romance maki

am i the only one out there in their gym clothes

running around like a maniac on saturday morning looking for sushi rice and nori?

god i hope not

justin tells me normal people do not run errands in their gym clothes

it's not like i wear gym clothes just to wear gym clothes; i am coming back from working out

for the record my gym attire is pretty normal - black capri leggings/workout pants, a hoodie, headband & uggs to travel back and forth from home to the gym; its not like i am rocking the 80's spandex or unitard

anyways, 3 stores later; only 2 of them was i seen in said gym outfit

finally i tracked down sushi rice and nori

perfect, i was golden

 romance maki;

is there a more perfect time to share this recipe than today?

i think not

sweet potato & avocado

so sinfully good together

rolled inside out with nori & sushi rice

did you know there is a special way to cook sushi rice?

i had no clue sushi rice was such a diva

sweet potatoes are matchstick and steamed

then coated in panko and lightly fried in sesame & vegetable oil until crisp

this step is completely optional

next time i think i will simply steam

since we are rolling an "inside out roll" place your sushi mat in a ziploc baggie

or cover with plastic wrap

this ensures the rice will not stick to your mat

with about a 1/2 cup sushi rice cover a 1/2 sheet of nori

spreading around to cover the nori, leaving about 1/2 inch of space uncovered at the top

it is extremely helpful to have a small bowl of water during this step to wet your fingers,

which helps keep the rice from sticking to them

sprinkle rice with sesame seeds

flip the nori over, making sure the 1/2 inch side without rice is flipped toward you

layer avocado & sweet potato about halfway up the nori

then roll; this definitely takes some practice

if you haven't rolled sushi before check out this great tutorial

once rolled cut with a very sharp knife into 6 equal pieces

overall making sushi was pretty easyonce you get the hang of the rolling part it moves along pretty quicklythe most time consuming part was prepping and making the rice; which can always be prepared the day before

Japanese Tsume sauce which is also known as eel sauce pairs perfectly with romance maki

super simple, amazingly good

wasabi is also a must- i love how it gives me a slight head rush

pickled ginger, traditionally a palette cleanser between different sushi's is also a must have

i like to layer a bit of ginger ontop of my maki along with a bit of wasabi

sheer perfection!

a perfect hors d' oeuvres for your next get togetherone that you can feel good about serving to your friends and family

tell me, what is your favorite veggie sushi?

be adventurous and go get your sushi on today

Romance Maki with Japanese Tsume

makes 36 rolls

you will need:

3 nori sheets cut in half

(6 half sheets)

1 avocado, skin removed & thinly sliced

1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 cup sushi rice (dry)

prepared according to directions on the box

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

if frying sweet potato

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water

for the eel sauce/Japanese Tsume

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup tamari

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pickled ginger, tamari & wasabi for serving

assembly:

wrap your sushi mat in plastic or a large ziploc bag- set aside

prepare sushi rice according to package

(this can be done in advance)

steam peeled sweet potato matchsticks until tender; about 15 minutes

if frying, heat oils in a medium saute pan over medium high heat

coat sweet potato sticks in flax egg, then in panko

transfer to the frying pan and cook until golden brown on each side

transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and allow to cool to the touch

to make the sushi

cut each sheet of nori in half lengthwise

working with one sheet at a time place shiny side down onto your covered sushi mat

with about a 1/2 cup of sushi rice spread onto nori leaving about 1/2 inch space at the top; sprinkle with sesame seeds

flip rice covered nori so the uncovered edge is closest to you

place a single layer of sweet potato & avocado about halfway up the nori

roll with sushi mat

(see tutorial for detailed rolling instructions)

with a sharp knife slice in half then each half into 3 pieces

move to a serving plate and repeat until all nori is used

to make the eel sauce:

in a small sauce pot over medium heat combine all ingredients

whisk until sugar is dissolved

continue to cook over medium/low heat (gentle simmer) until sauce thickens

sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, remove from heat just at the point before desired thickness is achieved

drizzle eel sauce over sushi

serve with tamari, pickled ginger & wasabi

enjoy!

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