Sushi School with an EASY Japanese Dinner

Sushi 1- 2- 3

Sushi School 

Last week brought a spontaneous visit as well as a sushi lesson from our daughter, Lili.  We were excited!   Off  to the Asian market for sushi basics and to our grocery store for fresh vegetables. We were ready to roll! 

Materials: 

1. Sushi rice
2. Rice wine vinegar
3. Sugar
4. Salt
5. Sushi bamboo mats
6. Nori sheets
7. Fresh vegetables prepared for rolling.  We used asparagus which we blanched for 2 minutes in boiling water.  Green onions, minced; avocado, chopped; carrots in matchstick size; cucumbers seeded and cut into long strips.
8. Water

Method:

1. Boil 2 cups of rice in 2 cups of water over high heat.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
2. While rice cooks prepare your vegetables, setting them out on a tray.
3. When rice is done add 2 T. rice wine vinegar, 1T. sugar and 1 t. salt. Stir well and spread out on cookie sheet until it is cool enough to handle.
4. Spread sushi mat on table surface and lay 1 nori sheet on top.  Add cooled rice on top. Do not overload the nori with too much rice. Wet your fingers and pat out the rice until you have 1/2 of the nori sheet covered with an even layer of rice.  Try to bring the rice up to the very edges of the nori sheet. 

Pat out rice with wet fingers making an even layer across nori sheet.

Begin placing vegetables on rice leaving a space of about an inch from the edge of the nori closest to you.

Add vegetables in rows.

Place the vegetables in rows that run parallel to one another, all the way to the edge.

Tuck the vegetables into the rice as you begin to roll the nori.  Start by bringing up the mat with the nori.

As you roll, keep the mat free from tucking under.  Roll the nori sheet towards the unfilled side putting even pressure across the mat and compressing the ingredients.  The goal is to press everything together , yet not tear the nori.

Keep lifting the mat away from the roll as you move to the opposite edge.  Just as you near the end, moisten the edge of the nori with water to seal the roll together.  Press and hold for a few seconds.

You should end up with a long roll of sushi with a sealed edge and compacted ingredients.

Cut the sushi roll into 8 pieces with a knife dipped in water before each cut.  Here is our first tray of homemade sushi!

School definitely has its rewards!

Japanese Dinner

Start with a tray of homemade sushi.

I made this one all on my own!

Add an easy baked fish recipe called Foiru-yaki.

Materials:

1. 4 white fleshed fish fillets, sea bass, sole etc.  I used Swai.
2. Asparagus spears blanched in boiling water. (I made extra when I prepared these for the sushi.)
3. Top green part of scallions cut into long 1/4'' wide strips.
4. 8 Frozen large sized shrimp, 35-45 count size
5. Softened butter
6. Hoisin sauce or sesame oil
7. Heavy duty aluminum foil cut into 4   12''x12'' squares.

Method:

Spread 1/2 T. of softened butter in the center of an aluminum foil square.

Place a fish fillet on top of the butter at a diagonal to the square.

Place 2 frozen shrimp prawns on top of the fillet.

Tie 2 asparagus spears together with the green sliced scallion strips and lay on top of the shrimp.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of hoison sauce or sesame seed oil on top of the asparagus spears.

Fold up 1 corner of the square at the end of the fillet.

Fold up the adjacent corner until they align then fold over the edge to seal it.

Do the same with the other adjacent corner.

You will have one end of the foil pouch sealed with a long center seam.  Fold this over to seal.

Repeat until you have all 4 fillets sealed in their individual pouches.  Place on a cookie sheet and then into a 350 degree oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the pouches from the oven and place one on each serving plate.  The foil pouches should resemble a fish shape.

When you open the Foiru-yaki you will have perfectly cooked fish, shrimp and asparagus in their own juices.  You can add soy sauce if you like. Serve with your tray of homemade sushi.  Amazing!