roll

This sushi? Bright, beautiful, and happy, just like my great aunt and uncle. Also, very delicious. Crunchy, smooth, cool, warm, salty, spicy, yum.

Happy crab roll

Happy Crab Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 1.5 cups sumeshi
  • 6 sticks imitation crab
  • 3 oz cream cheese
  • 1 small avocado
  • 1/2 small cucumber
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • fried onions
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Cook the bacon.
  3. Slice the cucumber into long, thin sticks.
  4. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  5. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the hard skin, being careful to keep the avocado half as whole as possible.
  6. Slice the avocado into slices.
  7. Mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
  8. With a bamboo rolling mat, roll the sushi inside-out, using the bacon, cucumber, avocado, imitation crab, cream cheese, and sriracha sauce as your fillings.
  9. Sprinkle with fried onions.
  10. Enjoy!
Categories
Maki Recipes

Gatekeeper Maki


Gatekeeper Maki

Harry and James, James and Harry. Our dear Men with Pens. Both are really amazing guys that I’m proud to call my friends, and both are sushi lovers one is a sushi lover. I’m still working on the other one.

Harry was the easy one. He loves sushi, especially salmon. Salmon, salmon, salmon… he apparently can’t get enough of it. (I’m pretty sure he’s actually a cat, though I’ve never actually met him offline, so I can’t say for sure.) It was ever so simple to figure out a sushi he would love, and whaddaya know? I made it, and it was pretty gosh darn delicious.

And then… there’s James. The difficult one. Turns his nose up at sashimi, won’t go within 100 yards of a fish egg, and generally refuses to try sushi. So troublesome, that one, when all I wanted to do was make sushi for him! But, as we all know, I certainly do love a challenge, and of course in the realm of sushi… I always prevail.

Thus the Gatekeeper Maki was born. A non-sashimi, not-a-fish-egg-to-be-seen sushi, suitable for The Gatekeeper himself. It’s a bit of an Italian-style sushi roll, what with the tomato, olives, and pesto… with the addition of smoked salmon (which we’ve discovered he will eat), it’s quite fantastic indeed. Now to get him to actually make and eat the roll…

Don’t forget to enter my contest to win a copy of the book, Sustainable Sushi, by Casson Trenor. You have until Saturday night to enter!


Gatekeeper Maki

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets circular spring roll wrappers
  • 2 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz smoked salmon
  • 3/8 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1 batch basil pesto
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice the tomato, discard the seeds.
  3. Make the pesto.
  4. Wet the spring roll wrapper with warm water, making sure to cover every last spot on both sides of the wrapper.
  5. Lay the wrapper flat on your workspace.
  6. Lay some smoked salmon in the middle of the wrapper, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on either end.
  7. Scoop about 1/3 cup sumeshi onto the smoked salmon, patting it into an oblong shape with either end pointing towards the sides of the wrapper.
  8. Lay some tomatoand olives on top of the sumeshi.
  9. Fold both sides of the wrapper in, over the fillings.
  10. Fold the bottom of the wrapper tightly up over the fillings.
  11. Roll the sushi away from you, until you reach the top of the wrapper, and seal it shut. (The wrapper should be sticky enough to stick to itself. If not, dampen the end with a little water.)
  12. Using a sharp knife, slice into 4 pieces.
  13. Top with the basil pesto.
  14. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 roll Gatekeeper Maki

  • Calories: 393
  • Fat: 27g, 42% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 4g, 22% DV
  • Cholesterol: 25mg, 8% DV
  • Sodium: 924mg, 38% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 26g, 9% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g, 9% DV
  • Sugars: 9g
  • Protein: 13g, 25% DV
  • Vitamin A: 34%
  • Vitamin C: 14%
  • Calcium: 11%
  • Iron: 2%
  • Magnesium: 15%
  • Potassium: 2%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.


Gatekeeper Maki

Categories
Maki Recipes

A Hug Rolled up with Salmon and Seaweed



I love giving hugs, just as I love receiving them. The act of embrace is comforting, reassuring, and at times even protective. We all need hugs – hugs of joy when we see an old friend after a long time apart, hugs of comfort when a friend is going through hard times. But sometimes, one hug just isn’t enough.



Because of this, food bloggers all over the world are coming together to give one HUGE virtual hug (and many virtual flowers!) to Barbara, from Winos and Foodies. Bron and Ilva were the two masterminds between this weekend of hugs for Barbara, and of course, I wanted to join in.


Seaweed Salmon Roll

I was first introduced to Barbara when I heard about her LiveSTRONG with a Taste of Yellow event earlier this year. She gave me a chance to share the struggles my family has gone through with cancer, and realize how supportive the online community can be.


Seaweed Salmon Roll

Unfortunately, Barbara is still battling cancer and going through chemotherapy. So for you, Barbara, some beautiful flowers from Son’s dad’s garden, a delicious, refreshing Seaweed Salmon Roll, and a BIG, HUGE HUG! Enjoy!


Seaweed Salmon Roll

(Hopefully, chemotherapy won’t have the same effect on you as it does on my brother… he hasn’t been allowed to have sashimi or any type of uncooked fish since he relapsed just over a year ago, and it’s torture! He’s counting down the days until his hardcore chemotherapy is finished and he can eat sashimi again.)

P.S. Another hug from me to Barbara can be found on Fridgg!


Seaweed Salmon Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets circular spring roll wrappers
  • 2 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
  • 1 small avocado
  • seaweed salad
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  3. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the hard skin, being careful to keep the avocado half as whole as possible.
  4. Slice the avocado into thin slices.
  5. Wet the spring roll wrapper with warm water, making sure to cover every last spot on both sides of the wrapper.
  6. Lay the wrapper flat on your workspace.
  7. Lay some smoked salmon in the middle of your wrapper, leaving 2 inches of the wrapper uncovered on either end.
  8. Scoop about 1/3 cup sumeshi onto the smoked salmon, patting it into an oblong shape with either end pointing towards the sides of the wrapper.
  9. Lay some avocado and seaweed salad on top of the sumeshi.
  10. Fold both sides of the wrapper in, over the fillings.
  11. Fold the bottom of the wrapper tightly up over the fillings.
  12. Roll the sushi away from you, until you reach the top of the wrapper, and seal it shut. (The wrapper should be sticky enough to stick to itself. If not, dampen the end with a little water.)
  13. Using a sharp knife, slice into 4 pieces.
  14. Top with more seaweed salad.

Nutrition data coming soon!


Seaweed Salmon Roll

Categories
Maki Recipes

Dynamite Roll


Dynamite Roll

Quite often readers email me with questions relating to sushi. Usually they’re easy to respond to, or if I don’t know the answer a quick search will help me out. But every once in a while, I’m completely stumped by a question. Such was the case with a recent email. A reader asked me five questions relating design to sushi, and since I’m at a loss for how to answer these questions really well, I’d like your help.

Here are the five questions. If you can answer even just one of them, I’d really appreciate it. Then later this week, I’ll combine all your thoughts to come up with a final list of answers that I can send back to the reader, and of course I’ll post them here for those who are interested. Thank you so much in advance!

  1. What are the basic principles of sushi?
  2. What are the higher principles of sushi?
  3. Where does inspiration come from?
  4. How does one measure “balance” in sushi?
  5. Is there such a thing as the perfect roll? If so, what makes it perfect?

As for this sushi roll, wouldn’t you agree that it’s designed quite beautifully? I’d say a nice balance is found between the ingredients – just try it, and you’ll see what I mean. For lovers of sashimi, it’s really fantastic.

P.S. Check out my awesome new RSS button, made for me by Deb of Sirius Graphix. Isn’t it beautiful? 🙂

P.P.S. Sushi Day was the victim of a Drive-By Shooting! Hop on over there to see what they said about Sushi Day… but don’t worry, their critique is great, and any shooting, exploding, burning down, or otherwise murdering of my blog is all in good fun.

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade salmon
  • 12 large sashimi-grade scallops
  • 6 stalks green onion
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce
  • 3 oz tobiko
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice each piece of sashimi into long strips, about 1 cm in diameter.
  3. Slice each scallop in half.
  4. Remove the white bulbs from the green onion stalks.
  5. Wash the stalks both inside and out.
  6. Mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
  7. Roll the sushi inside-out, using a slice of tuna, a slice of salmon, four scallop halves, and a stalk of green onion as your fillings.
  8. Drizzle the spicy mayonnaise on top of the sushi.
  9. Top each piece with a small pile of tobiko.

Serving Size: 1 roll Dynamite Roll

  • Calories: 271
  • Fat: 10g, 15% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 2g, 9% DV
  • Cholesterol: 35mg, 12% DV
  • Sodium: 659mg, 27% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 28g, 9% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 5% DV
  • Sugars: 17g
  • Protein: 17g, 33% DV
  • Vitamin A: 28%
  • Vitamin C: 16%
  • Calcium: 2%
  • Iron: 6%
  • Magnesium: 9%
  • Potassium: 8%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.


Dynamite Roll

Categories
Maki Recipes

Island Roll


Island Roll

So what do you do if you run out of nori in the middle of making sushi? Well, after the initial “oh crud” moment, you find a way to replace it. Lucky for me, I have a TON of spring roll wrappers laying around, which turn out to be the perfect replacement for nori. Not only are they sturdy enough to roll sushi in without falling apart, they are also fairly bland, so they’re great for people who don’t like the taste of nori in the first place.

Since the name “sushi” refers to the seasoned rice that is used rather than the way the roll is made, these rolls that are reminiscent of spring rolls can still be considered sushi. But if you are making them at home, don’t feel like you have to eat them just like sushi. You’re free to skip slicing them into several pieces, and instead eat them with your hands and dip them into a sauce just like you might a spring roll.

Oh, and before I give you the recipe, I must say something about the sauce. This sauce is amazing. Sure the combination sounds a little weird – not often would you mix mayonnaise, shoyu, Sriracha sauce, and brown sugar – but the result is sweet, salty, creamy, and just a little spicy. It’s seriously addictive – not only did we drench this roll with it, but we ended up dipping several other rolls in the sauce as well.


Island Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets circular spring roll wrappers
  • 2 cups sumeshi
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1 small avocado
  • 1 cup imitation crab
  • 6 oz salmon
  • 12 large shrimp
  • 1 oz tobiko
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1 tbsp shoyu
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice the cucumber into long, thin sticks.
  3. Cut each cucumber stick in half.
  4. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  5. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the hard skin, being careful to keep the avocado half as whole as possible.
  6. Slice the avocado into slices.
  7. Remove the tails from the shrimp, discard or freeze for your own use.
  8. Slice the salmon into 1 cm square sticks, about half the diameter of the spring roll wrappers.
  9. Mix the mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, shoyu, and brown sugar.
  10. Wet the spring roll wrapper with warm water, making sure to cover every last spot on both sides of the wrapper.
  11. Lay the wrapper flat on your workspace.
  12. Lay some salmon, imitation crab, and shrimp stacked in the middle of the wrapper, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on either end.
  13. Scoop about 1/3 cup sumeshi onto the seafood, patting it into an oblong shape with either end pointing towards the sides of the wrapper.
  14. Lay some cucumber, avocado,and tobiko on top of the sumeshi.
  15. Fold both sides of the wrapper in, over the fillings.
  16. Fold the bottom of the wrapper tightly up over the fillings.
  17. Roll the sushi away from you, until you reach the top of the wrapper, and seal it shut. (The wrapper should be sticky enough to stick to itself. If not, dampen the end with a little water.)
  18. Using a sharp knife, slice into 4 pieces.
  19. Drizzle with the sweet sauce, and enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 roll Island Roll

  • Calories: 274
  • Fat: 8g, 13% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 1g, 6% DV
  • Cholesterol: 87mg, 29% DV
  • Sodium: 1212mg, 50% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 36g, 12% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 3% DV
  • Sugars: 18g
  • Protein: 13g, 27% DV
  • Vitamin A: 2%
  • Vitamin C: 7%
  • Calcium: 2%
  • Iron: 7%
  • Magnesium: 6%
  • Potassium: 5%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.


Island Roll

Categories
Maki Recipes

Refugee from Reality Roll


Refugee from Reality Roll

Ever since I was very young, I have been an avid reader. In first grade, I began reading the Boxcar Children series (we must have at least 100 of those books!) and Little House on the Prairie. (Although my all-time favorite book when I was young was Norma Jean, Jumping Bean.) In middle school, I graduated to the Wheel of Time series, the Golden Compass trilogy, and Harry Potter. Later, it was the Sword of Truth series, and of course, Twilight.

I’ve always loved escaping into the worlds in my books, but what I didn’t know is that there was an even better way to get my, uh, “high”.

It’s been almost a year since I discovered two amazing men. Their blog has the most amazing community I’ve ever seen online, but they are so much more than just a blogging duo. For the longest time I was intimidated by both of them – James is super confident, and quite the go-getter; Harry is mysterious, but the kind of guy that everyone and their mother wants to be friends with. And me, well, I’m easily intimidated.

Just over five months ago, I began to get to know the both of them much better when I joined their RPG – Escaping Reality. Like I said before, it’s an even cooler way to get the escape I get from reading – I get to have my very own character who I get to write into the story. It’s very awesome.

So I’ve gotten to know these two men to the point where I would consider them to both be good friends. And, well, I’ve found out certain things about them. Like how James has never had sushi. And won’t eat raw fish. And for the longest time refused to even consider eating sushi, because he thought it was all raw fish. (But it definitely isn’t!) (Don’t worry, I’ll convert him someday. Somehow.) On the other hand, I’ve found out that Harry loves sushi. Specifically that of the salmon variety. If it includes some sort of roe… even better.

When I discover that someone I find incredibly awesome loves sushi, well, I like to create a sushi specifically for them. Thus I present you with the Refugee from Reality Roll. It involves not only salmon sashimi, but also smoked salmon, and obviously roe. Added to that is some cucumber and avocado, and a bit of spicy mayonnaise to add a little kick. I’ve got to say… my dear friend Harry is apparently a bit of a sushi genius, because this roll was amazingly good. I’m not kidding, you have to try it. (And if I can ever convince James to try sushi, don’t worry, I’ll make him a roll too!)


Refugee from Reality Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1/2 large avocado
  • 6 oz salmon
  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
  • 3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
  • 1 oz tobiko
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice the cucumber into long, thin sticks.
  3. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  4. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the hard skin, being careful to keep the avocado half as whole as possible.
  5. Slice the avocado into slices.
  6. Slice the salmon into sticks 1 cm in diameter, and the length of a piece of nori.
  7. Mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
  8. Roll the sushi inside-out, using cucumber, avocado, salmon, and the spicy mayonnaise as your fillings.
  9. Drape the smoked salmon slices over the roll, and use a piece of plastic wrap to press the smoked salmon into the sushi.
  10. Slice the sushi into 6-8 pieces, using a sharp knife.
  11. Carefully scoop a little pile of tobiko onto the top of each roll.
  12. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 roll Refugee from Reality Roll

  • Calories: 274
  • Fat: 12g, 18% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 2g, 9% DV
  • Cholesterol: 50mg, 17% DV
  • Sodium: 813mg, 34% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 29g, 10% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 4% DV
  • Sugars: 17g
  • Protein: 12g, 24% DV
  • Vitamin A: 7%
  • Vitamin C: 11%
  • Calcium: 1%
  • Iron: 6%
  • Magnesium: 5%
  • Potassium: 7%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.


Refugee from Reality Roll

Categories
Maki Recipes

Salmon Summer Sushi

Every now and then, a reader emails me with an idea for a sushi recipe. I always do my best to respond to every email, and I’ll usually ask the reader if they mind if I make the sushi and post about it. Unfortunately, sometimes it can take a while for me to get to making the sushi, and then sometimes even longer for me to get around to posting about it. Such is the case with this roll.

salmon summer sushi

Over a year ago, reader John Dearden emailed me to describe a roll that he makes quite often. Avocado, cream cheese, red onion, and smoked salmon – sounds quite delicious, right? (Also, sound familiar? To his credit, he did email me a whole six months before I wrote that post. 😉 ) I didn’t make the roll until the beginning of July, and finally I’m getting around to posting it! (What? I’ve been busy. *hides*)

salmon summer sushi

The verdict? This was delicious. The flavors all meld together incredibly well, and the sharpness of the onion is gently softened by the smoothness of the avocado, cream cheese, and smoked salmon. I love this medley of ingredients in this Salmon Summer Sushi, just as I loved this combination of flavors in the Salmon Summer Rolls.

And the name? Well, I couldn’t help but steal the name from the summer rolls, since not only do they have the same ingredients, but they just taste so summery! (Besides, with the way temperatures have been in Southern California the past few days, it certainly feels like summer. *melts* )

P.S. I have an awesome contest going on over at Fridgg, where you can win some delicious garlic sauce! So head on over there and be sure to enter!

salmon summer sushi

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 1/2 large avocado
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 small red onion
  • 6 oz smoked salmon
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  3. Cut off the hard skin and discard.
  4. Slice the avocado into thin sticks.
  5. Slice the red onion into thick rings.
  6. Slice each ring in half.
  7. Roll the sushi, using avocado, some cream cheese, a few slices of red onion, and some smoked salmon as your fillings.
Categories
Maki Recipes

This little piggy…

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Bacon. Anyone who knows me even the least bit knows that I adore bacon. Sometimes, a little too much. So why not put it in sushi? Seriously… bacon in sushi is amazing. My family knows that if there’s bacon in something, there’s a good chance I’ll eat it. (Gah! So bad for me, I know. Honestly, I’m working on the whole healthy thing. Slowly, very slowly, but I am.)

Obviously, if I find a sushi roll involving bacon, I’m going to try to replicate it. Such was the case with the “Hog Tied King” roll from Tex Wasabi’s. The cool cream cheese cut through the saltiness of the bacon and salmon, and the Sriracha gave it just the right kick. To top it off, the fried and green onions over the sweet chili sauce gave it an unexpected sort of Vietnamese twist – very delicious. Perhaps not the most traditional roll, (but really, it’s not like many of the ones I make are) but certainly a scrumptious combination.

*******

In other news, I’m excited. Excited, excited, excited. Have I mentioned I’m excited? Want to know why? Hop on over to my latest post on Fridgg, and you’ll see why! 😀

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 12 pieces bacon
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade salmon
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
  • 6 stalks green onion
  • 2 tbsp fried onions
  • 1 cup sweet chili sauce
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Cook bacon until crispy.
  3. Wash the green onion, cut the long green stalks off of the white bulbs. Discard the white bulbs.
  4. Chop the green onions into thin circles.
  5. Using a sharp knife, slice the salmon into 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain of the fillet.
  6. Cut each of these slices in half lengthwise, so they are about 1/2 inch wide.
  7. Roll the sushi inside-out, using two pieces of bacon, salmon, cream cheese, and about a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce as your fillings.
  8. Drizzle a tablespoon of sweet chili sauce over the roll, then sprinkle with chopped green onions and fried onions.

Serving Size: 1 roll “Hog Tied King”

  • Calories: 362
  • Fat: 15g, 23% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 8g, 38% DV
  • Cholesterol: 58mg, 19% DV
  • Sodium: 1209mg, 50% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 37g, 12% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g, 6% DV
  • Sugars: 25g
  • Protein: 15g, 30% DV
  • Vitamin A: 20%
  • Vitamin C: 15%
  • Calcium: 2%
  • Iron: 6%
  • Magnesium: 4%
  • Potassium: 4%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.

More Pictures
Categories
Maki Recipes

To My Bloggers…

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Not long ago I was, quite frankly, an internet noob. Sure, I’ve used the internet for email and instant messaging since the ’90s, but aside from researching for school papers, my internet use rarely went beyond that. Of course I was on MySpace and Facebook in high school and college – everyone was on such social networking sites, and that was often the best way to stay in touch with my friends after we graduated.

Little did I know, there was an entire world I was unaware of.

On November 1st, 2006, I entered the world of blogging. Up until then, I had never subscribed to or commented on a blog – I didn’t even know what an RSS feed was. The internet was a scary place – who knew what sort of people were behind the avitars and screennames… for all I knew, these were weirdos trying to decieve us all into thinking they were really the people they pretended to be online.

Little by little, I learned that this was rarely the case. Ralph Whitbeck and Yvo were two commenters who have been with Sushi Day from the beginning. They started as complete strangers, but slowly I have gotten to know the real people behind the blogs.

This was just the start to a wonderful community of real people I have gotten to know over the internet. There are some I’ve been lucky enough to meet in person, and so many more I hope to be lucky enough to meet someday.

However, the food blogging world was just the start. Although vast and full of amazing people, some of my closest online friends have come from blogs completely unrelated to the food blogging world. There are so many fantastic bloggers I want to tell you about, but for now I’ll limit myself to introducing you to Karen Swim. One of the strongest women I know, she writes inspirational posts that help you live your life to it’s fullest, and always make you think.

Not to long ago, she was lucky enough to work with Harry and James from Men with Pens, who made her a beautiful new design for her website. You really should go check it out… it’s incredibly elegant, and suits her perfectly. In celebration, I promised her I’d make a new roll, just for her. (Because really, what’s more awesome than having your own roll, made just for you? 😀 ) I used all my favorite ingredients – green onion, scallops, tuna, avocado, tempura shrimp, and spicy mayonnaise – and combined it all to make one of the prettiest rolls I have ever made. The ingredients all meld together to create a delicious explosion of sashimi flavors in your mouth, accented perfectly by the avocado, green onion, and spicy mayonnaise. Truly amazing – enjoy!

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 stalks green onion
  • 12 pieces tempura shrimp
  • 6 sashimi-grade scallops
  • 1 medium avocado
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsbp Sriracha sauce
  • 1 oz toasted black sesame seeds
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Bake tempura shrimp for 12 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  3. Cut the tails off the tempura shrimp.
  4. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  5. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado out of the hard skin, being careful to keep the avocado half as whole as possible.
  6. Slice the avocado into slices.
  7. Wash the green onion, cut the long green stalks off of the white bulbs. Discard the white bulbs.
  8. Slice the scallops into several pieces, about a centemeter square.
  9. Mix with 2 tbsp mayonnaise.
  10. Slice the tuna into thin pieces, about the same width as the avocado slices.
  11. Mix the rest of the mayonnaise with the Sriracha sauce.
  12. Roll the sushi inside-out, using a stalk of green onion, 2 pieces of tempura shrimp, and one scallop worth of chopped scallop as your fillings, but don’t cut the roll quite yet.
  13. Lay alternating strips of avocado and tuna diagonally over the roll, overlapping slightly.
  14. Using the plastic wrap-covered rolling mat, press the tuna and avocado tightly into the roll.
  15. Cut one tip off of a ziplock bag.
  16. Fill the bag with the spicy mayonnaise.
  17. Squeeze the spicy mayonnaise over the roll.
  18. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on the top of the roll.
  19. Slice the roll into six or eight pieces.
  20. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 roll Karen Swim’s Roll

  • Calories: 485
  • Fat: 25g, 38% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 3g, 15% DV
  • Cholesterol: 51mg, 17% DV
  • Sodium: 790mg, 33% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 46g, 15% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 4g, 16% DV
  • Sugars: 17g
  • Protein: 19g, 37% DV
  • Vitamin A: 29%
  • Vitamin C: 20%
  • Calcium: 7%
  • Iron: 14%
  • Magnesium: 13%
  • Potassium: 10%

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. These values are only estimates based on the individual ingredients, and not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional.

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