Vegetable Sushi

The other night Kimberly and I were having a few friends over and we happened to have a little leftover sake (Japaense rice wine). We had also been looking forward to making a return trip to Paldo World, our favorite Korean grocery store (ok let's be real, it's the only Korean grocery strore we know of). Basically, all things considered, we really wanted to make sushi.



Modeling provided by the lovely Jennie Greb :)



We love sushi. In fact, we love it so much that we use any excuse to make it. Last year, for example, we had a memorable Cinco de Mayo, complete with the traditional meal of sushi and ice cream. And Avatar the Last Airbender, of course (the tv show, the movie sucked). I'm sure you can add sushi to many other holidays - Easter, Halloween, and Fourth of July are all acceptable options in our opinion.

We also just like making sushi for the additional benefit of feeling like real, professional chefs. Sushi looks so put together and complicated when it is in reality surprisingly simple. The only thing you really have to cook is the rice and you can put in just about any veggies that you have on hand. And even though vegetable sushi is just vegetables and rice, it turns out to be a filling meal. 

Anyways, normally Kimberly and I put the standard carrots, cucumbers and mushrooms into our sushi, but this time walking through Paldo World, we got a little creative. Shopping in Paldo World is always a bit of an adventure. There are so many things to see, a number of unfamiliar languages being spoken, and an unlikely amount of soy sauces to choose from. It took a solid 20 minutes to find some wasabi paste. When we had finally found everything on our list and we were headed towards the check-out, my eye was caught by something shockingly yellow in the refrigerated section. It didn't look like it could possibly be something organic, but it turned out to be pickled radish.

Between Kimberly and I, we somehow managed to convince ourselves that we should buy three large stalks of pickled radish to put in our sushi. Doubt set in as soon as we got home, opened the packaging, and were greeted by an entirely unappetizing odor. However, we persevered, and the strips of bright yellow were a very aesthetically pleasing addition to our sushi (and actually tasted pretty good). We're not necessarily advocating that you buy this for your sushi, because while it was pretty and tasted good, about a week after sushi we still have two and a half stalks of pickled radish in our fridge and no way to use them. If you know of any recipes that involve pickled radishes, please feel free to put them in the comments. Help a girl out.

And Jennie again demonstrates her superior sushi-making skills.

Vegetable Sushi:

3 cups sushi rice

10 sheets nori

Sushi mat
3/4 cup rice vinegar, divided
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 small cucumbers (or 1 large), julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
Pickled ginger
1 avacado, sliced
Pickled radish (optional)
Black sesame seeds (optional)
Wasabi, sriracha, and soy sauce for serving (optional)

1. Cook the sushi rice, usually 1 cup rice to 1 cup water. Set aside and let cool (you will want to let it cool - trying to evenly spread hot sushi rice is painful).

2. Place sliced mushrooms in a medium bowl with 1/2 cup rice vinegar and 1/4 cup soy sauce and fill with water until the mushrooms are covered with liquid. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.





3. Put the remaining rice vinegar in a bowl - you will need this later to keep the sushi rice from sticking to your hands (doesn't always work as well as advertized).

4. Now you will begin learning the art of rolling sushi. This is not as hard as it sounds.

First, put 1 sheet of nori on your sushi mat, shiny side down. In as thin a layer as possible, spread the sushi rice over about 2/3 of the nori sheet, leaving a two-inch strip at the top riceless (naked). Make sure to press the rice down firmly so that it all sticks together in a compact layer. It is important to make sure that the rice goes all the way to the bottom and side edges. If (when) the rice gets stuck to your fingers, dip them in the rice vinegar, and maybe even spread a little on the rice itself.

About an inch up from the bottom of the nori sheet (the side with the rice on it), lay out vegetables of your choice in a thin line. While it is tempting to pile on a good heaping, you will want to keep it fairly small because the smaller it is, the easier it is to roll (we're not doubting you here, just warning you).





Starting on the end with the rice and vegetables, carefully begin rolling upwards (towards the end without the rice), using your sushi mat. Go slowly and as tightly as you can, making sure not to roll your sushi mat into your sushi roll (this is an unpleasant effect). Once you reach the end, use your finger to spread a line of rice vinegar on the very top edge of the nori (the part with no rice). This will seal the roll. Finish the roll and give your sushi a little "squeeze" to make sure it all stays together.

5. Using a serated knife (really, no other kind of knife, or your sushi will come out looking slightly mangled), cut your sushi roll into one-inch sections. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and sriracha if desired.





 

Photo credit: Lillian Ferraz