Sweet Potato Sushi

Did you know it's National Sweet Potato Month? Yup, me neither.   

I'm a member of a group called Sunday Funday.   And the theme this week was Sweet Potatoes, since November is Sweet Potato Month.   Wendy of Adayinthelifeonthefarm is our hostess this week and suggested we make some Sweet Potato recipes to share.    I decided I was making Sushi,

and then couldn't find my bamboo rolling mat, (I packed it up, prior to moving and it's probably in a bin or tote I haven't unpacked yet) I wasn't about to let that stop me however. 

The Sunday Funday

group post on every Sunday according to a theme, I've been participating lately and it's been fun coming up with ideas for food.  I took a little hiatus from cooking after my husband died, but I'm back...

 As I said, it's Sweet Potato Month, and I have ideas for how to enjoy these little orange bombshells of flavour and goodness.  Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm betting a lot of people will be making their sweet potatoes into a casserole topped with Marshmallows. Personally, I love it, but I'm trying to eat less processed foods these days. I do love a baked sweet potato with lots of butter on top, and don't get me started on Sweet Potato Fries. They're a guilty pleasure; I enjoy them all too often. I've done a lot of different things with sweet potatoes over the years, apart from casseroles and fries, I've included them in roasted vegetables, soups, stews, cakes, bundt cakes, and layered cakes as well as fritters.  I've even used them in tortillas.    This time round, I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I thought of making some Sweet Potato Tempura, but...   Many years ago, I'd met a chef during our full-time RV'ing days who made these one day for the campground.    But I wanted to go further —I like to play with my food —but I really didn't want to fry anything, so I googled ideas.  Lots and lots of ideas.  

It just so happens I have not only sweet potatoes on hand, but also had some small cucumbers, (the avocado's I'd planned on using, got a little too ripe to use) and one of the ideas I came up with was Sushi.  Personally, I don't like raw fish unless it's pickled herring, but I do like a California roll as an alternative to raw-fish sushi.   I think that it  would be amazing made with real crab, but honestly, I also like imitation crab, not as much, but it's still good.  I did get really spoiled this summer with fresh Dungeness Crab, courtesy of my nephew, who supplied the family with plenty.   I even made my award-winning crab cakes for the family one day.   So where am I going with this? well...  

I know, I rambled and then went down a couple of rabbit holes, but I'm good now.   I found my way out again...

I washed, peeled, and cut the sweet potato into batons —think fat French fry size —then simmered them in a little salted water for 10 minutes, just until fork-tender. 

  I did this while the sushi rice was cooking.  

When the rice has cooked, put it into a large shallow bowl to cool a bit before you pour the rice vinegar mixture over it.   

I like my sushi rice quite highly flavored but you do you.    I also had some cream cheese I'd bought to use in another recipe, and since the avocado's did their "whole, I'm ripening, getting there, I'm ripe now and you need to use me in the next 3  1/2 minutes or it's too late" , and it was too late.  

I managed to get 4 big sushi rolls out of this recipe,

and cut each one up into 7 good-sized rounds.   I didn't have any wasabi, and cannot stand the taste of those nasty little tubes they sell in the store, I like to mix it up fresh each time using a wasabi powder I buy at a local-ish oriental store.  I also did a quick pickle on some ginger so I could at least have a little flavor with the sushi.  I made a dipping sauce of soy sauce and a little sesame oil, and poured it over top, since I couldn't find my dipping dishes. 

Just in case you're curious, it was dead easy to make the quick ginger pickle.   My mother would have eaten half the jar by now, just sayin...

Peel some fresh ginger; I had a small handful's worth, about 100 grams.  I then sliced it as thin as I could with my vegetable peeler and also a small, sharp knife.  Put the peeled, sliced ginger into a jar and mix up a half cup of boiling water, a half cup of Rice Vinegar, and a good teaspoon of honey together.  Poured the vinegar mixture over the ginger and put it in the fridge.   By the time I got the sushi made, the ginger had pickled nicely.  Best part, I've got lots of ginger left.  I'm thinking it would make a fabulous addition to some Chinese food or tea.  Or I can just eat the ginger, as is.  

 Can I just say I had a good dinner!  

Check out some of the great dishes my fellow Sunday Funday bloggers came up with.  You can see them at the end of this post, after the recipe card.  

 

Sweet Potato Sushi

Yield: 4-6

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

A fun way to enjoy Sweet Potatoes during Sweet Potato Month

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Sushi Rice
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 sweet potato, cut into batons and cooked to fork-tender
• 2-ounce cream cheese
• 4 sheets Nori (dried Seaweed)
• 1 small Cucumber cut into matchstick sizes
• Prepare Sushi rice and place it into a wide shallow bowl to cool. Prepare the rice wine vinegar, with the sugar, and pour over the cooled, cooked rice and mix well.
• Using damp hands, spread one quarter of the cooked, prepared rice evenly over a sheet of Nori, rinsing hands as needed, and pat into place. Add a sweet potato baton, a slice of cream cheese, and the cucumber, and roll up tightly in a piece of plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to cool.
• When cool and set, bring out and slice into medallions using a sharp knife.
• Serve with dipping sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

Instructions

Dipping sauce

1. 1/4 cup soy sauce
2. 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
3. 1 tsp. brine from pickled ginger.
4. Mix well and serve alongside the sushi.

Estimate only

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