Jennnifer's Monday Munchies
Jen's feast


Sushi Rolls (Maki) - Contrary to popular belief, sushi is not raw fish, it's vinegared rice.  I personally hate fish so I make these with all kinds of nontraditional fillings.  This recipe is the ever popular California Roll, the first sushi I ever ate.

Jennifer's Sushi

Ingredients:


Sushi Rice
2.5 cups short or medium grain rice (you can use long if you want, but I don't recommend it)
water
1/4 cup of Rice vinegar (sometimes called rice wine vinegar)
1 TB sugar
2 tsp salt
Nori (toasted dried seaweed) sheets to wrap

Filling
1/2 avocado sliced thin
1/2 cucumber sliced thin
2-4 imitation crab sticks (or flake crab, both found in the seafood section of the grocery) sliced into thin strips

Condiments
Soy sauce
powdered wasabi or premade paste in a tube
pickled ginger

Bamboo mat for rolling

Instructions:
Cook rice according to the directions, I use a rice cooker (50 million Japanese can't be wrong).  While the rice is cooking, mix the vinegar, salt, and sugar together and heat gently (I do in a coffee mug in the microwave) until salt and sugar is dissolved.  When the rice is done, dump into a large bowl (wooden is best) and with a friend's help, slowy drizzle the vinegar mixture over the rice while fanning and stirring constantly.  When the rice is cool, it will be very sticky and clump together.

Put a sheet of nori shiny side down on the bamboo mat (If you're making inside out rolls, then cover your mat with plastic wrap first).  Wet your hands (to keep from sticking) and take about a handful of rice and spread it out over the whole nori sheet.  Lay strips of each of the fillings in a tight row on top of the rice at the edge of the seaweed.  Roll the nori and rice over the filling, and continue rolling using the mat to help you keep it tight until you reach the edge (keeping the roll tight prevents your pieces from falling apart).  Now you have what looks like a cigar or jelly roll.  With a serrated or very sharp knife, slice into eight pieces (half, then half, then half again).  Serve with soy sauce, powdered wasabi mixed with water into a paste, and pickled ginger.

*Nori, rice vinegar, wasabi, pickled ginger, and the rolling mat can easily be found at asian markets, but are beginning to be seen at mainstream grocery stores and places like Target. 

Maki is great to eat while hennaing or being hennaed because it's bite sized, low fat, and just plain delicious.  Like a sandwich, you can fill it with anything you like:  teriyaki beef, carrots, cream cheese, shrimp, etc. etc.  Be aware though, sushi must be made fresh and eaten right away.  Sushi rice will turn rock hard within a matter of hours and therefore cannot be stored, really.


Sausage Skewers
- A quick, no fuss meal that's fun to eat.  There really isn't a recipe for this, just me scrounging around my kitchen one day.  Serve with rice or just by itself.

Ingredients:
1 Package smoked sausage, any kind, sliced into 3/4" coins
1 bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 onion, layers of 3 cut into 1" pieces
1 lb. mushrooms whole
Seasoning of choice

Instructions:
Using metal skewers or water soaked bamboo skewers, thread sausage, pepper, onion, and mushroom in repeating order until each skewer is filled.  Brush with teriyaki sauce, or lemon pepper, or oil/salt/pepper, or seasoning of choice.  Grill 5 minutes on high, or broil 5 minutes, turning once and basting with more seasoning if desired.  I personally like my veggies crunchy so I don't leave them on too long.

*Add/substitute any fruit or veggie you like to this, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, you name it!

There isn't a whole lot of prepwork involved with this, except for chopping and slicing, and eating is convenient if the other hand has a henna cone in it.  Just bite the yummies off the stick.

Jen's Somosas

Samosa -
These are little fried pockets with fillings, like empanadas or wontons except bigger, and like those, can be filled with anything that you want.  This is a much simplified version of this Indian snack.

Ingredients:
2 or 3 large Boiled Potatoes (tip* cut into 1/4 - 1/2" cubes and microwave for 5-6 minutes)
1/2 c. Cauliflower Florets (microwave these with the potatoes)
1/2 cup chopped Onions, chopped small
1/2 cup Peas (fresh or frozen, optional because I don't like peas)
2 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili Powder or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg roll wrappers, Phyllo, (I've even heard of flour tortillas) or make your own dough
Oil, I use canola to fry

Instructions:
Saute the onions until brown in a small amount of oil until they turn brown.  Add the potatoes, cauliflower and spices.  Stir loosely, like mixing potato salad.   Let the filling cool.

 Take your wrapper or dough (usually 6" square) and cut diagonally in half (or even if you have like a 3x3 or 4x4" square is ok too!).  You want to fold over a square piece until it's a triangle, or your triangle half until it's a triange.  Now like a henna cone, you have to seal one edge with water, water and flour mix, or egg wash, and like a henna cone, gently fill with potato mix (DO NOT OVERFILL).  Seal the open edge and deep fry in hot oil (350 -400 degrees) until golden brown. 

*other fillings can include chilies, minced beef, pork, lamb, chicken, etc., tofu, whatever you want!

Great for henna because you can eat them with one hand, cold or hot, and with a number of yummy condiments.
Now as much as I love to make these, they're relatively cheap to buy readymade at indian food stores, and that frees my time up to do henna! 

Ginger Sauce - I serve this over rice as a quick, yummy snack.  It is like the sauce that is served at hibachi (japanese style steakhouses) restaruants. Fresh ginger is key, as well as a good smooth puree.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
1 tsp bottled lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
  1 TB mirin (japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and pureed (no chunks, please).   It's also great as a marinade, or over noodles, or as a stir fry sauce with veggies. 

Over rice, it's a wonderful snack or light meal for those marathon henna sessions when you've only got a second to eat.  The rice as a simple carbohydrate breaks down quickly for high energy, and the ginger sauce leaves your palate refreshed.  Fills your tummy without weighing you down.

Jen's Chipotle Chicken

Chipotle Chicken
- The trick to this dish is fresh corn tortillas.  Grocery store brand is pretty hard, and you have to steam them well to get them to roll properly.  If you can, find them fresh, it makes all the difference.

Ingredients:
1lb. chicken breast or chicken breast tenders, boneless skinless
Water or Chicken Broth
1 pint heavy cream
1 small can chipotle peppers, packed in adobo sauce
1 package of corn tortillas

Condiments
chopped onion
sliced lime wedges
fresh cilantro
sliced avocado, thin

Instructions:
Cook the chicken in a saute pan with a little oil until brown on all sides and done throughout, about 10 minutes.  While chicken is cooking, take about 2 chipotle peppers and mince them fine (*tip:  if you like HOT, leave the seeds in, otherwise I recommend taking them out).  When done, remove chicken from pan and chop into small pieces or strings.  Add a 1/2 cup water or chicken broth to the pan, scraping up the brown bits (deglazing the pan).  Add the heavy cream and chipotle peppers, along with salt, pepper, and about 1 TB of the adobo canning sauce from the peppers.  Reduce until the sauce is thickened, or if you can't wait, add a little cornstarch and water mix.  Return chopped chicken to sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

These are eaten like soft tacos:  Take a corn tortilla, scoop about 1 TB of chicken and sauce on top and add fresh cilantro, a few chopped onions, a slice of avocado, and a squeeze of lime.  Delicious but very messy.  Eat this only if you are having your feet hennaed.  But great because there's enough heat to make you feel warm, and receptive to good stain. 


Insanely Easy Chocolate Fondue - No fondue pot necessary.  Just a bowl and a pot of boiling water.

Ingredients:
Fondue
1 bag of chocolate chips
1/4 cup of milk or heavy cream
Vanilla, Liquers, or other flavoring syrup of choice

Dippers
Sliced Banana
Strawberries
Orange Slices
Cherries
Pound Cake
Marshmallows
Graham Crackers

Instructions:
Put the chocolate chips in a metal or pyrex glass bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir until the chips are completely melted.  Slowy add the milk or cream, a little at a time and stirring constantly until the chocolate is creamy.  Add vanilla, or Kahlua, or Chambord, or Frangelica, or whatever (or nothing).
 
Using fondue forks, skewers, or even regular forks, dip each item into the fondue and enjoy.  Don't worry, it's good luck if your item drops in the fondue.

*Tip:  Leftover easter bunnies make GREAT fondue, they are my favorite source.  Just chop them up into smaller pieces and heat the same way as chips.  I call this my "Rabbit Carcass Fondue".

Fondue is a great food for henna because it requires a certain amount of dainty grace to eat (and keep from spilling).  I always feel pampered and almost princely when I eat fondue, especially because chocolate is so sinfully luxurious.


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