Raw Zucchini "Sushi" Rolls

I'm going to share a secret with you.  I really love veggie sushi.  Like, really.  If I could eat tofu and avocado rolls morning, noon, and night I probably would... but I don't out of fear of growing tired of sushi... because, then what?

I've been making sushi rolls at home for some time now, but this week I started thinking about a raw version that doesn't involve nori.  This raw "sushi" is a fun deviation that uses zucchini instead of nori strips.  Since zucchini is in season and I've had enough zucchini muffins to last me all summer, it was time to find a new way to enjoy it.  

When you're making traditional sushi rolls, you'll use a large strip of nori, roll up your ingredients, and then cut the roll into your individual sushi pieces.  The fun part of using zucchini is that it makes individual rolls and is much easier to handle, especially if you're new to sushi-making.  Soaked and blended cashew are the perfect substitute for rice and you can use any fresh veggies and herbs of your choice in the rolls.  Serve with Nama Shoyu or your favorite dipping sauce.

Raw Zucchini Sushi Rolls
4 servings

1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
3 - 4 zucchini (each yields 6 - 8 slices)
2 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
1 cucumber, seeds removed and sliced into matchsticks
4 medium radishes, sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 small bunch cilantro

Drain cashews and put into food processor with rice vinegar.  (Depending on how long cashews were soaked you might need to add a tablespoon of water to get the right consistency.)  Process, scraping sides with spatula if necessary, until cashews are a soft paste but still have some texture.

Chop the ends off of your zucchini and use a vegetable peeler to peel your zucchini into long thin strips. Lay zucchini strip flat and add a small spoonful of cashew mixture onto one of the ends of zucchini.  Add a few matchsticks of veggies, avocado, and a couple of pieces of cilantro.  Roll up and enjoy!

Tofu Rolls

Gee, it's been a long time, huh? Well, let's catch up. What's new with you? How was your week? What did you do on July 4th? And, most importantly, what have you been eating?

It's been an interesting week over here. I dyed my hair three times. I went on a long bike ride. I've been working on a scrapbook. And I made some sushi. Since the sushi is probably the most interesting part, let's talk about that.

I absolutely love vegan sushi. Actually, I've never had any other kind of sushi... what's raw fish like? The problem with being a vegetarian/vegan sushi lover is that sushi is really all about the fish. Sure, there are definitely some sushi places that have great non-fish options (if you live in Seatte, check out Kitaro in Wallingford). But, for most sushi places, vegetarian sushi is limited to avocado rolls.

This is why I embarked on a qwest to make my own sushi. I decided to start by making my favorite tofu rolls: tofu, avocado, and cucumber. Classic. I was feeling particularly lazy and added in plain, raw tofu. You can always bake yours and/or marinate it beforehand.

Making sushi is definitely an art, but it's not as challenging as I expected it to be. And, the good news for you is that if I can do it, you certainly can too. So, here's what you'll need to get started:

• a bamboo mat
• 1 cup sushi rice (I used Nishiki brand)
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbs seasoned rice vinegar
  
• nori strips
• 1 block of tofu
• 1 avocado
• 1 cucumber
  

It doesn't take too much rice and fillings to make these sushi rolls so the ingredients above will make several batches.

Start by washing your rice. Add 1 cup of the rice to a pot and wash thoroughly. The water will initially be a milky white color, but keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Then add 2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Next, lower the heat and let it simmer until the rice is done. (You can also use a rice cooker.)

When rice is done, put it in a separate bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of seasoned rice vinegar. Place a damp towel over the bowl to keep it moist.

Prepare the fillings. Start by cutting off the ends of the cucumer and then slicing it into quarters. Remove the seeds and then slice each quarter into thin strips. Cut open the avocado and remove the pit. Peel off the skin and slice the avocado into thin strips. Slice your tofu block into thin strips as well.

Grab your bamboo mat and lay your nori sheet on top of it. Cover the nori with a thin layer of the rice. This should cover about 2/3 of the sheet.


The next step is to flip the nori sheet over. A handy trick is to put a layer of plastic wrap between the nori sheet and the bamboo mat so that the rice does not stick to the bamboo mat. I forgot to do this step, but it makes a difference!

You will then add your fillings. Make sure that you are putting these on the end of the nori that does not have rice on the other side. It doesn't take too much to fill these rolls up, so a few strips of avocado, tofu, and cucmber should be enough.


Now you're ready to roll! Take your mat and begin to roll the nori starting at the end where your fillings are.


Continue to roll.


Your finished product will look something like this. If you used a plastic sheet, your roll will be wrapped in plastic and your mat will not be covered in rice!


Slice your sushi into individual rolls. If you used a plastic sheet, make sure to remove this prior to slicing.


Put on a plate and serve!