Summer Sushi Roll

Ingredients

1/4 to 1/2 cup Cooked Brown Sushi rice (see recipe here)
1 Crab stick (sliced in half lengthwise)
1 Slice Cream Cheese (sliced off the length of cream cheese brick)
1/2 tbsp. Masago (I keep mine in an airtight container in the freezer)
A few julienned strips of cucumber and carrot
Spicy Mayo to taste (see recipe here)
1 sheet of Rice Paper


Add warm water to a shallow dish deep enough to soak rice paper.  Soak the paper for 5 to 10 seconds until it becomes pliable. Pull it out and let all the excess water drain off.  Lay the sheet on your plastic wrapped bamboo mat.  Spread out the rice leaving a 1/2" of the top end without rice.  Place your fillings starting with the cream cheese, crab, cucumber and carrots.  Then add the masago and the spicy mayo to taste.  Lift the end near you over the filling (holding the filling in place with your fingers.)  Lift the bamboo mat over, pressing and rolling as you go.  Once everything is nice and tight, slice the roll into even pieces.

This is great for those who can't tolerate the Nori.

Serves 1

Spicy Sriracha Mayo

This is something I always like to add to my sushi, whether as a garnish or inside the actual roll.  The recipe that follows is how I make mine.  You can of course adjust the amounts according to your taste.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Kraft Miracle Whip Light
Sriracha to taste about 1 tbsp. (generally once you have a nice pink color, you're good)
a few drops of Toasted Sesame Oil

Mix all the above ingredients until all one color.
I keep mine handy in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator.  I usually label it with the date of when I prepared it.  It'll keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks.

Brown Sushi Rice

Since I love me some sushi I have decided to start making it myself at home.  This way I can control the quality and freshness.

Here's my method for making sushi rice.  I'm not too good at making rice on the stove top so my method requires a rice cooker.  I got this great little rice cooker the other day that makes the perfect amount of rice for post-ops without drying out.  My measurements will of course be using the measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker, which is generally different from regular measuring cups.

Ingredients


1 cup Short Grain Brown Rice
2 cups Water

Sushi rice vinegar

2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Splenda
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt


Wash rice until water runs clear and drain well.  Add rice and water to rice cooker pot.  In about 30 to 40 minutes you'll have perfect rice.
Prepare your sushi rice vinegar by combining all the ingredients and heating in the microwave 10 to 15 seconds to dissolve Splenda and salt.
Dump the rice into your hangiri and drizzle the sushi rice vinegar.  Cut into the rice with your wooden paddle, while fanning with your uchiwa (a japanese fan for cooling sushi rice).  Avoid breaking the grains and do NOT stir the rice, simply fold the vinegar into the rice to cover each grain.  Individual rice kernels should still be somewhat separate.  Once rice is shiny and cooled it is ready to be used.  Keep covered with a damp cloth to avoid your rice from drying out.

Bonnie's Spicy California Roll with Cream Cheese

Ingredients

Sushi Rice
1/2 cup uncooked Short Grain Brown Rice(washed well)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp. Splenda
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Fillings
2 Imitation Crab Sticks (sliced in half lengthwise, you will then have 4)
2- 1/4" Lengthwise Slice of Cream Cheese (sliced in half lengthwise, so you end up with 4)
6- 3" Sticks of English Cucumber
Spicy Mayo to taste (combination of Mayonnaise, Sriracha and a few drops of toasted sesame oil)

Equipment Needed
Sushi Making Kit
Plastic Wrap (to wrap the bamboo mat)
Uchiwa (rice-cooling fan)
2 Full Sheet of Nori 
Sushi Knife

Let's get the rice started.  Add rice and water to a 2 quart saucepan, cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.  After 40 minutes turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes.  While the rice is cooking prepare the sushi rice seasoning, by adding the rice vinegar, splenda and salt to a small bowl and microwaving for 10 to 20 seconds until sugar and salt have dissolved.
When rice is ready transfer it to your Hangiri and add the sushi rice seasoning.  Mix the rice by cutting into it with a wooden spoon while fanning the rice. (I found this easier to do when placing a damp kitchen towel under the Hangiri, so it would not move around.)
Once rice is cool to the touch and shiny we can begin assembling our sushi.  (In order for the rice to not stick to your fingers as much prepare a small bowl with 1/2 cup of water and 1 tbsp Rice vinegar.)

Place the wider end of the nori parallel to you with the shiny side down.
Add about half of the prepared sushi rice on the nori (wetting fingertips as needed) and spread evenly to the ends.  Leaving 1" of nori visible on the end farthest from you.

Place the 2 slices of cream cheese first, then 3 sticks of cucumber, 2 slices of crab and top with the spicy mayo.
Now comes the rolling.  Pick up the end near your and lift over the filling (making sure to hold filling in place with your fingers.)

Again lift the bamboo mat over while applying pressure to roll the sushi. Once you reach the end that has no rice, dampen it a little with your vinegar water to help seal the roll.

Below is the video I used to learn how to roll.

Then using your sushi knife slice the roll in half, then each of those halves in half and lastly I slice those into 3 thin slices (be sure to wipe your knife between cuts with a paper towel that has been dampened with the vinegar water solution).  The end result is 12 bariatric friendly bite-sized pieces per roll.

 I like to top mine with eel sauce, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sushi soy sauce for dipping.

This recipe makes 2 rolls or 24 pieces.

Serves 2 to 4 depending on pouch capacity.