Deconstructed Sushi

Sushi. Most people associate that with chunks of raw fish and rice. I do not like raw fish but I like sushi. I like sushi with shrimp, vegetables, crab, and fruit. Yes - fruit! I have tried sushi with salmon several times but just can't say I like it. Now true sushi lovers are going to cringe but most of the sushi that I get comes from KROGER. On special occasions Hubby will take me to the local Japanese restaurant and I get the real/fresh/delicious sushi. My favorite is the mexican roll which has fried shrimp, some vegetables, jalapenos, and a yummy sauce. I am not someone who likes spicy things but for some reason this one appeals to my taste buds. I have been thinking about making sushi at home for a long time but I don't have patience and skills to do it. Hubby was out of town this week which left me several nights to eat yummy healthy foods he wouldn't touch. I was craving sushi and decided to make my own...my way. I went to the grocery store and got a bunch of food (some of it not healthy but oh so good).

Here is what I picked up:
Baby Cucumbers
Avocados
Shrimp
Cream Cheese

I already had brown rice, soy sauce, and vinegar at home. I forgot to pick up some seaweed sheets to add in but it was great without it. I am normally not a cucumber fan but the baby cucumber always taste better to me and when mixed in with all the ingredients were quite good. I cooked 2 cups of brown rice as this was also going to be my work dinners for several nights. While the rice was cooking I peeled and chopped up the cucumber. The first time I only used half a cucumber but the other nights I used a whole one. I sliced half an avocado up and took the tails off 8 cocktail shrimp. Once the rice was cooked I added in a little bit of cream cheese and soy sauce and stirred it up until it was all melted and mixed. I dumped my veggies and shrimp on top, stirred a little, and dug in! It was amazing and I enjoyed every bit of the 4 meals I ate it. It is a very light meal but filling. I was stuffed after each meal and was satisfied. I should have made this months ago when I thought about it but I won't be waiting months to make it again...maybe a week!

All mixed up and ready to eat!

Couscous Salad

Need a quick and easy lunch? Couscous is our favorite side dish that we usually eat with some variety of chicken. It is super easy to make: Boil water, put couscous in pan, stir, turn off heat, let sit for 5-8 minutes, and fluff with fork. That's it! You can find it in the rice section even though it is a pasta made from wheat. We buy a big container of RiceSelect Original Couscous and spice it up the way we (I) like it--usually boil it with a chicken bullion cube and once done add parmesan cheese, ranch powder, and garlic salt. Lots of parmesan....we go through it real fast. This is a light but filling meal that is great for summer time when you can get fresh ingredients to go in it. I need to go raid my parents garden soon for some fresh tomatoes! Here is how this recipe goes:

The amount of broth/water depends on how much couscous you want to make. It is a 1:1 ratio. Usually one cup of couscous is enough for hubby and me with a little left over. We will go with 2 cups for the recipe.

Place 2 cups chicken broth/ or water with a bullion cube on the stove and bring to a boil.

Once water is boiling add in your 2 cups of couscous, stir, cover, turn off heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Once the 5 minutes is over get a fork and fluff up your couscous. It looks very dense but once you start fluffing you will be amazed how light and how much it bulk up. I also always add a little butter when fluffing up the couscous to keep it from getting too dry.



Cut up and add: 12 grape tomatoes, 2 green onion sliced, 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1/4 cup red onion minced, and 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Toss with a fork and Enjoy--see super easy

Now the fun comes in when you start adding and taking away ingredients to make it  the perfect meal for you. I like to add shrimp in my salad for a little protein. I have done many different varieties and loved most of them. There were a few that were placed on the do not repeat list!

Let me know if you try this and what your perfect recipe combo has in it.

--R