Sushi, Show, and Spread. Oh my!

As a NEPA Vegan, it is not always the easiest to go out for a nice meal. Sure, I like salads with vinaigrette or pasta primevera with olive oil and garlic. But sometimes, you just want something different without having to special order everything, pissing of the kitchen and annoying your server. So one Sunday night, craving sushi and following the advice of some very pleased diners, we tried Atami Sushi in Clarks Summit. The decor is simple, hip lights over the sushi bar and only four or five tables against a banquette. We saddled up to the bar, because there was no place else to sit, this place was hopping! And for good reason.  People are constantly picking up to go orders, and saying this is the 'third time this week' they were there and how much they 'love it'. This is the first sushi restaurant I have been to in a long time that really catered to vegetarians and vegans. There are plenty of options from salads to appetizers and they even have a vegetarian sushi platter, reasonably priced at $25 for 48 pieces! I started out with my favorite, seaweed salad, and Mr. Donut chose the tomato and avocado salad. Both were fresh and visually appealing, the ginger dressing with the tomato and avocado is perfect. Next, we tried the pan fried vegetable dumplings, and frankly, anything in dumpling form is a winner for me. They are packed with onion, carrots and other goodness that was completed with their sweet dumpling dipping sauce. There was a tempura appetizer on the special board that day, and they were more than happy to accommodate us with just veggies and no shrimp. Then there was the vegetarian sushi platter. There is SO much sushi on this thing, I was amazed it came out so quickly.  It was made up with cucumber, avocado, Inari (tofu), Oshinko (pickled radish), vegetable, and tempura rolls, beautifully garnished. On top of the excellent food, the service is friendly and superb.  After we gorged ourselves and couldn't possible eat another morsel, they sent over free pineapple for dessert with the check.  Atami is B.Y.O.B., and their selection of beverages is basic. It would be nice if they had some sort of 'specialty' drink, but for two peeps feasting on a gargantuan meal

 it was under $50. Oh, Atami, you know the way to a vegans heart. 

 Atami Sushi 100 Old Lackawanna Trail, Clarks Summit, PA 18411 (5

70) 585-1250

Also, taping of the first official episode of Anatomy of a Green Kitchen is complete! Now it is in the editing process, and should be out very, very soon! The entire

 episode was about tofu and the different 

ways that you can incorporate it into recipes, so even Grama and Uncle Joe wouldn't know it was tofu, until you told them mid-bite! It will be airing on ECTV, channel 61, and I will let everyone know about the exact date and times that you can check out AGK! Or you can check out Anatomy of a Green Kitchen on myspace!

In between taping and dining out, I had some fun in the kitchen. I made grilled veggie panini's, but I am so bored with balsamic on grilled vegetables, so I came up with an easy sun dried tomato spread, that was out of this world. All I did was spread in on the bread, layer my veggies (Portabellas, spinach, roasted red peppers) and paninied it to greatness! This also good as a dip for cold veggies, or throw on some cold pasta and make a great salad!  All you need is: 

 1 C. sun dried tomatoes

1/2 C. fresh basil

1/2 C. black olives

1/4 C. pine nuts

olive oil

1. Put everything in your food processor.

2. Pulse as you add olive oil until fully pureed.  If you like a chunkier texture, just pulse a few times.

3. Spread and enjoy!

I hope everyone has a good holiday and please think of the 285 million hens that are raised for egg production each year. http://www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=99