Sushi!

Think sushi is something you can only enjoy on a special night out, prepared by a highly-trained sushi chef? Think again! You can make some simple rolls on your own at home for a sushi fix any night of the week!

Now is it authentic? I doubt it. Will you get crazier, more elaborate sushi at a fancy shmancy restaurant? Definitely. But this make-your-own sushi is simple, delicious, oh so easy to make, and sure to impress. All you need to do is pick up a few special ingredients and you're ready to go! 

First thing you need is nori sheets, which are the seaweed wrappers. I got mine at Fresh Market but I've seen them at Wegmans and other regular groceries stores as well. If you don't have any luck, an Asian specialty market is sure to have them. The next thing you need is the sticky rice. I got mine at Wegmans and a friend of mine found it at the local health food store. It's important, though, to get sticky rice or rice marked specifically for sushi; if you use regular rice, you'll have a tough time getting your rolls to stay together. Beyond that, you just need whatever you choose to put in your sushi. If you know of a store that sells sushi-grade raw fish, by all means go for it. If not, or if raw fish just isn't your thing, you can use cured salmon, often called lox. In addition, I also used cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, and zucchini. Of course don't forget the soy sauce! And wasabi if that's your thing; I'm personally not a fan.

Actually making the sushi is simple. My nori package said to swipe the sheet over a hot burner several times until it turns bright green (be careful not to burn yourself!). This makes it pliable so you can roll your sushi without breaking the sheet. Then spread out your cooked sticky rice lengthwise in a line on the nori sheet (my sticky rice came precooked but if yours isn't, just follow the instructions on the package). Right alongside your rice, add the ingredients of your choosing in whatever combination you'd like. I chose to do avocado and cucumber, salmon and cream cheese, zucchini and asparagus (precooked), and salmon and avocado.

Now roll it all up and use a few drops of water to seal. Carefully use a sharp knife to slice the roll into pieces. I found that a serrated knife worked best for getting through the roll with all ingredients intact. And there you have it -- sushi at home! 

Make-Your-Own Sushi

No recipe for this one... Just get creative! 

Baked Plantain Chips with Guacamole

Every time I buy bananas at the grocery store, I see the plantains sitting there and I'm intrigued. They're so often passed by, ignored in favor their smaller but far more popular cousin. Well just like in high school, popularity doesn't always equal greatness. Perhaps the plantain has more to bring to the (cafeteria) table than we all assume. Maybe like they'd add a new dimension to our palate just like the slightly-off emo musician who went on to be the 'star of his record label' hottie that the new crop of high school girls swoon over...

Ok I think I've officially beaten that metaphor to death. So anyway, I bought a plantain. And I had to decide what the heck to do with it. I had thought about making this recipe (which I still intend to try out one day.. do I smell a future blog post?) but when I found myself with a ripe avocado, I decided to go in a different direction - baked plantain chips and guacamole. 

I've had fried plantain before at restaurants but lacking a deep fryer (and fearing getting burnt by splattering oil), I decided to bake them, which results in a crunchy chip rather than the tender inside you'd find with a fried plantain. Equally delicious if you ask me. 

It's incredibly simple (as many of my recipes have been lately, perhaps a reflection of the fact that it's not the dead of winter anymore and there's more incentive to actually leave my apartment rather than stay in and cook all day...). Slice an unripe plantain into thin, equal slices. Place the slices onto a sprayed baking sheet, spray with olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Put into a 375 degree preheated oven. After 15 minutes, flip the plantains. After an additional 5 minutes, test one of the chips. If it's sufficiently crunchy, remove. If not, pop it back in for just a few more minutes. 

While the chips cool, mix up your guacamole. Now everyone has their own preferences when it comes to guacamole, but I use ripe avocado, chopped red pepper, tomato, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. I also mix in a squirt of lime juice and season with red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. And it's delicious. So delicious that I forgot to take a picture before digging in, hence the somewhat pathetic photography in this blog post. But there you have it: now you're ready to dig in!

Baked Plantain Chips with Guacamole

Plantain Chips:

Unripe plantain

Olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Chili Powder

Slice plantain into equal pieces, approximately 1/4" thick. Spray with olive oil and season with spices. Bake 15 minutes. Flip. Bake another 5-10 minutes until desired crunchiness. 

Guacamole: 

Ripe avocado

Red pepper, diced

Tomato, diced

Onion, diced

Jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed (if desired) and finely diced

Lime juice

Red pepper flakes

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out avocado into bowl. Mix in all other ingredients and mash with fork until desired texture. 

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Yogurt Sauce and Crispy Chickpeas

Secret confession: When I made this dish, I scaled the proportions to what (according to the recipe) should have been two servings, assuming I'd have half for dinner and half for lunch the next day. Well I ate half of it... and then three-quarters... and finally just threw in the towel and devoured it all. It was that good. Plus hey, eggplant's good for you, right!? I did, however, have some of the tahini yogurt sauce leftover, which made a perfect dressing for a salad of spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion, chickpeas, and feta (I just added in a tiny bit more water to it to thin it out). And I made extra crispy chickpeas which I used for a creative version of ants on a log: celery with garlic herb laughing cow cheese spread topped with crispy chickpeas.

But on to the main attraction -- roasted eggplant with tahini yogurt sauce and crispy cumin chickpeas. Whenever I make eggplant, I cut it in the morning, sprinkle some salt on it and then press it in between paper towels while I'm at work. Supposedly this gets rid of any bitter taste the eggplant can have. Is it absolutely necessary? I'm not sure, but it's always resulted in delicious eggplant so I never want to risk it to find out what would happen if I didn't. In this case, the eggplant I had was quite large, so I cut in half and then sliced each half into slices about 3/4" thick.

When you're ready to start preparing the dish, the first thing you'll want to do is get your chickpeas in the oven to crisp up. If you only want enough chickpeas for the recipe, you can just do about 2/3 of the can, but these suckers are a delicious snack, so I'd recommend just doing the whole thing. Spray (or toss) generously with olive oil and then sprinkle on cumin, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 30-35 minutes at 425 degrees until nice and crispy.

As soon as you get the chickpeas in the oven, prep your eggplant. Spray the eggplant with olive oil (you shouldn't need anymore salt if you pre-pressed the eggplant) and pop that in the oven as well, roasting for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. 

While the chickpeas and eggplant are roasting, you can mix the sauce. Combine plain greek yogurt, tahini (which is sesame paste; most grocery stores carry it but if you can't find it check your local health food store), garlic, and lemon juice. Then slowly stir in water until the sauce is your desired consistency (you want it thick enough that you can dollop it on to the eggplant without it running off the sides). For me, this was about 1.5 tablespoons. 

After your eggplant is done roasting, top each slice with a generous amount of yogurt tahini sauce, several crispy chickpeas, and a sprinkle of parsley. Mmm mmm mmm... another winner inspired by the Smitten Kitchen cookbook! Consider making this amazing recipe as a vegetarian option for Lent or Meatless Monday or use it as a side dish if you want a heartier meal. 

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Yogurt Sauce and Crispy Cumin Chickpeas

(Makes 1 large serving; 2-3 side dish servings)

1 large eggplant, halved and then cut into 3/4 inch slices
3/4 tsp garlic
1/4 c yogurt
1.5 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 tbsp water
2/3 can of chickpeas
Cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Parsley

Press salted eggplant slices in between paper towels for at least 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425. Spray or toss chickpeas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cumin. Roast approximately 30-35 minutes until crispy. 

Lightly spray or drizzle eggplant with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. 

Mix yogurt, tahini, and lemon juice. Slowly add water until you've reached the desired consistency. 

Assemble by topping each eggplant slice with a dallop of tahini yogurt sauce, several chickpeas, and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. 

Grilled Bok Choy

Whenever I'm out at the grocery store and I come across a fruit or vegetable I've never made before, I consider it a personal challenge. It's pretty much a guarantee that I will buy it and immediately go home and look up a million recipes. A few weeks ago, this happened with a persimmon. A what?! It's a Chinese fruit that's really soft when ripe. When I tasted it, I found it to be really sweet, so I ended up putting it on crackers with cream cheese to tone down the sweetness with the salty cracker; turned into a most delicious snack. This happened again with parsnips, hence the parsnip fries and rosemary parsnip puree. Most recently, it was baby bok choy that caught my eye! 

If you've never tried bok choy, I highly recommend you hunt some down. Also of Chinese origin, it's kind of like cabbage and is full of vitamins! And I think grilling it is definitely the way to go. It resulted in a tender yet still crunchy texture with a crispy top, mmm mmm! 

Start by trimming off the very bottom of the vegetable, but don't cut off too much -- you want it to still be intact. My bok choy was of the baby variety so it was quite small. A few of the larger ones, I cut in half lengthwise, but the others I left as is. However, if you have the regular-sized ones, you'll want to cut them all in half so they cook all the way through. Spray or lightly drizzle the bok choy with olive oil; you don't need much or it will get oily. Then toss with seasoned salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper. I also put some Mrs. Dash on there, but if you don't have any, I'm sure it'll still taste fine without it. Now just toss them right on the grill on medium heat. 

Grill for about five minutes until there's grill marks on there. Then flip, and grill for another five minutes or so. This may take longer if you're not using baby bok choy. Just keep an eye on it so the tops don't get too burnt. I like it best when the bottom white/light green part is tender but still crunchy. 

And that's it! Super simple and super tasty! I used this as a side to go along with some cured salmon on toast with cream cheese, a recent obsession of mine. But bok choy could really go with anything; feel free to experiment: change up the spices or brush with some soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, or even sriracha. If you find something you like, leave a comment so we can all try it out! 

Grilled Bok Choy

Bok choy

Paprika

Seasoned salt

Garlic powder

Pepper
Mrs. Dash

Olive oil

Preheat grill to medium. Trim white end of bok choy and slice large ones in half lengthwise. Spray with olive oil and toss with spices to taste. Grill approximately 5 minutes. Flip and grill another approximately 5 minutes. 

Zucchini Ribbons with Toasted Almond Pesto

So I might be the only 25 year old who asked for a cookbook, a tea infuser, and Good Housekeeping magazine on her Christmas list... (Don't worry, I'm not a total grandma; I also had a new bell for my bike and trapeze lessons on there). Lucky me, Santa brought me a few of these requests, one of which was the cookbook -- the Smitten Kitchen cookbook to be exact. You've heard me talk about my love for Deb Perelman before, so it may not surprise you to learn I spent a good hour or so of my Christmas day paging through each and every recipe of the book. Almost every page turn was met by an "oohh," "ahhh," or "wow that looks good."

This was one of those recipes. I followed it pretty closely, making only a few slight adaptations, and was definitely pleased with the results. I really loved the taste of the toasted almonds, which was complemented perfectly by the parmesan cheese. Additionally, the texture and the nutty flavor of the pesto paired very nicely with the delicateness of the zucchini ribbons.  

First, you toast almonds in the oven for approximately 15 min at 350 degrees. After they've cooled slightly, put them in a food processor with grated parmesan, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and puree until fine. Then mix in the lemon juice and olive oil to make a pesto. 

Using a mandolin grater (or verrrrry carefully by hand), slice the zucchini into thin long strips. Coat the strips with the pesto by dolloping on a little at a time and mixing until the zucchini is coated.  Not going to lie, I ended up using my hands here.

A word of warning - make sure you're ready to serve immediately when you do this. I let mine sit for a little while I finished prepping the rest of my meal, and the moisture from the zucchini watered down the pesto a bit and the almonds weren't quite as crunchy. This dish would make an impressive first course for a dinner party, or you can do what I did and serve it with grilled ham over parsnip puree!

Zucchini Ribbons with Toasted Almond Pesto

(Minimally adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook; serves 1 generously, 2 as a modest starter or side)

1 medium zucchini
6 almonds
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice

Toast almonds in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Grind in food processor with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic until fine. Mix in olive oil and lemon juice. 

Slice zucchini into long, thin strips. Coat with almond pesto. Serve immediately. 

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

It's 6:30pm, and you're just getting out of work. In between checking your cell phone and figuring out when the next metro's coming, your stomach growls. Crap... you didn't get anything out for dinner, and by the sound of that growl, waiting for something to thaw or making a trip to the grocery store is just not an option. You're about to succumb to the temptation of Chipolte when you remember the latest Gourmet, My Way post. Let me introduce you to your new go-to dinner in a pinch: eggs poached in tomato sauce. It may not sound all that glamorous, but it's definitely delicious. This recipe is simple but hearty, and because it's quite adaptable, you're likely to have all the ingredients already on hand. 

Poached eggs are one of my favorite kinds of eggs. My mom used to make them for me whenever I was sick and mix them with cut up pieces of toast, so it's somewhat of a nostalgic food for me. These days, I enjoy them in a nice eggs benedict, atop a spinach salad, or... poached in tomato sauce! Start out by sauteing some onions and red pepper (or other veggies could work, too) over medium heat until tender. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add in enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pot. I used a basic marinara pasta sauce, but tomato puree or a can of diced tomatoes would work as well. Spice it up with some garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Now carefully crack your eggs directly on top of the sauce so that the eggs remain intact and cover. 

While the eggs are cooking, you can prep the rest of your meal. You'll definitely want some toasted bread for dipping. I went with a multigrain bagel -- Wegman's in-store bakery ones are great -- but a crusty slice of bread or a pita would work just as well. I also sauteed some zucchini as a side. Cook until the egg whites are no longer liquid, but be careful not to overcook -- you want the egg yolks to still be runny. (As a guide, they're getting close to being done in the photo above on the right.) To serve, scoop the contents of the pot into a bowl and top with some parmesan cheese (which will get all melty and delicious!) and another few shakes of your spices if you please. 

And there you have it, folks. A well-rounded, homemade meal in minutes. Enjoy!

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

2 eggs

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped red pepper

2/3 c. tomato sauce

Shredded parmesan cheese 
Sprinkle of: garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper

Coat the bottom of a small sauce pan with cooking spray or a light drizzle of olive oil. Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat until onions begin to become translucent.

Turn heat down to medium-low. Pour enough tomato sauce into the pot to completely cover the bottom (amount will depend on the size of your pot). Season your sauce to taste and stir.

Once sauce is begins to bubble slightly, crack eggs directly on top of the sauce and cover. Eggs are done cooking when whites are no longer liquid but yolk is still runny inside.

Remove from heat, top with cheese and more seasoning as needed. Serve with bread.