How to make Veggie Sushi Rolls (video)

This is by far one of my favorite go-to snacks. Even a delectable lunch! I love making Veggie Sushi rolls, they're SUPER versatile - since you can stuff them with anything you might have leftover in the fridge - and I always feel proud that I could actually make them!

The first time out, just know they will probably fall apart, unless you're a total wiz! (If so, let me know!) It takes a little bit to get the hang of it: how much rice, how much in the center, how tight to roll it. But once you get it, it's a snap! You can take it with you for lunch at work, or impress your friends at an intimate dinner, or as an appetizer for a party.

So... please be patient, and I promise you it WILL be worth it!

Watch the VIDEO FIRST if you can. It's much easier to get this by watching, than to read about it!

Okay, ready?

Before you start, make sure you have:

Bamboo Sushi Mat & Roasted Nori (seaweed wrap)
Wooden Paddle
Umeboshi paste (optional, but highly recommended. In the video, I talk about how amazing this is!)

Hard to make them without the first 3 elements. You can buy them at Whole Foods, or Sprouts or any Asian market. Or click the links above and have them shipped!

The basic recipe includes blanched (lightly boiled) carrots, scallions, and one dark leafy green (like kale). You can add raw cucumber and avocado too.

The recipe below includes stuff I had in the fridge. Be creative and experiment, ok?

INGREDIENTS (for 2-3 rolls)

2 cups leftover short grain brown rice (stickier than regular brown rice)
1 or 2 carrots, cut into thin match sticks
2-3 scallions
2-3 leaves of kale (I used leftover kale stems!)
3-5 shiitake mushrooms (soaked 20 minutes to reconstitute if dried)
1/2 avocado, sliced
Umeboshi paste (totally worth it!)
2-3 sheets of Roasted Nori
toasted sesame seeds

and

organic pickled ginger
Tamari gluten-free soy sauce (lite if concerned about sodium.)

May want some chopsticks, just for fun.

PROCESS (please watch video above for details)

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes (while you prep)
Place veggies in rapidly boiling water for only 2-3 minutes. The remove and drain.
Lay 1 piece of Toasted Nori onto sushi mat. Shiny side against mat, ridges face you.
Add enough sticky brown rice buy pressing it down with paddle. Leave about 1/2"-1" of Nori visible on top and bottom. (May want to soak paddle if rice is sticky)
add Umeboshi paste with knife across the bottom of rice.
add vegetables on top of that
carefully roll it like a burrito (it has a trick though)
let it sit a few 5 minutes before cutting
cut on a diagonal, arrange on your plate
add pickled ginger and soy sauce if you want a more Japanese authentic dish!
Ta-da!

Make sure your Nori is Toasted (vs. raw)

The Umeboshi paste and veggies are placed at the bottom

Cut the roll on a diagonal with a sharp knife (I love my Mac Knife!)

Arrange it with the ends in center, the other pieces around the plate.

This will be, by far, the most complicated food prep post on this blog. I strive to make everything else super simple! However, believe me when i say, it is WORTH IT!

Once you figure this out, it IS easy, delectable and beautiful.

What else can one ask for, right?

If you haven't yet, watch the video for detailed instructions, and PLEASE let me know how it went, in the comments below. OR let me know if you have any questions.

I'm excited to hear about your FIRST Sushi Roll in the hay!

You go, kid!