Sushi Rice and California Roll Sushi

The California roll; my favorite! I’m not a brave sushi goer (no raw fish for me!), but I sure do love my California rolls. I crave these topped with spicy mayo and dipped in a wasabi/soy sauce concoction… mmm. It’s also pretty inexpensive to make sushi at home. With the right tools and this tutorial, you’ll be a pro in no time.

 I think I make a mighty good Cali roll. My husband agrees 🙂

I called my favorite sushi place and they told me they use Homai (California Calrose) rice to make their sushi. So I trotted over to the store and purchased the same one. It was

Prep time: 1 hour  Cook time: 20 mins  Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
A tutorial on how to make the perfect sushi rice and a recipe for legitimate California rolls 🙂

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Skill Level: Medium
Cost To Make: $12-$15
Serving: 9 rolls

Ingredients for Perfect Sushi Rice:
2 cups Japanese short or medium grain rice
2½ cups cold water
5 Tbsp Sushi Vinegar
(Make your own sushi vinegar by combining the following 3 ingredients and dissolving them together over low heat on the stove, then let the mixture cool):
4 Tbsp Rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt (I used sea salt)

Ingredients for California Rolls:
½ lb Imitation crab meat (p.s. the "log" shaped crab meat is the easiest to work with)
1 Avocado, ripe but still firm
½ medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into long julienne strips
Toasted Nori Seaweed
Toasted sesame seeds
A sushi rolling mat ($2 at Cost Plus World Market) If you don't have a sushi mat, try using parchment paper instead.

For Dips/Sauces:
Soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
Wasabi paste or wasabi powder
For spicy mayo: Mayonnaise (~1 Tbsp) and Sriracha hot chili sauce (~1 tsp) or to taste
Instructions

How to Cook Perfect Sushi Rice (Rice Maker and Stove-top versions): P.S. do not add salt while cooking rice.

Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well. If you have a rice maker (way easier!), follow rice maker instructions and cook on the white rice setting then skip to step #4
Put drained rice in a heavy sauce-pan and add 2 cups cold water. Cover tightly and set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium and let cook covered until all the water is absorbed (7-8 min). Do not remove the cover to check, but listen for the bubbling to stop.
Once you hear a faint hissing sound, reduce the heat to very low and cook another 6 min. Remove from the heat and let stand 15 min covered. This is the basic white rice eaten with japanese meals.
Transfer the hot rice to a large bowl and break it up to get rid of all the hot clumps.
Let the rice cool down until it is just warm, then stir in your cooled sushi vinegar
Assembling your California Rolls:

Wrap your sushi matt in plastic wrap before using it (this makes it re-useable and you don't even have to wash it!).
Fold the pieces of nori in half to split them.
Toast your sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden. Slice up your veggies.
Spread a generous handful of sushi rice onto the ½ sheet of nori. Use your WET FINGER TIPS (keep your hands wet to prevent sticking) to spread the rice evenly over the entire surface of the nori.
Flip the rice covered piece of nori over so the rice is facing down (this way, your rice will be on the outside). Place your fillings across the center of your rice in the middle of the sheet (don't overfill or the roll won't seal).
Start rolling away from you using your matt to firmly keep the roll in place. Apply some pressure to make a tight roll. If its not tight enough, it will be difficult to cut. Once the roll is complete, sprinkle the roll with toasted sesame seeds while it is still on the mat so you can turn it easily.
Run your sharp knife through a damp paper towel before slicing so the rice won't stick as much. Cut the roll in half, then line the two halves up and slice even 1-inch rings. I have found that it slices easier when you slice quickly.

Chicken Fried Rice

Recipe via Company's Coming - Millenial
1 TBSP cooking oil
1 clove garlic
2 chicken breasts

1 tsp cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup thnly sliced celery
3/4 cup diced green / red pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms

4 cups cold rice crumbled
2 TBSP soya sauce

1 cup peas thawed
2 green onions sliced

Heat 1 TBSP oil in wok or large frying pan
Add garlic and chicken and saute 4 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.  Put in bowl.
Heat 1 tsp oil in pan, break eggs into pan and pierce yolks, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook 1 minute, turn eggs over.  Cut into shreds and add to chicken.
Heat 2 tsp oil, add onion, celery, peppers, and mushrooms.
Saute until onion is soft and clear
Add riec, drizzle with soya sauce.
Stir in peas, green onion and chicken mixture.
Stir till heated through
Makes 2 litres fried rice.

Cashew Stir-Fry Chicken with Rice

Recipe via Cooking for the Rushed
1 tsp cooking oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
1 small red pepper
10 fresh mushrooms
2 ½ TBSP cornstarch
½ cup hot ketchup
1 can (284 ml) chicken broth
3 TBSP soya sauce
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp prepared garlic
2 tsp curry powder
2 firm Roma tomatoes
1/3 cup cashew nuts

• Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or fry pan at medium high
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and add gradually to pan as you cut
• Sliver onion, chop pepper in chunks and slice mushrooms in that order.
• Add to pan as you cut and stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes 
• Combine in this order, in a small bowl: cornstarch, gradually stir in ketchup until smooth and not lumpy, chicken broth, soya sauce, brown sugar, garlic and curry.
• Stir well to make sauce and let stand.
• Cut tomato into cubes and add sauce and tomatoes to chicken pan.
• Stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer
• Serve sauce on rice and sprinkle with cashew nuts

Beef Stir Fry

3/4 cup orange juice
1 TBSP cornstarch
3 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garllic
1 tsp white vinegar


1 TBSP cooking oil
1 lb Sirloin steak


1 TBSP cooking oil
1 medium onionm, sliced thin
2 carrots, sliced thing
2 cups broccoli florets
1 TBSP orange peel, finely grated


1 medium orange, peeled and divided


Method:

• Stir orange juice into cornstarch in small bowl.  Add soy sauce, ginger, garlic and vinegar.  Stir.  Set aside.
• Cut beef across grain into strips 3 mm thick
• Heat wok or large frying pan on medium-high heat until very hot.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of first amount of oil.  Add 1/2 of the beef.  Stir-fry 2-3 minutes until beef reaches dewired doneness.  Transfer to plate.  Repeat with remaingin first amount of cooking oil and beef.  Transfer to plate.
• Heat second amount of cooking oil in wok.  Add onion and carrot.  Stir-fry for about 3 minutes until tender crisp.  Add broccoli and orange lpeel:n sitr-fry until vegetables are tender.  Add beef and orange.  Stir together until mixed.
• Stir cornstarch mixture.  Stir into beef mixture and simmer until thickened.
• Serves 4.