Recipe of the Week

I love sushi. I must admit though it wasn't love at first taste. It was in Beijing were I finally had some really good sushi and was hooked. Cooking it at home you can control the quality of nori seaweed (makes a big difference) and the filling is totally up to you which makes a difference if you don't care for the common fillings you see commercially. I love to stuff it with chicken curry or left over grilled or beaded meats or strips of omelet. This also means my husband can enjoy it as well because he is not a fan of the common sushi fillings.Green onion or leek adds a nice kick in flavor. For nori seaweed sheets, at the Asian supermarket in Lethbridge it is labeled gold, silver and bronze for quality. I am sure other markets would have a similar way or some other way to let costumers know the quality of nori they are buying. I love pickled ginger, wasabi soy sauce but you can do whatever you like. Hey if your favourite condiment is ketchup, why not. Ketchup is a great condiment for rice. They put the two together often in asia. Japanese omurice is a good example and it is sooo delicious. By my third time time making sushi I was able to get a nice tight roll. Think I learned is go light on the rice, just a thin thin layer and only two thirds down the nori sheet. Go light on the filling as well only about 1 cm thick. Also pushing down on the it while pulling the bamboo mat. I also just bought the sushi seasoning but you can make your own. It contains stuff most people have around such as sugar, vinegar, salt...
Sushi
1 cup uncooked rice
3 Tbsp. sushi seasoning
filling of choice
3 nori seaweed sheets

Wash rice and then soak in 11/4 cups water for 20 minutes. Cook rice as normal then take off the heat an leave covered for an additional 10 minutes. Mix sushi seasoning into the rice and spread out on a plate and let it cool completely. Place a nori sheet between two damp paper towel and press down just to slightly dampen it and make it more pliable. Place nori sheet at the top of the bamboo mat. Dampen hands to prevent rice from sticking and then spread a very thin layer of rice over two thirds of the nori sheet. Place the filling half way down the area covered in rice. Dampen the end of the nori to help it adhere when rolled up. Roll up using the bamboo mat. Press down on the roll while pulling the bamboo over itself all the way until it releases the sushi roll. Repeat with the remaining two nori sheets. Cut with a dampened knife.