Homemade Sushi!

I really did make homemade sushi with my friend Ellen! I am going to attempt to post these pictures here & explain this process...this is not really a recipe, but more of a way for me to try and retain this! 

 For starters, you can make this amazing super easy sauce that you see pictured here. Ellen called it "Volcano sauce."  It is basically that sriracha hot chile sauce that you can buy in the asian section at Walmart, mixed with mayonnaise! But I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing inside these Californian rolls!

 The ingredients we used were: japanese rice (she said to use this kind of rice b/c it's just the right amount of stickiness). We used sliced avocado, sliced cucumber, crab meat & the seaweed wraps. She bought all of these items at Kroger!  It is also helpful to have those small bamboo rolls--she said you can buy these at World Market, but Ellen said you could also just use a dish towel to roll the sushi if you don't have this mat.

So you lay a piece of saran wrap down on top of the bamboo mat. You spread out a layer of the cooked japanese rice--spread it nice and evenly in a square shape (basically the same size & shape of the seaweed wrap). You can see if you look closely at this picture that the rice is laid underneath the seaweed wrap.  Then inside the wrap you place your crabmeat, sliced avocado, sliced cucumber & top it off with a little volcano sauce.
The tricky part is just using that saran wrap to pick up the entire stack you've just created and you fold it over...kind of rolling it up (see the second picture for what it looks like once you've accomplished this).  After you've made the roll, use a sharp serrated knife to cut your sushi into the sushi rounds you see on the platter.  That's it!!
Ellen said there are many you tube videos showing you technique, etc.
I could not believe how "easy" it was to make this. Now I am hungry for sushi!
Hope I get brave enough to try this again before long!! :)

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

Got this recipe out of the August issue of Eating Well magazine. This was easy & good!

1 8oz can tom sauce
1 4oz can green chiles, drained
3 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS honey
1 TBS sweet or smoked paprika*
1 TBS tom paste
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground chipotle*
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 sm onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

(*side note on these ingredients: I found a McCormick spice called "Perfect Pinch" Southwest Sweet 'n Smoky. This one ingredient had both the paprika & chipotle in it & worked great)

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika/chipotle, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chipotle seasoning and salt in a slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion & garlic; stir to combine.
2. Put the lid on; cook on Low until chicken can be pulled apart, about 5hrs.
3. Transfer the chicken to cutting board & shred with fork. Return to sauce, stir well & serve.

I served this on those whole wheat sandwich thins with a little shredded cheddar to help tone down spiciness, but my girls were able to eat it, so it wasn't too spicy.

Dark chocolate M&M cookies

Updating this recipe because I made a few changes that made it better! I substituted Coconut Oil instead of the butter and used the full 12oz bag of Dark Chocolate M&M's and that is the way to go!

3/4C light brown sugar
3/4Cwhite sugar
1C coconut oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz bag of Dark Chocolate M&M's

1.  Cream the coconut oil and sugar together.
2.  Add the vanilla & eggs and beat well.
3.  Add the flour, salt & baking soda, blend well.
4. Add the full bag of M&M's and mix in
5. Drop tablespoons onto cookie sheet.
6.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes

Banana-Chocolate Chip muffins

I've been making these every few weeks from that Devi Titus Home Experience book (& getting that giant book out every time I need this recipe!) I decided it'd be easier to type it here so I could print it off--Also, thought I should share this great recipe b/c it's one of the best banana/bread recipes I've had!

Ingredients:

3-4 ripe bananas

1 C sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 C flour

1/4 C melted butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan or muffin tins.

Mash bananas in a lg bowl, add remaining ingredients & mix well.

Pour batter into pan & bake for 1 hour (if baking in loaf pan). 20 minutes(approximately) if using muffin tins.

Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps

I made these last night for dinner -- they were good!  I think next time I might add less cashews, some diced water chestnuts, and some green onions for a little more flavor, but definitely would make again.

1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar


1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

¼ teaspoons Ground Red Pepper

¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

2-⅓ Tablespoons Soy Sauce, Divided

3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (or Oil Of Choice)

2 pieces Chicken Breast (approx. 3/4 Lb. Total), Diced

1 cup Diced Onion

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

¼ cups Cashews, Chopped

8 leaves Of Greenleaf Or Iceburg Lettuce, Washed And Dried



For stir fry sauce, mix together rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground red pepper, ground ginger, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.
Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and remaining soy sauce (1/3 tbsp. or 1 tsp.) to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these a couple of weeks ago and they turned out yummy!  I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, but made several changes.  The recipe below is the "updated" version that turned out great!  A wonderful fall dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4  of a 15 oz can pumpkin puree (more will make them more like a muffin, less will make them a little dry...depends on how you like them)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon **I followed these exact directions, but gradually added a little more powdered sugar until it was the consistency I could pipe.  It is sweet, so you just need a little icing piped on top!  I may add a little more cinnamon next time.

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  **I baked mine on convect @325**  Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2.	Beat 1/2 cup of oil, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. (mine did not take this long, so watch them!) Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
4.	While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve!

Baked Dijon Salmon

Found this on All recipes website--this is my new favorite way to fix salmon!

Ingredients:

1/4C butter, melted

3 TBS dijon mustard

1 1/2 TBS honey

1/4 C bread crumbs

1/4 C finely chopped pecans

4 tsp chopped fresh parsely

4 (4oz) salmon fillets

s&p to taste

lemon for garnish

(*next time I will add in a little brown sugar to the coating mix just to make it a little sweeter)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a small bowl stir together butter, mustard & honey. Set aside. In another bowl mix together bread crumbs, pecans & parsley *(add in a little brown sugar-optional)

3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.

4. Bake salmon approximately 15 minutes (more or less depending on thickness) until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with s&p, garnish with lemon wedge.

I served this with fresh green beans & white rice that I had seasoned with butter, garlic salt & lemon juice. Yummy!