I rarely craved sushi before I started working at Whole Foods. I don't really like Japanese food in general. But the sushi chef at my work makes beautiful sushi which is always very fresh. So now, when every other person through my line is carrying sushi during the lunch rush, I've begun to crave it. I never buy it because it's always served with conventional soy sauce, which I can't stand, it's quite wasteful in terms of packaging, and it seems kind of expensive for such cheap ingredients. (That's because you're paying for the labor.)
I know how to make sushi, and it's actually not very difficult. But I don't really like things wrapped in seaweed, though I do like seaweed by itself, or granulated. And I'm also really lazy. The sushi that entices me at work is the kind that is wrapped in seaweed and then has a layer of brown rice on the outside. I'm afraid to even try to make something that looks so complicated.
So I made this platter as a compromise. It's piled with everything I like to put on sushi and sprinkled liberally with kelp flakes. I don't much like nori, which is the seaweed used to wrap sushi. But I do love kelp. I love it so much, I'll just chew on strips of it, and my kids love it, too. It's also very healthy, being an excellent source of natural iodine and trace minerals.
You can put anything on your sushi platter. You can certainly add other veggies, like broccoli, beets or avocado, and you can use other seaweeds or drizzle it with toasted sesame oil. You can enjoy it hot or cold. You can use tofu, tempeh or seitan, or just vegetables. It's much more versatile than simple sushi since you can be as creative as you like without being limited to the small space inside a nori sheet.
This is also a really quick meal if you have the rice ready, and it's excellent for lunch the next day.
ingredients 4 c. short-grain brown rice, cooked
1/4 c. brown rice vinegar
2 T. agave nectar or another sweetener
salt to taste
toppings: sunflower sprouts
shredded carrot
smoked tofu
red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
bok choy, stir-fried
steamed edamame
kelp granules, to garnish
toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
instructions 1. Combine the rice with the vinegar and agave nectar. Season to taste with salt.
2. Layer toppings around or on top of a liberal scoop of sushi rice. Sprinkle with kelp and sesame seeds and serve warm or cold.
I rarely craved sushi before I started working at Whole Foods. I don't really like Japanese food in general. But the sushi chef at my work makes beautiful sushi which is always very fresh. So now, when every other person through my line is carrying sushi during the lunch rush, I've begun to crave it. I never buy it because it's always served with conventional soy sauce, which I can't stand, it's quite wasteful in terms of packaging, and it seems kind of expensive for such cheap ingredients. (That's because you're paying for the labor.)
I know how to make sushi, and it's actually not very difficult. But I don't really like things wrapped in seaweed, though I do like seaweed by itself, or granulated. And I'm also really lazy. The sushi that entices me at work is the kind that is wrapped in seaweed and then has a layer of brown rice on the outside. I'm afraid to even try to make something that looks so complicated.
So I made this platter as a compromise. It's piled with everything I like to put on sushi and sprinkled liberally with kelp flakes. I don't much like nori, which is the seaweed used to wrap sushi. But I do love kelp. I love it so much, I'll just chew on strips of it, and my kids love it, too. It's also very healthy, being an excellent source of natural iodine and trace minerals.
You can put anything on your sushi platter. You can certainly add other veggies, like broccoli, beets or avocado, and you can use other seaweeds or drizzle it with toasted sesame oil. You can enjoy it hot or cold. You can use tofu, tempeh or seitan, or just vegetables. It's much more versatile than simple sushi since you can be as creative as you like without being limited to the small space inside a nori sheet.
This is also a really quick meal if you have the rice ready, and it's excellent for lunch the next day.
ingredients
4 c. short-grain brown rice, cooked
1/4 c. brown rice vinegar
2 T. agave nectar or another sweetener
salt to taste
toppings:
sunflower sprouts
shredded carrot
smoked tofu
red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
bok choy, stir-fried
steamed edamame
kelp granules, to garnish
toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
instructions
1. Combine the rice with the vinegar and agave nectar. Season to taste with salt.
2. Layer toppings around or on top of a liberal scoop of sushi rice. Sprinkle with kelp and sesame seeds and serve warm or cold.