Giada's Feel Good Food (25 page)

This is an anytime recipe: It makes a nice snack, a light breakfast, or a summery dessert on a warm night. This syrup can be used on any fruit combo, any time of year. When Jade hasn't eaten well during the day and wants something sweet, I make this for her. She's satisfying her sweet tooth and eating something good for her at the same time.
serves 4

for the syrup:
In a small saucepan, combine the lime zest, lime juice, honey, and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes.

for the fruit:
In a serving bowl, combine the melon, strawberries, grapes, kiwi, and blueberries. Pour the syrup over the fruit and toss to coat. Let the fruit salad sit for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 day, refrigerated, before serving, garnished with mint leaves.

You don't need any special equipment to make these—no sushi mat or anything like that—and almost every grocery store these days has nori (seaweed). If the idea of raw salmon makes you uncomfortable, you can substitute chopped cooked shrimp, or check out the vegan variations that follow. So you have no reason not to try this recipe! A refreshing cucumber salad would complement this dish for a great, light dinner. Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce, if desired.
makes 8 hand rolls; serves 4

Steam the asparagus spears until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the salmon, sesame oil, soy sauce, wasabi paste, and mint leaves.

Put a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a work surface. Spoon ¼ cup of the rice on the left side of the nori. Using wet fingers, form the rice into a 3-inch square, leaving a ½-inch border. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the salmon mixture, diagonally, in a ½-inch-wide strip, on the rice, with the top of the salmon mixture facing the top-left corner. Put an asparagus spear on top of the salmon. Starting with the bottom-left corner, roll the nori over the filling. Continue to roll, ice cream cone–fashion, working toward the right corner of the nori. Seal the edge of the hand roll with water or a few grains of the cooked rice. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

If you are making the
Shrimp, Avocado, and Mango Rolls
and need four cups of rice, this recipe doubles easily.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1⅓ cups water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, still covered, for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the vinegar over the rice and mix with a fork. Allow the rice to cool completely before using.

This is definitely a dish you can play with and make your own. Some great vegan filling combinations include:

I love ordering a roll with these kinds of flavors in a sushi restaurant but they can have lots of extra hidden calories in them. So I re-created the recipe at home, holding on to the flavors that I like so much, but lightening everything up; I opt for brown rice instead of white, use a lot less mayo (I go for egg-free mayo, actually), and omit white sugar and the usual fried garnish. I do still serve them with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce, for guests to customize the flavors. Give these a try because I think you will love them!
makes 8 rolls; serves 4