Dinner ~ Vegetable California Roll Sushi

While sushi is typically made with a sticky sushi rice, you can also experiment and use a combination of other grains including brown rice, wild rice, jasmine, and quinoa. You'll often see recipes that have sugar and vinegar added to sushi rice, however I choose to omit these ingredients. When you order sushi at a restaurant, it can also include mayonnaise. For that reason, you may want to inquire what is added so you can keep it as heart healthy as possible.

Vegetable California Roll Sushi

1 c sushi rice

2 c water

1/4 red pepper

1/2 carrot

1 mini cucumber

4 sheets nori

soy sauce

Rinse sushi rice until it runs clear to remove excess starch.  Boil 2 c water, add rice, reduce to low heat. Add flame deflector under pan, cover, and cook rice for 15 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes in refrigerator.  Cut red pepper, carrot, and cucumber into long, thin slices. Steam pepper and carrot strips for 5 minutes. Place nori sheet on bamboo rolling mat. Add 1/4 c sushi rice to nori sheet and thinly spread, leaving 1/2" strip uncovered on one end. Line vegetables on opposite end and slowly roll toward the uncovered end. Gently squeeze roll in matting to seal nori sheet. Refrigerate roll and repeat with next 3 nori sheets. Using sharp knife, cut in roll in half, then proceed to cut into bit size pieces. Each roll makes 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce.