Simple Sushi

Want something that tastes good and gets easier to make over time? How about sushi?  I don't particularly care for seafood, so I make them with avocado and cucumber. Of course you can put fish or crab in them, top them with sesame seeds or not. Roll them in or roll them out.  There are many different ways to do this. This is mine, and I think they taste great.  Particularly on a warm day if you cook the rice ahead of time and let it cool.

The best place to get the nori and rice is at the Asia store in the HB. You can find it in Migros or Coop, but it is twice as expensive (and you get get 1/2 the rice)

There are 10 pieces of nori in the package, so depending on how many people you are feeding, whether it is a main course or not, what you are putting in them, is how many you will need.  I haven't gotten great with the rice yet - I still spread on a bit more than my husband would like (only one grain high he says) so I tend to cook up more rice. It'll get eaten the next day if it doesn't get used in dinner.

What you will need:
1 (or more) package(s) of nori (also available at Jelmoli, Thai store, etc.)
1 bag/box sushi rice
1 cucumber
1-2 avocados
Mayonnaise
Sushi rolling mat (to make those tight rolls)
either a flat spoon like shown above to put the rice in the nori, or a bowl of water and a regular spoon to dampen your hands and spoon so the rice doesn't stick to them).

Optional:
Wasabi paste (not optional according to hubby)
Soy Sauce (the Thai and Asian stores sometimes have low sodium - green bottle)
Ginger slices


Start by cooking the rice - I use the standard rice cooking time for this: Put in the amount of rice you want, then put in enough water to go up to your first knuckle if you put your (clean) finger on top of the rice.  Cook on high until boiling, then turn down to low for 20 minutes. This always seems to work for me.

Place your nori on the rolling mat (shiny side down) and place a small amount of rice on it. Smooth it out with the spoon until 'one grain thick' or a little more if you don't think anyone will notice :-)

Peel your cucumber and then cut in half so it is about the same length as the nori (not longer). Then de-seed and slice into thin strips. (a grapefruit spoon works great)

Slice your avocado into thin strips as well.

Place one strip of cucumber at the top of the nori on the rice, add a slice (or two) of avocado.  Squeeze a small amount of mayo out on top of this.

Fold over, and then using the mat, squeeze slightly to achieve a tight roll. Repeat until done with the nori sheets.

Using a sharp knife, slice into pieces.  Serve with wasabi, soy sauce and ginger slices if desired. Chopsticks as well

Broadening our Horizons

One of the best things (cooking wise) I ever did was try a dish called Shish Tawook. I had no idea what it was - my husband told me it was chicken, that I would like it and that it even had a video to show you how to make it. This was before we had kids, so I figured I would try it - and if it was a bit difficult, so what? I had the time.

Well fast forward almost 2 1/2 years, and the website I got the recipe from is one of my all time favorites. I love this website. The videos are wonderful step-by-step instructions on how to make Mediterranean food. And the best part is most of the ingredients are readily available nearby.  So, without further ado, I present you DedeMed

I have not tried all her recipes yet, but there are many more that I would like to. I think so far I have only made 6 or 7 - a small number.  I will post the ones I make, but encourage you to visit her site as well for the 'proper' way to make it.  There are a few small changes I make based on the ingredients I have and the time I have, or if I have made it before, my personal preferences.

All that being said, here is my first official 'lunch' post.  The first time I made this, we had it for dinner, with the phyllo dough, but having had enough for leftovers, I found I liked it better that way (and I never know what to make for lunch).

Ouzi - Spiced rice with meat
What you need:

500g ground beef
1 bag frozen peas (erbsen)
1 bag Pine nuts (pinienkerne)
2 cups basmati rice
1 tsp salt
3 tbls olive oil
3 tbls Seven Spice (if you can't find it you can make it) DedeMed uses Kabsa seasoning but says in her video you can use the seven spice)
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbls butter
1 tsp cinnamon (zimt)
4 cups water

I am making this ahead of time and putting it in the fridge for lunch tomorrow. I will use either plain Greek yogurt (Griechischer Jogurt) or Tzatziki dip to spread on a tortilla to make a wrap. You can buy the dip pre-made in Coop or Migros or make your own.  When making this for dinner (or if you would prefer the phyllo dough) you will also need 1 package of phyllo dough - available at Migros Brunaupark or the Turkish grocery store on Josefstrasse and 2 cups of melted butter.

This is how the finished product looks with the phyllo dough and a side of Tzatziki dip:


Directions: (without phyllo first)

Pre-rinse 2 cups of basmati rice.
If you are using lean ground beef, add some olive oil to a large pot. I used the full fat beef so omitted this part as I figured it already had enough fat in it :)
Brown the beef (about 4-6 minutes), add the seasonings and pine nuts. Stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper if you wish.  Add the rice (drained) and mix. Add 4 cups of water and the peas and 3 tbls of butter. Mix and cover. Turn the heat down and cook for 45 minutes (like you are just making rice)

If you are going to use the phyllo dough, leave it in its wrap until you are ready to use it as it can dry out quickly. you must either move quickly or keep the unused dough covered. You also need a sharp knife and a cutting board.  Preheat your oven to 180C* and get out a baking sheet as well.
On the cutting board place one sheet of the dough and spread the melted butter over it (you can use baking spray also if you prefer). Put another layer on top and they add 1/2-3/4 cup of the rice mixture - depending on how big your dough is. If you buy from Migros, 1/2 cup is enough, but if you buy from the Turkish store, the dough is larger and 3/4 cup would be fine. Fold the ends of the dough over (like wrapping a present) and then place 'folds down' on the baking sheet. Spread some butter on the top of the dough. Repeat until you are done.  Cook for about 30 minutes* or until the phyllo dough is a golden brown. Let the pockets sit about 5 minutes after baking before removing from the baking sheet.  (*The cooking time is based on the dough instructions from Migros) Serve some plain Greek yogurt or tzatziki dip on the side for dipping.

finished cooking

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