Sushi, the next PB & J?

O.K., maybe not, but I tend to think of it that way. Once the rice is cooked, sushi can come together in minutes. It is faster and easier than most people would think possible. I use short grain brown rice, this takes about 45 minutes to cook and then I let it cool for 20 or 30 minutes before I actually use it. It’s more of an option for when you’re going to be around the house. You can use leftover rice, but it’s not as sticky, so when you’re first starting out you’ll want to avoid that. Once the rice has cooled a bit (it should still be warm) I stir in some agave nectar and brown rice vinegar, just a bit of each. You’ll also need sheets of Nori (a seaweed). Many people toast the Nori before they use it, I just use it straight out of the package. Lay out a sheet of Nori on either a bamboo mat made specifically for the purpose, or a stiff dishcloth (which is what I use).

Cover the surface with the rice leaving about an inch uncovered on the ends closest and farthest from you.

Place your chosen fillings on top of the rice about 1/3rd of the length of the Nori away from you.

Some options that I like are avacado slices with thinly slice carrots (cucumber is a good addition too in the summer), or cooked sweet potato slices with chives and unhulled sesame seeds. Then proceed to roll….

And roll…

And roll…

And roll…

Then, wet the edge of the seaweed…

And finish rolling, tighten the roll up a bit as you go.

The finished roll

Slice and serve with soy sauce for dipping and optional wasabi (which I love) and pickled ginger.

Some people feel it’s worth using white rice to make sushi, I obviously don’t. I think it turns out just fine with brown.
*All photos once my hands appear are credited to my 6 year old photographer :-).

C