I do, however enjoy green foods- as long as it's not from an artificial dye #5 or ground up beetles, or some unknown chemical process!
So, here is my contribution- that has nothing to do with St. Patrick, except for the Luck 'o the Irish green. I'm not sure that fried pickles goes with sushi, but hey- it's California and we're crazy like that. I've been told that avocados are not a traditional sushi ingredient, but I can't think a good vegan sushi roll without it! Yay for the California Roll!
I made three variations of sushi. The one shown above is an "inside out roll" with the nori on the inside and the rice and avocado on the outside. The brown rice (actually a mix of 1/3 quinoa and 2/3 brown rice) was made a bit stickier by adding a bit more water in the rice steamer. How much? My guesstimate is about 1/2 cup more than usual. It is filled with a spicy chickpea "tuna" mixture and pea shoots.
NOTE: It helps to have a good sharp, finely serrated knife (which I didn't have)! To help out my lack of tools, clear plastic wrap was my savior both in rolling it and holding the roll together while I cut it... a trick taught to me by my friend who is a sushi chef.
The above picture is my nigiri "seatbelt" sushi, as we call it. This is an easy alternative to those who are sushi-roll challenged. The hard part is making sure that the rice is packed firm so it won't fall apart when picked up. I made this one with short grain white rice. NOTE: Make sure your hands are wet when handling sticky rice... no explanation needed.
To make this, simply make an oblong ball of rice in your hands by holding and shaping the rice in one hand, and compressing the rice with the other hand. Layer seasoned baked tofu (or tofu of choice- I made a teriyaki marinade and sauce) and a thin slice of avocado. Cut roasted nori into 1/2"-1" strips and wrap with the seam side down. I topped mine with some roasted white sesame seeds and also drizzled some home made teriyaki sauce.
Lastly, this was my attempt at a hand roll variation with the spicy chickpea "tuna." I started with half a sheet of roasted nori, and spread a layer of sushi rice and chickpea mixture in one of the lower corners. Then, I just rolled it into a cone shape and topped with a little more of the mixture, some black sesame seeds, and pea shoots. This would be great with cucumber too. These were probably the easiest to make, but a little messy to eat!
And now for the Pickles! If I haven't already mentioned, Mark (my housemate) is originally from England and came over here when he was about 18. He's also owned a couple of restaurants and loves to cook. Needless to say, he makes a mean fish 'n' chips! For these babies, it was a similar batter- very light and crispy, with the use of seltzer water. Mark had picked up this HUGE can of Costco-sized sliced dill pickles, and has been promising to make these for like a year! Finally, dude! Cee said they tasted like good salt and vinegar chips, and we ate these dipped in my creamy cucumber dill sauce. This was a very non-traditional "tempura" to my sushi, but very tasty and my first time trying them! I only ate one, as I don't like to eat too many fried foods, but these can be addictive- be careful!
Here are the recipes:
Sushi Rice Seasoning
- 3 T. rice vinegar
- 2 T. water
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. dark sesame oil
Baked Teriyaki Tofu & Sauce:
- 1 pkg extra firm tofu
- 1/2 C. soy sauce or tamari
- 1 C. water
- brown sugar
- 1 T. mirin (rice wine)
- orange rind of one orange
- orange juice of one orange
- few thin slices of ginger
- 2-3 T. arrowroot & a little water
Spicy Chickpea "Tuna":
- 1 15oz. can of chickpeas, drained
- 2-3 T. shredded nori
- 2 T. Vegenaise
- Siracha sauce
- squeeze of lemon
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
Fried Pickles:
- @25oz. jar of sandwich sliced dill pickles (more or less)
- 1 C. all purpose flour + small amount to dust pickles with
- 1 C. Seltzer water
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt & pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
I've never eaten deep fried pickles before, but those look good... and high calorie, so they must be delicious! ;)
ReplyDeletei've had deep fried pickles in my pregan days and they are awesome. i can't wait to make these vegans. i love your blog: lovey-lovey-love-love. keep spinnin' the hits!
ReplyDeletexo jewy
looks amazing! I've never tried my hand at making my own sushi... or deep frying anything, either :) but I think I'm gonna start!
ReplyDeleteyour sushi looks so pretty...and tasty!
ReplyDeletei have been looking for a good "tuna" recipe for ages...thanks!!
deep fried pickles? I wouldn't be able to say no and stop eating them. I have a big pickle addiction.
ReplyDeleteI have a pickle addiction too. lol Oh, the temptation!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, these are fantastic. How did you get them so neat and professional looking? Wish I was neat like that with food prep. Lucky if it lands on the plate half the time ;)
I can't find brown sushi rice. Can you just use plain brown rice for this? It doesn't seem like it. mmm I want sushi so bad now!
ReplyDelete@Catatonic Kid: They only look like that after a bunch of "rejects" get eaten, which is the main reason why I'm usually too stuffed to eat my finished products! Haha!
ReplyDelete@Tracy: If you can't find brown sushi rice, a short or medium grain brown rice will work. It's much easier if you put it into a hand roll and not inside-out. I was able to keep it pretty intact with the help of the avocado too.
That sushi looks incredibly good, and the fried pickles are decadent-- a must-try!
ReplyDeleteI do love me some sushi, and your variations sound so creative and exciting- I'd love to try them!
ReplyDeletegorgeous sushi! i love all your ingredients.
ReplyDeleteand fried pickles! YES! i am a nut for them, but i can only find one place (like 30 minutes) away that serves them. i am so making this recipe!
Are you serious with those fried pickles?? I love you :)
ReplyDeleteI adore all your sushi! It's so pretty (and it all sounds so delicious!). I've always been too intimidated to try sushi. I love the idea of the avocado on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to try fried pickles! Yum!
ReplyDeleteFried pickles are so good! I love that it became the tempura part of the meal. I have to give the spicy "tuna" rolls a try. They sound awesome!
ReplyDeleteWe make these deep friend fritters called Bajjis with gram flour. I have to try with the pickles next time around...mmmm Mixing soda water into the batter is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteAll those 'Sushi' rolls look yum!!
Can I marry you lol? I love your recipes and creativity. I see a kindred spirit in that I make and/or adapt all of my recipes according to my health --and taste! -- needs. We're dairy-free, and often vegan, and big-time food lovers. Thanks again for some fun new recipes and a busy holiday of cooking/baking now in store for me. Such beautiful entries! Sara
ReplyDelete