Recipe Card | by Kelly Cackin

Because I'm in a sushi mood (I have leftovers from Blue Sushi in Omaha, NE, for lunch today!), this week's Recipe Card features Avocado and Vegetable Sushi, originally posted by Food.com user bearhouse5.  

photo by bearhouse5

Yield: 5 servings (10 4-inch rolls)

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Basic Ingredients:

• 5 sheets nori
• 1 cup water
• 8 teaspoons water

Rice

• 2 cups sushi rice
• 3 cups cold water
• 5 1/3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Fillings

• Vegetable Rolls
•  1 small carrot 
• 4-inch pieces cucumbers 
• Shiitake mushroom 
• Sesame seed 
• Vegan mayonnaise (optional) 
• Gluten-free soy sauce, to serve

Avocado Rolls

• 1 avocado 
• Vegan mayonnaise (optional) 
• 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine 3 cups cold water with 2 cups sushi rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid while cooking.
2. Prepare seasonings and fillings while rice is cooking.
3. Aim to have all the ingredients prepared and placed on separate plates and bowls ready to roll when the rice has been cooked and cooled. 
4. In a small bowl, mix together the 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. This will be used to season the rice.
5. Sprinkle a large tray or platter with this water and rice vinegar solution. This will be used for cooling the rice.
6. Peel and slice the avocado. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the slices to prevent them from browning.
7. Slice the carrots and cucumber into matchsticks. Slice the mushrooms.
8. When the rice has cooked add the sugar, vinegar and salt mixture to the saucepan with the rice and gently stir through. You can buy special rice paddles for this purpose, but a spoon or fork will suffice - just be careful not to break up the grains.
9. Place the rice onto the moistened tray or platter. Spread it out. Take a magazine, piece of cardboard or similar and fan the rice with it (as you would you face on a hot day). Turn the rice occasionally and continue fanning until the rice has cooled to around room temperature.
10. To make your rolls, position your bamboo rolling mat so as to roll away from you. Place one sheet of nori on your mat, shiny side down.
11. Dip your hands in the water and vinegar solution. Take a ball of rice (about 1 cup) and place on the nori. Spread the rice by patting it over the 3/4 of the nori closest to your body. The rice should be around 1/4 inch thick. Neaten the two edges of the rice that will be seen when the roll is finished. The 1/4 of the nori without the rice will be the section that seals the roll.
12. Along the center of the rice place your fillings.
13. Now start rolling. Lift the edge of the mat closest to you. You can use the mat to just start the roll, but you can also use the mat for the whole of the rolling process. Once the roll is started, pull back the mat and finish rolling (reasonably firmly) by hand, keeping the fillings tucked in as you go. Then, wrap the mat around the roll, and, with firm, even pressure, run your hands along the mat, thus creating an even and well sealed roll. If the roll doesn't seal completely, use a finger dampened in the water and rice solution to help it.
14. Using a very sharp knife damped in the water and vinegar solution cut the rolls into the size desired - in half for longer rolls like those sold at many take away shops, or into 6 or 8 pieces for smaller servings.
15. To make the nori less chewy, refrigerate the rolls. You can, however, eat them straight way. Serve with soy sauce and enjoy.