Yoko Recipes

Book

Yoko
by Rosemary Wells

Yoko’s brings a variety of different lunches to school, including sushi, sandwiches, and franks and beans. Fritz’s Meatball Grinder is a hearty sandwich - give it a try!

Yoko’s favorite lunch is Secret Treasure Sushi, which you can make at home too.

Make Timothy’s special treat, Caribbean Coconut Crisps, for dessert.

Cook

Secret Treasure Sushi

Complexity: Fun project with lots of arranging for kids to help with.
Time: 30 minutes prep plus rice cooking time.

Ingredients

2 cups rice
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
½ cup cooked, chopped shrimp, cold
½ cup canned tuna, packed in water but drained
1 cucumber, sliced into long, thin strips
optional: 1 carrot, sliced into long, thin strips
1 avocado, peeled and sliced into thin strips
Soy sauce for serving

Directions

Cook rice in a rice cooker or on stove according to package directions.
In the meantime, add vinegar, sugar and salt to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat stirring occasionally until sugar and salt are dissolved. Place in a jar or dish and cool in the fridge until rice is ready.
add the cooled vinegar mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or fork as to not overmix. It will appear wet but will dry up as you lightly stir to release heat. It should be sticky and completely dry once it’s ready.
grab a thick towel and fold it over into a rectangle and place it on a flat surface. Top with plastic wrap, then with a sheet of nori. Using your hands dipped in water (to avoid sticking), pat a very thin layer of rice all over the nori, making sure it’s not too thick or your roll will be all rice and no filling.
Then, arrange a serving of your veggies or preferred filling in a line at the bottom 3/4 of the rice closest to you (see photo).
Start to roll the nori and rice over with your fingers, and once the veggies are covered, roll over the plastic wrap and towel, using it to mold and compress the roll (see photo). Continue until it’s all the way rolled up.
Slice with a sharp knife and serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Cook

Fitz's Meatball Grinder

Complexity: Moderately complex, involves the blender and stove.
Time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients

5 6-inch soft sub rolls
1 lb. ground pork (or beef)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; more for the grill
1 medium tomato (8 oz.), halved crosswise
2 jarred piquillo peppers (or substitute 1 large jarred roasted red pepper)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 oz. finely grated manchego cheese (about 1 cup)

Directions

Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire, or heat a nonstick skillet to medium high.
Tear half of one roll into 1/4-inch pieces and put in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and let sit until the bread has absorbed the water, about 5 minutes. Gently squeeze the bread to remove excess water and finely chop the soaked bread (you should have about 1/4 cup).
In a large bowl, break up the pork with your hands. Add the soaked bread, egg, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, smoked paprika, 1-1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Use your hands to gently combine the mixture. Shape into 16 meatballs (each about 1-1/2 inches).
Split the remaining rolls, but don’t cut them completely in half. Brush the insides of the rolls with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Brush the cut side of the tomato and the meatballs with the remaining olive oil.
Oil the grill grate (or add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet) and grill the tomato until softened and lightly browned, turning once, 4 to 6 minutes. Grill the bread split side down until golden and lightly charred on the edges, 1 to 3 minutes. Grill the meatballs until they’re just cooked through, turning once, about 8 minutes. Remove each item as it finishes cooking and set aside.
In a food processor, purée the grilled tomato, piquillo peppers, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt.
Put 4 meatballs in each roll and top with one-quarter of the sauce and one-quarter of the cheese. Serve hot.

Cook

Timothy's Caribbean Coconut Crisps

Complexity: Involves cutting up, soaking, and roasting a coconut.
Time: 15 minutes prep, 2 hours soaking, 1.5 hours baking

Ingredients

1 dry Coconut
Salt and/or sugar, to taste

Directions

Remove the flesh from a dry coconut and slice it very thin.
Place coconut in a large pan and cover with with salted and/or sugared water and soak for 2 hours.
Drain water and bake coconut in 150-degree F oven for 1.5 hours or until crispy and golden. Sprinkle sugar if desired.
Cool and serve.