Traditional Japanese Sushi

Ingredients:

4 nori seaweed sheets
2 cups cooked sushi rice
1 to 2 tablespoons wasabi paste, to taste
4 ounces cooked octopus
4 ounces cooked prawns
4 ounces raw fresh tuna, thinly sliced
4 ounces raw fresh salmon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon salmon caviar
4 asparagus spears, blanched and sliced
Shiitake mushrooms, blanched and sliced

Directions:

1. Place each nori sheet on a serving plate. Spread ½ cup of the rice onto each nori sheet and distribute evenly over the surface, pressing with fingers to adhere.
2. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons wasabi paste along the middle of each nori roll, to taste. Arrange the octopus, prawns, tuna, salmon evenly over the rice among each nori sheet. Top with asparagus spears and mushrooms.
3. Roll the sushi into a log jelly-roll style. Slice into ¾-inch pieces and serve immediately.
   
   

Inside-Out Salmon Sushi Roll

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked sushi rice
4 nori seaweed sheets
1 pound fresh raw salmon, cut into ½-inch strips
½ cup fish roe
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Wasabi paste, to taste
Soy sauce, for serving
Pickled ginger, for serving

Directions:

1. Lay the nori sheets out on a sheet of plastic wrap. Spread the sushi rice evenly over the ½ of the surface of the sheets of seaweed, pressing down to adhere well. Flip the nori over so that the rice faces the plastic wrap.
2. At the end of nori where there is no rice, place the salmon, roe, and avocado, being careful not to overfill the roll. Roll the sushi up from the non-rice end of the nori and continue rolling tightly, using the plastic wrap to help shape the sushi as you roll.
3. Remove the plastic wrap from the roll. Slice each roll into 8 pieces and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger.
   
   

Vegetarian Sushi

Ingredients:

½ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 nori seaweed sheets
2 cups cooked short-grain rice
1 cup cucumber strips
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice vinegar with the sesame oil. Add the cucumber strips, stirring gently, and allow to marinate for about 4 hours. Remove from the marinade and drain.
2. With a blender, whip the sweet potatoes until they are smooth and creamy.
3. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Place half a cup of rice on the plastic wrap and press to the size of a sheet of nori. Place a sheet of non on top of rice, then spread ¼ cup of blended sweet potatoes on nori and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
4. Place ¼ cup cucumber strips in the middle.
5. Roll up from the outside and dampen the edge to seal (the rice will be on the outside of the roll).
6. Allow to chill for at least 3 hours before slicing. Slice with a damp knife into half-inch thick slices. Serve cold.