Josh and I have been friends for quite some time- going on 10 years now. Long before we even considered dating each other- we were best friends, confidants, we would talk about everything! From dating advice, to friendships, school, you name it!
One of our favorite places to talk has always been over a plate of sushi!
Over the winter months- being snowed in forever (because in NC the thought of one little snow flake shuts down all of the roads)... and being a broke teacher and a web developer in search of a position... we had to get creative with date nights.
The first time we made sushi... well the first COUPLE of times we have made sushi have been learning attempts. And we are by no means experts on the topic.
However, with an inexpensive sushi roller, some Nori, "stuffers", and definitely some Saki (or beer and wine, as you'll see in this post) you can have so much fun experimenting and creating some delicious sushi!
Does it taste just like a restaurant?? It depends on how much wine you've had ;) but the best part of this meal is the experience you get to have with the ones you love while you make it! It's a perfect date night!
Much like my fried rice post... Sushi is so versatile. I pulled a lot of ideas from Pinterest, looked through the sales ads to see what inexpensive ingredients we could get and Voila! The options are endless... you just have to get a little creative :)
**Sorry there are no 21 Day Fix measurements for this recipe... this particular date night meal was a cheat meal for me :P we all need them once in a while!
However, I will be posting a vlog on how to make this meal a "skinny" meal soon! And there are also options on the bottom of this post to "skinnify" your sushi!
Our recipes:
Shrimp and Spicy Tuna Rolls
1/2 lb steamed shrimp (recipe below)
Spicy Tuna (recipe below)
4 cups sushi rice (recipe below)
Nori (one package)
1 english cucumber, cut into long thin slices
small bowl of water for rinsing
sushi roller
plastic wrap (like saran wrap)
Wrap your sushi roller in plastic wrap (not necessary but highly recommended for easy clean up and for sushi not to stick to the roller!)
Place Nori on the roller, cover 3/4 of the nori with sushi rice, carefully spreading into a thin, even layer.
(For an inside out roll- with rice on the outside, flip your nori over so that the rice side is down, at this point.)
In a thin line- cover about 1/4 of your nori with your "stuffing" ingredients. We used a variety of ingredients as you can see in the video above.
Carefully begin rolling your sushi bringing the roller up and back as you roll the nori into a cylindrical shape. Once the sushi is out of the sushi roller- place on a cutting board and cut into 6-8 pieces with a SHARP knife.
This recipe made 7-8 rolls which was plenty for 4 to 5 servings.
Shrimp
1/2 lb shrimp, fresh or thawed
1 tsp. Toasted Sesame oil
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Be sure to leave the skins on your shrimp!
In a pot, combine all ingredients, EXCEPT for the shrimp. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat, add your shrimp into the boiling mixture. Cover with a lid. Steam for 5-6 minutes, tossing them about halfway through to ensure they are cooking evenly.
Drain your shrimp, allow them to cool for 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Peel shrimp and dice into small pieces.
Spicy Tuna
1 can Albacore tuna, drained
1-2 Tbs. Spicy Mayo (recipe below or store bought is fine)
Once tuna is drained, place in a bowl and shred with a fork or your fingers. Add your spicy mayo, to taste, and combine well.
Spicy Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Sriracha
Mix ingredients to combine. Voila!
Sushi Rice
4 cups cooked sushi rice
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. kosher salt
Cook rice according to package directions. After cooking, let rice sit covered for 10 minutes. In a microwave safe container, heat vinegar, sugar and salt for about 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve (all of the salt may not dissolve, that's ok). Add vinegar mixture to the rice and fold in gently making sure almost every piece of rice is covered. Place in the refrigerator until ready to make your sushi. PS. This rice only gets better the longer it sits in the fridge so you could even make it the night before to save time!
"Skinnier Options"
Using brown rice for your sushi rice
Veggie Rolls- with avocado, peppers, onions, etc.
Sushi Stacks- Recipe to come shortly!
Where do you get your nori?