Tag Archive: Recipe


California Roll Salad <– My favorite recipe

Filed under: Asian, Avacado, Crab, Cucumber, Dressing, Food, Ginger, Salad, Sushi, Wasabi — 3 Comments
July 30, 2012

Some time ago I promised my facebook followers that I would post my favorite recipe. I highly apologize for how long it took, but HERE IT IS! My favorite food in probably the whole world is sushi….(I’m still learning to master that art!) One day a while back, while having a terrible craving for sushi and not yet knowing how to make it my self, I stumbled upon this recipe. And as I suggest you all do, I bent it, changed it, and made it my own. This is an extremely easy recipe to follow and does not take tremendous skill, but the result tastes wonderful and is sure fire to scratch that sushi itch!

It’s called a California Roll Salad because it is pretty much just that…. a California Roll in salad form!

First things first…. you start by making the dressing. You will need the following:

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
wasabi powder or paste to taste
slices of fresh ginger root
(Proportions yield 1-2 servings)

Combine mayonnaise, soy sauce, sugar sesame oil, and vinegar together and blend well with a whisk. Add wasabi to taste. You can either grate the fresh ginger root into your dressing or cut slices and let soak in the dressing for flavor.
Set the dressing aside to let the flavors blend. Placing it in the fridge will speed up the blending process.
If you do not like this dressing, do not have time to make it, or would just prefer something different other dressings are available at supermarkets for purchase such as the one in the photo above.

For the body of the salad you are going to need the following:

White Rice
English Cucumber
Avocados
Shredded Imitation Crab Meat
Nori- Roasted Seaweed Paper
(Use proportions as you see fit for your taste and serving size, just be sure to make enough servings of the dressing)

Prepare white rice normally. Once fully cooked, set aside to cool. Rice should be completely cooled before using.

Peel and slice cucumber into 1-2 inch slices.

Cut open avocado, remove pit, and separate from the skin.
Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
If you have an avocado slicer like the one in the picture,
you can separate the avocado from the skin
and cube it while leaving it in the skin.

Shred the imitation crab meat.
A slap chop is perfect for this.

The nori, or roasted seaweed, is going to act as a sort of lettuce base for this salad.  You can tear it into strips, crumple it into balls, or cut out shapes and be creative like the picture to the right.

This part is completely at your discretion, and can be your chance to display your creativity.

You are only limited by your imagination!
Now all that is left is to put the salad together. If you are making it for yourself, your probably like me and just want to throw in all in a big bowl and get on with the nom nom!
Here, I’ve used a small ramekin to mold the rice then placed the rest of the ingredients on top and around it. This is all about finding your own style and what is best suited for you at the moment.

As a meal for two, I served this salad with a temptation sushi roll, miso soup, and a spicy crab stuffed avocado that I made out of left over ingredients from the salad. I also sprinkled sesame seeds over the top of my salad the way you might use croutons. This meal was delicious paired with a nice fruity cold sake.

*Some ideas to cut calories or healthier substitutions for this recipe would be to use a sugar substitute like truvia instead. Also I use mayo with olive oil for less calories. To lessen salt intake for this dish try using low sodium soy sauce and use fresh ingredients like ginger root instead of pickled or ginger paste when ever possible. *

This dish can be served as a side dish, an appetizer, or even a main course. This makes a wonderful cold salad for a warm spring or summer day!

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Tips for the house hold cook on the go

Filed under: Food, Oven Bag, Quick and Easy, Seasoning, Slow Cooker — 2 Comments
July 3, 2012

The modern world is amazing and full of things that actually do make cooking on a busy schedule more convenient. I used to think that using many of these time saving techniques was “cheating”. But I’ve come to realize that I prefer to cook a great tasting meal and have time to enjoy it than to claim to cook everything from scratch. So here are just a few of my time saving tips. Please feel free to comment or respond with your own tips!

 

 

 

Plan ahead~ defrosting and marinating the day before doesn’t just save prep time when you start to cook, it will also make your meat juicer and more tender. Then it’s just a matter of throwing it in the oven/skillet/crock pot.

Oven bags~ a recent favorite of mine. Cooks evenly, keeps meat juicy and moist, locks in flavor, and cuts WAY down on clean up time. For extra time saving, throw veggies straight into the bag with your protein and you kill two birds with one stone.

Crock Pot/ Slow Cooker~ a crock pot can be the busy cook’s best friend. Most recipes can be converted for use in a crock pot and it requires little to no attention for several hours. You can toss in meat and veggies, cook on low for the eight hours that you are at work, come home and a hot meal is waiting! For extra time saving, use slow cooker liners and premixed seasoning packs.

Premixed Seasoning Packs~ from chili seasoning, gravy mix, or marinade mix. Little packets of premixed seasoning can save you time and money! There are some seasonings that are universal and you should have in your kitchen at all times. For the ones that you may not use too often, premixed packets are cheap and easy to use. Even something as easy as making gravy can be tedious when preparing a large or detail oriented meal. Jars of gravy or premixed packets can cut down on time. *use broth or stock instead of water and season well with premixed packets to add flavor and make it your own. Also, you can find seasoning packets that come with an oven roasting bag all in one.*

Focus on one thing~ If one thing in your menu requires a lot of work or attention plan for the accompanying food to be quick and simple. A five star restaurant has several cooks to get all of those amazing dishes out…. it’s much more difficult for you to make four courses from scratch. If your main dish is slightly complicated, pair it with something simple like mac and cheese or minute rice. It does not matter how long it took to make everything if it all tastes delicious.

Quick and Easy~ Cooking wonderful, complicated meals every night can burn you out. Decide on a few quick and easy meals that you can implement a couple of nights a week. Whether that is a default take out place or a various collection of frozen or microwave meals that everyone enjoys, make sure you give yourself a break. I highly recommend frozen broccoli stuffed chicken breast or Birds Eye Voila frozen pasta meals.

Make it your own~ No matter if its a recipe you stumbled upon or a quick and simple meal like minute rice find a way to make it your own. Not every recipe has to be followed to a tee. Play around with spices and seasoning. Throw in some fresh garlic or a hand full of sliced almonds. You’ll be amazed at how completely a hand full of bacon bits and a little garlic and transform Kraft mac and cheese. When it comes to recipes, never go with the first one you find. Google it! Take your top five favorite. Mix and match ingredients. Discover your own style. The main thing to take away from recipes is an appropriate cooking time and temp…. everything else is art.

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