Sushi Inspired Tuna Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Sumeshi: Rinse the rice thoroughly to drain some of the gluten from the rice.
• Cook the rice, using equal parts rice and water. I use a rice cooker, but you can also cook it on the stove if you don't have a rice cooker.
• Put the rice vinegar and sugar in a small pot over medium heat.
• Stir until the sugar has melted into the rice vinegar.
• Once the rice is finished cooking, take the rice out of the pot and put it in the hangiri (japanese wooden bowl), or a large bowl if you don't have a hangiri.
• Cool the rice and rice vinegar mix, then slowly pour the rice vinegar mix over the rice, using a cutting motion to mix it into the rice with the rice paddle (or wooden spoon). Keep a little leftover to use in the sushi preparation.
• To Prepare the sushi: Drain your tuna and mix all of the tuna salad ingredients together.
• Now take one piece of nori and place it on your sushi roller (recommended for getting tight rolls but in a fix you could use a stiff towel). Wet your fingers with the cooled rice vinegar mixture and press a fairly thin sheet of rice onto the bottom 3/4 of the sheet, leaving room at the top of your roll to seal it.
• Using a spoon, place a generous line of tuna a little lower than the half way point on your rice square. Then add a line of your lettuce leaves on top of the tuna.
• Begin rolling from the bottom, tucking firmly with each roll to tighten it. Be careful not to smoosh it though, it's a delicate balance but you'll get the hang of it after awhile.
• Once you've gotten to the blank top of your roll take a little of the rice vinegar mixture and apply it to the inside, roll it up and use a little more on the closed roll if it's not fully sealed.
• Using a sharp, wet knife cut into bite sized pieces. You can serve this with the traditional wasabi-soy sauce mixture but it's so flavorful it's not necessary.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cilantro until combined; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss together cucumber and carrot matchsticks with salt, sugar, and vinegar; set aside.
• To assemble hand rolls, pat rice into the middle of nori sheets; top with tuna, vegetables, and avocado; roll firmly to seal. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and sambal oelek.

Steps:

• Place spinach in a dry pot set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until it just begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer into a strainer to cool.
• While spinach cools, toast white sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until light golden brown. Transfer into a mortar and pestle and crush into a very coarse paste, leaving some seeds whole. Add white sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine and reserve.
• Transfer cooled spinach to a towel and squeeze out any excess liquid. Chop roughly and add to a mixing bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.
• Mix mayonnaise, miso paste, and rice vinegar together for miso mayo sauce. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
• Lightly salt tuna steaks, and then coat all sides well with as many sesame seeds as you like, pressing them lightly as you do.
• Brush a nonstick pan with oil and place over medium heat. Sear tuna steaks in the hot pan for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, as well as each edges.
• Slice and place tuna over the miso sauce. Brush tuna with ponzu and serve with spinach salad on the side.