It’s possible to eat Trader Joe’s ahi tuna raw, so long as it is labeled sushi-grade. Similarly, Trader Joe’s fans can eat salmon raw so long as it has sushi-grade or sashimi-grade printed on the label. Take care when preparing Trader Joe’s sushi-grade fish, and ensure you eat it as fresh as possible after purchase.
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What is Sushi?
Sushi is a Japanese dish of prepared vinegar rice, usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of ingredients, such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is “sushi rice”, also referred to as Shari, or sumeshi.
What to Serve With Sushi
1. Miso Soup
Japanese meals always have soup in them, so this is a must if you’re eating sushi. There are two basic types of Japanese soup: suimono or clear soup, and miso soup.
Miso is made of dashi stock and miso paste. It has two main solid ingredients with contrasting flavors: tofu and spring onion.
2. Pickled Ginger
Pickled ginger is not a side dish, but it’s often served with sushi to serve as a palate cleanser in between bites.
And do you know why it has that bright pink hue? Authentic pickled ginger makes use of baby ginger for its milder flavor and softer consistency. And it happens to have a pink tip, hence the color.
Baby ginger is difficult to find, though, so a lot of Japanese restaurants use regular ginger and add food coloring instead.
3. Tempura
Oh, how I love this Japanese dish! It’s so easy to make and boy is it addictive. Whether it’s shrimp or vegetable tempura, I’m down. Whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant, the two things I order are sushi and tempura. To me, it’s a classic combo.
Want to make tempura at home? Here’s the secret to that crisp and fluffy batter (nope, it’s not panko breadcrumbs) – combine wheat flour with iced water, then mix it in small batches with chopsticks.
4. Edamame
Edamame is soybeans in the pod. They give a nice crunchy contrast to your soft sushi, making it a great side! To prepare edamame, blanch the beans in 4% salt water. And then just boil or steam them until cooked.
5. Gyoza
Gyoza is a Japanese half-moon shaped dumpling with minced pork filling. For sushi, though, I like to use the vegetable filling to complement its seafood topping.
To make the filling, combine shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, onion, garlic chives, and minced ginger. Then wrap that gorgeous filling in dumpling wrappers.
To cook, you can either deep fry or boil your gyoza, just like you would with perogies.
6. Eggplant
Give your sushi a sweet and smoky side by infusing it with teriyaki flavors. Marinate eggplant slices in teriyaki sauce for a few minutes and fry them in olive oil. Yum!
Trader Joe’s Sushi California Rolls
Ingredients For Trader Joe’s Sushi
- 2 cups trader joe’s sushi rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- Bamboo trader joe’s sushi mat
- 8 nori sheets
- 1 small cucumber, seeded and julienned
- 3 ounces imitation crabmeat sticks, julienned
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and julienned
- Optional: Reduced-sodium soy sauce, prepared wasabi and pickled ginger slices
Directions to Make Trader Joe’s Sushi
- Step 1
- In a large saucepan, combine rice and water; let stand for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Step 2
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Step 3
- Transfer rice to a large shallow bowl; drizzle with vinegar mixture. With a wooden paddle or spoon, stir the rice with a slicing motion to cool it slightly. Cover with a damp cloth to keep it moist. (Rice mixture may be made up to 2 hours ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with a damp towel. Do not refrigerate).
- Step 4
- Sprinkle toasted and black sesame seeds onto a plate; set aside. Place the sushi mat on a work surface so the mat rolls away from you; line it with plastic wrap. Place 3/4 cup rice on plastic. With moistened fingers, press rice into an 8-inch square. Top with 1 nori sheet.
- Step 5
- Arrange a small amount of cucumber, crab and avocado about 1-1/2 in. from the bottom edge of the nori sheet. Roll up the rice mixture over filling, using the bamboo mat to lift and also compress the mixture while rolling; remove plastic wrap as you roll.
- Step 6
- Remove mat; trader joe’s sushi rolls in sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 8 rolls. Cut each into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger slices also if desired.
Trader Joe’s Sushi Salmon Rolls
Ingredients of Trader Joe’s Sushi Salom Rolls
- 1 cup sushi rice, rinsed
- 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
- 4 nori sheets (dried, roasted seaweed)
- 1/2 avocado, sliced lengthways
- 105g can red salmon, drained, flaked
- 1/2 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin strips
- 1 small carrot, grated
- soy sauce, to serve
Method
- Step 1
- Place rice and 1 1/2 cups cold water in a saucepan over high heat. Cover and also bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender and also liquid absorbed. Remove from heat. Stand for 5 minutes.
- Step 2
- Place rice and vinegar in a bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to cool completely, stirring regularly to prevent rice becoming gluggy.
- Step 3
- Place 1 nori sheet, shiny-side down, on a sushi mat. Using moist hands, spread one-quarter of the rice mixture over the nori sheet, leaving a 3cm-wide border around the edges. Place one-quarter of the avocado along the edge facing you. Top with one quarter each of the salmon, cucumber and carrot. Using the sushi mat, roll up firmly to enclose the filling. Repeat with remaining nori, rice mixture, salmon and vegetables also.
- Step 4
- Slice each roll into 4 pieces. Wrap in plastic wrap.
We have also talked about more sushi roll recipes Want to Know About Red Dragon Sushi Roll Recipe
Trader Joe’s Sushi Salmon Rolls Nutritional Facts
| Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 3 pieces ( 90 g ) |
| Amount Per Serving |
| Calories: 140 |
| Total Fat: 3.5g |
| Saturated Fat: 0g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g |
| Monounsaturated Fat: 0g |
| Trans Fat: 0g |
| Cholesterol: 25mg |
| Sodium: 530mg |
| Total Carbohydrates: 22g |
| Dietary Fiber: 0g |
| Sugar: 4g |
| Protein: 4g |
| Calcium: 0mg |
| Iron: 0mg |
| Potassium: 0mg |
| Vitamin A: 0mcg |
| Vitamin C: 0mg |
| Vitamin D: 0mcg |
More Frequently Ask Questions
Trader Joe’s sushi was recalled back in 2019 for possible Listeria contamination and has since been discontinued in the store. We all know that grocery store sushi isn’t as high-quality as that on offer elsewhere, but here’s everything you need to know about Trader Joe’s sushi and sushi ingredients.
Yes, Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed is a healthy snack for people who want to add a little sea flavor to their diet. The snack is made of seaweed, containing minerals like calcium and magnesium. Seaweed is also rich in vitamins A and C, iron, and other nutrients.
And yes–Trader Joe’s ahi tuna is sushi grade (sashimi).
Trader Joe’s canned tuna is one of the least processed varieties on the market. A convenient and healthy way to add protein to any diet, canned tuna lacks the saturated fats of red meats and represents a significant source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Indeed, Trader Joe’s Organic French Rolls are a breath of freshly-baked air, offering the same time-honored flavor, texture (and even recipe) of a classic baguette, portioned into six delicious Rolls. And on top of all that, they’re entirely organic.
Fine, fragrant, and elegantly textured, long-grained rice makes a stellar starch in many kinds of meals, and Trader Joe’s Organic Basmati Rice is a superstar among them.
Conclusion
Trader Joe’s sushi was recalled back in 2019 for possible Listeria contamination and has since been discontinued in the store. We all know that grocery store sushi isn’t as high-quality as that on offer elsewhere, but here’s everything you need to know about Trader Joe’s sushi and sushi ingredients. It’s possible to eat Trader Joe’s ahi tuna raw, so long as it is labeled sushi-grade. Similarly, Trader Joe’s fans can eat salmon raw so long as it has sushi-grade or sashimi-grade printed on the label. Take care when preparing grade fish, and ensure you eat it as fresh as possible after purchase.
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