California Un-Roll and a Welcome

Welcome to Fabulous Forks! Here you will find lots of recipes, bargain shopping tips, and occasional stories about my adorable family and my obsession for running. Now that I've got that out of the way, lets get to some food!

It took me thirty-five years to try sushi. Cold, raw fishy just didn't seem like something that should pass my lips. Then on a whim, the hubby and I decided to try it for our 8th anniversary dinner. And surprise surprise, I actually liked it! I love trying new and different rolls, but my one sushi staple is still the California roll (crazy, right?).

So when we're not able to hit up our favorite sushi joint, I like to whip up the California Un-Roll. Rice, cucumber, avocado and crab, topped with soy sauce, sriracha mayonnaise, and toasted sesame seeds...easy, fast, and delicious!

First step is to cook 1 cup white rice according to package directions. When its done cooking, mix 3 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar with 2 tsp sugar, nuke it for 30 seconds, and pour over rice. Stir it up to be sure all the rice is coated with the vinegar and sugar mix. Now, cool the rice. I put the rice in a bowl then add it to a larger bowl of ice water. It takes about 15 minutes to cool using this method. If the ice melts, add more.

While you are waiting for the rice to cool, chop the crab and veggies. I always use avocado and cucumber, but I've also added carrots or radishes with good result. 

Also, make the mayo-sriracha mixture. I won't give exact amounts for this, because the sriracha is purely to taste. I start with about a quarter cup of mayo, and my husband and I each mix our own. Mine comes out a pretty pale peach color, his a fiery orange.

To assemble, start with a bed of rice, then top with crab, veggies, mayo sauce, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

California Un-Roll
1 8oz package imitation crab
1 cucumber
1 avocado
1 cup white rice
2 tsp sugar
3 tsp seasoned rice wine vinegar 
Dash of salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Sriracha to taste
2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

Cook 1 cup of white rice according to package directions. While that is cooking, chop crab and veggies into bite sized pieces. Thinly sliced carrots or radishes can also be added.

Combine vinegar, sugar and dash of salt in a small bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Pour over cooked rice, and stir to coat. Allow rice to cool.

To make mayo sauce, combine mayo with sriracha to taste. Assemble dish by layering a bed of rice with crab and veggies, top with mayo sauce, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds.