green eggs and ham sushi recipe dr. seuss

green eggs and ham book sushi recipeHey guys ‘n gals – it’s Green Eggs and Ham 50th Anniversary this year and to celebrate, rock stars Melissa d’Arabian, Michael Symon, Mitzi Dulan and I created some fun recipes using…you guessed it…green eggs and ham. Together, we’re on the consumer advisory council for the Pork Board.

I’ll tell you what though, my toughest cooking challenge ever was making green eggs look appetizing! My first experiment with green food coloring in the eggs resulted in a gnarly concoction that looked more like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

uhh….hmm….ha!

Okay, so Dr. Seuss books aren’t great for appetite and I’m suspiciously eyeing that Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. I wanted to create food that wasn’t just for show and tell but a dish that was actually appetizingt o both little kids and big kids.

So, Green Eggs and Ham Sushi was born (hat tip to American Style Sushi Cookbook). The eggs are mixed with chopped spinach, lots of chopped spinach.

By the way, did you know you can also get the book with Chinese and English, French (les oeufs vert et jamon) and even Italian (proscuitto e uova verdi). The boys really love the animated DVD (it’s only $5.99!)

Below are step by step photos on how to roll the sushi – please try it with your kids! They’ll have a blast making sushi with you!

Take a look at more Green Eggs and Ham Recipes
Melissa d’Arabian: Ham and Green Egg Mini Tartlets
Mitzi Dulan: Ham and Avocado Deviled Eggs
Michael Symon: Ham Sandwich with Greens and Eggs

oooh and before you go…can I humor you with An Ode to Spam in the Style of Seuss?

Green Eggs and Ham Sushi

A few tips: Make sure you get sushi rice and not long grain rice. Only short grain rice is suitable for sushi making. I buy seasoned rice vinegar - which already contains sugar and salt. If you only have unseasoned - simmer 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool before using. Buy very thin ham slices, deli-style thin is best.
Servings 4 4 (makes 4-6 large rolls, about 24-36 sushi pieces)

Ingredients
  

Sushi Rice:

  • 2 cups short-grain sushi rice
  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Sushi Spinach-Egg Filling:

  • 1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sushi Rolls:

  • 6-8 thin ham slices (thin deli-style sandwich ham)
  • 6 sheets seaweed (nori) 7 1/2" x 9" sheet
  • bamboo sushi mat, completely wrapped with plastic wrap on both sides
  • Sushi Rice

Instructions
 

  • Make the sushi rice : Place rice in fine-mesh colander and rinse well to remove excess starch; drain. Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add water. Cover with tight fitting lid and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low or medium-low. Very gently simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Transfer rice to a large baking dish or large bowl. Slightly cool. Sprinkle with rice vinegar; very gently toss until combined. Cool to room temperature. Cover with damp towel to prevent rice from drying out. When making sushi, you want the rice to be close to room temperature (hot, steaming rice will make the seaweed soggy).
  • Meanwhile, for the spinach-egg filling, squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible.
  • Finely chop the spinach. Gently fry the eggs with the spinach and season with salt. Let cool before rolling sushi.
  • To roll the sushi, have all your ingredients ready.
  • Lay out the sushi mat, with the bamboo running horizontally. The sushi mat should be completely wrapped in plastic wrap (otherwise the rice will stick to it). Lay the nori on the mat.
  • Wet your hands, fling off excess water and grab about 3/4 cup of the sushi rice. Damp hands will prevent the rice from sticking. Use your fingertips and gently spread out the rice all over the seaweed.
  • You don't want too much rice - just enough to barely cover.
  • Lay down the ham.
  • Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the egg/spinach mixture. Move the nori so it is flush with the bottom of the mat.
  • Now bring up the edge of the mat.
  • Begin rolling - but keep the edge of the bamboo mat up on top of the rice. Roll with one hand, and use the other hand to gently tug the mat. This will ensure a tight roll.
  • See how I keep the edge of the bamboo mat up? Continue rolling and gently tugging until roll is complete.
  • Give it nice final tug back to tighten roll.
  • There you go. See how even the roll is?
  • Dip the tip your knife in water, and slice into 6 even pieces. A wet knife tip will prevent sticking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!