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Maki Recipes

Santa Barbara Roll

Many things can happen in a year. A year ago, I was in Santa Barbara for my cousin’s wedding – one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to (and I’ve been to quite a few!) That was one of the only times I had ever been to Santa Barbara.

A year ago, my brother relapsed. He has been undergoing treatment for the past year, and should be cancer-free a year from now.

A year ago, I was beginning my last year of college. To not have to worry about scheduling classes, buying books, going to lectures, and taking tests – it’s a wonderful feeling to have graduated.

A year ago, I had never tried sashimi. Now, a year later, I use sashimi in nearly every recipe I make. I’ve got to make up for all those years without sashimi, right?

A year ago, Son and I were designing the Sushi Day shirts, hoping and praying that people would actually buy them. A year later, we’ve sold many of the shirts, and we still have a few left, if you’d like to buy one!

Santa Barbara Roll

What has happened for you in the past year? What are you looking forward to in the next year?

If nothing else, your next year should definitely include these Santa Barbara Rolls. All the ingredients come together to make a delicious piece of sushi, and yet the hotate (scallop) still manages to shine through. I couldn’t stop eating them… even now, I’m craving more!

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 12 tempura shrimp
  • 1/2 small avocado
  • 6 stalks asparagus
  • 6 sashimi-grade scallops
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Bake the tempura shrimp according to the directions on the package, or make your own. (I usually bake them for 10 min at 350 degrees.)
  3. Remove the tails of the shrimp.
  4. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  5. Cut off the hard skin and discard.
  6. Slice the avocado into thin sticks.
  7. Steam asparagus for a couple of minutes until they are easy to bite into.
  8. Remove the tough section of the scallops and discard, or freeze to use in a seafood stock later.
  9. Slice the scallops into about 4-6 slices, depending on the size of the scallops.
  10. Mix the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
  11. Roll the sushi inside-out, using two pieces of tempura shrimp, some avocado, a stalk of asparagus, and the equivalent of one scallop as your fillings.
  12. Spoon the spicy mayonnaise into a plastic ziplock bag and cut a tiny bit of one of the bottom corners of the bag off.
  13. Squeeze the spicy mayonnaise through the hole to drizzle over your sushi.

Categories
Maki Recipes

Carburetor

Obviously, this roll is called “Carburetor” because it looks like one. What, you can’t see it? No, wait… look at it this way… turn your head just like this… see it now? No? Darn. Oh well, I can’t quite see it either. But I’d assume that’s why it’s named Carburetor.

Meh, who knows. What do I know about cars and engines and such? (The correct answer is, nothing.) It is, however, a delicious roll and very pretty to look at! I got the idea for this roll from the Tex Wasabi’s menu.

Carburetor

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 12 pieces tempura shrimp
  • 3 oz tobiko
  • 2 cup imitation crab
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Bake the tempura shrimp according to the directions on the package, or make your own.
  3. Remove the tails of the shrimp.
  4. Mix the imitation crab and mayonnaise
  5. Roll the sushi inside-out, using two pieces of tempura shrimp as your fillings.
  6. Roll the sushi roll in tobiko, coating well.
  7. Slice the sushi, and pile a small amount of the imitation crab mix on each slice.

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Maki Recipes

Emily’s Roll

Who is Emily? In kindergarten, I had a friend named Emily who had the most beautiful long hair. She was astonished that I walked to and from school every day instead of driving. After kindergarten, she moved away. This is not that Emily.

In elementary school, my mother used to baby sit my classmate Cathy’s family before and after school. She had a very young sister named Emily, who was just a baby at the time. It’s amazing to look at pictures now and see how much she’s grown up since then – sometimes people just don’t age in my mind if I don’t see them often. This is not that Emily.

In middle school, there was a girl named Emily who was in G.A.T.E. with me. She was a year older than me, and was always so nice. She started dating a guy who I used to have a little crush on who was also a year older than me. Ten years later, they are still an adorable couple. This is not that Emily.

When I went to Camp Summersault, a camp for young cancer patients and their siblings, my first counselor was Emily. I adored her. She was so much fun to be around, and she even came to see me perform in the Nutcracker and other ballets several times. This is not that Emily.

In fact, this roll is not named for any Emily I know. Rather, it is my take on a roll of the same name that is from the menu of Tex Wasabi’s, a Californian BBQ and sushi restaurant co-owned by Food Network star Guy Fieri.

Not only is the roll beautiful in presentation (it’s so colorful!), it is also delicious. It starts out rich and salty from the smoked salmon on the outside, and the tobiko that the sushi was rolled in pop in your mouth. Once you get to the center, it is smooth, creamy, and a little crunchy from the tempura. In other words, delicious, delicious, and more delicious.

Emily's Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 12 pieces tempura shrimp
  • 1/2 small avocado
  • 1 cup imitation crab, shredded
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup tobiko
  • 6 oz smoked salmon
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Bake tempura shrimp as directed on the package. I used this tempura shrimp, but I’m sure other types, or even homemade tempura shrimp will work just fine. You can also fry the tempura shrimp if you choose, but baking it is healthier, and you can prepare other things (such as the sumeshi) while it’s baking.
  3. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit.
  4. Cut off the hard skin and discard.
  5. Slice the avocado into thin sticks.
  6. Mix the mayonnaise and imitation crab.
  7. When you lay the sumeshi on the nori, press tobiko into the rice before flipping it over.
  8. Roll the sushi inside-out, using two pieces of tempura shrimp, a few sticks of avocado, and some imitation crab mix as your fillings.
  9. Cover the roll with smoked salmon, and use the rolling mat to press it onto the roll.

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Maki Recipes

Breakfast Roll

I can’t start my day without breakfast. I get cranky, and lightheaded, and, well, it’s not a pretty picture. For me, breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day (unlike some other people, who refuse to eat breakfast!) So, since certain people refuse to believe my diet consists of anything other than sushi, it makes sense for me to come up with a breakfast sushi.

Because… um… this is what I eat for breakfast every morning. Riiiiight. (Heck, if I had the time and energy in the morning to make this, I would eat this for breakfast every morning!)

Breakfast Roll

Bacon, tamago, and green onion. All perfect in sushi. But it needed something else, something to make it truly a breakfast roll. Shoyu just didn’t do it for me, and maple syrup… way too sweet. Maybe, just maybe… yep, I know what you’re thinking, and yes. I did. A mixture of shoyu and maple syrup did this roll justice, and finished it off perfectly.

If you ever wanted sushi for breakfast? This is your roll.

Breakfast Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 12 strips bacon
  • 2 batches tamago
  • 6 stalks green onion
  • 1 tbsp shoyu
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Fry the bacon to the crispiness you prefer.
  3. Make the tamago.
  4. Wash the green onion, cut the long green stalks off of the white bulb-like things. Discard the white bulbs.
  5. Mix the shoyu and maple syrup well.
  6. Roll the sushi, using two strips of bacon, some tamago, and a stalk of green onion as your fillings.
  7. Drizzle with the shoyu/syrup mix.

Categories
Maki Recipes

Bulgogi Roll

Son and I love Korean food. He is sure to get the hot tofu soup (extra spicy!), and I never fail to get the bulgogi (BBQ beef). When the waiter comes out with a burning hot plate, the beef is smoking and onions are still sizzling. You can see the sugars in the onions caramelizing, and smell the smoky-sweetness of the beef. The silky sweet onions are the perfect contrast to the flavorful, chewy beef.

Since I love bulgogi so much, the natural choice (for me at least) would be to put it in a sushi roll. The rice cuts through the richness of the bulgogi and the onions, and balances it wonderfully. Sure, it takes a bit of time to make, but even without rolling it in sushi, the bulgogi is well worth the time spent.

This bulgogi recipe is from My Korean Kitchen.

Bulgogi Roll

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 tbsp shoyu
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 onion, grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium red apple, grated
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 lbs sirloin, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 carrot, julienned
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Cooking Directions
  1. Mix the shoyu, brown sugar, mirin, grated onion, garlic, apple, ginger, and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix in the sliced meat, then the sesame oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
  2. Cook sushi rice.
  3. Preheat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the cooking oil.
  4. Add the meat and vegetables. Cook, stirring occassionally, for 3 to 5 mins or until the meat starts to brown.
  5. When the meat is nearly cooked, mix in the sesame seeds.
  6. Roll the sushi, using several pieces of bulgogi and onion as your fillings.

Categories
Maki Recipes

Beach Grill Maki

Imagine walking along the beach on a bright summer day. The cool salt water rushes in to swirl around your ankles, then races away playfully. A slight breeze brings a whiff of salty ocean air. You hear seagulls squawking all around you. The taste of the briny ocean air is on your lips as you watch the sun set over the immense ocean.

After a perfect day at the beach, you need a perfect meal, so why not a summery sushi? To me, summer means one thing – lots of grilling. Perhaps some sweet, salty, teriyaki marinated shrimp on the barbecue? Maybe grill (or even better, saute) an onion, until the bitterness is gone and all that’s left is a soft sweetness? And maybe, just maybe, roll them both in a sushi roll. The result? Absolute heaven. Wonderfully delicious. Completely worth all the effort needed to make it.

beach grill maki

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 30 large raw shrimp
  • 1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Peel and de-vein shrimp.
  3. Wash shrimp, pat dry.
  4. Mix shoyu, water, sugar, garlic, and ginger to make a teriyaki marinade.
  5. Marinate shrimp in the teriyaki marinade for one hour.
  6. Soak ten wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
  7. Thread shrimp onto skewers, three to a skewer.
  8. Grill shrimp until they are no longer translucent.
  9. Slice the onion into 2 cm slices.
  10. Saute onions in butter until translucent and browned.
  11. Roll the sushi, using five shrimp and some grilled onions as your fillings.

Categories
Maki Recipes

Mango Tuna Tango

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Since I posted here last, two weeks ago, life has been crazy. I went to an amazing dinner for my brother’s cancer center where he got honored (I wish I had been able to document the food there! I think that might have been just a little tacky though, so I didn’t.), I graduated (yay!), I performed in and helped run a show with my old dance school (busy busy busy!) and I’ve moved almost everything into my new apartment. Not to mention making new friends, saying goodbye (but not forever) to old friends, and getting to know other friends better. Unfortunately, all of this does not make for very much time to make sushi, especially when my entire kitchen is in boxes.

Thus begins a new chapter in my life. With such a big change in my life, I’ve got to celebrate with some awesome sushi, right? This recipe truly is amazing. The other day we got a mango from Son’s mom, and out of the blue I exclaimed, “Mango and tuna sushi… with Sriracha… wouldn’t that tast so good?” Son looked at me like I was a maniac of course, but just try it. You’ll see that I was right, in the same way that Son did when he tried this sushi. So. Good.

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
  • 1 mango
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Peel mango.
  3. Slice mango into paper-thin slices.
  4. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna into 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain of the fillet.
  5. Cut each of these slices in half lengthwise, so they are about 1/2 inch wide.
  6. Roll the sushi, using some mango, tuna, and a little Sriracha sauce as your fillings.

Serving Size: 1 roll Mango Tuna Tango

  • Calories: 181
  • Fat: 2g, 2% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 0g, 2% DV
  • Cholesterol: 11mg, 4% DV
  • Sodium: 574mg, 24% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 33g, 11% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 6% DV
  • Sugars: 22g
  • Protein: 9g, 17% DV
  • Vitamin A: 23%
  • Vitamin C: 20%
  • Calcium: 0%
  • Iron: 4%
  • 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.

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Maki Recipes

Pepper Tuna Roll

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The most wonderful thing happened to me the other day. I took my very last final. Ever. Yes, that’s right, I’m finished with school. Graduation is this weekend, and then I never have to be back here, ever! (Unless I really want to. But then it’s by choice, not because I have to for my degree.)

Unfortunately, that means I will be extremely busy during the next week. This weekend there is graduation and Father’s Day and a big fancy black tie dinner where my brother is getting honored, and then Son and I are moving to be closer to his work. These are all sorts of good and happy things, but the downside of this is that I won’t have the time to make sushi. No time. Whatsoever.

So I will be taking a hiatus, but only for a little over a week, I promise. On the morning of June 22nd, I will be back with much more sushi, and perhaps even a restaurant review or two! (Son has promised to take me to get sushi, to celebrate. 🙂 ) I promise. I can’t bear to leave you, my wonderful readers, for too long.

As a parting gift, I leave you with the Pepper Tuna Roll. It is simple, true, but often simple can be the most enjoyable. I hope you all enjoy the sushi! I’ll be back in nine days!

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
  • 3 oz tobiko
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna into 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain of the fillet.
  3. Cut each of these slices in half lengthwise, so they are about 1/2 inch wide.
  4. Roll the sushi, using tuna as your filling.
  5. Top each slice with a little mound of tobiko, and then sprinkle ground black pepper on top.

Serving Size: 1 roll Pepper Tuna Roll

  • Calories: 171
  • Fat: 2g, 3% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 0g, 2% DV
  • Cholesterol: 72mg, 24% DV
  • Sodium: 565mg, 24% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 27g, 9% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 3% DV
  • Sugars: 16g
  • Protein: 10g, 21% DV
  • Vitamin A: 19%
  • Vitamin C: 7%
  • Calcium: 1%
  • Iron: 9%
  • Magnesium: 5%
  • Potassium: 3%

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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Maki Recipes

Guns and Roll

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Today, I cannot think of a single thing to write for you. I’m in the middle of finals, so I’m going to blame it on stress and studying. Don’t worry, I have a recipe for you, but in lieu of trying to write more about it, I’m going to do another meme that I’ve been putting off. Ellen Wilson splatted me with a meme tomato a month ago (don’t worry, this was before the salamonella scare 😉 ) so that’s what you’re getting today. 😀

Some random things about me:

  1. You can follow me on twitter! My username is sushiday.
  2. I adore quantum mechanics. I find it so interesting, that I just finished a quantum mechanics class that I took for fun. Am I a freak? Perhaps. But I’m enjoying it all the way. 😀
  3. I finally had the opportunity to play Halo 3 with Son, and I loved it. I may have had more fun playing than he did!
  4. I really want to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. Not so much for the whole TV thing, but… seriously? Any opportunity to work with that many world-class choreographers is worth whatever it takes!
  5. I am a super-duper night owl. Still up at 5am, and not really tired. Luckily I have the freedom to get up whenever I want, so the late nights up working are not a problem!

I’m supposed to tag more people, but me and thinking this week are just not going together, unless it’s academics related. However, I am going to tag Yvo of Feisty Foodie, because usually she’s the one always tagging me for these! Everyone else, consider yourself tagged. 😀

Like I promised, here’s your sushi recipe! Enjoy!

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 1 small cucumber
  • 1 avocado
  • 6 stalks green onion
  • 2 tbsp Siracha hot sauce
  • 6 oz tuna sashimi
  • 3 oz tobiko
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 cucumber into long, thin sticks.
  6. Wash the green onion, cut the long green stalks off of the white bulb-like things. Discard the white bulbs.
  7. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna into 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain of the fillet.
  8. Cut each of these slices in half lengthwise, so they are about 1/2 inch wide.
  9. Roll the sushi, using avocado, cucumber, a stalk of green onion, tuna, a tsp of Siracha, and a little tobiko as your fillings.

Serving Size: 1 roll Guns and Roll

  • Calories: 228
  • Fat: 7g, 10% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 1g, 6% DV
  • Cholesterol: 31mg, 10% DV
  • Sodium: 614mg, 26% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 32g, 11% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 2g, 7% DV
  • Sugars: 18g
  • Protein: 10g, 20% DV
  • Vitamin A: 30%
  • Vitamin C: 22%
  • Calcium: 2%
  • Iron: 8%
  • Magnesium: 9%
  • 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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