Favorite Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Roll

If there is one food that I crave more than anything else, it would probably be sushi. The only problem with sushi is the effect that it tends to have on my wallet. The Husby and I have really enjoyed the sushi at a popular Thai restaurant in Five Points, and we always order the Spicy Shrimp Roll which was recommended by our waitress the first time we had sushi there.

I mentioned to The Husby that I would love to be able to make sushi at home, but I did not think that I would be able to pull it off. The Husby told me that the key to making sushi was to use a rice cooker, so I decided to invest in one and give it a try. I found a rice cooker for $15 at Wal-Mart and did some research online regarding sushi preparation. After watching some animations at Sushi University, I was confident enough to give it a try.

The endeavor was a complete success, and we may be eating sushi at home quite frequently now! Enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp Roll

Ingredients:
nori, one sheet
cooked sushi rice, handful
3-4 tempura shrimp, tails removed
avocado, 2-3 thin slices
cucumber, 2-3 thin sticks
imitation crab meat
spicy mayo (1/4 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce, 1 drop sesame oil)

Directions:
1) Lay nori sheet on bamboo rolling mat with the rough side facing up.
2) Get your hands wet, and grab a handful of rice. Place the rice in the middle of the nori sheet, and spread it into an even layer on the nori, covering all but the top inch of the sheet.
3) Place your shrimp on the bottom edge of the nori sheet and arrange avocado and cucumber snugly against top edge of shrimp. Mix crab meat with spicy mayo and spread on top of shrimp.
4) Roll sushi tightly with the bamboo mat and cut with a sharp knife into 6-8 pieces.
5) Optional step: Lay the pieces on a plate facing up and drizzle with a small amount of spicy mayo.
6) Serve with wasabi and soy sauce for dipping.