Vegan California Sushi Rolls

maybe i was a bit over zealous putting “sushi” on the menu.

my motto is, you’ll never know you’ll like it until you try it.

so i attempt to try something at least once to see…

it’s not that i have never had sushi–i actually used to get cravings for it often. it’s just that i have never made in my own home before. and i think i am beginning to understand why…

California “Sushi” Rolls Recipe

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. sushi rice
• 2 c. water
• 1 1/2 Tbs sugar
•  1/3 c. rice vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 4 sheets seaweed Nori
• 1/2 avocado, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeds out, thinly sliced
• shredded carrots
• soy sauce **(optional)
• wasabi **(optional)
• pickled ginger **(optional)
• chopsticks **(optional)
• edamame sprinkled with salt as a side dish **(optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil water and rice in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to LOW, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until done and not burned.
2. While rice is cooking, pour vinegar, salt and sugar into small saucepan and heat until dissolves on low heat. Set aside.
3. Once rice is cooked, place in a large bowl. Pour vinegar, salt and sugar mixture and stir until well combined. Allow to cool to room temperature.

this stuff really sticks… like denture cream!

ASSEMBLING THE ROLLS

Step 1: Line the counter with a piece of parchement paper (improvising here–I didn’t have a bamboo mat). Lay 1 sheet of seaweed onto the parchment paper and then add 1/2 c. rice on top. Leave a 1 inch border around each side. You might wanna use a small piece of parchment paper to push rice down (or else they will stick to your fingers…which loses its novelty FAST).

Step 2: Place thinly sliced veggies or whatever you want to use to fill your rolls with in the middle of the wrapper. Bring seaweed to the very end of the parchment paper and begin to roll.

Step 3:  Making sure that the parchment paper does not roll under the sushi, firmly press the roll at each movement. Go very slowly. Unless you are a skilled sushi chef. In that case, you probably are laughing at my lack of knowledge with sushi making…

Step 4: Roll until you reach the end. Again, make sure you can easily pull the parchment paper out from rolling. Go sloooooowwwwwwww. Pack firmly as you go. Rinse. Repeat. Gives new meaning to the old adage, “Slow your roll” doesn’t it? ha.

Step 5:  Slice into 8 pieces. Start off by cutting it evenly down the middle, making halves. Now take one of the halves and make 4 slices. Repeat on the other side. Now do it again 3 more times (or make your guests do it themselves…)

Step 6: Admire your work. You did it! At this point, you are probably thinking, “So this is why I pay someone to make sushi for me. Now I get it!” No? Am I alone on this one???

***Serve with fresh pickled ginger, gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free wasabi (sometimes it has wheat in it. I used the brand that comes from Japan, is in a little tin can with a pop top and is in powder form).

i’m not going to lie, this was hard work. and the clean up was crazy (note to self: next time, use rice cooker). but it looked so beautiful! too bad i don’t think i will be making this for a long time…or ever. i will just smuggle my gluten-free soy sauce into a japanese restaurant and enjoy their  hardwork.

                i even made an avocado catepillar on a cucumber log…ha!