Lenten Recipe: Sushi

Sushi
You might like a bamboo mat (maki-su) - to make sushi rolls. You could skip this, but it is a nice thing to have and costs $1.99 or so

2 cups of uncooked rice - high quality short grain white rice, often sold as “Sushi Rice”
3 1/2 cups of water
1/4 c Tbs. + 1 tsp. of rice or white vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp. of salt
1 package of sushi nori
To taste:
soy sauce
wasabi
salt

Sushi roll filling ingredients:
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded and sliced into strips)
2 TBS of thin sliced red ginger in red brine liquid (sold in jars, pre-sliced, in the refrigerated section)
shredded carrots
teriyaki tofu or age tofu (fried tofu)

Cook rice over high heat until brought to a boil. Without stirring reduce the heat to low, and cook covered until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes

Make dressing: Dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar over low heat.

Allow rice and dressing to cool.

Toss the rice with the dressing. Metal bowls sometimes react badly with the vinegar, so it is better if you have a ceramic, glass or wooden bowl.

Shred the carrots into julienne strips. Sprinkle with soy sauce.

Peel the cucumber, slice in two, remove seeds and julienne. Sprinkle with salt.

If you played your cards right, you bought your pickled ginger shredded. If not, shred it.

Cut the tofu into long thin strips. (You can buy it pre-grilled or brush both sides with teriyaki sauce and broil it. Let it cool before adding to sushi.)

Place the bamboo mat with bamboo strips going horizontally relative to you. Toast the nori sheets by passing the shiny side over your stove burner for a few seconds.

Place one sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. Spread 2-3 TBS of rice on 3/4 of the nori - leaving 1-2" with no rice at the ends. In the center of the spread rice place a line of ingredients. Lift the bamboo mat and roll once to make a long sushi log - slightly squeeze along entire roll. Slightly lift the bamboo mat and roll again till you get to the end of the nori sheet. The roll should be tight with ingredients directly in the center. Use a sharp knife to slice the sushi roll into 1” slices, place flat on a platter. Serve with dipping soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

You can vary this according to local custom- umm, I mean preference. Some families do nothing but complain about tofu and you do not have to force them to eat it, although my parents would have, young man. Some like it hot; for them add a bit of wasabi to the center of the roll. Mushrooms, lettuce, Japanese radish or pickled radish all go nicely in the center.
A traditional "California Roll" includes crab, avocado and cucumber.

You can also add Lenten luxury items like shrimp, fish roe, and crab.