Easy peasy sushi yummy...

 

 

In this- the Season of get-togethers, parties, and communal meals... I thought I'd share one of my favorite appetizer recipes.  This is a quick-ish, basic (non-raw) sushi, that's easy to make, and fun to share.  Jeff thought they looked fancy, but when I was a kid- this was the sushi you took to school for class parties, or had at pot-lucks, church events, and BBQ's.  It was always around, always a kid-favorite, and fun- but definitely not fancy.  Basically it's the potato salad of sushi.

You'll need: Bamboo rolling mat, short-grain sushi rice, package of nori, 2 cans of tuna, 1 carrot, 1 egg, sugar, salt, rice vinegar, (optional:) colored shrimp powder, sesame seeds.

1. Make a good batch of sushi rice (please don't replace this with another type of rice- it ruins the sushi).  

Need a good recipe for perfect sushi rice?  I like this one (scroll down on the page).

2. Shave your carrot with a vegetable peeler.  The longer the peels, the better.

3. Scramble your egg and pour it into a hot non-stick pan- the goal is a very thin, crepe-like end result.  It only takes about 20-30 seconds, so watch carefully.  Remove from heat, let cool, and slice in strips.

4. Drain and empty your tuna into a bowl, add about 2 TBS. sugar, and 2 TBS. rice vinegar. Mix well.  Set aside.

5. Place your nori rough side up on the bamboo mat, add rice evenly to the bottom 2/3 of the nori, place one strip of egg, one length of carrot, a generous line of tuna, and a teeny line of shrimp powder all the way down the center- horizontally.  

6. Roll carefully, quickly, and firmly (but not too hard).  It may take a few tries- but you'll get it.  Then simply

SLICE + SERVE!  

 If you have sesame seeds, add a tiny pinch to the top of each slice, right in the center.  I like to wrap extra rolls, unsliced, in wax paper and slice those as needed just before they're served.  This is a great party appetizer, or snack, but they're best eaten fresh and at room temperature.  ENJOY!  ♥

*UPDATE: I forgot to mention this, but it's important... keep a bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers in before and after handling the rice.  It's soooo sticky- the rice will help keep things neat and tidy.  But make sure the water doesn't drip on your nori- things will go downhill fast.  Also, at the very end of the rolling process, use your finger to lightly pat a little water just on the very end.  It acts as a seal to keep your sushi roll tightly closed.  :)

An ode to awesome...

Look what I've found to tide me over until our next trip to Paris:

Dear, Fentiman's Rose Lemonade...  You've been around since 1905, I'm a jerk for not noticing you until two weeks ago.  You taste EXACTLY like every Parisian memory I have.  You are a dream vacation that lasts around 10 minutes.  You have stolen my heart, and I will love you forever and ever.   

hot dog!

This may not be the fashionable thing to say, but...  I love a good hot dog.

I don't actually eat meat very often, but once every couple of months I have a ridiculous hot dog craving, and so... once every couple of months- we'll have a ridiculous hot dog dinner.  It's easy for a hot dog dinner to be sufficiently gross- so I've learned to follow a few basic rules before presenting this ballpark favorite to my family...

1. Most importantly, buy really great hot dogs.  

If you had to pick just one thing to be insanely picky about in life- it should be this.

2. Make them special.  

As in, fancy little baguettes instead of buns, a variety of mustards, pretty plates and fabric napkins, etc.

3. Serve them with something really fresh.  

I like a simple arugula salad with most every meal, but a nice tabouli, or quinoa salad would be great too.

And I ask you... What says "SUMMER" better than a tasty hot dog on the back porch at the end of the day?   :)

Who's your little cookie...

Have you tried the dark chocolate sea salt cookies at Linnaea's yet?

Oh my gosh...  chewy, chocolatey... 

just the riiiight amount of salty-sweet

PERFECTION.

More than french fries...

Ready for the easiest, YUMMIEST scramble ever?

I'm talking potatoes infused with truffle oil, havarti cheese, fresh parsley and green onions- 

all mixed up with fresh eggs.  SO tasty.  But labor-intensive, no?  Not at all.  Because I've got a secret.

I picked up a side of truffle fries at Eureka Burger, chopped them into bits, scramble them with eggs, and that's it!  

Breakfast for dinner gone fancy.  In about ten minutes.  You're welcome.  ♥

NOVO love...

It's no secret that I'm a huge Novo fan. It's not just that I'm addicted to the spring rolls and the scallops... It's not just the incredible creekside setting... A few years ago the good folks at Novo even allowed me to invade their kitchen when I found myself tormented over the prospect of culinary school. They're the sweetest.

 Ok, the truth is, I love everything about Novo. I love that it's a fun, casual spot to catch up with girlfriends and share tapas. I love that I can roll in with a baby and stroller and know that no one's going to glare at me. And like that perfect versatile dress that transitions seamlessly from day to night, after dark Novo magically transforms itself into the most beautifully lit, romantic restaurant in town. I'm partial to the lavender cocktail and chocolate truffle desserts; best served on the terrace under big, twinkling trees.

Jeffrey likes to tease me for ordering their take-out all the time, because he thinks it's "fancy".  
Fine... it's a little fancy, but did you know that Novo offers its take-out orders at a 20% discount? 

 A happy customer is extra fancy!

I am a verrry happy Novo customer. Can you tell? :)

P.S.

HAVE A REALLY HAPPY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!  The weather is so beautiful.  Evy's performing with her baton troupe at the Madonna Inn tomorrow, and then...  Paso is calling our name.  What about you guys?  Do you have plans, or are you more the "wing it" type?

let's make veggie lasagna!

Every once in a while, I crave a super yummy, super cheese-y LASAGNA! Elliott and I made a quick and easy, veggie-packed lasagna this week. We started by boiling one package of pasta...

Lasagna is all about the layering. We do a very thin layer of marinara, a solid layer of noodles, 
and then roasted zucchini (mashed & drained)...

Now more marinara...

A layer of low-fat cottage cheese- my mom taught me this trick, it's a really kid-friendly (and inexpensive) alternative to ricotta. Mix a single egg in with it to act as a binder and help solidify the layers.

Next, we add a layer of fresh spinach (I really pile it high, because it shrinks to a very tiny layer once in the oven). Add just a bit more marinara now, then fold in the bottom layer of noodles over the edges. 

 Fill in the top with additional noodles, and cover it all with sauce.

Now we cover it with foil, and pop it into a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. 

Are you wondering where the cheese in this "cheesy" lasagna is?

I take mine out of the oven when it's half-cooked, and cover the top with shredded mozzarella. 

Then put it back in without the tin foil and turn the oven down to 325 for 30 minutes. 
Cool and serve.

YUM!

cinnamon roll heaven..

Have you guys been to Stewart & Clark yet? Jeff and I became regular vistors when I was pregnant with Elliott, but I just tried their cinnamon roll for the first time this week. I've always liked cinnamon rolls, but I've never actually fallen head over heels madly lunatic in love with one.

Meet my cinnamon-y soulmate...

The first time I tried to get one, they had already sold out by 10AM!

So this time I got serious and called ahead to have 2 set aside just for us.

Tracy and Glenn are two of the sweetest people I've met in SLO. She's an expert chef and caterer with years of experience and accolades. I recommend you try her amaaaazing handmade marshmallows (the raspberry rose are my favorite) and triple chocolate cherry cookies (oh my gosh)! Jeff loves the hot cocoa they serve up- super thick and ridiculously rich. I like to pick up mini containers of their potato salad for the kids as a special, indulgent treat. They're really using the term "salad" loosely here- as it's full of cheese, and bacon and... I don't even know what else, but it's just incredible yummy. I'm both sad and grateful that they're not downtown. I'd never ever lose the baby weight.

On a scale of 1-10 I'd give Stewart & Clark ohhh... a 20! You should definitely try them out for yourselves. Menu varies daily, so join their email list. Stewart & Clark Fiero Cafe offers:

breakfast, lunch, desserts, and "to-go" din dins. YUM! :)

comfort food...

What's your idea of comfort food? In our house, it's fideo. It's like a bowl of cozy.

Elliott helped me make a big pot of it this week.

We start with fideo noodles. Basic semolina pasta, broken into little pieces.

I buy these bags for about .50 cents each, but you can break up your own pasta

in a big ziplock bag too. I used to toast them on the stovetop,

stirring constantly- labor intensive! Now I just

drizzle a bit of olive oil in a baking dish, pour in the fideo, and toss them

around so the oil coats all the noodles, and then pop them in a 350º

oven for around 10 minutes. They come out perfect. So easy!

Elliott and I are using 2 bags (7 oz. each) in this recipe.

Don't be afraid if your noodles look very dark. The fideo will be delicious!

Next, we chop and sauté one onion, with a few cloves of minced garlic- about 5 minutes.

Add 2 tsp. salt, and the toasted fideo noodles. Stir.

Add a large (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes (undrained). Stir. Let simmer 5 minutes.

Fill the empty tomato can with water and add to mixture (twice).

While the pot comes to a boil, chop up 2 bunches of fresh cilantro. It smells SO good!

We like ours with lots of cumin. I use a whole 1 oz. package of it for one pot.

Add half of the cumin now.

Add a tablespoon of black pepper.

Add half of the chopped cilantro right away.

Let the pot boil until the fideo noodles are cooked through.

When the noodles are tender, I turn off the heat, add the remainder

of my cumin and chopped cilantro, and give it all a good stir.

Lastly, I add a large container of chicken broth (32 oz.).

Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add extra broth, as needed- it will thicken.

This soup is SO forgiving. It's our favorite. :)

mmm... brussel sprouts!

I think brussel sprouts have an undeserved reputation for being... icky. Even my MOM doesn't like them. I was like, whaaat?

I've been on a biiig brussel sprouts kick this past year or so. I make them weekly for a yummy, easy lunch- and then squish one a bit to share with Elliott. He knows what's good. :)

Here's our super simple lunchtime routine:

First I give them a little rinse and chop each one in half lengthwise.

Next I brown a knob of butter in a small pan, and add my brussel sprouts.

Add a bit of salt and pepper.

Give them a good stir, to evenly distribute the butter...

Let them brown and soften just slightly

(about five minutes on a high heat, stirring frequently).

Now I turn the flame down a little...

Cover, and let the brussel sprouts steam for about 5 minutes or so...

until soft- meaning a fork slides through them easily.

Sprinkle with a little Gruyère cheese.

Serve steamy hot.

YUMMY!