June 19, 2013 June 19, 2013/ Morgan 
I know that sushi can seem intimating to a lot of people. It seems like you need STUFF to make it like special mats to roll it on and maybe some magical skills that you can only acquire if you go to culinary school in Japan. Well I’m here to calm ya down. It’s not hard. But you don’t even NEED stuff. You can just roll things up into a cone! And then you don’t have to worry if your rice isn’t perfectly sticky or if you want to have way more ingredients in your roll than you should (risking a burst roll!) No see… you can just makes these – temaki – and be set to go! It’s a super easy meal or snack. My daughter LOVES them. I love them.
So they are easy. And they are healthy. (Okay maybe you should leave out that second slice of avocado unlike what I did.. hahah!) They seem special but they aren’t. They are the hotdogs of the fancy food world. Something you can make in a jiffy (especially if you have a large batch of rice that you made at the beginning of the week that you can just scoop a cup out of!) and walk around eating.
And you don’t have to TRUST ME (trust me!) that avocado and mango is a mind blowing pairing. You can put whatever you want in there. My favorite thing? Baked potatoes. Like french fries. Yeahhh….. mmmm!
These are really fun and easy to make for a party too. Just lay out the stuff and have everyone make their own rolls. I like to have out several different toppings but you won’t need a ton of each. Some sliced fruit, some sliced veggies, maybe some baked tofu or tempeh, some toasted sesame seeds, etc.. it’s nice to only have to cook rice for a party, don’t ya think?
You can find the nori at any Asian Market or in the ethnic isle of some bigger grocery stores. That is where you can also find the rice vinegar.
*If you can’t find rice vinegar you can use some apple cider vinegar but it will be a little harsh so use less (1-2 teaspoons less per 1/4 cup)
*If you don’t like nori don’t worry – you can use soy wrappers (like the ones in the picture above) which you can find at Asian markets. You can also just use lettuce or collard green wraps!
*Let’s say you make the rice and it doesn’t seem perfect – who cares! It’s not a big deal with these rolls which is what makes them absolutely wonderful for beginner sushi enthusiasts!
- 2 cups short grain brown rice (or “sweet” brown rice)
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon salt
- sliced avocado
- sliced mango
- 1 package toasted nori sheets
- optional: soy sauce, wasabi, gari, sriracha
- any additional vegetables or fruit that you would like to add such as cooked potatoes, pineapple, sliced carrots, baked sweet potatoes, green onions, spinach, thinly sliced apples, kale, strips of peppers, cucumber, sliced zucchini, etc
Bring water to a boil and add the brown rice. Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer until the water is absorbed (about 45 minutes.) Remove from the stove, remove the lid and cover the pot with a towel to absorb extra moisture in the rice.
Heat up the vinegar until simmering and add in the sugar and salt. Mix until dissolved and then remove from the heat. Let cool.
Once the rice has cooled for a few minutes transfer it to a bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Mix together with a light touch (I like to use my big flat wooden spatula.)
To make the hand rolls: Cut one sheet of nori down the middle and place one half shiny side down. Add about 1/4 cup of rice to one end. Top with a slice of mango and a slice of avocado. Roll into a cone. Eat up or serve with some soy sauce, wasabi (they are great mixed together!) and some gari between rolls. Yum!
You can also use soy wrappers if you’re not into the taste or texture of nori. You can find them in Asian markets near the nori.
Nutritional information per serving : Serving size: 2 rolls
240 calories, 5.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 50g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 6.2g sugar, 4.6g protein