rolls are for rookies

Sushi is an absolute favorite of mine. It's also an incredibly healthy genre of food, when you know how to order it. Fortunately, the healthiest stuff is actually the most delicious. Below I'll share some, by which I mean a lot, of our favorite dishes. I'd love for all of you to enjoy all of the wonderfulness that under the sea has to offer, and avoid the unnecessary junk along the way.

For starters, and I don't mean appetizers, rolls are for rookies.  Whenever we go to sushi, it seems that everyone is ordering rolls of some kind. It makes me sad, because while yes they're leaving more of the goods for me to order, they're missing out on the best the restaurant has to offer. Please know that I'm not knocking all rolls, but a great majority of them include the ingredients you don't want to consume. They also tend to stick to the basics as far as sea food goes. Lots of crab mix, some shrimp here and there, and maybe some salmon or tuna on occasion. It's a waste of sushi night not to be adventurous, and in turn healthy. Here are the key words of what NOT to order:

 

Cream Cheese: 

I love cream cheese as much as the next normal human, but I also know that it not a health conscious choice. If you absolutely must have it, stick to one piece and make all of the other ingredients in said choice great for you.

 

Mayonnaise:

I absolutely despise the stuff, so it's easy for me to avoid. However, I know it's popular amongst others, and in a lot of the rolls. It may be listed as spicy mayo, creamy sriracha, or disguised as "mix", meaning it's mixed into whatever seafood filling is in the roll. It's obviously not a light option, and totally gross at that.

 

Tempura:

This is Japanese for battered and deep fried. Need I say more? Fried foods are a big no-no.

 

Evil attracts evil, so naturally these three options tend to go together on a lot of the dishes, only making them three times worse for you. One that isn't as awful for you, but still not great is the white rice in a lot of rolls and sushi dishes, the best way to avoid it is to order everything as sashimi. You're not missing much by deleting the above ingredients from your order. After all, you're there for the sea food right? Speaking of which let's dive in under the sea and talk about the treasure chest full of sashimi and sushi gold.

Seaweed sashimi salad, miso soup, oysters, and edamame all make great starters. Then we tend to order quite a few of the following... (We are incredibly adventurous eaters and enjoy eating things out of the bento box.)

Amaebi Sushi aka Sweet Shrimp (sushi bodies & fried heads)
Hamachi Kama aka Yellowtail Cheek/Collar (cooked)
Aji Sashimi aka Japanese Mackeral (sashimi & then they fry the bones)
Hiramasa Sashimi aka Amberjack
Toro &/or Chutoro Sashimi aka Tuna
Sake Sashimi aka Salmon
Unagi aka Freshwater Eel (broiled)
Hamachi Sashimi aka Yellowtail
Ika Sashimi aka Cuttlefish or Squid
Tako Sashimi aka Octopus
Tako Wasabi aka Octopus Tentacles in Wasabi Root
Hotate Sashimi aka Live Scallops
Ikura Roe aka Salmon Eggs
Uni aka Sea Urchin

MMM. Drooling yet? I hope this provides you with a whole new perspective of deep sea dishes and that you're encouraged to try something new the next time you go. Or if you're really daring try "Omakase" meaning in the chef's hands. Where he'll surprise you with a variety of everything over several courses.

Arigato!

Read it and eat it: HEALTHY & HOMEMADE Chipotle bowl

It's the middle of the week, my hubby is out of town, and I wanted something easy.

So, I present to you the homemade and much healthier "Chipotle Bowl"...

 

I generally have a ginormous Tupperware actually I don't think I've seen that brand since the nineties, it's probably Ziploc or something, anyway... full of prepared quinoa on hand to use in a bunch of different meals. It came in handy here, and I recommend doing the same; it can be used in so many ways.

Get yourself a bowl and layer as follows:

• Cooked quinoa & squeeze half a lime all over it (this replaces the turns-into-sugar-carbs aka rice.)
• Cooked black beans (I prepare mine on the stove with diced onion, jalapeño, Cholula, S&P, and cilantro)
• Grilled chicken (Cook your chicken how you please, I already had some left over grilled, and just cut into slices.) PS. If we're trying to stay healthy; chicken is your best bet, I don't need to tell you red meat is much fattier.
• Sautéed onion, bell pepper, squash, jalapeño, and mushroom (This honestly took the most work; to dice and sauté , but even then was still simpleton.)
• Shredded greens (I used spinach, kale, and swiss chard... I like more nutrients than iceberg "typical taco salad lettuce" has to offer.)
• Sliced tomato
• And obviously, the best for last; GUACAHOLY, I mean guacamole. No, I think I do believe it to be a holy concoction. Everyone's got their own recipe for guac, but mine goes like this and mine's the best!(;
  1/2 avocado, 1/8 red onion, few sprigs of cilantro, 1 jalapeno, S&P, red pepper flake, and squeeze of lime; dice each ingredient then mash/stir with fork until it's evenly blended with a few good chunks.

AND VOILA! Easy-peasy, healthy and satisfying meal that can be customized to everyone's tastebuds. Bon appetit!