Categories
Maki Recipes

Kyoto Roll

Sometimes I think we, as humans, overcomplicate things. We pack our schedules to the gills, we insist on cutting-edge technology for the most mundane tasks, and we are constantly going, going, going. Rarely do we stop and smell the roses, and appreciate the simpler things in life.

It’s amazing how some of the best things are actually the simplest of all. For example, this sushi. Goodness knows I’ve made some ridiculously complicated (though very tasty) rolls in the past couple of years that I’ve been blogging. But recently, I was reminded that sometimes, simpler is better.

Who knew that the simple, almost boring combination of tuna and avocado could be so… non-boring? Exciting, even. Heck, you can get rid of the wasabi mayonnaise, and even the sesame seeds… but you must try the avocado. And. Tuna. So simple, and yet so darned addictive… never would I have dreamed that such a simple combination can be so amazing.

Ingredients
  • 6 sheets nori
  • 3 cups sumeshi
  • 6 oz sashimi-grade tuna
  • 1 large avocado
  • 1/4 c mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp wasabi
  • 1/8 c black sesame seeds
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice the tuna into 1 cm square 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. Mix the mayonnaise and wasabi.
  7. Roll the sushi inside-out, using some tuna and avocado as your fillings.
  8. Drizzle the sushi with wasabi mayonnaise, then sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
  9. Enjoy!

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
Other Recipes

Alex’s Dakine Poke Gunkan Maki


Alex's Dakine Poke Gunkan Maki

As we all know, I’ve got some awesome readers. Often I get emails from readers, telling me about their favorite roll from a sushi restaurant, or a new idea they had for sushi they make at home. This is one such sushi recipe, from a reader named Alex Viera.


Alex's Dakine Poke Gunkan Maki

The tuna poke mixture used in this gunkan maki has a very complex yet addictive flavor. It is both sweet and spicy, but still the clean tuna flavor is allowed to shine through. This has a heat that slowly builds until it fills your mouth with fire. At the same time, it is so flavorful that you can’t help but want more. This recipe has definitely earned a place on the list of sushi that I make over and over again – it’s just that good.


Alex's Dakine Poke Gunkan Maki

Ingredients
  • 3 sheets nori
  • 4 cups sumeshi
  • 3 jalapenos, minced
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/3 c shoyu
  • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 5 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Chinese hot oil
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb sashimi-grade ahi (yellowfin) tuna
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook sushi rice.
  2. Slice Tuna into small bite sized pieces.
  3. Mix jalapenos, green onions, brown sugar, shoyu, sesame seeds, sesame oil, hot oil, and black pepper in a bowl.
  4. Add tuna; gently toss with large spoon.
  5. Seal bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
  6. Gently mix/toss again, seal bowl and refrigerate for one more hour.
  7. Prepare the gunkan maki, using the tuna poke mixture instead of roe.
  8. Enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 piece Alex’s Dakine Poke Gunkan Maki

  • Calories: 140
  • Fat: 7g, 11% DV
  • Saturated Fat: 1g, 6% DV
  • Cholesterol: 11mg, 4% DV
  • Sodium: 707mg, 29% DV
  • Total Carbohydrates: 11g, 4% DV
  • Dietary Fiber: 1g, 4% DV
  • Sugars: 6g
  • Protein: 8g, 16% DV
  • Vitamin A: 16%
  • Vitamin C: 3%
  • Calcium: 4%
  • Iron: 7%
  • Magnesium: 8%
  • 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.

Categories
Other Sushi Randomness

Japanese Food and Sake Festival


Miso Soup with Bonito

So. Much. Good. Food. More than anything, that is the thing that stands out the most about the Japanese Food and Sake Festival presented by the Japanese Food Culture Association and the Japan America Society of Southern California. The festival was held yesterday afternoon at the Hyatt Regency in Orange County, and because we have some awesome friends, we were able to get into the invite-only section of the festival for a couple of hours before it opened to the general public.

We were happy to find Todd from the White on Rice Couple there, and hang out with him a little bit. (Diane wasn’t there… she ditched us to go party in the Bahamas. 😉 )


Cooking Japanese \

The moment we got there, we were overwhelmed by all the booths serving a wide variety of Japanese food and sake. We wandered around a little bit, trying to get our bearings, but it didn’t take long to get used to all the food being given to us from the different booths.


Japanese Pancakes or \

First we tried some miso soup. Of course I love miso soup, and this was delicious, but not really anything special. Soon after we were each given a little Japanese pancake (or Japanese “Pizza” as they were calling it) which was a delicious little pancake of cabbage, egg, and something else. We were also given a little brochure with a recipe for the pancakes, so I just might try making them sometime soon so the rest of you can try it.


Ramen

Next we tried a bowl of ramen, which was good and had some delicious, tender pork in it, but there would be better ramen in our future.


Allison eating Ramen

We tried a tea-flavored rice ball wrapped in a piece of nori. This was interesting – not something I would go out of my way for, but still something that I enjoyed.


Green Tea and Tea-Flavored Rice Balls

There was also a stand handing out bento boxes with a piece of melon, edamame, green beans, and pickled Japanese vegetables. These were alright, but not really anything special.


Fish and Scallops

Next we tried some sushi – scallops, and a couple of other types of fish that I didn’t quite catch the names of. (I’m a bad sushi blogger, I know.) I had these as sashimi, while Son had them as nigiri. We both enjoyed the fish quite a bit.


Sushi Chef making Nigiri Sushi

Yakult (the yogurt drink) had a booth at the festival, where they were handing out their product (I didn’t have any, because I don’t particularly like the taste, but Son enjoyed his) and big blue Yakult tote bags, like you might use for groceries. Of course I grabbed a bag… one can never have too many tote bags.


Cooking Demonstration on the Stage

A little while after we arrived, there was a cooking demonstration on the stage by Chef Hiroshi Shima from Sushi Roku. The sushi he made on stage looked delicious, however the anchovy hand rolls and shrimp shooters that were offered at the Sushi Roku booth? Not so much.


Sushi Art

The Japanese restaurant Gyu Kaku (which I’ve been to and enjoyed) had a booth at the festival, where they were handing out bowls of beef and rice. These were good, just what you might expect if you visited their restaurant.


Wagyu Shabu Shabu

There was a booth serving wagyu shabu shabu – wagyu beef cooked in boiling water, served with shrimp, green onion, and your choice of sauces. This was very delicious, although my palate isn’t quite sophisticated enough to discern the difference between wagyu beef and regular beef.


Wagyu Shabu Shabu, shrimp, and green onion

From the same company (Cool Japan) there was also a tea ceremony presentation.


Tea Ceremony Set

Although we didn’t get to participate (all the seats were full by the time we got there) it was very interesting to watch several Japanese women perform a full traditional tea ceremony.


Tea Ceremony

Now normally I’m not a huge fan of green tea, or any kind of tea for that matter. I’ll generally take hot chocolate or coffee over tea any day. But the YamaMotoYama sweetened iced green tea was right up my alley… I loved it so much that not only did I go back for seconds, I’m also planning to see if I can find somewhere that sells it. It’s good stuff.


Iced Green Tea and Soy Wrappers

However the soy wrappers from the same company… yeah, not so much. I’ve seen these in the store, and thought they might be interesting for sushi, but they’re always ridiculously overpriced so I never actually bought them. They served chicken and lettuce hand rolls using them, which were incredibly bland. Although colorful, they don’t add much else to the rolls. However they did let me take a package of the soy wrappers, so it’s possible that I might use them for some of my own sushi, and see how they come out.


Soy Wrapper Hand Rolls

Of course, we already knew I love mochi ice cream, especially considering I love darn near anything mochi-related. I tried the vanilla and Son tried the green tea mochi ice cream, and of course they were delicious. Yum.


Mochi Ice Cream

There was a booth handing out little cups of udon, which was… meh. I’ve had better.


Gyoza

We also got to try some gyoza. It was good, but nothing special. Really no better than the bag of gyoza that you can get from Costco or any regular grocery store.


Gyoza Packages

One table was handing out little cups of “Japanese-style Ceviche”. Oh man, was this stuff good! It really wasn’t anything that exotic – just shrimp, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and maybe some miso (and wasabi?) but something about it was just amazing. This was among our favorite dishes of the festival.


Tofu with Maple Syrup

The soft tofu with maple syrup was another of our favorites. Now, I was not a big tofu fan growing up. I couldn’t stand the stuff. These days I’ve found some tofu recipes that I actually enjoy, but never did I think that I’d fall for plain, soft tofu. With maple syrup. Handed to us by the president of the company, who is really the most adorable little Japanese man ever. Not to mention, the little flyer he handed us explaining the company included a cartoon explaining why he named the company “Otokomae”, which means “Handsome”! Yep, I could go for some more of that handsome tofu right about now. Did I mention the tofu was delicious?


Miso Beef and Salmon

There were also some delicious little tuna “tapas” from Ronin Izakaya Bistro. These were delicious – seared sashimi-grade tuna, avocado, and shiitake mushroom relish on a cajun-flavored tortilla chip, topped with wasabi mayonnaise.


Tuna Tapas

There were also some salmon and avocado rolls at a booth promoting pre-made sushi vinegar, that you just mix into rice. While it tasted like normal sushi rice, I personally wouldn’t buy the pre-made sushi vinegar when I can make my own quite easily.


Premade Sushi Vinegar

We got to try some shrimp from Oki Doki… which tasted very familiar. It was delicious, but actually tasted more like the Shrimp with Mayonnaise and Walnuts that you find at many Chinese restaurants, than any Japanese dish.


Oki Doki Shrimp and Eggrolls

Another booth was handing out Tofu Shirataki noodles. These were alright, something I’d enjoy if given to me, but nothing to call home about. I probably won’t ever be buying these to make them for myself.


Musha Izakaya

One of the last booths we visited was one from Musha Izakaya. Wait… doesn’t that sound familiar? If you’ve been reading Sushi Day for more than a few months, then it should – Son took me there for my birthday last year. They were offering some sort of vegetarian “meat” that looked and tasted like chicken, and the kakuni pork belly that Son and I ate when we visited the restaurant last year. Yum.


Kakuni - Pork Belly

We also got to try some yakitori chicken skewers. I didn’t particularly like these, but Son seemed to enjoy them.


Wasabi Rhizome

Now this ramen was the good stuff. It had a juicy little strip of tender pork, the noodles were cooked just right, and the broth was nice and hot. Unfortunately, we were pretty full by the time we got to this booth, so I couldn’t quite manage to finish the ramen. *sigh*


Ramen

There were also some yakisoba noodles, possibly by the same company that served up the fresh ramen. The contrast was day and night. While the ramen was hot and made right in front of you, the yakisoba was lukewarm and seemed like it might have been sitting out for a while. While the ramen was incredibly delicious, the yakisoba was… not. Ick. We definitely could have done without it.


Ramen Stand

And then, there was the sake/alcohol part of the festival.


Japanese Beer

Some of the sake booths had some pretty amusing mascots.


Sake Mascot

As you may know, neither Son nor I drink alcohol, so we can’t really comment on this part of the festival.


Sake

But what we can say is that there were some really beautiful sake bottles.


\

Even though I have no desire whatsoever to start drinking alcohol, sometimes I wish I did just to have a good excuse to collect all these gorgeous bottles!


Sake

But then, I’ve already got a sushi habit to fund. No sense in adding a sake habit on top of that…


Sake

Since we got in during the invite-only section of the festival, we had seen all the booths and were about to leave by the time the festival opened up to the general public. Just then, the taiko drummers began their performance, so we stayed a little while longer to watch them. It was incredible how much energy these people had, especially the older man who seemed to be the main focus much of the time. I really enjoyed seeing them play.


Taiko Drummers

We got some little Japanese donuts that we ate when we got home after the festival. These were very dense, and very… Japanese. I don’t really know how to describe it, but the taste of the bread was a taste that I associate with Japanese pastries, like the little bird-shaped mochi, or the bean filled an-pan that you can get at Japanese supermarkets or bakeries.


Japanese Doughnuts

The very last booth we visited was one giving away packets Japanese sea salt and cups of Shikawasa juice. The juice was pretty tasty – like lemonade, but not so tart.


Japanese Sea Salt

Overall, we really enjoyed the Japanese Food Festival. Although it was unfortunately only held on one day, and a Thursday at that, if you’re in the area next year (and like sake, because I’m not sure the $50 entrance fee is worth it if you don’t want to try any of the alcohol) then check it out!

Don’t forget to enter our contest for a chance to win a copy of the book, Sustainable Sushi, by Casson Trenor! The contest ends on March 7th at 11:59pm, so get your entries in!

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

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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