Fries, Juice, and Maki!

I should be out painting, as Mavric is sleeping, but instead I am going to dodge the sun and blog for a bit! Yesterday was a fail as far as food was concerned, chicken nuggets and fries oh my! (In my defense though, the fries were homemade!) 

Homemade Fries
Fresh Potatoes (scrubbed with skin on sliced thick so they don't get all mushy and stick to the pan!)
Canola Oil (enough to coat)
Aunt Jemimah Pancake Mix (Just enough to coat)
And "Pomme Fritz Gewirtz" (It this lovely combo of curry and spices that German's love to put on their fries...not sure where you find it in Canada though! Frank and I brought some back last time we went over!) 
Toss and Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft and browning up a bit! (I like my fries a bit crispy so I leave them in for a bit longer than some people might!)

But enough about fries!! On Wednesday night we met with a friend of ours who is getting into Juice! I think it should be a reality TV show or something called Extreme Juicing...but I am totally hooked and looking for a Juicer of my own!!! He made Frank and I a lovely juice with spinach, carrots, apples, and lemon...it was green, it was thick, and oh so delish!! I am not doing it justice by this little blurb, but seriously juicing has got to be one of the most amazing things that I have never had before! In a single glass you can pack in a lovely combo of flavours that have all your daily intake of fruit and veggies for the day! It is easy prep too, within about 5-10 minutes our friend had set up, juiced, and cleaned up a tasty liquid meal! It would have been enough on its own, but we took things a step further and made a batch of brown rice maki rolls to go with it! A twist on a summer dish, but soo yummy! And for those of you who think that maki rolls are intimidating they really aren't too scary! A little time consuming but once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long at all to whip up a batch!

Brown Rice Maki
What you need:
Short Grain Brown Rice
Sushi Rice Vinegar (gently mix this into the rice when its finished cooking and set it in the fridge to cool completely) 
Cool Crispy veggies sliced in long thin strips (my favorites are carrot, cucumber, and avacado)
Dried Seaweed sheets (cut in half)
Soy Sauce
Wasabi (I used the powered form this time and found that the paste is a little too potent for my liking, I prefer the pre-mixed paste)
Sliced Ginger in a Jar (Its pink!)
Now to put a roll together lay a sheet of seaweed shiny side down. Put 2-3 teaspoons of cooled rice on it and flatten the rice out to the edges with the back of a wet spoon, careful to leave a 1cm wide strip of seaweed without rice on it. Lay a few veggie in a thin line down the center of the rice and then with a bamboo sushie roller (or a piece of wax paper works in a pinch!) roll your maki roll up! (to help make the seam stick well, moisten the strip of seaweed that doesn't have rice on it) Set rolls seam side down on a plate and let rest as you roll, this will make it easier when you cut them! (I usually get eight pieces out of one roll!)

Well, on that note I hope you enjoy your long weekend! If you have time, make some maki! It's a great dish to bring to a pot luck, serve it up with wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger! I am keeping my fingers crossed that I may get a juicer this weekend and then will hopefully get to delight you all with many combos of fruit and veggie juices!!! I am soooo excited! Mav is awake now! 


Guten Appetit!