Italian Sushi Roll Nori.

Italian Sushi Rolls

My deep-rooted love of Italian flavors is constantly flooding my brain with new ways to explore classic ingredients. I also love sushi. Like most of my ideas, this one seems so obvious that looking back I cant believe this was the first time to try it. Using a little poetic license, I'm gonna call this experiment "Italian Sushi". Cheesy orzo, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, basil. It was easy, and it was awesome. These would make a great appetizer for a holiday party, get everyone laughing and telling you how super cool and creative you are.

First cook the sausage in some water, then drain the water and brown the sausage. I poured this water into a pot to use later for the orzo.

Onions in the pan that the sausage was browned in.

Then the orzo.

Slowly add water like you are making risotto. This will keep the pasta nice and starchy.

Thick and starchy. Very sticky.

Cheese makes it extra sticky. Put this in the fridge for about a half hour.

Prosciutto instead of nori.

The orzo next.

Roasted red peppers.

Perfect roll.

This roll cut very nicely too!

Yum.

The next one we made with some basil. This was 10 times better!

Soo tasty!

Dip into a simple marinara sauce.

To make the orzo extra starchy - cook some onions in a frying pan in oil. Add the orzo and toast for about 2 minutes. Add hot water slowly and keep stirring. Keep adding about a half cup of water every 2 minutes or so until the pasta is cooked. When it is cooked and the water is all cooked off, add about a half cup of cheese. I used Jack cheese.

Green Dragon Roll Sushi

The main ingredient for Dragon Roll includes shrimp tempura AND/OR unagi.  The one I like just has shrimp tempura in it, but it’s really up to you how you want to make it.  When I first came to the US, I was surprised the many non-traditional rolls offered in Japanese restaurants, such as Philadelphia roll with cream cheese and salmon.  However I’ve grown to enjoy many of the rolls and even make them at home sometimes.

To cut down on prep time, I used pre-cooked frozen shrimp tempura from Trader Joe’s.  If you like to make it from scratch, you can follow my Shrimp Tempura recipe.  You will need extra time to prepare shrimp tempura, but homemade tempura is always the best.

I hope I’ve inspired you to start making sushi rolls at home.  It’s fun to prepare and eat sushi with your friends and family.  If you are still not comfortable making your own sushi roll, remember there is an option of Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll) which is much easier version of sushi roll.

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Dragon Roll Recipe

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 Dragon Rolls

Ingredients:

• About 6 cups prepared sushi rice
• 1 Japanese cucumber
• 4 avocados
• 1/2 lemon
• 4 nori sheets, cut in half crosswise
• 16 shrimp tempura* (See the recipe here)
• 1/8 cup (20oz) Tobiko
• Unagi (eel) - optional
For toppings
• Spicy Mayo (recipe here)
• Unagi Sauce (recipe here)
• Black sesame seeds (optional)
Vinegar water for dipping hands (Tezu)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp. rice vinegar
Things you will need
• Bamboo sushi mat
• Plastic wrap

Instructions:

1. Cut cucumber lengthwise into thin strips.

2. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the seed and twist the two halves until they separate. Hack the knife edge into the pit. Hold the skin of the avocado with the other hand and twist in counter directions. The pit will come out smoothly.

3. Remove the skin and slice the avocado widthwise with the tip of knife.

4. Gently press the avocado slices with your fingers and then keep pressing gently and evenly with the side of knife until the length of avocado is about the length of sushi roll (length of nori seaweed). Squeeze lemon over the avocado to prevent from changing color.

5. Wrap the bamboo mat with plastic wrap and place half of the nori sheet, shiny side down. Dip your hands in tezu (vinegar water) and spread the rice over the nori sheet.

6. Turn it over and put the shrimp tempura, cucumber strips, and tobiko at the bottom end of the nori sheet. If you like to put unagi, place inside here as well.

7. From the bottom end, start rolling nori sheet over the filling tightly and firmly with bamboo mat until the bottom end reaches the nori sheet. Lift the bamboo mat and roll over.

8. Place the bamboo mat over the roll and tightly squeeze the roll.

9. Using the side of knife, place the avocado on top of the roll.

10. Place plastic wrap over the roll and then put bamboo mat over. Tightly squeeze the roll until the avocado slices wrap around the sushi. Be gentle so you won’t break the avocado slices.

11. Cut the roll into 8 pieces with knife. Clean knife with wet towel after each cut. Remove the plastic wrap on top of the sushi and transfer to a serving plate.

12. Put tobiko on top and drizzle spicy mayo and unagi sauce. Sprinkle black sesame seeds if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

* Sushi rice is “vinegared” rice, specially used for sushi, not the regular steamed rice.

* If you are new to making sushi roll, cut off 1/3 of nori sheet and use 2/3 sheet of nori instead of half (Note: you will need more sushi rice)