I know many people that love sushi. I am actually not one of these people and I have avoided them for as long as I could. I never really knew what I didn’t like about sushi. First, there is the whole fish part (fish are friends, not food). I have been a vegetarian since I was 9, and back then, sushi wasn’t really a thing in the Netherlands. So, for the first few years that sushi became more and more popular I just said:’ Sorry, but I don’t eat fish’. And that was the end of it. Until one day, people began telling me that sushi is not always with fish, you can eat it with veggies as well. From that moment I needed a new excuse…
Why? You might ask. Well, I have a secret; I don’t like seaweed. And even though the whole idea of sushi seemed great to me. I mean, it is little bite sized food, and you can eat many, sushi just didn’t cut it because seaweed really wasn’t my thing. I write was, because even though I still can’t really enjoy nori, I happily add spirulina to my food and love it. I think most sushi lovers made peace with the fact that I wouldn’t be convinced and that was the end of it. We lived happily ever after. But then one day Julia came to me and told me that she saw something new and it looked like coloured sushi sheets. She showed me a picture of the soy sheets and convinced me to get them right away.
Now began the challenge, as you can collect from my story, I am not a sushi expert. Before we started creating this recipe, I have made sushi once! Luckily for us, and for you (if you are a sushi beginner), it is possible to learn. Some sticky rice and patience will get you a long way, and just remember, even though the shape of your sushi isn’t perfect, the taste will be! After creating these soy sheet sushi’s I can finally say that, I too, am into sushi (small hurray for sushi lovers). You have won me over, as long as I can steer clear of nori, although you (of course) can still use it if soy sheets are not your thing.
No Seaweed Sushi
Sushi rice
250 gram sushi rice
50 ml rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Filling
1 avocado
½ cucumber
100 gram tofu*
8 (coloured) soy sheets (or nori sheets)
Sauce
1 tl sliced fresh chili pepper
Soy sauce
Topping: (black) sesame seeds
* Recommended for the tofu: marinate the tofu with 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Slice thinly and bake until golden.
Cook the sushi rice according to the packaging, you can also substitute sushi rice for other types of rice (they might not be as sticky though). Mix sugar salt and rice vinegar and heat up slightly. When the rice is finished, mix in the vinegar and cover for 15 minutes.
Slice up the avocado and cucumber. To create the sushi, place some of the rice on the soy sheets (or nori) and spread. Then add avocado, cucumber and tofu and roll up the sheet. Cut into small pieces, top with sesame seeds and set aside. Keep repeating this step until you have enough sushi. Mix the chili pepper with the soy sauce and enjoy with the sushi.
We bought our colored soy sheets in the Netherlands (Albert Heijn).
#sushi #nori #soy #tofu #sushirice #avocado #cucumber #soysheets #seaweed