Simple and safe Sushi

Hi everybody!
It's Monday night, which means I am home alone while Karin works at the WW. Usually I don't really fix dinner on these nights and just make myself a sandwich or something simple, but I had been planning to make sushi for some time now. WAIT, come back!

I know sushi scares many people, but just a reminder: sushi does not have to have raw fish. Sushi is simply rice and fillings rolled in a seaweed wrap (nori). Since sushi grade fish is rather expensive in the desert state of Utah I decided to go for a vegetarian "Philly roll" as a way to use up the nori I have had for a few months and some of the veggies we bought last week.
Now some of my readers may be sushi aficionados. Please keep in mind this is not really a "proper" way of preparing sushi (especially my rice) so please go easy on me

Gather your ingredients:
Pretty much anything can go inside a sushi roll so pick your favorite veggies or whatever is on hand. I used carrots, cucumbers, avocado and cream cheese. I also put wasabi in half the rolls for extra kick.

Start cooking your rice:
If you have a rice cooker this step is extra easy. A short grain (or "sushi" rice) is preferred, but I used a medium grain Calrose rice. You can do brown rice as well, but the texture will be much nuttier.

Prepare your filling:

I love this recipe because it gives me an excuse to break out the mandolin slicer. I put in my julienne attachment and went to town on the cucumbers and carrots. The avocados and cream cheese I cut by hand, too soft for a mandolin, about 1/4 inch strips of each.

Prepare the rice filling:
A traditional sushi rice mixture is too sweet for me, it usually involves sugar and rice vinegar. I just tossed some rice vinegar over my rice and mixed well.

Assemble the rolls:

Get out your nori and spread rice on the sheet leaving about an inch margin at the top of the roll. If nori makes you squeamish you can also use rice paper or soy paper, but I find those lack a lot of flavor. On the bottom 1/4 of the rice assemble your fillings. I put wasabi paste on some of them, just a tiny bit. Then I laid down my cream cheese, avocado, cucumbers and carrots. If you are fortunate enough to have a bamboo sushi mat then use that to assist you in rolling a tight roll. You can roll using plastic wrap to aid you if you don't have a bamboo mat.

Once rolled, cut with a sharp, clean knife into 3/4 slices. Use clean, quick knife strokes to avoid tearing the nori

Arrange on a plate and serve with a side of soy sauce and extra wasabi (if you like it hot)!

Yummy!!

Next post: Spicy Tofu lettuce wraps (vegan friendly!)