CHILDREN'S DAY FISH FINGER & CHICKEN GOUJON TEMAKI RECIPE

Children's Day (called kodomo no hi) is celebrated in Japan on May 5th. On this day Japanese people celebrate their children's health and happiness by flying carp kites (called koinobori) outside their houses. They eat traditional sticky rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves called kashiwa-mochi and take iris baths (shobu-yu).

Here's my recipe to celebrate Children's Day which is one of my toddler's favourite foods. This recipe can be used for your child's school lunch or it's a great idea for a children's birthday party.

Temaki is a cone shaped sushi hand roll wrapped in nori seaweed and filled with sushi rice and your favourite ingredients.

FIONA'S RECIPE FOR FISH FINGER & CHICKEN GOUJON 
TEMAKI SUSHI HAND ROLL

This recipe makes 6 temaki rolls

SUSHI RICE INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

320g Japanese rice, uncooked

Bottled sushi vinegar or homemade sushi vinegar

To make homemade sushi vinegar you'll need:

- 100ml Japanese rice vinegar

- 2 tbsp caster sugar

- Half tsp salt

Click here to see how to prepare sushi rice.

TEMAKI ROLL FILLINGS

3 x nori sheets, cut in half

2 x fish fingers. cooked and cut in half lengthways

2 x chicken goujon, cooked and cut into thin strips

Tinned sweetcorn, drained

Cucumber, cut into thin strips

Carrot, boiled and cut into thin strips

Sesame seeds (optional to garnish)
Mayonnaise

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut the nori sheet in half placing the shiny side down.

 2. Put a heaped tablespoon of sushi rice (50g) on the left side of the nori sheet. 

3. Moisten your hands (in a water bowl with a few drops of rice vinegar) before spreading the rice evenly over nearly half of the nori sheet using your fingertips.

4. Place the halved fish finger and a thin line of mayo at a 45 degree angle on the rice. For the chicken goujon temaki place the chicken, cucumber and carrot with a thin line of mayo at a 45 degree angle on the rice (try not to overload with ingredients as this will make it difficult to roll).
 

6. Slowly start to roll the temaki by taking the bottom left corner of the nori and fold it over towards the top right corner of the rice. Continue to fold as shown in the photos below. Place a few grains of cooked rice on the last corner of the nori (to stop the roll unfolding) and finish folding. 

 

  

7. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the chicken goujon temaki and tinned sweetcorn over the fish finger temaki.

Notes:

Click here to see my post on avocado, prawn and mango temaki sushi hand roll.

Click here to see my post on maki rolls (makizushi).



BASIC JAPANESE COOKING: HOW TO MAKE SUSHI RICE (SHARI OR SUSHI-MESHI)



STEP 1 - HOW TO WASH AND COOK THE RICE:

1. Measure 2 cups of Japanese white rice (using a rice cup this weighs 320g).   
2. Place the rice in a medium sized bowl and add cold water.
3. Wash the rice using your hand to gently rub the rice grains against each other. The water will become cloudy from the starch.
4. Drain the rice and add more water. Continue to do this a few times until the water runs almost clear.
5. Add the rice to a heavy based saucepan if you don't have a rice cooker.  
6. Add 2 cups of cold water to the rice in the saucepan (always add the same amount of water as rice).  
7. Put the lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to maximum (it's best to use a tight lid to prevent the water escaping).
8. When the water starts to boil reduce the heat and leave the rice cooking for about 10 minutes (try not to remove the lid).
9. Then, turn off the heat and leave the rice standing for another 10 minutes.

STEP 2 - HOW TO PREPARE THE SUSHI RICE VINEGAR (AWASE-ZU):

1. Pour 100ml of rice vinegar and 2 tbsp of sugar into a non-aluminium saucepan.
2. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and then add half tsp of salt
3. Set aside and allow to cool.

STEP 3 - HOW TO MAKE THE SUSHI RICE:

1. Transfer the hot rice to a shallow non-metallic baking tray using a rice spatula or wooden spoon.
2. Sprinkle 100ml of the sushi rice seasoning evenly over the rice and then gently turn and fold the rice with the spatula (try not to break the rice grains).
3. At the same time, fan the rice using a fan (uchiwa) or a piece of cardboard to help cool the rice to room temperature and absorb the excess sushi rice seasoning.
4. Try to use the rice as soon as possible and avoid putting in the fridge as this will harden the rice. You can cover the rice with a damp tea towel for a few hours if necessary. 

 NOTES/TIPS:

• You have to use Japanese short grain rice to make sushi.
• Sushi is best served at room temperature.
• You can use bottled sushi vinegar instead of making your own. However I prefer to make my own as I can control the amount of sugar and salt that I add to the sushi vinegar.
• When preparing sushi rice ideally you should use an untreated wooden bowl to help absorb excess moisture from the rice. A hangiri (large flat wooden bowl ) is used for this purpose. This can be bought online these days.
• Below is a picture of the rice that I use. It's called Shinode sushi rice from Italy which is sold in Superquinn and Asian Market in Dublin, Ireland.

BASIC JAPANESE COOKING: TEMAKI SUSHI HAND ROLLS

I love making temaki when I'm entertaining family or friends at home. Sometimes I prepare the temaki rolls in advance and other times I leave all the ingredients in the centre of the table and let everyone dig in and make their own temaki. My nieces and nephews eyes always light up when they're allowed to make their own temaki so it's a enjoyable way to encourage kids to eat a healthy meal. 

Temaki sushi is a cone shaped hand roll wrapped in nori seaweed and filled with sushi rice and your favourite ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

Sushi rice and seasoning

160g sushi rice (uncooked)
Japanese white rice vinegar 50ml
Sugar 1 tbsp
Salt half tsp

Temaki

Half nori (roasted seaweed) sheets

Smoked salmon or raw salmon (make sure to source salmon which is suitable for eating raw)

Avocado (peeled and cut into long strips)

Mango (peeled and cut into long strips)

Sesame seeds (optional to garnish)

Soya sauce (optional as a dipping sauce)

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

How to prepare sushi rice

1. Click here to see my post on how to prepare and cook Japanese rice. 
2. To make the sushi rice seasoning pour 50ml of rice vinegar and 1 tbsp of sugar into a non-aluminium saucepan. 
3. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and then add half tsp of salt. Stir, take off the heat and allow to cool. 
4. Once the rice is cooked transfer it to a shallow non-metallic baking tray using a rice spatula or wooden spoon. 
5. Sprinkle the sushi rice seasoning evenly over the rice and then gently turn the rice with a spatula (try not to break the rice grains by gently using the spatula to cut into the rice at an angle and fold over the rice).
6. Fan the rice using a fan or a piece of cardboard to help cool the rice to room temperature and absorb the excess sushi rice seasoning. 
7. Try to use the rice as soon as possible and avoid putting it in the fridge as this will harden the rice. You can cover the rice with a damp tea towel and set aside in a cool place until needed.

 
Temaki
1. Cut the nori sheet in half placing the shiny side of the nori sheet down.

2. Put a heaped tablespoon of sushi rice on the left side of the nori sheet. 

3. Moisten your hands before spreading the rice evenly over nearly half of the nori sheet using your fingertips.

4. Place all the ingredients including the strip of salmon, avocado and mango at a 45 degree angle on the rice (try not to overload with ingredients as this will make it difficult to roll).

6. Slowly start to roll the temaki by taking the bottom left corner of the nori and fold it over towards the top right corner of the rice. Continue to fold as shown in the photos below. Place a few grains of cooked rice on the last corner of the nori (to stop the roll unfolding) and finish folding. 
 

 7. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the temaki. 

  
HOW TO EAT:
Serve as soon as possible so that the nori is still crispy. Dip into a little soya sauce and eat with your hand. 

TIPS:
You can roll the temaki by laying the nori on the palm of your hand but I find it easier to roll the temaki on a solid surface. 

Temaki is a perfect finger food to serve at a party. 

GARLIC FRIED RICE TOPPED WITH A FRIED EGG

This is one of my favourite quick and healthy recipes. You only need three basic ingredients (garlic, egg and rice) to make this dish so it's perfect when the fridge is practically empty and you don't have much time to cook. 

Ingredients:

Bowl of cooked white rice (any type of rice)

2 cloves of garlic (peeled and grated)
1 egg (free range/organic preferably)

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Sesame oil (optional to season)

Soya sauce(optional to season)

Nanami togarashi (Japanese seven spices) or a mix of any of the following - salt, pepper, paprika, sesame seeds (black or white), bits of nori seaweed.

Instructions:
Garlic Fried Rice

1. Heat the vegetable oil on medium to high heat in a heavy based saucepan and add the grated garlic.

2. Fry the garlic for a minute or less (do not brown)

3. Add the cooked rice and mix with the garlic for about 1 minute.

4. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the rice and stir. 

5. Pour a little soya sauce evenly over the rice and stir quickly. Then take off the heat.

Fried Egg

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat. 

2. Crack in the egg and fry until the white is cooked but the yolk is still soft. 

2. Toss the rice on a warm plate and place the fried egg on top. 

9. Sprinkle the egg with nanami togarashi or any of the alternative spices listed in the ingredients above. 

  

PUMPKIN (KABOCHA) & PEA RICE

Prep time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

320g Japanese rice (or other type of rice), uncooked
Sesame oil, for frying
Thumb size piece of fresh ginger, finely diced
2 x garlic cloves, finely diced

200g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2cm cubes

100g fresh or frozen peas

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook rice (please click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice).

2. Pour 1-2 tsp of sesame oil on a frying pan and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot add the garlic and ginger. Slowly cook for a few minutes on low/ medium heat.

3. Add the pumpkin cubes and continue to cook for another few minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper. 

5. Turn the heat to medium/ high and add a few tbsp of water to allow the pumpkin to cook faster. When the water has almost reduced turn the heat to low/medium.

6. Add the peas, stir and continue to fry for a few more minutes.

7. In a large saucepan mix the hot cooked rice and pumpkin mix together and drizzle 1-2 tbsp of soya sauce evenly over the rice.

HOW TO EAT:

You can eat this dish as a main course or a side dish served with other dishes.

TIPS:

Try not to add too much soya sauce as it will over power the rest of the flavours.

WHY NOT:

Add king prawn or shrimp to this dish.

Japanese Rice Balls Recipe - Onigiri

Now that the children are back to school I started to think about the challenge that faces parents to pack a healthy and appetizing school lunch for their children. In recent years, schools have started to play a role in encouraging parents to pack healthy lunches by not allowing children to have sugar filled snacks as part of their lunch. My sister actually mentioned in passing the other day that her son's school gives awards for the best packed lunch!

Japanese rice balls called onigiri in Japanese are a popular lunchbox filler in Japan. So if you're stuck for ideas when packing your children's lunch or your own lunch for work then try these easy to make and very healthy rice balls! Since Japanese rice is very sticky the rice balls won't fall apart so it's easy to eat these with your hands. You can wrap them in cling film in your lunchbox so that they keep their shape and stay fresh.  

The recipe below is very basic using only rice and seaweed with some seasoning on top but you can add whatever fillings you like in the middle or mix the filling with the rice and then shape the rice ball. Tuna mayo is a popular filling for rice balls and generally liked by most people.

Ingredients:
Japanese sushi rice (320g uncooked)
Pinch of salt  
1 Nori sheet (roasted seaweed)
Dried shiso leaf (optional for seasoning)
Roasted sesame seeds (optional for seasoning)

Makes 6-8 rice balls

Instructions:
1. Cook rice (please click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice).

2. Fill a small bowl with cold water and then add the salt. Use this water bowl to coat your hands before you start making the rice balls. I tend to use sushi rice seasoning to coat my hands if I have the ingredients and time, click here to see how to make sushi rice seasoning.

3. Coat your hands in the seasoned water and take a handful of warm rice. Start to shape the rice into a oval or triangular shape. Make sure you hands are firm when shaping the rice to ensure that the rice ball won't fall apart.

4. Place a sheet of nori on a chopping board. Cut off a small piece of nori and wrap it around the bottom of the rice ball as shown in the picture above. 

5. Sprinkle dried shiso leaf or sesame seeds over the rice ball.

How to eat:
Eat with your hands like a sandwich.

Tips:
1. Don't try to shape the rice ball when the rice is hot as you'll burn your hand!

2. Don't put the nori on the rice until you're ready to eat it if you like the nori crispy.

3. Only use Japanese sushi rice as the rice has to be sticky to make rice balls.

Why not:
Cover the rice ball completely in nori if you like the taste of nori.

Japanese Style Fried Rice Recipe

Although fried rice is traditionally a Chinese dish it is extremely popular in Japan. If you want to use leftovers in the fridge this is a great way to do just that. This is a basic fried rice recipe adding just egg and spring onion, however you can add a cup of your favourite seafood, meat or vegetables cut into small pieces.

Prep time 5mins
Cooking time 5mins
Serves 4 

Ingredients: 
Japanese rice 320g (uncooked)
Rapeseed oil (for frying)
2 eggs (beaten) 
Spring onion (two stalks cut finely)
Salt (to taste)
Soya sauce (to taste)
Sesame oil (to taste)

Instructions: 
Most of the time I use leftover rice to prepare this recipe. Please click here to see my post on how to cook Japanese rice if you need to make the rice from scratch. You can use other types of rice apart from Japanese rice for this recipe. However, my instructions on how to cook rice apply to Japanese rice only.
1. Add rapeseed oil to a heavy based saucepan on medium heat. To check if the oil is hot enough scrap a thin line of beaten egg across the saucepan using chopsticks or a spatula. If the egg cooks straightaway then the saucepan is hot enough.
2. Pour the beaten egg into the saucepan and using a spatula cook in the same way as scrambled egg. Once the egg is cooked (try not to overcook the egg) remove from the saucepan and transfer to a small clean bowl. If there is some egg stuck to the saucepan then wash or wipe clean.
3. Pour more rapeseed oil into the saucepan and return the heat to medium. Once the oil is hot add the spring onion and cook quickly for a minute and then add the rice. Use a spatula to turn the rice getting rid of any lumps.
4. Toss the cooked egg into the saucepan and mix with the rice and spring onion.
5. Season with salt and soya sauce and continue to stir for less than a minute.
6. Finally, sprinkle sesame oil over the dish and stir again for a minute or less making sure not to overcook as this can easily happen. 

How to serve: 
The rice is now ready to serve as a main dish or as a side dish with other dishes. 

Tips:
Add a cup of your favourite seafood, meat or vegetables cut into small pieces to
turn this dish into a main course.

Why not:
Cook this dish when you have leftover rice to avoid waste!

EASY TO MAKE ROLLED SUSHI - MAKI ROLL/ MAKIZUSHI

The thoughts of making sushi at home sounds daunting but once you make sushi a few times you'll realise it's not as difficult as it looks. There are many different types of sushi but today I'm going to focus on maki rolls. A maki roll is a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) rolled in sushi rice and different fillings. There is such a wide selection of fillings that I decided to make 3 different types of fillings that work well together and are reasonably easy to get in the shops. You can change these and replace them with your favourite ingredients or simply add what you happen to have in the cupboard or fridge at home. 

WHERE TO FIND THE INGREDIENTS: 
Nowadays, all the basic ingredients that you need to make sushi can be found in larger supermarkets, health stores and Asian supermarkets. Most larger supermarkets in Ireland like Tesco and Superquinn have a designated Asian/ Japanese food corner. The most well know Asian supermarkets in Dublin include The Asian Market (Drury St Co. Dublin and Merrywell Business park, Ballymount Dublin 22) and Oriental Emporium (Jervis St. Co. Dublin, George's St. Co. Dublin and Unit C, Aerodrome Business Park, Collegeland, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin). Click here to see my post on "Basic Japanese Ingredients - what they are and where you can find them".

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO MAKE SUSHI AT HOME? 
Sushi has developed a reputation for being an expensive food to eat and this can be true when you eat sushi in sushi bars or restaurants. However, it is relatively cheap to make sushi at home. In the last few years all the ingredients to make sushi have become readily available in our supermarkets and ever-growing selection of health stores and Asian supermarkets. I've listed the individual prices from Tesco and Superquinn of the items to make sushi (this price was collected in July 2012 and may change). Once you invest in these ingredients you'll be able to reuse them to make different sushi recipes making it even cheaper to make sushi at home!

TESCO	Price1	SUPERQUINN	Price2
Sushi Bamboo Mat	€1.79	Sushi Bamboo Mat	€1.61
Sushi Nori (roasted seaweed sheets)	€1.79	Sushi Nori (roasted seaweed sheets)	€1.99
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)	€1.79	Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)	€2.19
Japanese Sushi Rice (500g)	€1.79	Shinode Japanese Rice (1 kilogram)	€3.19
Japanese Sushi White Rice Vinegar (150ml)	€1.79	Japanese Sushi White Rice Vinegar (150ml)	€2.99
Pickled Ginger	€1.79	Pickled Ginger	€3.19

INGREDIENTS: 

Sushi rolling mat
4 x Sushi Nori Sheets (roasted seaweed sheets)
Japanese Sushi Rice 320g (uncooked)

Sushi rice seasoning 
Japanese Sushi White Rice Vinegar 100ml
Sugar 2 tbsp
Salt half tsp

Serve with the sushi 
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Pickled Ginger
Japanese soya sauce (Kikkoman preferably)

- Type 1 Sushi Filling
Cooked prawns (pull to straighten)
Avocado (cut into long strips)
Pickled Ginger 
- Type 2 Sushi Filling
Tinned tuna mixed with mayonnaise
Cucumber (cut into long strips)
- Type 3 Sushi Filling
Carrot (cooked and cut into long strips)
Egg (omelet style cooked egg cut into long strips)
Cucumber (cut into long strips)
Pickled Ginger

STEPS TO MAKE SUSHI:

1. Click here to see how to prepare sushi rice

2. Putting the sushi rice on the nori 
Place a sheet of nori shiny-side down and the lines in the nori running vertical on a rolling mat. Cut off the top piece of the nori as shown in the picture below to get the perfect sized maki roll. Put a few drops of vinegar in a bowl of water and use this to wet your hands when applying the rice to the nori to avoid the rice sticking to your hands. Using the spatula divide the rice in the tray into four quarters using one quarter for each nori sheet. Gently spread the rice over the nori sheet trying not to press on the rice too hard. Spread the rice to the edges of the nori and leave a 2 cm gap at the top of the seaweed as shown in the picture below.





 3. Put the fillings on the rice as shown in the pictures below.

 

4. Start to roll

Using both hands hold the filling in place with your fingers then use your index fingers and thumbs to start to roll the mat forward and bring the nori over the filling. Now, press down firmly but gently to create a roll shape. To form the complete maki roll pull the end of the mat with one hand and continue to push the roll forward with the other hand (if some ingredients fall out the sides just push them back in and don't worry if the edges of the roll look untidy as this is ok). Remove the mat from the roll.

5. Cut the roll

Place the roll on a chopping board and using a sharp knife cut in half (try to only cut in one direction). Then, using a damp clean cloth wipe the knife clean and continue to cut the two halves into four pieces and then cut the four pieces in half leaving you with eight pieces altogether.

Place on a plate and serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

How to prepare and cook Japanese Rice

Click here to see the Japanese rice that I buy in Superquinn and the Asian market on Drury St in Dublin (they also have another store in Merrywell Business park, Ballymount, Dublin 22).

Instructions:

1. Measure 2 cups of Japanese white rice.   
2. Place the rice in a medium sized bowl and add cold water. To wash the rice use your hand to gently rub the rice grains against each other.
3. Drain the rice and add more water. Continue to clean the rice and replace the water until the water runs almost clear.  
4. Add the rice to a heavy based saucepan if you don't have a rice cooker.  
5. Add 2 cups of cold water to the rice in the saucepan (always add the same amount of water as rice).  
6. Put the lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to maximum. When the water starts to boil reduce the heat and leave the rice cooking for about 10 minutes (try not to remove the lid).
7. Then, turn off the heat and leave the rice standing for another 10 minutes. Now, remove the lid and using a rice spatula turn the rice from the wall of the saucepan towards the middle to get a nice fluffy and sticky white rice. 

How to eat:
Serve in individual bowls if you're having a traditional style Japanese meal. Since Japanese rice is sticky it's easy to eat with chopsticks compared to other types of rice.

Tips:  

1. To make the rice tastier leave the drained washed rice sitting for about 10 minutes before cooking. Or my Japanese homestay mother use to leave the rice and water sitting in the rice cooker for about an hour before cooking.
2. Make sure to wash the rice properly using your hand. How you wash the rice is just as important as how you cook the rice to get the perfect bowl of sticky Japanese rice! 

Why not: 

Add your favourite vegetable and some sake to the rice (tiny pieces of carrots or peas go very well).