Sushi for the Squeamish

Chuck got me a sushi mat way back at Christmas, but it's taken some major cajoling for me to make the move into Asian cuisine. Cooking it, that is, not eating it.

Now that I'm settled in my own place, experimental cooking is far easier, so the time has come for me to venture into uncharted territory. Ready, set, sushi rolls!

Here's what you need:
-sushi rice (please, please, don't try it with anything else)
-rice vinegar
-sugar
-nori (roasted seaweed for wrapping)
-fillings (I used avocado and ahi, but salmon, sprouts, tofu, carrots, etc. are great- whatever your fancy)

Before you begin, rinse your rice a few times before you cook it.

Cook your tofu or fish unless it is smoked or very, very fresh. I seared the tuna to a medium, just to be safe, but medium rare is ideal.

After you have cooked your rice, mix in a little rice vinegar and sugar. The same rules rice cooking rules apply, but sushi rice will be stickier to help bind your rolls.

When all your ingredients are prepared, get your mat ready. I lined it with plastic wrap to make it cleaner and keep the rolls from drying out.

Line your mat with a sheet of nori and a layer of rice, leaving a lip on one end for sealing it. There should be enough rice so you can't see through the nori. Keep dipping your fingers in water to help with the stickage.

Have sliced fillings ready.

Line them up in layers in the center of the rice. This ended up being a little too much filling, but allow yourself a learning curve and take note for next time.

Use the mat to press the roll over and carefully roll up as tightly as possible.

Wrap in plastic and chill, it will make them much easier to slice.

Alton Brown gives a great tutorial on making sushi rolls, but there are zillions out there. Have no fear!

Delicious Summer Pasta

It's true, I eat a lot of pasta. But can you really ever eat too much pasta? The other day, I found myself with a great mix of flavors and textures to make a typical bowl of pasta feel gussied up. This could easily be turned into a vegetarian dish as well.

Here's what I used:

-1 avocado

-2 leftover chicken thighs (I prefer dark to light meat for more flavor, but anything works)

-1 ear of sweet corn, shaved

-half an onion, diced

-2 stems of celery, chopped

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-2-3 oz. of herbed chevre

-2-3 oz. cream

-1 lb. linguini

First, boil your pasta and get that out of the way. I love linguini because it's got some body to hold a heavy sauce, but works for more delicate sauces as well. Al dente, please!

Next, with a little oil or butter in the pan, toss in your onion till it starts to sweat. Add the garlic and cook till caramelized. (Sidenote: If your garlic starts cooking faster than the onion, I like to slow it down by adding a little water to let the onion "catch up." Many recipes start with garlic before onion, but that never seems to work for me- and I like the stronger flavor by adding the garlic later. But feel free to deviate if you're a garlic-first kind of person.)

Add the chicken and celery, just long enough to heat it up. (If you have raw chicken, cook that first!) Then toss in the corn. I like the corn and celery to have some crunch so the dish has a range of textures.

Add the cream and let it boil. I usually eyeball it to cover the veggies, but add more if you like a saucy pasta.

Toss in the linguini and using a tongs, mop up all that saucy goodness. Transfer to a bowl and add crumbled chevre, diced avocado and fresh pepper. Then invite me over for dinner.

Goddess Dressing in a Snap

I love this salad dressing so much, I would marry it if I could (but others should get priority ahead of me on that waiting list).

But seriously, this is great for so many reasons- it's thick and creamy, it has a little more substance than vinaigrette, but isn't as heavy as caesar. And the best part? It's vegetarian and vegan, so it makes the perfect addition to vegetable dips and salads for those finicky dinner guests (you know who you are).

It's also incredibly easy to make- barely 5 minutes to throw together in a blender. And it tastes as good as Annie's! I got this recipe from Jolinda Hackett- but here's the direct link.

Tahini "Goddess" Dressing

By Jolinda Hackett, About.com Guide

My version of the tahini-based "goddess" dressing found in many health food stores and restaurants. If you like the store-bought goddess dressings, you'll love this easy homemade goddess salad dressing made with tahini, lemon juice and parsley. You might also want to try this recipe for goddess dressing with ginger.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce  (I use a little worcestershire or fish sauce to make it tastier, but then it's not vegetarian!)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp dried parsley  (Oregano also works well)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup oil

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients, except for the oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. 

Slowly add oil until well mixed. Dressing will be thick, but you can always add a bit more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.