BOBBY FLAY COOKING

This week it’s just my son and me in the house. Father is away reliving his youth at a basketball tournament so he won't be sampling this week's EnviroMom Meatless Supper Club recipe.

Sushi is my son’s favorite food and although I always meant to make it at home, I’m sorry to say I never got round to it, thinking it would be time-consuming and end frustratingly in weird shapes with contents spilling everywhere. So while Dad was away and unable to laugh at us -- or 'help' -- our vegetarian building project for this week was constructing sushi at the table. And we were pleasantly surprised!

The tools:
6 cups water
3 cups short-grain brown or white rice
Any combination of the following vegetables:
cucumber
zucchini
green bell pepper
red bell pepper
carrots
daikon radish
asparagus
scallions
mushrooms
sesame seeds
avocado
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 package pre-toasted nori sheets
Prepared wasabi paste
Bamboo rolling mat (especially if you're a beginner!)

Preparation:
Add rice and cold water to a large pot with lid. Bring to the boil and lower the heat, simmering for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stand for a further 10 minutes. Seed and julienne the vegetables. Steam the vegetables, except avocado which should be raw, over boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Mix together the vinegar and brown sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the rice is cooked, stir in the vinegar and brown sugar mixture, and cool to room temperature.

When the vegetables and rice are cool enough to handle, lay out the first nori sheet.

Put about 1/2 cup of rice in the center of the sheet, pressing it out to the edges, but leaving a one-inch line on the edge closest to you. You need to keep your hands wet so the rice doesn't stick -- a bowl of water is good to have close-by.

On the bare nori line, place any combination of vegetables which appeal. I was a bit afraid to put too much in the first roll, but got bolder (and greedier) the second time. I didn't include the wasabi in the roll itself, preferring to flavor the dipping soy sauce with it, later.

Carefully lift the mat over, rolling the edge of the nori over the contents. Tuck the edge in, before continuing to roll. Be careful not to include your mat in the roll!

When you've completed rolling, squeeze it with both hands, still in the bamboo, to stop it unfolding when you take the mat away.

Cut with a good, sharp knife. Hint: if you wet the knife in between cuts, it's much easier.

With butterscotch sauce and cherries

This was the dessert we made at our last beginners' cooking class -- very simple and sweet

Recipe

Vanilla pudding with butterscotch sauce
4-6 persons

Pudding:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
juice of 1 orange
40 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup self-raising flour

Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
100 ml water
125 ml cream
50 g unsalted butter
grated rind of 1 orange


To make the pudding, cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is white and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, then the orange juice, milk and vanilla. Gently fold in the flour. Spoon the batter into individual greased moulds 9185 ml or 3/4 cup. Cover with greaseproof paper and steam in a steamer, or in a covered saucepan, with enough hot water to reach 1 cm up the side of the moulds for about 45 minutes.

For the sauce, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil
and cook until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelises. Lower the
temperature and quickly add the cream and whisk in the butter. once this
has melted and formed a sauce add the orange rind.

To serve, remove the puddings from the moulds and stand onto warm plates.

Top with warm sauce. Can be served with cream and ice cream.