sushi

How To Make sushi

• 1

  Rinse rice with cold water and drain. Repeat until water is almost clear. Drain rice and put in rice maker with 1 1/2 cups water. Let it sit for 30 minutes. For a decorative look, stir in 1 Tbs of red quinoa just before turning on rice maker. At end of 30 minutes, turn on rice maker.
• 2

  As soon as rice maker clicks off (or to warm) pour rice into large bowl. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of rice vinegar over it and then stir in by cutting back and forth with flat spoon or spatula. Do this every 5 minutes or so until the rice is cool.
• 3

  Gather sushi ingredients. For vegan or vegetarian, just omit the salmon or crab. I've used avocado, smoked salmon, lump crab meat, red peppers, cucumber, sweet potatoes (cut into strips and then parboil for 2 minutes in boiling water), daikon radish and asparagus (parboiled for 2 minutes).
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  4

  If you don't have a sushi mat, you can just spread out a piece of plastic wrap. Place 1 sheet of Nori (seaweed), shiny side down, on plastic wrap, long side facing you. Too keep rice from sticking to fingers, dip fingers every so often in water and then shake off excess. Sprinkle 126 gm (about 2/3 cup) of rice across the seaweed. Gently scatter it out somewhat evenly right to the edges. Then gently press and spread so that all of the nori is covered.
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  5

  Start by placing thinly sliced avocado (11gm is enough) in a row along the edge closest to you (about 1 1/2" away from the edge). Place thinly sliced smoked salmon or sprinkle lump crab meat on top of that. Julienned red peppers and cucumbers are next...or whatever ingredients you want. We like ours with a little spicy so I squirt on some sriracho mayo (in the Japanese section of grocery store).
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  6

  Then, using plastic wrap or sushi mat, lift edge of nori up and over the fillings so they're completely covered and the roll is started. Gentle press, keeping the roll shape. Open the plastic wrap or mat and continue rolling the sushi roll to the end of the nori sheet. Then curve the plastic wrap or mat over and gently compress the roll.
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  7

  Run sharp knife under water and shake off excess. Cut sushi roll in half. Place halves next to each other and cut in half again. Then cut those halves in half. You'll end up with 8 little rolls. Arrange on plate and serve with soy sauce for dipping (optional).
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