Sushi and miso night

Hello again! It's been ages. Clearly, I did not stick to the new food every day thing. Instead, I moved out into a house with three awesome girls and a fat cat. I have put my past relationship behind me. I got a job in the kitchen at Langano Skies. I was also accepted into an internship in forensic anthropology with the Miami Dade Medical Examiners Office. So while I didn't stick to my original goal, I still feel like it's been a successful couple months! There may or may not be some catch up posts.

Anyhoo, on to the topic of the post: sushi and miso! Unfortunately, these are two foods I really don't use recipes for. I'll try my best to explain what I did though. Please forgive the terrible pictures; I've been doing a research project at the Royal Alberta Museum and completely changed the settings to get good pictures of the specimens under their lighting, but forgot to change it back. Oops.

Miso Soup

Water (I would guess 5-6 cups)

Veggie broth powder (a few shakes)

Wakame seaweed (probably about a cup, cut up)

Shiitake mushrooms (four big ones)

Silken tofu (one package)

Miso paste (about 4 tbsp)

I put the water in a pot and shook in some veggie broth powder (and nope, didn't measure either - I wanted enough powder to add some flavor but not become overbearing. I definitely used less than the suggested ratio on the broth package). Then I added the seaweed and let it go on medium high for about 15 minutes. I then added sliced shiitakes and cubed silken tofu and reduced the heat to medium-low. That cooked away for probably another 15 minutes (it may not need that long, it's just how long it took me to finish my sushi). At the last minute I removed some broth (a cup or so, I'd guess) and stirred in the miso paste. I turned the heat off and added the dissolved miso back into the pot. And that's it! I often add green onions to my miso but I completely forgot. It was still good without.

Sushi

Rice (1.5 cups uncooked; I used brown)

Mirin (1 tbsp; or rice vinegar if you prefer)

Nori sheets (3)

Cucumber (1/2, peeled)

Avocado (1)

Shiitake mushrooms (3 large)

First off get the rice cooking. Once it's cooked, stir in the mirin and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cut up the veggies. I juliened the cucumber and shiitakes and cut the avocado into tiny cubes. Once the rice is cooled and the veggies are chopped, the fun begins! Take a nori sheet and spread rice thinly over 2/3 of it. Then place the veggies on the side with rice. Roll tightly towards the end without rice and seal the edges with water. If you have a sushi mat, great. I don't, though, and it worked just fine. Just make sure to really give it a good squeeze. Cut the roll with the sharpest knife you have or it will get squished. Mix wasabi and soy sauce to taste for dipping and enjoy!

I tried going to bed about 3 hours ago and just couldn't fall asleep. Blogging and eating a banana with peanut butter seamed like a far better idea! On a separate note, I bought some sprouting seeds last week at Planet Organic. I'll let you know how the sprouting goes! Have a good night, everyone. :)