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Ingredients

2 cups Japanese sushi rice
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
6 sheets nori (dry seaweed)
1 avocado – peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into long strips
2 tablespoons wasabi paste

Directions

Soak rice for 4 hours. Drain rice and cook in a rice cooker with 2 cups of water. Rice must be slightly dry as vinegar will be added later.

Immediately after rice is cooked, mix in 6 tablespoons rice vinegar to the hot rice. Spread rice on a plate until completely cool.

Place 1 sheet of seaweed on bamboo mat, press a thin layer of cool rice on the seaweed. Leave at least 1/2 inch top and bottom edge of the seaweed uncovered. This is for easier sealing later. Dot some wasabi on the rice. Arrange cucumber, avocado and smoked salmon to the rice. Position them about 1 inch away from the bottom edge of the seaweed.

Slightly wet the top edge of the seaweed. Roll from bottom to the top edge with the help of the bamboo mat tightly. Cut roll into 8 equal pieces and serve. Repeat for other rolls.

Ingredients

3 pounds goat shoulder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
10 pitted prunes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Moroccan preserved lemon
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the goat shoulder with salt and pepper, and place into the pan. Brown quickly on all sides. Add the onions to the pan, and cook, stirring constantly until browned. Mix in the prunes and preserved lemon; cook and stir for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Pour in the red wine and chicken broth, and bring to a simmer.

Cover the Dutch oven, and bake for 2 hours, or until meat is so tender that it falls off of the bone.

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons kecap manis
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 lemon grass, bruised, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions

Place onion, garlic, kecap manis, coriander, cumin, sambal oelek, red wine and water in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Pour marinade into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Stir in the lemon grass. Add the beef and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Thread beef onto metal or soaked wooden skewers, about 4 cubes per skewer.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Grill skewers until beef reaches desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium.

Ingredients

4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup Creole mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 pounds large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 lettuce leaves

Directions

In the container of a food processor, combine the celery, green onions, onion and parsley. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the vinegar, ketchup, tomato puree, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Process until well blended, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times. With the food processor running, drizzle the oil in a steady stream, processing until blended. Stir in paprika. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, stir the sauce, then pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Serve on top of lettuce leaves.