I once asked my youngest daughter what she wanted for dinner on a take-out night. She was two years old at the time, and her prompt answer was: sushi. I wasn’t sure I heard her correctly, so I asked again. Sure enough, she described sushi. Getting sushi for two adults and two kids can be a little pricy, so I eventually had to figure out how to make it at home. I’m pretty sure my methods are not authentic and possibly way off. But it does turn out tasty and it is kinda fun to do with the kids (as long as the prep is done beforehand).

You should start out with the rice, follow the instructions on your specific brand, if you are not a cowboy like me and just follow the same procedure every time. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Double the amount of water to the amount of rice, bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes, remove from heat with the lid still on and let rest for another 15 minutes. Remove the lid and let cool before you ad the seasoning. Easy as pie, or well, rice.

We usually make some maki rolls and some nigiri. The kids really like using the nifty little nigiri maker to form the little rice morsels – I dont’t normally allow single purpose equipment to take up space in my drawers, but this one brings enough joy. For the filling, I usually prepare thinly sliced salmon, an omelet, crab sticks (because the kids love them), cucumber and avocado. Sometimes other stuff, but never scampi – thats a no go in this house. Fun fact; apparently the use of salmon in sushi was introduced to the Japanese by a Norwegian business man, trying to boost the sale of Norwegian salmon. It worked.

You also need sauces. Because yum. I’ll prepare a basic ponzu (link) and a sriracha mayo, just mix hot sauce and mayo to your desired hotness. Serve up with some gari (pickled ginger) (ink) and wasabi. Hello dinner!