Sushi

Whether you are making sushi for yourself or with friends at a dinner party, it is always a fun and creative experience. We like going through our fridge to see what type of rolls we can come up with, but these are the ones we often make the most. Unlike most sushi you'll find, we use short grain brown rice to get all the nutrients and fiber. So give these a try, create your own variations, and enjoy!

Rice Ingredients:

• 2 cups short grain brown rice
• 3 ½ cups water
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place brown rice and water in a pot, bring to a boil, cover, and then cook on low for about 50 minutes.
2. Let it cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in vinegar and salt.

Yields: about 6 cups (enough for 9 rolls)

Tofu-Carrot Roll Ingredients:

• 4 oz extra-firm tofu (or store-bought tofu cutlets)
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 large carrot (sliced lengthwise into thin strips)
• 3 sheets nori
• 2 cups cooked rice mixture (see recipe above)

Directions:

1. Slice tofu into long sticks to fit the length of three sushi rolls. If using store-bought tofu cutlets, skip to step 4.
2. Place tofu sticks, soy sauce, and water into a skillet and bring to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook covered for 5 minutes, flip sticks, and cook covered another 5 minutes. Add more water if skillet is dry.
3. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid. Set aside to cool.
4. Divide tofu and carrot strips into three portions for filling.
5. See sushi rolling directions below.

Yields: 3 rolls

Cucumber-Avocado Roll Ingredients:

• ½ cucumber (sliced lengthwise into thin strips)
• ½ avocado (sliced)
• 3 sheets nori
• 2 cups cooked rice mixture (see recipe above)

Directions:

1. Divide cucumber and avocado into three portions for filling.
2. See sushi rolling directions below.

Yields: 3 rolls

Walnut-Raisin Roll Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup walnuts (chopped)
• ⅓ cup raisins (chopped)
• 3 sheets nori
• 2 cups cooked rice mixture (see recipe above)

Directions:

1. Divide walnuts and raisins into three portions for filling.
2. See sushi rolling directions below.

Yields: 3 rolls

Sushi Rolling Directions:

1. Place a sheet of nori on cutting board or other flat surface and cover thinly with ⅔ cup of rice mixture. Leave about one inch of nori bare at the top (farthest from you).
2. For the walnut-raisin roll, evenly distribute walnuts and raisins over the rice mixture. For the other rolls, place filling in a horizontal line about ¾ inch from the bottom (closest to you).
3. Gently roll the sushi while pressing down until you reach the one inch bare strip.
4. Dip a few fingers in water and place on the bare strip of nori. Then finish rolling.
5. Let the nori set for a few minutes to seal and then slice into 6-8 pieces per roll.
6. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.