Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll

• 8-ounce block cold cream cheese, cut into long, thin sticks
• 1 cup cooked sushi rice
• 4 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• 2 nori seaweed sheets
• 2 green onions

Place one sheet of nori seaweed on a bamboo rolling mat - make sure the shiny side is facing down. Cover

the seaweed with prepared sushi rice (don't stuff too much on) - leave an inch of the seaweed bare at the top.

Place ingredients length-ways in the centre of the rice.

Roll the sushi into a log jelly-roll style. Slice into ¾-inch pieces and serve immediately.

Wasabi Shrimp Sushi

• 10 large uncooked shrimp
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups cooked sushi rice
• 2 nori seaweed sheets
• 1 to 2 tablespoons wasabi paste, to taste
• Soy sauce, for dipping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shrimp to boiling water and cook 3 minutes; transfer to bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

When cooled, remove the shells from shrimp. Make a slit in the underside of the shrimp and

cut through almost to the top but not completely. Remove the dark vein.  Chop shrimp to medium dice.

Place one sheet of nori seaweed on a bamboo rolling mat - make sure the shiny side is facing down. Cover

the seaweed with prepared sushi rice (don't stuff too much on) - leave an inch of the seaweed bare at the top.

Place ingredients length-ways in the center of the rice, adding the wasabi paste to your heat level.

Roll the sushi into a log jelly-roll style. Slice into ¾-inch pieces and serve immediately.

Sushi Rice

• 3 c uncooked sushi rice
• 3 c water
• 1/2 c rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Wash the rice and rinse thoroughly until water is clear.

Place rice and water in rice cooker and set to cook.

While rice cooks, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.  Allow to cool.

Put the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl; pour vinegar mixture over the hot rice and mix.  Allow to cool slightly before using in sushi recipes.

Moujadara with Burghul

• 1 c dry green lentils
• 3 c water
• 1 c bulgur wheat
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lg yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• Pinch allspice
• 3 lg onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 c chopped parsley, garnish

In a medium pot, combine the lentils and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until still firm and almost done, 15 to 18 minutes. Add the bulgur wheat and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and remove from the heat. Let sit until the bulgur is tender and the water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes, adding more water is the wheat seems dry.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring, until very soft, 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and allspice, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the lentil and bulgur wheat mixture and stir well to combine. Remove from the heat.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized to a very dark brown color, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the lentil and bulgur wheat mixture to a platter and top with the caramelized onions. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, to taste. Serve either hot or at room temperature, with pita bread.

Chorizo and Garbanzo Bean Soup

• 4 carrots diced
• 1 med onion diced
• 3-4 ribs of celery with leaves diced
• 1/2 pound smoked chorizo sliced thinly on a bias
• 5-14 ounce cans of garbanzo beansdrained
• 1 qt of chicken stock
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh loaf of Cuban or French bread
• 1 c fresh cilantro chopped
• Lemons cut into quarters - remove as many seeds as possible
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste

In a large stew pot, saute carrots over medium heat in a little vegetable or peanut oil until the carrots are softened. About 5 minutes.

Add the onion to the carrots and sauté until the onions wilt. About 5 minutes.

Add the celery to the carrots and onions until the celery wilts. About 5 minutes.

Throw in a couple of grinds of black pepper to taste.

Throw in about a tablespoon of cumin.

Stir it all around.

Add the chorizo and stir it all around. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the garbanzo beans and stir.

Add the chicken stock and stir. Stock should cover the beans by an inch. Add more stock if needed.

Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil on top.

Cover and simmer on low until the garbanzo beans are just starting to get tender. Test often at least every 30 minutes.

Puree a cup of the soup mixture and add it back to the soup.

Serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the bread on the bias about 1/4 inch thick.

Lightly brush each side of the bread with olive oil.

Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Bake in oven until slightly brown.

Remove from oven.

Scoop up a couple of spoons of the soup into a bowl.

Sprinkle with some cilantro.

Lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Squeeze some lemon juice on top.

Serve with toast points.

Fresh grated Manchego cheese over the top adds a nice touch.

Buffalo Chicken Subs

Buffalo Chicken

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Salt & ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 c Frank's RedHot sauce
• 2 med carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
• One 36-inch fresh French loaf
• 1 c blue cheese crumbles
• Homemade Ranch Dressing

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with some salt and pepper, the brown sugar, paprika and cayenne. Sear both sides of the chicken in the skillet until golden, about 4 minutes. Add in the wing sauce, bring to a simmer and finish off in the oven until the chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Let cool, and then pull the meat with your hands. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and place back in the oven at BROIL until crusty and caramelized on top, about 4 minutes.

In a bowl, the combine carrots, celery and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined.

Cut the French loaf horizontally. Place an even layer of blue cheese crumbles on the bottom, then the chicken and then the veggies. Serve with a side of Homemade Ranch Dressing.
 

Homemade Ranch Dressing

• 1 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp fresh dill, minced
• 1/2 tsp honey or agave syrup
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Mix the mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, dill, honey, salt, mustard and pepper in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.