Sushi in Ohio...

When the Mr. and I were driving home from the holidays on the East Coast, I had this intense craving for sushi. Unfortunately, where we live is at least 30 miles away from decent sushi.... So for the past 3 weeks I had just given up this craving until I saw Giada making sushi rolls on the Food Network... and she made it look so easy, all I needed to purchase was: two bamboo mats, black sesame seeds, sticky rice and Nori! Luckily the rest of the ingredients could be found at a large grocery store...

I attempted the two recipes below and while the first round was not as pretty as you might find at a traditional Sushi restaurant, Mr. E. and I enjoyed them immensely and agreed that it was as attractive as could be for a first go... next time I am going to get some high quality fish and attempt the raw sushi rolls!





CRAB, MANGO AND AVOCADO SUSHI ROLLS
Ingredients

* 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and patted dry with paper towels
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 4 teaspoons lemon juice
* 4 teaspoons light brown sugar
* 5 cups cooked Sushi Rice, recipe follows
* 4 toasted nori sheets*
* 1 avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into thin slices
* 1 mango, peeled and cut into thin slices
* 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin slices
* 1/4 cup black sesame seeds*

Directions

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Serving suggestion: wasabi, sweet picked ginger, soy sauce

Special equipment: a bamboo sushi mat

In a medium bowl, mix together the crabmeat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and sugar.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on the sushi mat. Using wet fingers, spread 1 1/4 cups of the rice evenly over the plastic wrap to form a rectangle slightly smaller than the sushi mat. Lay a sheet of nori over the rice. Arrange 1/4 of the crab mixture along the center of the nori leaving a 2-inch border at the top. Top the crab mixture with 1/4 of the avocado slices, 1/4 of the mango slices, and 1/4 of the red bell pepper slices. Using the sushi mat as a guide, fold the rice over the filling and roll into a cylinder. Remove the plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle each roll with the black sesame seeds.

To serve, using a sharp, damp knife, slice each cylinder into 6 pieces (re-wet the knife after each slice). Arrange the crab rolls on a serving platter and serve with wasabi, sweet pickled ginger and soy sauce.

Cook's Note: For spicier rolls, substitute the red bell pepper with 2 seeded and thinly sliced jalapenos.

Yield: 24 crab rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Sushi Rice:

* 2 cups short-grain sushi rice (recommended: Kokuho Rose)*
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the vinegar over the rice and mix with a fork. Transfer the cooked rice to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Allow the rice to cool completely before using.




VEGETABLE ROLLS WITH CHILI MAYONNAISE

Ingredients

* For the Chili Mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup Asian chili sauce*
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce*
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

For the Vegetable Rolls

* 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and cut into thin slices
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cored and cut into thin slices
* 1 large carrot, shredded
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 6 rice paper rounds*
* 6 butter lettuce leaves, ribs removed
* 1 1/2 cups cooked cellophane noodles or bean threads, cooled*

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

For the Chili Mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, lemon juice, fish sauce, garlic, and brown sugar.

For the Vegetable Rolls: In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, carrot, mint, and basil. Add the Chili Mayonnaise and toss well.

Lay a damp kitchen or paper towel on a work surface. Soak a rice paper round in warm water for 20 to 30 seconds until softened. Place the rice paper on the damp towel. Lay a lettuce leaf in the middle of the rice paper and spoon some of the vegetable mixture on top. Place 1/4 cup of the cellophane noodles on top of the vegetable mixture. Roll the rice paper around the filling and seal the ends with a little water. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Store the finished vegetable rolls in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours wrapped in damp paper towels.

Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com