California Roll

I know there are mixed feelings out there when it comes to sushi, but personally, I'm a huge fan!  As long as there is nothing raw involved.  Most of our kids love it too.  One of our kids had to make sushi for a school project several years ago.  I didn't have any sushi making friends, so turned to the internet.  We did our best to make some presentable sushi rolls.  They were half falling apart and didn't exactly taste authentic, but they were good enough for a third grade culture project.  Since then, I've wanted to learn how to make sushi from somebody that really knows.  One of my new friends here in Michigan, the beautiful Mai, is an amazing cook.  Everything I've had of hers is fabulous!  I was so excited when one day we were talking food and she offered to teach me how to make sushi!  She is Japanese and grew up making this stuff so I knew I would be learning from one of the best.  I loved watching her cook and learning about this beautiful food from her.  She is so talented and I appreciate her taking time to share her talent with me!  We started with a basic California roll and they turned out amazing!  I could eat this stuff for three meals, everyday!

Sushi Rice

2 cups short grain rice (called sushi rice or Calrose rice), cooked

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

In a saucepan, mix vinegar, sugar and salt.  Warm and stir until granules are dissolved.  Pour over cooked rice and mix well.  

California Roll

You can use what ever veggie and protein combination you'd like for the filling, but here's what we used:

4 sun dried shitake mushrooms

Imitation crab meat

4 oz Cream cheese

1 Cucumber

1/2 Avocado

1 large Carrot

3 Cooked egg

4 nori seaweed sheets

Optional condiments:  wasabi, pickled ginger, soy sauce

Slice crab meat and cream cheese into long thin sticks.  Peel cucumber, avocado and carrot and slice into small strips.   Steam Carrots until slightly soft.  Soak sun dried mushrooms in a saucepan with water until soft (about 30 minutes).  Drain water except for 1/4 cup.  Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon white sugar.  Cook until water is evaporated.  Slice cooked mushrooms.  Next, crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk.  Spray frying pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat over high heat.  Pour half of the whisked eggs into a hot pan.  Fry for a minute or two until cooked, do not stir.

Roll cooked egg up into a roll and leave along the side of the pan.  Pour the remaining egg into the pan.  Make sure it runs up under the rolled up egg.

When the additional egg is cooked, starting with the rolled up end, roll up the newly cooked egg to form one egg roll.  Remove from pan.  Cut egg in half and then cut into small strips.

Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo sushi mat.  Spread 1/4 cup of sushi rice evenly onto seaweed, do not spread to the edge.  Pick 4-5 different items for the filling.  Place in a line towards one end of the rice.

Lift up the mat and roll up around the ingredients, pressing gently as you roll.

Roll forward to finish roll.  Repeat with additional ingredients.

Cut roll into six slices.  Serve with any optional condiments that you'd like.



To make an inside out roll, start by covering your bamboo mat with plastic wrap.  Place seaweed on mat and 1/4 cup rice on seaweed, spreading the rice to the edge of the seaweed sheet.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Gently flip the seaweed sheet over so the rice side is touching the plastic wrap.  Pick your filling of choice and proceed as you do with the regular sushi roll.

Cut roll into six slices and serve with any optional condiments you'd like



Source:  Mai Swapp