Sushi and Onigiri (Rice Balls)

I am a HUGE avocado fan and that means I LOVE avocado sushi. I had a few avocados lying around so I made some sushi out of them.Very simple but very delicious! I felt a little creative so I added a few delicate touches of mayonnaise and (fake) caviar for some fun flair. Fake caviar is vegetarian-friendly, with the exact aroma and taste of salmon or sturgeon, minus the killing and extraction of the fish's belly. The little pearls are made from kelp extract and is a result of molecular gastronomy. You can find some here.
The remaining sushi rice I used to make onigiri, a Japanese snack that usually has some sort of filling or served plain with seasonings or dried seaweed.

Avocado Uramaki, topped with mayo and salmon eggs (veggie)

Avocado rolls with tempura bits

Chewy Caramel Almond Candy

Um...I actually have no idea what this would be called but it's a type of candy in Vietnam that originally has peanuts and chewy caramel sandwiched between two thin pieces of rice wafers. My mom wanted to make this after we found ready-made wafers at the Italian supermarket. Instead of peanuts, we used almonds, roasted and arranged on the wafer rounds, which I then smothered with the caramel. I never made chewy caramel before so this was something new for me. And my verdict? I loved it. Buttery and not too sweet cause of the little bit of salt added. My mom and I want to sprinkle on some course sea salt in our next batch for an extra kick in the tastebuds. Yum Yum Yum!!!

Chewy Caramel

1 cup corn syrup or 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup agave nectar
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp of salt
1 tsp vanilla

In a non-stick pot or saucepan, combine all ingredients and leave the heat on medium-high until the mixture begins to boil. Stir slowly with a wooden spoon until the mixture seems thickened, golden and all the sugar has dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup butter, on medium heat, until the mixture is foamy and light. Remove from heat, and stir until the tiny bubbles disappear and leave to cool for around 2-3 minutes, until it is thick enough to coat the spoon. Pour on the pre-arranged almonds and wafer, careful to no go over the edge.
Let to set completely for 2 hours or over night.

Loaded Vegetable Lasagna

My dinner.
Lasagna, layered with tomato sauce, white sauce, ricotta, and vegetables. Yum, yum, yummeh!