Easy Pressed California Roll Sushi Food

CALIFORNIA ROLL

Steps:

• Wrap a sushi rolling mat completely in plastic wrap and set aside.
• Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer rice to a bowl and cut in rice vinegar using a rice paddle or wooden spoon. Season with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Combine crab meat with mayonnaise in a small bowl.
• Place a sheet of nori on a flat work surface. Spread a thin layer of rice on top of the nori. Place the nori, rice side down, on the prepared rolling mat. Place 2 to 3 avocado slices on top of the nori in one layer. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the crab mixture. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons tobiko lengthwise on one side of the avocado-crab mixture, and 2 cucumber strips on the other side. Using the mat as a guide, carefully roll the California roll into a tight log. Remove the rolling mat. Top roll with more tobiko, cover with plastic wrap, and gently press the tobiko into the top of the roll. Remove the plastic and cut roll into 6 even pieces using a wet knife. Repeat with remaining sheets of nori and filling. Serve garnished with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi paste

CALIFORNIA SUSHI ROLL

Steps:

• Rinse rice until water runs clear. Combine rice and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is completely absorbed and rice is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Use a wooden spoon to transfer cooked rice to a non-metal bowl and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute more. Combine vinegar mixture with the cooling rice a few tablespoons at a time until rice is coated; you may not need all of the vinegar mixture. Set aside to finish cooling completely, about 15 minutes.
• Place a sheet of nori on a sushi mat with the rough side facing up. Place a small bowl of water nearby. Use wet hands to evenly spread a handful of rice onto the nori. Arrange cucumber and crab across the nori, about 1/2 inch from the edge closest to you. Roll the wrap starting at the close edge and rolling away from yourself. Press and roll again to seal. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, cucumber, and crab.
• Dip a sharp knife into water and slice each roll into 8 pieces, rinsing the knife after each cut to prevent sticking.

EASY PRESSED CALIFORNIA-ROLL SUSHI

Steps:

• Line an 8" square baking dish with plastic wrap. Arrange cucumber slices in a single layer on the bottom. Arrange smoked salmon on top. Combine mustard and mayonaise, spread over salmon. Pat half of sushi rice over mayonaise layer. Place nori on top, pat on remaining rice and cover with more plastic wrap. Weight down with cans of food or bricks covered with foil. Refridgerate until needed. Bring out of fridge 15-30 minutes before serving. Remove plastic, invert to unmold,slice into cubes with a clean sharp knife dipped into cold water. Garnish cubes with sliced green onion, sesame seeds and lemon slices.

CALIFORNIA ROLL SUSHI

Steps:

• Wash the rice in several changes of water until the rinse water is no longer cloudy, drain well, and place in a covered pan or rice cooker with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Allow the rice to simmer until the top looks dry, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let stand for 10 minutes to absorb the rest of the water.
• Mix the rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved, and stir the mixture into the cooked rice until well combined. Allow the rice to cool, and set aside.
• Mix the imitation crabmeat with mayonnaise in a bowl, and set aside. To roll the sushi, cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic wrap. With wet fingers, firmly pat a thin, even layer of prepared rice over the nori, leaving 1/4 inch uncovered at the bottom edge of the sheet. Sprinkle the rice with about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and gently press them into the rice. Carefully flip the nori sheet over so the seaweed side is up.
• Place 2 or 3 long cucumber spears, 2 or 3 slices of avocado, and about 1 tablespoon of imitation crab mixture in a line across the nori sheet, about 1/4 from the uncovered edge. Pick up the edge of the bamboo rolling sheet, fold the bottom edge of the sheet up, enclosing the filling, and tightly roll the sushi into a cylinder about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Once the sushi is rolled, wrap it in the mat and gently squeeze to compact it tightly.
• Cut each roll into 1 inch pieces with a very sharp knife dipped in water.

CALIFORNIA ROLL - SUSHI

Steps:

• Add crabmeat, light cream cheese, light mayonnaise, and green onion (if desired) to small food processor (or small mixing bowl) and pulse or beat until nicely blended.
• Turn a burner of your stove to low flame or low heat. Wave a sheet of nori over the heat (both sides) to soften slightly.
• Lay the sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi roller (available at import stores and Asian markets).
• Dip your hands in warm water, and use them to spread a cup of hot, sticky rice on the nori, leaving a 1-inch border on each long side.
• Spread about 1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste in a horizontal strip down the middle of the rectangle of rice.
• Arrange a heaping 1/4 cup of the crab mixture (one-fourth of the total mixture) down the center of the rice rectangle.
• Arrange avocado slices down the center as well.
• Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward, to shape the sushi into a cylinder so that the two long edges of the nori meet and overlap slightly. Press the roll firmly inside the bamboo roller.
• Remove roll from the bamboo mat and wrap it with foil or plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator until needed.
• Repeat with remaining nori, rice, crab, and avocado. When ready to serve, cut each roll into about 8 pieces using a serrated knife. Serve with light soy sauce.

SENSATIONAL CALIFORNIA SUSHI SQUARES

Steps:

• Spread plastic wrap over the buttom and sides of a 9 x 13 pan.
• Sprinkle seasme seeds evenly over the buttom of the pan.
• Spoon half the rice over the sesame seeds. Dampen your hands with cold water and press the rice down into an even layer.
• Cover the rice layer with the nori sheets.
• Peel the avocado. Cut the avocado into thin strips and layer over top of the nori.
• Mix the crab, mayonnaise and green onion together. Spoon over the avocado layer and spread evenly.
• Peel the cucumber. Cut the cucumber lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber into thin strips and layer over top of the crab meat.
• Spoon the rest of the rice over the cucumber layer. Dampen hands with cold water and press the rice down into an even layer.
• Cover the last layer with plastic wrap. Set another 9 x 13 inch pan on sushi and press down firmly.
• Put pan in the fridge for two hours.
• Take buttom layer of plastic wrap and invert pan on to a cutting surface.
• Using a VERY sharp knife, cut into 64 squares. Wipe your knife after each cut and dip into cold water before each cut.
• Arrange on a platter and serve with soya sauce and wasabi.
• Other Sushi Combination Ideas .
• Boston Rolls - Scallion, Crab, Salmon.
• Egg Salad Rolls - Hard-Cooked Eggs & Mayo, Green Onion Strips.
• Holiday Rolls - Cranberry Salsa, Turkey Strips, Cream Cheese Strips.
• New York Rolls - Sliced Apple, Sliced Avocado, Smoked Salmon.
• Pesto Rolls - Pesto, Turkey or Chicken Strips, Cream Cheese Strips.
• Philadelphia Rolls - Smoked Salmon (thin sliced), Cucumber, cut into strips, Cream Cheese, cut in long, thin strips.
• Smoked Salmon Rolls - Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese Strips, Cucumber Strips.
• Summer Melon Rolls - Prosciutto, Melon Strips.
• Shrimp Rolls - Shrimp, Cream Cheese Strips.
• Texas Rolls - Sliced cooked beef, Cucumber, cut into strips, Spinach Leaves.
• Tuna Salad Rolls - Tuna Salad, Lettuce Leaves.
• Veggie Rolls - Pesto, Cucumber Strips, Tomato Strips, Mushroom Strips.
• Veggie Rolls II - Mushrooms Strips, Egg, scrambled, Scallions or Roasted Sweet Peppers.

CALIFORNIA AND MAKI ROLLS (JAPANESE SUSHI)

Steps:

• Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.
• Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap.
• Cut nori sheets in half crosswise.
• Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat.
• To make Califronia Rolls:.
• Wet your fingers with water and spread approximately 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori.
• Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds.
• Place the second plastic covered bamboo rolling mat on top and flip the two over so that the rice side is down.
• Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet.
• Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder.
• To make Maki:.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the rice over the surface of the nori, leaving about 1/2-inch of nori on the furthest edge uncovered so you will be able to seal the roll.
• Press the rice down firmly but gently.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on the rice.
• Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet.
• Begin rolling the edge of the bamboo closest to you, using the mat to press down on the sushi roll firmly but gently as you roll.
• The nori should stick to itself when the roll is complete; if it doesn't, use a cornstarch slurry to moisten it.
• Pull away the mat and set aside.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Repeat until all of the rice has been used.
• Cut each roll into 6 pieces.
• Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

VEGETARIAN CALIFORNIA ROLLS (SUSHI)

Steps:

• Prepare the sushi rice according to package instructions (I use a rice cooker - fool proof).
• Prepare your veggies while the rice is cooking.
• Once the rice is done put it in a bowl and season to taste with rice vinegar and sugar - the mixture should be pleasantly sweet and sour. Spread up the edges of the bowl to cool for a couple of minutes.
• Lay down a nori sheet on a rolling mat. Using a spoon dipped in water spread the rice (min. 1/2 in / 1.5 cm thick) on the nori leaving a strip of about 2 in / 5cm at the far side of the sheet facing away from you.
• Use a teaspoon to spread some plum sauce down the middle of the rice. Top with 1-2 slices of cucumber, carrots, avocado and green onion each depending on size of the veggies you cut (they need to spread all along the middle of the rice from end to end).
• Using your mat roll up the nori pressing down with your hands as you roll to keep the roll firm.
• Set the rolls on a plate with the bare strip of nori facing down. The moisture from the rice will seal the rolls. Let sit to firm up.
• Using a sharp knife cut the ends of the rolls and eat immediately ; )
• Cut the rest of the rolls into neat bite sized pieces and serve with the wasabi and pickled ginger and soy sauce for dipping - you may want to let your guests decide on how much wasabi to use, especially if they are French : ).