Want a break from the typical green tea ice cream served for after sushi dessert? Try these refreshing strawberries. Matcha, green tea powder, is mixed with white chocolate for a unique treat. After the berries are dipped, a sprinkling of crystallized ginger or toasted almonds add to the presentation. This application also works well with small, whole pears.

Green Tea & White Chocolate Strawberries
Yields 1 dozen large berries

12 large, blemish free strawberries
1/2 cup white chocolate, or white candy coating, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp (or more to taste) Matcha, green tea powder
1 TBSP finely chopped crystallized ginger, or toasted almonds

waxed paper

For best results, wash strawberries only moments before dipping. Dry strawberries completely with paper towels. (Water will cause melted white chocolate to seize.)

To melt white chocolate, place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals, stirring until white chocolate just begins to melt. Whisk in green tea powder.

Dip strawberries in green tea and white chocolate mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Place strawberry on waxed paper and sprinkle immediately with crystallized ginger or nuts. Continue until all strawberries are complete.

Allow chocolate to harden at room temperature, about 10 – 15 minutes. To speed up the process, place berries in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Remove promptly to prevent condensation.

Store finished strawberries at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Delicious with gingerbread cupcakes (without the green tea glaze) or chocolate ice cream.

Potstickers, also called gyoza, are dumplings that get their name from the appearance of their crisp, browned underside.

Potstickers often contain pork, shrimp or a combination of both. If you have shellfish allergies or do not include pork or shellfish in your diet, ground chicken is a great way to enjoy potstickers. Ground chicken, rather than ground beef or ground turkey, mimics the consistency produced by the more traditional pork or shrimp fillings.

The filling for this recipe is fully flavored. Rather than using a flavored dipping sauce, I recommend using just a bit of full sodium soy sauce if needed.

No Pork, No Shellfish Potstickers (Gyoza)

Makes about 30 Potstickers

1/2 pound ground chicken

3/4 cup finely chopped cabbage

2 tablespoon green onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sambal chili paste

pinch of salt

about 2 tablespoon corn starch to make a slurry (optional)

vegetable oil for frying

30 gyoza wrappers, or as needed

In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, cabbage, green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sambal chili paste and salt. Place covered in refrigerator until ready to assemble potstickers.

In a small bowl add enough water to cornstarch to make a thick paste.  Alternately, water alone can be used to seal the potstickers. Open gyoza wrappers and lay a damp kitchen towel across to keep wrappers from drying out.

Lay a few wrappers on a clean, dry surface. Wet all the edges with cornstarch slurry or water. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the sides up to form a semicircle, and then pinch the edges to seal. Resist the urge to overfill, as it will be difficult to keep the edges sealed. Continue with the rest of the wrappers until the filling is gone. Place potstickers between layers of waxed paper or on plastic chopping mats to prevent them from sticking together. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to cook. These can be prepped a day in advance.

To cook, heat about 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 4-5 potstickers (do not overcrowd pan) and allow to brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Cover the pan and cook until the water is absorbed (3 to 5 minutes). Repeat with the remaining potstickers.

Serve hot or room temperature.

* The dumplings may alternatively be fried on both sides for about 2-3 minutes or until filling is completely cooked. *

Pickled vegetables such as eggplant, burdock root and daikon are quite commonly used as components for sushi rolls. In my first days of creating sushi in a small Mississippi town, recipes for pickled vegetable rolls popped up in nearly every sushi book I could find. But most of them I could neither pronounce nor find in my local, closet sized Asian market.  A few of the more traditional books featured recipes for pickled items; but daikon radish and small Japanese style eggplants were also unavailable. Like so many times before, I had to improvise.

The task was an easy one as Southerners have such a great tradition of preserving. Between peppers, green beans, chow chow and a host of other canned jewels the hardest part was narrowing down the selection. My favorite pickled vegetable, next to dill cucumbers, had always been okra. This didn’t seem like a stretch as many of the Japanese cookbooks I flipped through for inspiration contained okra recipes. Pickled okra sushi? Why not!

This recipe uses the technique for rolling thick sushi rolls. Review this method with detailed instructions and step by step photos here.

Pickled Okra Futomaki

Makes 1 futomaki roll, 5 pieces

1 4in x 7in piece nori

about 1/2 cup prepared sushi rice

2 blanched green beans

small pinch of matchstick cut carrots

1 large pickled okra, cut in half lengthwise

2 thin strips of red bell pepper

1 tsp finely chopped scallion

1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

wasabi, optional

pickled ginger, optional

soy sauce for dipping, optional

Place nori vertically, rough side facing upwards, on a bamboo rolling mat. Using wet hands, spread prepared sushi rice evenly on the bottom 2/3 of the nori.

Next, add roll ingredients according to the method for making thick sushi rolls. Place scallions and sesame seeds in a line across the center of the rice. Place okra halves end to end in the center of the rice. It’s okay if the ends extend past the roll as this makes a nice presentation. Top with green beans and red bell pepper strips, being sure that all ingredients extend the length of the sushi roll.

Roll according to the method for making thick sushi rolls. Allow roll to set seam side down on cutting surface for 2 minutes before cutting into 5 pieces.  Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping if desired.

Chirashi zushi, also known as scattered sushi, is unrolled sushi served in a container. Often the container is a small bowl or lacquered box. A layer of sushi rice is placed inside the container, then topped or “scattered” with various ingredients such as fish, pickled vegetables, and roe.

I like to use martini glasses to present chirashi zushi. Through the glass bottom you can see what it usually concealed by the walls of a bowl or box. Also, I find that a martini glass is the ideal serving size – large enough for a satisfying sample without filling up.

For this chirashi, I wanted to showcase seared albacore tuna. I kept it simple and accompanied the albacore with cucumber, masago fish roe, and Japanese omelet that I pressed through a fine sieve. Ponzu makes the perfect dipping companion.

Martini Chirashi Zushi with Albacore

Serves 1

About 1/2 cup prepared sushi rice

2 tsp masago

about 2 ounces albacore tuna, lightly seared

about 1/2 in bundle of matchstick cut cucumber

1 thin slice of tamago (Japanese omelet), pressed through a fine sieve

finely shredded daikon for garnish

pickled ginger for garnish

wasabi, optional

ponzu for dipping

To assemble chirashi, place 1/2 tsp masago in the bottom of the martini glass. Gently press sushi rice into glass. Rice should fill about 2/3 of the glass. Spread tamago across the surface of the rice.

Begin with the back of your presentation by placing a mound of shredded daikon on top of the rice between the 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock position. Next, mound the remaining masago in about the three o’clock position. Mound pickled ginger between the 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock position. Carefully lay cucumber bundle across the top of the pickled ginger, being careful not to flatten the ginger.

Cut albacore tuna into desired size slices. Carefully prop them up in the 6 o’clock position. If necessary, adjust presentation slightly so that the entire surface of the rice is covered.

Serve with wasabi and ponzu for dipping.

Cucumber and peanuts is a winning combo whether it makes up just a small component of a salad with tangy vinaigrette or whether the combo is combined with soy sauce and vinegar for a great dipping sauce. The combination is equally as stunning in a sushi roll as the vinegar dressed rice provides just the right amount of zip.

In this sushi roll, shrimp is added to give the roll an almost spring roll like feel.  A topping of Thai sweet chili sauce brings it all together beautifully. Try adding your favorite aromatics such as cilantro or Thai basil for a more fragrant sushi roll. Also, an imitation crabstick make be used in place of the shrimp.

Peanut Shrimp Maki

Makes 1 sushi roll of 6-8 pieces

This recipe uses the technique for rolling inside out sushi rolls.

1 4in x 7in sheet nori

about 1 cup prepared sushi rice

2 – 3 shrimp, boiled on skewers to straighten

2 sticks cucumber, approx French fry sized

pinch of shredded romaine lettuce

2 TBSP unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped

1 TBSP Thai sweet chili sauce

Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and set aside.

Place nori, rough side facing upwards, horizontally on your work surface. Cover the entire surface of nori in a thin even layer of prepared sushi rice. Flip nori over.

Place cucumber sticks horizontally end to end in the center of the nori, making sure they extend the full length of the nori. Next, top with shrimp pieces making sure they extend the full length of the nori. Then top with shredded romaine lettuce. (Just a small pinch will suffice.)

Roll according to the method for rolling inside out sushi rolls. Before cutting into pieces, sprinkle chopped peanuts over the top and sides of the sushi roll. Use a bamboo rolling mat to press the peanuts to the roll. Cut roll into 6 or 8 pieces.

Place sushi pieces on a plate. Drizzle Thai chili sauce over the pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping if desired.

In the South, we have an affinity for most things fried – chicken, catfish, okra, pickles, green tomatoes and even sushi. There’s no denying the pleasure of a sushi roll that is coated in crispy tempura bits or one that contains a perfectly fried piece. Entire sushi rolls can be also be dipped in tempura batter then fried for an overall delightful crunch.

The basis of any tempura sushi roll is a good tempura batter. The tempura recipe that I use for sushi rolls is classic and very simple. Many Americanized tempura batters incorporate baking soda, cornstarch and seltzer water to change the would be thin batter to one that yields a puffy, more evenly distributed batter. This recipe uses a classic ratio of 1:1:1 of just three ingredients –egg, flour, ice water. This uncomplicated recipe yields tempura that is delicate and lacy. Because the batter contains ice, it is essential to prepare the batter just minutes before use to ensure that it doesn’t become too watery.

Classic Tempura Batter

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 cup ice water + a few ice cubes

Just before use, Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until just incorporated. Chopsticks are quite good for this purpose. A few lumps are okay.

Tempura Tips

-       Fry vegetable tempura items at 340 degrees F.  For seafood tempura items and entire sushi rolls, increase temperature to 350 degrees F.

-       Prepare items for frying by lightly dredging in potato or rice starch before dipping in tempura batter. Flour also works for this purpose.

-       Fry tempura in small batches in a pan rather than using a deep fryer for optimal crispiness.

-       Serve tempura items immediately.

Tempura for Crunchy Rolls

To make tenkasu, the crispy tempura flakes that coat the outside of crunchy sushi rolls, heat about 1/2 inch of oil suitable for frying in a heavy bottomed pan to 340 degrees F. Drizzle prepared tempura batter over the tines of a fork, being careful not to drop ice cubes in hot oil. Stir the batter as it fries a couple of times with chopsticks or a spoon. Allow to fry until lightly golden, about 2 – 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon or mesh fryer screen and drain on paper towels. Cool completely before coating the outsides of sushi rolls. One recipe of tempura batter makes enough tenkasu (tempura crispies) to coat the outsides of 6-8 sushi rolls.

Tempura Sushi Rolls (Entire roll fried)

For best results, use thin sushi rolls. Prepare thin rolls and cut in half, rather than cutting into 6 pieces. Allow rolls to set in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. Dredge pieces in potato or rice starch before dipping in tempura batter. Fry the rolls in about 1 inch oil heated to 350 degrees F until coating is crispy and golden, about 3 minutes. If necessary, turn rolls so that they fry evenly.  Remove rolls from oil and cut each into 3-4 pieces. Serve immediately.

Tempura Sushi Rolls to Try:

Vegan Eggplant Tempura Rolls

Crunchy Shrimp with Corn and Avocado

Crunchy Shrimp Rolls

Tempura Crab Rangoon Maki

Soft Shell Crab Futomaki (Spider Roll)

Spicy Tofu Maki

Salmon and Curried Cream Cheese Maki

A quick fry does not completely cook the salmon in this sushi roll. Instead, curry flavored cream cheese is melted and forms a sort of sauce that oozes delightfully over the salmon.

This recipe uses the hoso maki, thin roll, technique. Learn to make a hoso maki here.

Salmon and Curried Cream Cheese Maki

Makes 4 sushi rolls, or 24 – 32 piece

4 4inx 7in pieces nori

about 2-2 1/2 cups prepared sushi rice

about 4 ounces fresh, raw salmon, cut into thin strips

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 TBSP Madras curry powder

2 teaspoons finely chopped scallions

Tempura Batter

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 cup ice water

oil for frying

potato or rice starch for dredging

Prepare the curry cream cheese by mixing curry powder and cream cheese in a bowl until well incorporated. Place in a piping bag or in a plastic zip top bag with a corner snipped away for convenience. Set aside.

To prepare the sushi rolls, place 1 piece of nori rough side facing upwards horizontally on a bamboo rolling mat. Cover the bottom 2/3 of the nori in a thin even layer of prepared sushi rice. Squeeze a thin layer of cream cheese horizontally across the center of the sushi rice. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of scallions across the center of the rice. Lay a couple of strips of salmon on top of the cream cheese and scallions.

Roll according to the method for rolling thin sushi rolls. Allow roll to rest seam side down on your cutting board and repeat the steps to make three more sushi rolls.

Cut each sushi roll into two pieces and allow to set in the refrigerator for at least five minutes.

Heat about 1 inch oil suitable for frying in a heavy bottomed pan to 350 degrees F.

To make tempura batter, stir ingredients together until just mixed.

To fry rolls, dredge each piece in potato or rice starch. Shake away excess before dipping in tempura batter. Carefully place pieces in prepared oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. It may be necessary to turn pieces so that they fry evenly.

When sushi rolls are ready, remove and blot gently on paper towels. Cut each piece into 3-4 pieces and serve immediately. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping if desired.

Traditionally, okonomiyaki is a type of pancake or pizza that is cooked on the griddle then layered with an assortment of ingredients. Sometimes the ingredients are cooked inside the batter. The batter typically contains cabbage and the toppings vary as the word okonomi roughly means favorites or whatever you like. Yaki means grilled, though not necessarily in the way we tend to think of grilling over a flame. 

Having said that, it is a bit redundant that I call this recipe grilled okonomiyaki. But my version is what resulted after taking the word grilled literally as we think of it in America. Maybe it was curiosity or maybe it was just too much trying to explain that yaki is an all inclusive term that means means grilled, cooked in a skillet, cooked on a griddle, etc.  I simply had to see what would happen if I placed a base over a flame grill. 

The “pizza” bases are made with cabbage and scallions in a pan or over a griddle. Then, each one is brushed with oil and sprinkled lightly with furikake, rice seasoning, before being literally grilled over a flame. Afterwards, each base is topped pizza style with anchovy mayo, ponzu flavored salmon and marinated cucumbers. Also try this delicious, smoky pizza topped with alternating slices of avocado and yellowtail.

Okonomiyaki

Makes about 9 appetizer sized pizzas

2 cups flour

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup dashi, cooled (or vegetable broth)

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

1 1/2 cup finely shredded green cabbage

Anchovy Mayo, recipe below

3 cups finely chopped salmon (raw)

1/2 cup ponzu

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup sushi rice dressing

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

oil

furikake, for seasoning

pickled ginger, for garnish (optional)

To prepare the okonomiyaki base, mix flour, eggs, and dashi in a medium sized bowl. Stir in scallions and cabbage.

Wipe the insides of a small pan or the surface of a griddle with a paper towel soaked in oil. Heat pan or griddle until a small drop of water dances across the surface. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and spread quickly with the back of a spoon, making a base that is about 4-5 inches in diameter. Allow to cook until edges of batter begin to dry out, about 2 minutes.

Flip base and allow to cook for about 2 minutes more. Set aside and repeat steps until all batter is used. Set bases aside and prepare toppings.

In a small non metal bowl, mix chopped salmon and ponzu. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Place cucumbers in a non metal bowl and cover with sushi rice dressing, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Allow to marinate at least 5 minutes before using.

 Anchovy Mayo

2 cups mayo

3 TBSP anchovy paste

1 TBSP finely chopped garlic

Place ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the pizzas, set up a grill. You’ll need a good medium to high heat. Brush both sides of each pizza base with oil and sprinkle lightly with furikake. Place pizza bases on grill and allow to cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of anchovy mayo on each pizza base. Top with 1/3 cup of the salmon mixture and spread evenly with a spoon. Place 4-5 marinated cucumber slices in a small circle in the center of the pizzas. Cut each pizza into 4 slices. Drizzle anchovy mayo on top and sprinkle with furikake. Serve immediately with pickled ginger for garnish.

Dazzle your friends with a simple roll that only looks difficult. The secret to making this roll is a piece of plastic wrap. Nova lox and avocado are layered on top of the sushi roll then covered with a piece of plastic wrap which stays in place while the roll is being cut to ensure that the toppings don’t fall off.

Not sure how to make an inside out sushi roll? Learn more about the ura maki or inside out rolling technique.

Crab Rolls Topped with Salmon and Avocado

Makes one sushi roll of 6-8 pieces

1 4in x7in piece nori

1 cup prepared sushi rice

1 imitation crab stick

2 cucumber sticks, French fry sized

1/4 avocado + 2 thin slices

2 slices of Nova lox, cut in half (You’ll only need 3 total pieces, so eat the other one or apply towards another roll.)

1/2 tsp finely chopped scallion

1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

pickled ginger, optional

wasabi, optional

soy sauce for dipping, optional

To assemble the roll, place nori rough side facing upwards, horizontally directly on your work surface. Cover entire surface of nori with a thin even layer of sushi rice. Flip nori over.

Tear or cut crabstick in half lengthwise. Place pieces end to end in the center of the nori, being sure they extend the full length of the nori. Next, place 2 avocado slices on top of crabstick. Use another thin slice if avocado does not extend the full length of the nori. Top with cucumber sticks and sprinkle on scallions.

Roll according to the method for rolling inside out sushi rolls. Do not cut sushi roll into pieces.

Starting on one end of the sushi roll, lay one piece of Nova lox on top. Cut 2-3 very thin slices from the 1/4 avocado piece and lay them on top of the sushi roll being sure to overlap the lox. Place another piece of lox overlapping the last slice of avocado. Cut another 2-3 pieces of avocado and continue the pattern. Place the last slice of lox on the sushi roll. This pattern should extend the surface of the sushi roll. You may have to shift some of the pieces around slightly at an angle to cover the entire surface.

Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the sushi roll. Using a bamboo rolling mat, gently press the lox and avocado to the sushi roll. With plastic wrap still in tact, cut roll into 8 pieces. With plastic wrap still in tact, lay bamboo rolling mat on top of sushi roll and gently adhere lox and avocado once more to sushi roll. Very carefully lift plastic wrap away from sushi roll.

Sprinkle the top of the sushi roll with sesame seeds. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping if desired.  

It’s easy to create delicious sushi rolls from common supermarket ingredients if you don’t want to invest in more costly sashimi/sushi grade fish. Though this hand roll is made with inexpensive Nova lox, the flavor is super rich. Also try substituting crabstick for the salmon.

Want to know more about hand rolls? Learn about this tasty sushi in a flash, then brush up on the Method for Preparing Hand Rolls.

Asparagus Salmon Hand Rolls

For each hand roll you’ll need:

1 4in by 7in piece of nori

1/4 cup prepared sushi rice

1 blanched asparagus spear, cut in half

1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1/2 tsp finely chopped scallions

1 slice Nova lox (This usually comes presliced.)

1 slice of cream cheese (approx 1/4 in wide), optional

To assemble the hand roll, lay slice of lox on work surface. Stack cream cheese and asparagus pieces on top of the lox.

Place nori, rough side facing upwards horizontally in the palm of your left hand. Spread sushi rice on the left most third of the nori. Take stacked ingredients from your work surface and place vertically in the center of the sushi rice. Sprinkle on sesame seeds and scallions.

Roll hand roll according to the method for rolling hand rolls. Serve immediately.

Variation:

Crab and Asparagus Hand Rolls

For each roll, follow the instructions for Asparagus Salmon Hand Rolls, substituting 1 piece of imitation crabstick for the lox. Cream cheese is optional.