Pinch Hitters

Well, today's post was SUPPOSED to be raw Nori Rolls, but halfway through preparing them last night, I couldn't finish... they were TERRIBLE!!! I painstakingly found dehydrated nori sheets (instead of toasted... they were kind of hard to find) in keeping with the whole "raw" theme, but found out very quickly that dehydration INTENSIFIES the fishy flavor of the seaweed. Yah, I HATE FISH!!! I have always loved California Rolls and have never once been bothered by any fishy taste; well now I know why. Toasting the seaweed lessens the fishy flavor while dehydration concentrates it. And yes... I know that dehydration also means that you are getting all the nutrients and enzyme goodness that you don't get from the toasted seaweed, but YUCK! Now, the rolls that you see in the pic are clearly California Rolls instead. The rice did a MUCH better job dialing the fish flavor down (notice how thick I had to make the rice layer...hahahaha!) and if I was going to add the rice, well, I might as well add the imitation crab meat too, right?!? Yah... "raw" kind of flew out the window, but at least all my ingredients are organic and healthy... including the crab meat. When I say imitation crab.... please know that I picked this up at my local asian market and it's 100% fish. I was also told at the asian market that, unlike our western culture, easterners DO NOT poison their food with chemicals and preservatives. They respect their food and understand that nourishing our bodies means that we are healing our bodies, and because of this, their packaging does not include the words organic or "all natural" on it. I'm pretty sold that the "imitation" crab meat I bought was 100% good for me. It also ensured that my California Rolls ROCKED! :)

CALIFORNIA ROLLS

• 1 serving asian sticky rice
• Bean Sprouts (carrots are a great and colorful alternative)
• Avocado sliced into strips
• Cucumber peeled and sliced into strips
• Imitation crab sliced into strips
• DEHYDRATED Nori Sheets (because they are better for you than the toasted sheets)
• Wasabi paste (optional... super spicy)
• Fresh sliced ginger root (optional.... and tastes yummy!)

Spread sticky rice over the surface of a nori sheet. On the top edge of the rice covered nori sheet, layer vegetable and meat strips across the sheet. Roll tightly to form a nori 'log'. The sticky rice will keep the 'log' from unrolling. Slice into sections, chill and serve. *** Do not worry about tearing the nori sheet. It is brittle when you first take it out of the package, but the warmth of the sticky rice makes the sheet pliable and easy to roll up. These are really easy to make. I have a bamboo mat, but I don't use it. It's just easier to roll it up on the countertop! ;)