Recipe #9

Sushi? At first it may seem like something unattainable, unsanitary, and impossible to do at home. Raw fish on my cutting board? I don't think so. Hi, salmonella. But now those worries can be forgotten with a new discovery (maybe not so new for those who are far more adept than I at navigating H-mart). I found fresh and really awesome sashimi at H-mart, better than even some sushi I've had. Goodbye eating out. Hello homemade sushi!

Sushi (the real thing.)

- 2 c. sushi rice (really, really short grain white rice), cooked

- 24-25 pcs. sashimi (I used salmon and tuna)

- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

- sriracha (optional)

First, deal with the rice. Confession: I messed up. Always follow the directions on the bag of whatever brand rice you get, don't go by what you think it is. So I put 4 cups of water for 2 cups rice (the bag said 2.5 cups water for 2 cups rice) and ended up with a slightly thick rice pudding. But it worked out anyway. After the rice is cooked correctly, add the rice wine vinegar and mix (this should make the rice sticky). I didn't have rice wine vinegar so I just used what was in the cabinet which ended up being apple cider vinegar. Slightly apple flavored rice, you learn new things every day. Next, get a big bowl of ice water and a towel to shape the rice into little oval cakes. Try molding the rice without the ice water and towel. See, it sticks to your hands and gets messy, now you see why I said to get the water. Dip your hands into the water before handling the rice and in between molding. This trick works every time. After the rice is all shaped, the hard part is over. All that's left to do is lay the sashimi on top of each one and it's done. Sriracha if you like spicy things and are weird like me. Or stick with the classic soy and wasabi. 

(Makes 25 sushis. (Sushis? Is that the plural? No idea.))

Recipe #8

You know those really cold and really snowy days where all you feel like doing is raiding the refrigerator or just sleeping all day? Problem solved. This recipe isn't your typical heavy winter food item but it's warm enough to keep the cold out and extremely easy to make. I had been trying to find a way to make tofu a little less bland (but yes, I'll admit, eating it raw is very tempting. I am one of those people who is a sucker for raw tofu.) and eventually I added enough other ingredients till it became this. Noodles? Optional. Why have noodles when you have tofu. The sweet and spicy works so well together. The prettiness aspect of the dish isn't too bad either ;)

Chili Tofu with Soy and Avocado

-  half teaspoon chili paste

- garlic (a clove, chopped)

- hoisin sauce (in any asian supermarket but a sweeter bbq sauce might work too if isn't too strong)

- soy sauce

- one avocado

- salt & pepper

- a tablespoon sesame oil

- firm tofu (one container)

Ok, so the best method that worked to overcome the bland tofu-yness of the tofu was putting a little soy sauce in a plate and having the sliced tofu (about 1' squares, I did mine like half an inch thick) sit for maybe 5 to 7 minutes. The tofu should be stained that deeper brown color when it's sat for enough time. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Since there aren't many ingredients, the ones we do use need to have a strong amount of flavor content, so I used sesame oil. Harder to burn, stronger flavor, and better for you. When enough gets hot add the chili paste and garlic. When the oil starts to get reddish from the chili add the tofu. Brush a little hoisin sauce (or bbq if that's what you're using) onto the top. Don't flip it too early! You want it to get pretty dark on one side. After you flip it, leave the hoisin side down for a little while until it gets very sticky and more solid looking. Peel and slice your avocado and serve once it's done. (Serves 3, but in our house only 2!)