Sushi, again?

So my husband and I are both super competitive people. Sometimes I think we probably make other people uncomfortable- for instance, we're never on the same team when we play anything from trivial pursuit to basketball. We're too interested in beating each other and gloating about it. We love to challenge each other- except in a few cases, where we accept the other's expertise and trust their choices without question. For instance, he's in charge of our retirement accounts and when to upgrade computers. I never question bother with question his choices when it comes to those two things. I am in charge of .... everything else. And everything certainly includes whatever happens in the kitchen.
When he made sushi a few weeks ago, I knew I'd have to try it for myself.
So tonight, I did just that. I stuck with california rolls (along with variations)- mainly because I really didn't feel like getting too intense about things. It's been really hot out, I didn't feel like cooking beyond steaming the rice.
Through doing this, I discovered that making sushi is really SUPER easy. Like easier than ordering it.
Even with just the most basic of kitchen skills, you can do everything from steaming the rice to eating it within an hour. You don't even need fancy equipment!
At home california roll

Ingredients:
1.5 cups short grain rice (we use kokuho rose- now stocked at your neighborhood grocery store!) + water for cooking
3 T Aji-mirin seasoned rice vinegar- there are various types, this must be the type with sugar and salt- it is sold at whole foods-- Alternatively, 1/6 C rice vinegar, 1.5 T sugar, 1 T salt

3 sheets of nori (seaweed)
1 avocado
1 garlic clove
pinch red pepper powder
1/2 cucumber
2-3 imitation crab sticks

Method:
1. Cook rice according to package directions- a rice cooker makes things super easy, and costs about 10 dollars at target. Just add rice and water, push the button and you're on to bigger and better things!
2. Such as slicing veggies- For my CA rolls, I smooshed the avocado with garlic and red pepper, and sliced the cuke and crab pretty thin.
3. When rice is cooked, mix in a bowl with the aji-mirin until coated. Let sit for 5-10 mins.
4. If you have a bamboo roller, cover it with saran wrap. If not, just use the wrap.
5. Place a piece of nori on the wrap. Spread 1/3 of the rice over the nori, so you can *almost* see through the rice. This is a tough part, because it seems like there isn't enough rice, but this is one of those times where a little goes a long way. Cover the entire piece of seaweed except for about 1/2 inch at the end away from you.
6. Add your fillings about 1/2 inch in from where you will start rolling.
I added black sesame seeds for a bit of extra crunch and flavor.
7. Using the wrap/roller, quickly roll up the sushi, taking care not to move the wrap out of the way as you roll. When you are done, wet the end of the nori to make it stick.

8. Using a wet, sharp knife, slice the roll into 1/2 inch thick pieces.


This should be served with tamari (or soy sauce) and wasabi.
After eating a couple pieces of mine, I've declared this a draw between me and my husband- his sweet potato roll is better than this CA roll, but I make it so much faster than he does!

Sushi and birthdays

It was my birthday two weeks ago, and to celebrate the occasion, my fabulous husband made me some sushi. (The real way with the 3 hour rice process and everything!)
He used shrimp, cucumber, avocado, lobster, and my absolute favorite, sweet potato.

He did something to the sweet potato that involved brown sugar and spices. Definitely the best sweet potato/yam roll I have ever had, including expensive stuff in fancy restaurants.
I'm tagging it as thanksgiving as a reminder to myself that when the big T day rolls around, these sweet potato rolls are replacing squash soup as our appetizer.

Husband can take credit for all the pictures of too. Am I the luckiest girl ever?

Supper Club (Don't forget your lactaid!)

Last Friday night my three favorite foodies and I had our April edition of supper club -yes, it was May 1st, we're procrastinators. The theme was 'Don't forget your lactaid!' which meant lots and lots of cheese. Also ice cream. Maggie (of 12blueberries) brought homemade bread AND homemade beer. She inspired me, so Anthony and I made our first solo homebrew this weekend, but that's another story for another time.
So for supper club.. I had appetizer and I just really couldn't narrow it down. I thought about baked cheese, spread cheese, broiled cheese, aged cheese, sprinkled cheese... and I started to feel like the shrimp guy in Forrest Gump. So I obsessively searched other blogs for ideas. Then I saw this: Figs with Ricotta and Pistachios. There were only two problems- too much like dessert for an appetizer, and of course fresh figs are not in season. And who has time for all that reconstituting when supper club is tomorrow? Not I. So a new idea was born- I give you:

Baked Stuffed Plums!



I thought they were awesome, and also super easy. Really low fat too, for those WWs among us, they're two points for each serving.

Following recipe serves four, two halves each:

4 firm plums
1/4 cup light ricotta
2 T white wine
zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon
few shakes of oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz shredded mozzarella
2 T chopped pistachios

Halve plums, remove pits.
Put plums cut side up in a glass baking dish (I used an 8x8 and they were cozy). Splash a bit of water in the dish and throw the whole thing in the microwave for 5-6 mins.
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, wine, zest, juice, oregano, salt and pepper.
When the plums are come out, they should be a bit mushy in the center- mush them a bit with a fork and spoon the ricotta into each. Back in the micro for 2-3 mins. When you take them out there will be a bit of purpley plum syrup in the bottom of the dish.
Top with the mozz and put the whole thing under the broiler until the mozz starts to get brown and bubbly. Feel free to drizzle that syrup over the tops of the plums, and serve with pistachios.