Sushi Rice Salad

I am trying to be gluten free (I may have mentioned this before) - it seems to help me with joint aches and pollen allergy (specifically grass seed pollen and since I live in the grass seed capital of the world, this is a biggie!)  A few months ago I ran across an interesting cookbook "The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen" and I finally broke down and bought it (just what I need, another cookbook).  First it turned me on to a whole lot of gluten free products that I never thought I could buy locally without going online but I can find even some of them at the "end of the Oregon Trail" (think low population levels don't bring in lots of hard-to-find/exotic foods).  I even found sweet potato noodles (but that will be another blog!)  I guess it helps that the author lives in Oregon.

We are all things fish - including sushi - lovers. The LOML and I usually find ourselves at one or another of our favorite sushi or fish restaurants on Friday evenings.  Additionally, we once lived next door to a Japanese family and they taught me how to make our own sushi (which I rarely do because it isn't as easy as it looks).  For years I have thought that sushi could be deconstructed into a rice salad but never tried experimenting.   Friends recently invited us for dinner and we rolled our own Spring Rolls with rice paper as the wrappers (delicious) and again I thought of salad without the rice paper wrappers. Guess what? My new cookbook has a recipe for the rice salad that I have been dreaming of!

Saint Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Hash

Younger people sometimes forget that not all of Ireland is green (Catholic) especially kids who like to pinch you if you aren't wearing green on Saint Patrick’s Day.  There is also the color orange in the Irish flag that represents the Protestants.   And the wide white stripe in the flag represents peace between the Catholics and Protestants (the Irish sometimes forget about that white stripe!)

In our household we have blended our religions.  I was raised Protestant and the LOML (Love of My Life) was raised Catholic.  So we are, in a fashion, Orange & Green “Irish” (neither of us has an ounce of Irish blood but on St. Paddy’s day everyone is Irish!).  Last year, the LOML had some extra time on St. Paddy’s day and came up with the following orange, green & white hash recipe using corned beef.   

Corned beef is very popular in Ireland (and England as well as other countries), it is beef (usually brisket) that is preserved by soaking in a brine often with additional herbs and spices (a brine is a mixture of salt and water).  You can make your own corned beef.  I've never done it but there are recipes available on the internet.  

By the way, hash is kind of like a dry stew – small pieces of meat usually mixed with potato.  If you prefer stew to hash, experiment and add some broth!