Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
In a world where time is of the essence, here’s the ultimate culinary shortcut: a quartet of Japanese-inspired dishes that each come together in just 15 minutes
Futomaki sushi
Makes: 2 rolls
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
225g uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
Seasoned kanpyo and shiitake
Tamagoyaki
½ unagi, grilled OR our pre-grilled unagi kabayaki
½ bunch of rocket or watercress
½ cucumber
½ package sakura denbu or furikake as an alternative
2 sheets nori
10ml rice vinegar
Method:
1. Cut tamagoyaki into long, thin strips and store in the fridge for now.
2. Heat the unagi in the oven for 6 minutes
3. Cut the fresh rocket or watercress and cucumbers
4. Put the nori sheet on your bamboo mat and add the rice, spreading it evenly over the sheet. Remember to leave a 2cm strip along the top of the nori
5. Add all of your ingredients including the unagi, kanpyo, and rocket or watercress. Place the cucumber at the bottom and the denbu and shiitake towards the top.
6. Holding the bottom of the bamboo mat, roll forward whilst keeping the filling tucked in
7. Cut the sushi into equally-sized pieces with a sharp knife
Salmon rice bowl
Serves: 1
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
250g of salmon , cut into 1-inch cubes
¾ cup cooked rice
½ sliced avocado
1 scallion
Kimchi
2 tbsp of soy sauce
Spicy mayo
Nori sheets
Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Method:
1. Cut the 250g salmon into cubes then cut the scallion into fine slices. Place both in the same bowl.
2. Add the spicy mayo, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and mix it all together.
3. Place the cooked rice in the bowl first. Then layer the cooked salmon mixture in the middle.
4. Add corn, kimchi, sliced avocado and nori sheets all around.
5. You can eat as is and wrap the salmon mixture in your seaweed sheets and enjoy as mini-roll ups.
Inside-out Californa roll
Makes: 3 rolls
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
540g of sushi rice
255g of crab meat
42g of Japanese mayonnaise
A quarter of a cucumber
1 avocado
A quarter of a lemon
3 nori sheets
16g of toasted white sesame seeds
Masago (for the topping)
Method:
1. In a bowl, mix the crab meat with Japanese mayonnaise
2. Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and cut into strips that are the same length as the nori sheets.
3. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, cut it into thick slices and then squeeze the lemon juice over them.
4. Cut the nori sheet into two halves and place one on a bamboo mat with the shiny side facing down.
5. Spread 135g of the rice evenly onto the sheet before sprinkling some of the sesame seeds on the rice.
6. Turn the nori sheet over so the rice is laying on the bamboo mat and place the crab meat, cucumber and avocado across the bottom of the nori sheet.
7. Holding the bottom of the bamboo mat, roll forward whilst keeping the filling tucked in.
8. Cut the sushi into equally-sized pieces with a sharp knife.
9. Use your hands to spread masago evenly across the top of each sushi piece.
Spicy sashimi salmon snacks
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
150g of salmon fillet
8g of root ginger
½ teaspoon of sriracha
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of Kelly Loves Soy Sauce
½ tsp of spicy mayo
½ tsp of cane sugar
1 small bowl of edamame beans
10g of cucumber slices
Black and white sesame seeds
Serrano pepper
3 spring onions
Seaweed rice crisps
Method:
1. In a large bowl, add the spicy mayo, cane sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and a teaspoon of sriracha. Use a mini whisk or a small spoon and stir the ingredients together.
2. Chop the salmon fillet into small cubes and add to the bowl of your mixture.
3. On a chopping board, dice your spring onion and add the small rings into your bowl of salmon and mixture. Back to the chopping board, dice your serrano pepper.
4. On a plate, add your seaweed crisps. In this recipe we use 7 crisps to add the filling to.
5. Scoop the salmon filling on to each seaweed rice crisp.
6. On top of each crisp, add 1-2 edamame beans, your cucumber slices and the diced pepper.
7. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sesame seeds.