Healthy Avocado Sushi With Brown Rice Food

AVOCADO SUSHI

Steps:

• Rinse rice in several changes of water, jostling rice with fingertips, until water runs clear. Set in a sieve over a bowl to drain while you prepare rest of ingredients (at least 20 minutes).
• Using a mandoline or a vegetable peeler, thinly slice ginger along the grain into paper-thin slices (to yield 1/2 cup). Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add ginger, and blanch 5 seconds; drain. Return pot to stove and add 3/4 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reserve half the vinegar mixture (this will be used to season your rice); add blanched ginger to remaining vinegar. Cool completely.
• Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting and cover. Cook until rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes (alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker according to manufacturer's instructions). Remove from heat. Let sit with lid on, 10 minutes more. Transfer rice to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Fold in one-quarter of the reserved vinegar mixture with a wide spatula or plastic bench scraper, fanning the rice while you fold in vinegar mixture to cool it down quickly. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Reserve remaining vinegar mixture for assembling.
• While rice cooks, toss cucumbers and carrots with remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and sesame oil.
• To assemble, place 1 sheet of nori, shiny-side down, on a bamboo rolling mat with the long side closest to you. Dampen hands with reserved vinegar mixture and gently press 3/4 cup rice evenly across nori, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise evenly across center of rice. Layer 1/3 cup vegetable mixture and a few slices of avocado evenly across middle of rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Starting with the edge closest to you, use the mat to fold the bottom third toward the center, pressing evenly across the roll to compress the filling. Repeat with another turn and gently press again. Remove mat. Lightly wet a sharp knife with vinegar mixture and cut into 6 equal pieces. Repeat with remaining sheets of nori. Serve with reserved pickled ginger and soy sauce.

HEALTHY AVOCADO SUSHI WITH BROWN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse and drain the rice, then add 2 cups of water and a bit of sea salt. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes.
• The rice then needs time to cool. Stir in enough vinegar to make the rice stick to itself.
• Lay a sheet of nori on your rolling mat. If there are grooves in the nori, these are to show where you should cut your sushi and should be oriented parallel to the direction you're facing, not perpendicular.
• Spread some rice out to cover the nori sheet, leaving a space along the back edge to seal the roll.
• Place a small amount of vegetables along the close edge of the sheet, perpendicular to the direction you are facing. Roll the sheet up & over the row of vegetables. Press back towards you, and also down onto the roll. Make sure you are getting a tight roll but don't squish it.
• Peel the rolling mat off the front edge, and continue to roll. Press the roll together as you go, finishing by sealing with the strip at the far edge that has no rice.
• Before cutting into pieces, let your sushi roll sit for a few minutes for the nori to soften from the rice. Bowls of tamari (or soy sauce), pickled ginger and wasabi are commonly served alongside for dipping.

BROWN RICE SUSHI

Steps:

• Cook rice as directed on package, omitting salt; spoon into medium bowl. Stir in sugar and vinegar.
• Mix mayo and Sriracha sauce in separate medium bowl until blended. Add shrimp; mix lightly.
• Place sushi mat, with slats running parallel, on work surface. Place 1 nori sheet, shiny side down, on mat lining up 1 long edge of nori sheet with edge of mat nearest you. Use moistened fingers to evenly press half the rice mixture onto nori sheet, leaving 1-3/4-inch border on long side of nori sheet farthest from you. Place half the shrimp mixture in even row 1 inch from bottom of nori sheet; place half each of the cucumbers, carrots and avocados in rows next to shrimp.
• Use your thumbs to lift up bottom edge of mat nearest you while holding filling in place with your fingers; fold mat over filling. Squeeze gently but firmly along length of roll, while tugging edge of mat farthest from you to tighten. (Nori border will still be flat on mat.) Open mat and roll log forward to seal with nori border. Transfer roll, seam side down, to cutting board.
• Repeat with remaining ingredients to make second log. Use moistened sharp knife to cut each log into 6 pieces to serve.

VEGETARIAN BROWN RICE SUSHI ROLLS

Steps:

• Rinse rice well and bring to a boil with 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon soy sauce in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to very low and simmer, tightly covered, until water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand, covered, 10 minutes.
• While rice is standing, stir together vinegar and remaining teaspoon soy sauce.
• Transfer rice to a wide nonmetal bowl (preferably wood, ceramic, or glass) and sprinkle with vinegar mixture, tossing gently with a large spoon to combine. Cool rice, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Stir together wasabi and remaining teaspoon water to form a stiff paste. Let stand at least 15 minutes (to allow flavors to develop).
• Place sushi mat on a work surface with slats running crosswise. Arrange 1 sheet nori, shiny side down, on mat, lining up a long edge of sheet with edge of mat nearest you. Using damp fingers, gently press half of rice (about 3/4 cup) onto nori in 1 layer, leaving a 1 3/4-inch border on side farthest from you.
• Arrange half of cucumber in an even strip horizontally across rice, starting 1 inch from side nearest you. (You may need to cut pieces to fit from side to side.) Arrange half of carrot just above cucumber in same manner. Peel avocado half and cut lengthwise into thin slices, then arrange half of slices just above carrot in same manner. Repeat with radish sprouts, letting some sprout tops extend beyond edge.
• Beginning with edge nearest you, lift mat up with your thumbs, holding filling in place with your fingers, and fold mat over filling so that upper and lower edges of rice meet, then squeeze gently but firmly along length of roll, tugging edge of mat farthest from you to tighten. (Nori border will still be flat on mat.) Open mat and roll log forward to seal with nori border. (Moisture from rice will seal roll.) Transfer roll, seam side down, to a cutting board. Make second log in same manner, then cut each log crosswise into 6 pieces with a wet thin-bladed knife. Serve with wasabi paste, soy sauce, and ginger.