By KC Kudra

There are many types of rice salad. In general, rice salad has a thin dressing, rice, and vegetables combined. You may have something simple like white rice, cucumbers, and vinaigrette, or you can have something more complex with sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, papaya and feta cheese. You can combine almost anything together in a rice salad that you want.

Wild rice is also used to make tasty salads, often combined with meat of some kind, sweet grapes, nuts and a light dressing. Rice salads can be made ahead of time, but reserve most of the dressing until just before serving so the rice does not get mushy.

This recipe is a little different. It uses sweet rice, also known as sushi rice. You can find it in Asian markets. Sushi rice is sticky when it is cooked and it has a slightly sweet flavor. The rest of the ingredients are commonly used in sushi dishes. The entire salad has a wonderful Japanese flavor. If you like sushi, this salad will be a hit. It makes a wonderful lunch or even a light dinner. Alternatively, you can use it as a side dish.

Recipe for Sushi Rice Salad

This unique twist on rice salad will be an instant hit.

What You Need

• 1/2 cup short grain sushi rice
• 3/4 cup plus 1-1/2 Tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium carrot
• 1-1/4 teaspoons wasabi paste
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 large seedless cucumber, peeled, halved, cored and chopped
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 3 Tablespoons Japanese pickled ginger, drained, sliced and coarsely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 avocado
• 8 fresh shiso leaves (optional)
• 1 (6 inch) square toasted nori, cut into thin strips with scissors

How to Make It

Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

Place rice and 1-3/4 cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for two minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Do not lift the lid.

While the rice finishes, bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt just to a boil in a very small saucepan. Stir it constantly until the sugar dissolves completely. Let it cool 2 minutes.

Spread the rice in a large shallow pan. Sprinkle it with the vinegar mixture and toss it with a wooden spoon.

Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin lengths from the carrot. Cut the slices diagonally into strips 1/4 inch wide.

Whisk the wasabi, the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of water, and oil together in a bowl. Add the rice, carrot, cucumber, ginger, scallions, and sesame seeds. Toss gently.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and peel it. Cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick.

Arrange 2 shiso leaves (if you are using them) on each of 4 plates. Top with the avocado and rice mixture and sprinkle with nori strips.

Serves 4.

Serving easy party appetizers will help make your party memorable and fun. Everyone loves to eat when they go to a party. Try to include a cold appetizer recipe or two so you do not spend all night in the kitchen. Cold recipes can often be made ahead of time.

EasyAppetizerRecipes.net – You Make the Appetizers, We Help You Make Them Delicious

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Sushi Knife Set – Tips For Choosing the Best Knife
By T Stevens

With the proliferation of low quality cutlery sets in the market however, choosing the right kitchen tools has become more difficult than ever. The key to getting the perfect sushi knife set is thorough research. Here is a set of criteria that you can use in shopping a set of cutlery that will help you create sushi the right way.

Take note of the material. The best tools are made from the best materials. You should choose a sushi knife set that is made from high carbon steel which is the same kind of material that is used to produce samurai swords since the 16th Century. If the blades made from high carbon steel is good enough for the battlefield then it is good enough for the kitchen. Knives made from high quality materials are sure to last for a long time.

Just a short bit of trivia. Do you know that sushi knives are sharpened only on one side? This is done to provide a cleaner cut to the fish and other ingredients inside a sushi.

The set should include different kinds of knives. In making different kinds of sushi, different kinds of knives are also used. There is a knife specifically designed for tuna and then there is one that is designed for puffer fish. A sushi knife set, therefore, should be complete if you want to have the versatility to make different kinds of sushi. One of the most versatile knife that any set should have is the sashimi knife which also known as an all-purpose knife.

Should come with a decent price. Though price should not really be your basis of quality, you should be suspicious of sets that are priced very low. You cannot expect a $30 set to compare well with a set that cost several hundreds of dollars. Cheap knives are not as sharp and as strong as more expensive knives. If you do not have the budget to buy an expensive set, then get one that is priced st the middle of the price range.

Get a sharpening stone. It is important to include in here a section on how to sharpen sushi knives. This kind of knives have only one sharpened edge instead of two. This is the reason why you should never use a mechanical sharpener with these knives or else, you may ruin their blades. To maintain the sharpness of the knives in a sushi knife set, get a sharpening stone. Better yet, get a set that comes with its own stone.

Getting a sushi knife set is a good investment just make sure that you choose one well.

There are plenty of great sushi knives to choose from at the sushi knife set website.

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Home Recipes For Sushi Rolls – 3 Advantages to Making Sushi From Home Without Raw Fish!
By Devin Lambert

Home recipes for sushi rolls should be simple to follow, delicious and safe. I think that the best sushi rolls and recipes for home are often those that do not include raw meat or raw fish in the ingredients.

Here are 3 major advantages to making sushi rolls from home without using raw fish recipes!

1) Without uncooked meat, there is far less concern about salmanela, bacteria and disease!

2) Fresh, raw ingredients for sushi rolls is not always easy to locate. If you’ve ever sampled raw sushi that wasn’t fresh, then you’ll know just where I’m coming from!

3) Those at your dinner table will be far more likely to consume the delicous sushi you made once you’ve reassured them there was no uncooked ingredients involved!

Everyone can make sushi but most think it must be much more complex than it really is. Below is an extremely simple recipe that anyone can do!

The California Roll is one of the most famous choices for sushi. This roll has no raw meat and is a great sampler for those new to the sushi experience! Below I have included an extremely simple way to create a california roll at home.

First, the ingredients

4 cups sushi rice

4 sheets of nori (aka dried seaweed)

1 avocado

3/4 cup crab meat

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp salt

a. Cut the avocado in half, peel off the skin and cut the pieces into pieces. Now Mash the avocado.

b. Combine some imitation crab with the salt and mayonnaise

c. Cover a Bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Now place a sheet of the dried seaweed on top of the mat.

d. Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and pack down firmly till flat.

e. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice

f. Now flip the sushi over so the seaweed is now on top.

g. Place crab and avocado lengthwise over the seaweed.

h. Roll the bamboo mat forward while pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder shaped sushi

i. Press the bamboo mat with both hands then remove the rolled sushi.

j. Cut into the sizes/slices preferred and serve.

This is one of many great sushi recipes jam packed full of flavor that is easy and fun to make in your home. It also does not contain raw meat which is a good thing for the standard cook in the household.

For the best home recipes for sushi rolls instruction you will want to find a source that has many easy to follow recipes that are delicious yet do not require raw meat or fish.

There are so many different and popular sushi variations to choose from that do not involve raw meat. The most fun and simplistic guide I’ve found on the Internet for great sushi recipes for home without raw meat can be accessed easily at http://www.squidoo.com/home-recipes-for-sushi-rolls.

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Miso soup is commonly consumed in Japan. It is served with daily meals. Although the soybean paste is the main ingredient, each family has its own recipe. Some add daikon or seaweed while others cook with clam. Just like french fries to Americans, it is a common side dish in everyday meal for Japanese.

As I grew up eating miso soup everyday, I did not realize until recently its tremendous health benefits. Studies show that daily consumption of miso soup cuts the risk of breast cancer. Rich with antioxidants and protective fatty acids, it also contains full of vitamin E, B12, and many other minerals to boost your immune system.

Video Contributor: Koji Kagawa

Beyond Sushi – 3 Delicious But Lesser Known Japan Food Items
By Shane A Jones

If you’re a lover of Japanese food, you’re undoubtedly familiar with sushi, tempura, teriyaki, and other common Japanese food fare, but in this article I’d like to introduce you to three delicious Japan food items that you might not yet have heard of. All of these foods are both common and popular in Japan (not to mention delicious!), but have not yet found their way to the masses overseas in the same way that sushi has. Trust me, though, it’s just a matter of time before they do!

1. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake is a popular food item in Japan at restaurants, festivals and home parties. Translated literally as “cook what/as you like,” okonomiyaki is especially fun to eat at restaurants and home parties, where participants gather around a flat grill, mix up the ingredients, and have fun cooking the pancakes themselves.

The okonomiyaki pancake batter consists of flower, eggs, water, grated yam, and cabbage. Fillings include pork, assorted seafood, vegetables, kimchi, cheese, mochi, and yakisoba. Toppings and seasonings include nori seafood flakes, katsuobushi (fish flakes), pickled ginger, mayonnaise, and a Worcestershire-like sauce.

2. Takoyaki

Japanese Takoyaki is a snack of grilled octopus balls consisting of a pancake-like batter and a little piece of octopus as a filling. The dumpling batter is poured into a special pan molded into rows of little semi-circles and grilled for a few minutes on one side. Then the balls are flipped over with a toothpick or chopsticks and grilled on the other side until golden brown.

The takoyaki are then served up, usually in portions of 8 or so, in a plastic or paper container and topped with a sweet soy-based sauce and ingredients like green onion, pickled ginger, green onion, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (dried fish shavings).

3. Onigiri Rice Balls

Onigiri rice balls are a favorite picnic and snack food in Japan. Onigiri is a popular carry out food item in Japanese convenience stores, and is a common item found in bento boxed lunches. Simple to make and delicious to eat, onigiri is a staple food item in Japan.

Popular onigiri fillings include tuna salad, salmon flakes, seafood salad, konbu (a type of sea vegatable), umeboshi (a sour bright-red pickled Japanese plum), and shrimp tempura.

If you’re planning to travel to Japan, make sure to keep an eye out for these delicious Japan food items and give them a try!

Discover more delicious and uncommon Japan food items at the http://essential-japan-guide.com

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