vegetable sushi roll

Over the weekend I had my first attempt at making sushi. It was fantastic and surprisingly easy! I followed this recipe for the rice though I wish I hadn't as it didn't call for enough water and the rice was slightly undercooked. I should have followed the directions on the rice bag (duh!) as it called for a half cup more water.

I bought my supplies at a local asian market. Everything was very inexpensive and the man running the store was very kind to give me some sushi making tips; wrap the bamboo mat completely with plastic wrap. Lay out an even layer of rice and press down firmly. Keep a bowl of water near by, rice won't stick to wet fingers.

Lay a sheet of nori paper over the rice and add your filings of choice. I made mine with carrots, cucumber, green beans and avocado. Seems like a strange combination but it was delicious! I, personally, wouldn't use raw fish when making sushi at home. It makes me nervous.

Once you have layed out the filling, start with the edge closest to you and roll as tightly as possible.

Roll your roll in sesame seeds.

Using a very sharp knife slice your roll, wiping the knife between each cut.

Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and sriracha hot chili sauce. Enjoy!

Have you made sushi before? What are your favorite combinations of fillings?

lentil tacos

for the last year or so, in an effort to more fully live the Word of Wisdom and save money, my family has eaten more vegetarian meals. lentil tacos is one of our favorites. we eat it at least once a week. lentils have a lot of health benefits. read more about them here. they are also very inexpensive-- i get mine at wal-mart for $0.99 for a 16 oz bag. can't beat that!

i don't really measure when making this so the amounts are estimates. increase or decrease the amounts as your tastes desire.

lentil tacos
3/4 cup of lentils (rinsed and pick out the bad ones)
1/2 medium onion diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of taco seasoning
1-2 teaspoons of cumin
4-6 cups of water

saute garlic and onion in a little olive oil. add lentils and seasonings, stir. add water simmer until lentils are tender (adding more water as needed) about 30-40 minutes. once the lentils are cooked i prefer to mash mine a little using a potato masher. serve in a tortilla with your favorite toppings. serves 6+.

i realize that this picture doesn't look very appetizing... but i guess a bowl of ground meat wouldn't either.

potato soup and biscuits

Today was cold and rainy. I was craving soup and bread. Not having time to make bread I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I usually make a great potato corn chowder recipe that I got from a friend but I haven't been grocery shopping this week. I made up this soup with what I had on hand. It was delicious. The older kids didn't love the soup (they are never excited about soup) but they ate it anyway. With only a few threats from me! They went crazy for the biscuits though.

this picture is misleading. the biscuit looks hard a dry like a giant crouton. not so! they were actually soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside and very flavorful.

Potato Soup
3 T butter
1/2 large onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T flour
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried thyme
4 cups water
4 t chicken soup base (or bullion)
6 small-medium yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks
1 cup half and half

saute onion and garlic in butter until translucent. add flour, salt and herbs, cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes. add water. bring to a boil, add potatoes. boil for 15 minutes. remove from heat. add half and half. optional: for a thicker, less chunky soup partially puree the soup (leave some chunks of potato) using an immersion blender.



Parmesan-Herb Pan Biscuits, Cafe Johnsonia
1/3 cup butter
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butter in a 9" square baking dish and place in the oven to melt. Remove pan from oven until ready to use.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk. Stir until the flour and is just moistened and starts to form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead ten times.

Roll the dough into a rectangle that is 12" by 4". Cut the dough into twelve 1" strips. Dip each strip into the melted butter in the pan. Arrange the biscuit strips in the pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 12.

*I used dried herbs instead of fresh about 1t each rosemary and thyme.