Candied California Rolls

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

Making these treats is very similar to making the real thing. Sticky marshmallow and rice cereal mixture is spread like sushi rice with damp fingertips before being shaped into rolls with a bamboo rolling mat. Let kids in on the fun by providing bowls of their favorite fillings such as sour candies, chocolates or even cake scraps to create their own fun rolls that from afar look very much like the real thing. To make eating Candied California Rolls even more realistic, provide kids with chopsticks, a dab of stiff icing tinted wasabi green, slices of red gum candy “ginger” (or real crystallized ginger) and a small dish of chocolate syrup for dipping.

Candied California Rolls

Makes 48 pieces

Crispy Rice Cereal “Sushi Rice”

6 cups crisp rice cereal

10 oz marshmallows

3 TBSP butter or margarine

For the Rolls

12 red licorice twists

1 small package Swedish Fish candies

1 small package gummy fruit slices, cut in half length wise

Orange jimmies

Black jimmies

Crystallized ginger pieces or 3-4 red gummy fruit slices, cut into very thin slices, optional

Very stiff icing, tinted green, optional

Chocolate syrup for dipping, optional

Non stick cooking spray

Waxed paper

Small bowl of ice water for dipping fingers

Bamboo rolling mats covered in plastic wrap, It is ideal to use 6 mats, but rolls can be made with one mat.

Before making the rice mixture, set out all fillings and toppings for the rolls in an easily accessible fashion. Place orange and black jimmies on separate flat plates. Lay bamboo rolling mats flat, with slats horizontal to the edge of the work surface. Cut 6 pieces of waxed paper to match the size of a bamboo rolling mat. Place 1 piece on each mat. Spray each piece of waxed paper with a light coating of non stick cooking spray.

To make the “sushi rice”, place marshmallows and butter or margarine in a large microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter or margarine on HIGH, removing and stirring every 10 seconds. Mixture should be smooth. Add cereal and stir thoroughly.

Working quickly and carefully, dip fingers into ice water and place about 1 cup of warm marshmallow mixture on each piece of waxed paper. Spread rice into an approximate 4 inch by 7 inch rectangle.  Place 2 red licorice horizontally in the center of the rectangle. Line Swedish fish end to end horizontally in the center of the rectangle. Line gummy fruit slice pieces end to end horizontally in the center of the rectangle. If desired, sprinkle with orange jimmies.

Starting from the bottom of the rectangle, roll upwards until a tight roll is formed. Tighten and shape with the bamboo rolling mat. Remove rolls from waxed paper. Set waxed paper aside. Roll rolls in orange or black jimmies before placing back on waxed paper. Roll waxed paper around rolls and place in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

To cut, remove waxed paper from rolls and discard. Cut each roll into 8 pieces, seam side down, with a serrated knife using quick sawing motions. If needed, dip knife into water between cuts to clean the blade. Arrange on serving plates and serve with tinted icing wasabi, crystallized ginger, and chocolate dipping sauce if desired.

Sesame Beef Sashimi

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

The addition of sesame adds a delicious nutty dimension to the flavor of tataki as well as a spectacular presentation. This tataki is great with ponzu sauce and crispy fried wonton strips sprinkled with shichimi togarashi, Japanese 7 spice pepper. One recipe yields 1 large sashimi platter.

Sesame Beef Sashimi

1 pound high quality beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat

1 cup Japanese soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin, Japanese sweet cooking wine

1 TBSP unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

cooking oil

about 1/4 cup black and/or white sesame seeds, toasted

Ponzu Dipping Sauce, optional

Fried Wonton Strips

Gyoza or dumpling wrappers, cut in half, thin strips or as desired

Enough oil for frying

Shichimi togarashi or a mixtue of salt and cayenne

Heat cooking oil in a pan to 350 degrees F. Add wonton pieces a few at a time and fry until golden, flipping to ensure that both side are cooked. This will only take a few seconds. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with togarashi or salt/cayenne mixture. Repeat until desired number of chips have been made.

Optional suggested garnishes. For best flavor, select 1-2 garnishes:

Finely chopped scallions or chives

Fried garlic chips

Finely grated daikon radish

Finely grated ginger

In a plastic or ceramic bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Place beef tenderloin in bowl and turn several times to coat all sides of beef in marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 20 minutes, flipping the beef over after 10 minutes.

Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Discard marinade.Very lightly rub the tenderloin with a thin coating of cooking oil. Roll tenderloin in sesame seeds. Heat a heavy-duty sauté pan over high heat. Add just enough cooking oil, about 1 TBSP, to keep beef from sticking to the pan. Place beef in pan and quickly sear each side until lightly browned, about 10-15 seconds*. Alternately, quickly sear beef with a kitchen torch. When all sides have been seared, remove from pan allow to cool.

Cut beef across the grain into the thinnest possible slices with a very sharp knife. Lightly tap each piece a few times with the blade of the knife to score, being careful not to cut all the way through. Arrange pieces, slightly overlapping, on a large serving platter. Place fried wonton strips in the center of the platter. If desired, place a chopstick pinch of 1 garnish on top of each slice or sprinkle liberally. Serve with soy sauce or ponzu.

*This is very rare and falls well below the USDA recommended internal temperatures guidelines for beef to enhance its safety for children, pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems and older individuals. Please prepare your beef with consideration to what is comfortable and healthy for those consuming the finished product. Beef tataki is best enjoyed when prepared at a temperature of medium or below.

The USDA recommends the following Temperatures:

Rare 120- 125 degrees F

Medium Rare 130 – 135 degrees F

Medium 140 – 145 degrees

Beef Tataki Rolls with Shiitake and Chives

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

Don’t let the dainty look of these small bites fool you. Each is packed with immense flavor and requires just the tiniest bit of ponzu. This recipe yields about thirty pieces.

Beef Tataki Rolls with Shiitake and Chives 

Basic Beef Tataki Recipe

10-12 shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly

2 TBSP cooking oil

1 thin bunch of chives, cut into 1 inch portions

slices of lemon, for garnish

shredded daikon or greens such as watercress and pea sprouts, for garnish

Ponzu dipping sauce

In a pan over medium heat, lightly sauté shiitake mushroom slices in cooking oil until just cooked, about 1 1/2 –2 minutes. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Prepare beef according to the basic beef tataki recipe. Cut beef across the grain into the thinnest possible slices with a very sharp knife. Lightly tap each piece a few times with the blade of the knife to score, being careful not to cut all the way through. Lay beef slices flat vertically. For each slice, place 2-3 chives and 2-3 pieces of sautéed shiitake mushroom in the center. Roll each slice from the bottom into a small roll.

Arrange completed rolls on a serving tray and garnish with lemon slices and daikon or greens. Serve with ponzu dipping sauce.

Beef Tataki Nigiri

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

Using one basic beef tataki recipe, you can create an assortment of flavors by simply changing the toppings. For best results use only 1-2 toppings per piece of nigiri. One basic beef tataki recipe yields about 30 pieces of nigiri.

Beef Tataki Nigiri

About 2 1/2 cups prepared sushi rice

Basic Beef Tataki Recipe

Balsamic vinegar syrup, optional

Wasabi, optional

Pickled Ginger, optional

Soy sauce for dipping

Suggested toppings:

Fried garlic chips

Finely chopped scallions

Finely grated ginger

Toasted sesame seeds

Chives

Finely grated daikon radish

Prepare beef according to the basic beef tataki recipe. Cut beef across the grain into the thinnest possible slices with a very sharp knife. Lightly tap each piece a few times with the blade of the knife to score, being careful not to cut all the way through.

To make nigiri zushi, the most important thing is to make sure that the balls of rice are all the same size. Dip fingers into a bowl of cool water and use your hands to shape little rectangles of rice that are about 1 in by 1⁄2 in. Make enough rectangles of rice to accommodate the number of beef pieces. Top each rice rectangle with 1 slice of beef and use hands to mold beef to the rice.

If desired, neatly drizzle serving dish with balsamic vinegar syrup. Arrange nigiri side by side on the serving platter. Garnish each piece with chopstick pinches of various garnishes. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger and soy sauce if desired.