Category: Fish

Sushi Burrito

If you ever thought sushi would just be a passing trend, you’re as shocked as the rest of us. And it’s not just the kosher world either (although we might be the only ones with sushi counters in pizza stores!).

The world is awash with sushi rice bowl recipes, make-your-own-sushi parties and now, THE SUSHI BURRITO, or as some like to call it, the SUSHIRRITO.

A sushi burrito is basically an excuse to eat an entire overstuffed sushi roll in one sitting and call it lunch :) And I got no problem with that! Especially since Michel de France introduced these flavored sushi wrappers which I just love. I’m not a big fan of the fishy taste and chewy texture of nori (otherwise known as seaweed), so these gluten free wraps are a welcome surprise! I love that they come in chili, poppy seed and sesame seed flavors, and now my kids (who aren’t fans of nori either) are happy to eat homemade sushi wraps as well. Can you say “Winner, winner sushi dinner?”!

Turns out, these inexpensive gluten-free wraps make a great alternative to traditional wheat wraps for sandwiches too. Quick and easy turkey wraps are my go-to Friday afternoon lunch for the kids, and I’ll definitely be trying all the Norigami flavors with that!

Now if you’re intimidated by the whole thinly sliced julienned vegetable thing, do yourself and a favor and pick up my must-have kitchen tool of all time, the JULIENNE PEELER. It looks like a traditional peeler, except instead of peeling off a single strip, small blades along the edge of the peeler slice the peel into thin julienne strips. It’s basically the best invention ever made.

With that said, the only thing left to intimidate you about these wraps is maybe the raw tuna. I wasn’t always a fan of raw fish myself, but I recently bit the bullet (or I should say, the protein) and went for it. I find that raw fish doesn’t really have much of a flavor at all, which is why I like to lightly marinate the fish in Myron’s ponzu sauce, which is also gluten free. Ponzu sauce is basically a light and refreshing lime, ginger and sesame sauce that’s great for marinating or dipping, and it infuses the fish with great flavor. Of course topping everything off with some spicy mayo doesn’t hurt either right? I mean, sriracha makes everything better.

Now sushi everything has been around on my site for a long time. In fact, I made sushi salad famous before it was ever a thing! I went through a bit of a crazy sushi phase where I made candy sushi, sushi snowmen, sushi hamantaschen and even a 3-tier sushi cake. I’m a sushi nerd, what can I say?

But getting back to traditional sushi eating…. the salad is definitely getting boring, and sushi rolls just seem like too much of a job. Which is why I’m totally loving the new sushi burrito craze and I hope you will too. With Shabbat going into Shavuot this year, six back to back meals call for light and refreshing lunch ideas – which is why these are absolutely perfect. You can even set up a bar and have people make their own. How fun?

Don’t forget to load on all the toppings because an extra dose of sweet sauce and spicy mayo are every sushi lovers dream. Are you drooling yet?

Signing off with a little shoutout to my kids, who served as my hand models in these pics when no one else was around! They were also more than happy to eat the leftovers (no raw fish for this pregnant mama!) so no waste is a win-win for this blogger mom!

This post was sponsored by Crafted Kosher. Visit craftedkosher.com for a large selection of gourmet kosher products. Follow Crafted Kosher on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

Related Recipes:

sushi salad
sushi salad II
kani salad
kani Caesar salad with nori croutons
tuna sashimi

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Sweet Chili Salmon with Wasabi Crust

It’s just one of those days. I got the kids out of the house on time for a change, and I was hoping to sit down early this morning to get a head start on work. But it was not to be. After making my rounds to the girls’ school, boys’ school and daycare for the little one, I was finally on my way back home when my daughter called me to say she had left her lunch. Oh, Mommyhood.

As a blogger, recipe developer, food photographer and full time mom, it’s hard to set a schedule for myself because kids are just so unpredictable. On the one hand, I’m SO thankful to have a job where I can make my own hours and work around my Mommy duties, but on the other hand, there’s so much to do and so little time. My husband is always telling me to hire help but I’m literally the worst delegator on earth. You know how they say if you want something done, do it yourself?  Well that’s kind of my M.O. I’m a perfectionist, and rather than dealing with someone doing something that is not up to par with my standards, I’d rather just do it myself. Can any of you relate?

I’m the same way in the kitchen. If I’m having lots of guests or prepping for big holiday meals or a cooking demonstration, the reasonable thing to do would be to have someone help me. But stubborn me just does it all myself because God forbid someone will slice something the wrong way. (Insert hands-over-eyes emoji) I know I’ve gotta learn to let go and be more flexible, I’m just not sure how. Ideas, anyone?

In the meantime, I’m going to go wake myself up with a big handful of spicy wasabi peas. It’s one of those snacks that I used to eat with abandon, and then suddenly one day, I found that I couldn’t look at them anymore. It’s been a while, but they’re back on my addictive snack list – I even put them on my salmon for an amazing spicy crunch!

This salmon recipe is super quick and easy – perfect for a weeknight dinner with some rice, and pretty enough for company with a side of sushi salad. Chop sticks optional.

Related Recipes:

spicy roasted edamame
teriyaki salmon
kani salad

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Fish Tacos with Savory Plantain Tortillas

Last year was my first time venturing into the world of plantains. It’s definitely a lesser known fruit, so I’m here to tell you more about it!

Plantains are a tropical fruit, and are best known for their use in tostones – a twice fried chip. You’ll find them on the menu in many Latin restaurants, like 26 Sushi & Tapas, in Miami, Florida. I love them topped with ceviche and avocado!

A plantain looks like a banana, but it’s slightly larger with angular sides. It’s taste and texture are determined by it’s stage of ripeness – firm and starchy when it’s green, and softer and sweeter when it’s yellow to black. Plantains cannot be eaten raw, but they make great (baked or fried!) chips when firm, delicious mash when ripe and great egg-free tortillas at any stage. Plantains are a resistant starch, which means that they pass through the digestive system sort of like soluble fiber and don’t spike blood sugar, making them popular among Paleo enthusiasts.

My interest in plantain tortillas was purely a Passover thing, since most kosher for Passover crepes are made using potato starch and eggs. I’m not a big fan of potato starch, and since my son is allergic to eggs, I was looking for an egg-free alternative.

I created two versions of the tortilla – a savory one, made with avocado oil, lime juice and a bit of chili powder, and a sweet one, made with coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla (recipe coming tomorrow!). Plantains don’t have much flavor on their own, so adding these ingredients was essential. I was pleasantly surprised that the tortillas were soft and pliable and really make a great substitute for Passover crepes and wraps. It’s great to have a recipe that doesn’t call for potato starch and eggs for a change, am I right?!

Now for the fillings! I’m a big fan of fish tacos so I definitely went that route with coconut crusted fish fillets which you can bake or fry (if you’re not a fan of coconut, I would recommend frying). Mango salsa is the perfect accompaniment to this tropical dish and curried mayo, one of my favorite condiments, rounds it out. This makes a great lunch or light dinner after all the heavy meat and potato dishes that we’re used to!

Looking for other potato alternatives for Pesach? Check out this article that I put together for OU kosher. It’s got lots of amazing recipes, suggestions and ideas for replacing the spud. You can thank me later!


Related Recipes:

plantain nachos
fish tacos with broccoli slaw
tropical guacamole
nutella crepes with sweet plantain tortillas

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Pepper Crusted Tuna with Pineapple Guacamole & Herbed Crema

I used to hate raw fish. It make me all squeamish. Raw meat too. I mean why would you want to eat raw food, possibly swimming with parasites, if you could eat it cooked, am I right? I was fine with a runny egg or two. Or three. But not the real proteins. Put a fancy plate of beef tartare with a raw egg in the center in front of me and I was out the door.

But then sometime about a year or two ago, I decided I was done being afraid of food and I wanted to try everything. I’m still not a fan of beef tartare but I’ve come to love raw sushi. It’s so much fun to be able to order off the entire sushi menu now, and not just the cooked rolls! You’ll be surprised just how easy it is to prepare pepper-crusted tuna sashimi at home. Just make sure you get the freshest, best quality tuna out there for this dish.

Related Recipes:

pan seared tuna steak
persimmon guacamole
jalapeno crema

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Honey Fig Roasted Salmon

Excuse me while I type while my mouth is full. [gulp]

I don’t usually eat the recipe I’m posting while I’m posting it, but I seriously can’t get enough of this salmon. Who knew figs and salmon would go so well together, right?

The truth is, I would eat figs over cardboard. They’re that good. And with Rosh Hashanah coming, I couldn’t think of a sweeter fruit to incorporate into my holiday meal. Fig season is short, and I want to make the most of it before it’s gone!

It’s hard to believe that summer is really coming to an end, and the High Holidays are almost upon us. I see it in the seasonal fruit that’s making it’s way into the stores (yay for honeycrisp apples!), I feel it while I shop around for school supplies, uniforms and Yom Tov clothes. And I even smell it in the air as the summer days turn to cool nights, and the scent of fall creeps in. It’s sad to see summer go, but the New Year brings with it a fresh start and new possibilities.

I feel about the The High Holidays, the same way I feel about the first day of school. It gives me butterflies. And even though I’m way past the school-era (thank G-d!!), I still get those butterflies when I take my kids to orientation on the first day. I never realized the benefits of marrying someone whose last name begins with an “A”, until my kids started school. Thankfully, I don’t have to sit there for hours until their name is called!

I may not be in school anymore, but the truth is, my name is still called, each year, on high. As we read in the prayer of “Unesanneh Tokef“, “All created beings pass before you, one-by-one, like a flock of sheep…You count, reckon, and are mindful of them, and you allocate the fixed portion for the needs of all your creatures”.

May we all be blessed, that as our names gets called by the ultimate principal, may we be inscribed for a SWEET (and figgy) New Year filled with healthy, happiness, peace and of course, good food!

I’d like to think that this holiday isn’t just about the food, but the truth is, it is so much a part of it. We celebrate Rosh Hashanah through an assortment of symbolic foods, including the head of a fish and sweet, sticky honey. This recipe uses a whole side of salmon, but you can feel free to cook the fish head along with it, for a beautiful presentation. I love how festive and elegant this is, not to mention sweet! It is sure to be a show stopper on your holiday table.

Related Recipes:

teriyaki salmon
honey mustard salmon
honey roasted figs
holiday salad with figs and honey

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