Veggie California Rolls

I have been on a major California Roll kick lately. So I thought I would share how I do it, since the more I mention it, the more I find people love them, but never thought to make their own. They are very easy and inexpensive to make - you'll never pay for them again! Plus...brown rice & raw veggies?? It couldn't get any healthier. But some how your brain thinks it's way more special. And it is!


Veggie California Rolls

Before you begin, gather these items:

* short grain brown or white rice, hot cooked, or leftover
* seasoned rice vinegar
* Bamboo mat (you can purchase one at a regular grocery store - in the Asian section)
* Nori (Japanese seaweed, sold in sheets...buy same place as above)
* Assorted veggies (I like carrots, cucumber, spicy sprouts and sometimes avocado)
* small dish of water to dip fingers in
* soy sauce and wasabi (a green spicy paste used in Japanese cooking)
* sesame seeds (optional)
* pickled ginger (optional)


Cut up your veggies into thin strips. I used carrots, cucumbers, Daikon sprouts (which have a radish-like spiciness to them), and avocado. Make sure to scoop out the cucumber seeds before you slice. You can peel the cukes or leave unpeeled.



Lay your mat out on a flat surface or cutting board. Place 1 sheet of Nori on your mat shiny side down. (This is just so the pretty part is on the outside)

Heat up your rice by placing in micro, covered, so it gets hot and steamy.

Put 1 cup of rice per roll you want to make, in a big plastic bowl. Use 1 tablespoon rice vinegar per cup of rice. Stir rice with wooden or plastic spoon while it cools. This will get the starches going and create a very sticky rice - which you want in this case.

Spoon 1 cup of rice onto Nori and spread out, leaving an inch or so at the top so it can seal. Dip your fingers in the water to prevent them from sticking to rice. Press firmly making a nice thin rice patty on top of the Nori.

Place vegetables at the end closest to you. You will get to know how much you prefer - including more or less rice. The more fillings, the bigger the roll.





Dab the end of the roll (the part you left without rice) with some of the water from the dish (this will seal the roll together.) Without rolling the mat UP with the roll, use the mat to help you roll it tightly. For a video explanation, check out youtube!

Slice into 1" segments with a sharp knife. (I don't own a sharp knife -ahem- so I use a serrated bread knife)

Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi. You can add some wasabi to the soy sauce for a spicier dipping sauce.

I could eat these every day! They store great in the fridge and are a quick healthy pick-me-up snack for a famished Mommy after school. Or a gourmet meal served with miso soup and terriyaki veggie bowls. Rock and Roll!