Spicy “Tuna” Sushi Dinner

You might think that after spending my whole weekend cooking, I’d want a night off after my long trip home to Los Angeles.

But now I’m spoiled.

I want flavorful, mouth-watering meals every night!

And last night’s dinner didn’t disappoint. 😉

—

I’ve been dreaming of these Raw Spicy “Tuna” Rolls ever since we made them on my first day of culinary training. They have the same mouth-feel and flavor as traditional sushi rolls, even without the sticky rice and raw fish!

And while making sushi has always intimidated me, I can’t believe how easy it is to make these little vegetarian rolls!

Here’s how:

Step 1: Roast some red peppers.

Time-saving tip: These can be roasted ahead of time, and stored in the fridge!

Click here for my quick method to roast peppers.

Once the peppers are cooled, and the skins have been easily removed, slice the peppers into long strips, and toss them with a bit of Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. These will become your “spicy tuna” slices!

Then set them aside to marinate, while you prepare the rest of your sushi fillings!

—

Step 2: Prepare your sushi “rice.”

Did you know that Jicama makes a sweet, delicious rice? It’s the perfect flavor and texture for this sushi, and takes less than 10 minutes to prepare–> much faster than making REAL rice!

Simply peel it, chop it, and pulse it in a food processor. Then transfer to a thin towel, and squeeze all the moisture out! You’ll be amazed at how much liquid is released. (the juice tastes great, too!)

Note: If you’re only preparing rice for one or two people, I’d recommend only pulsing half of your jicama into rice, and saving the other half for snacking! It makes a delicious, sweet crudité on it’s own, or dipped into a flavorful sauce!

—

Step 3: Slice your veggie fillings!

I like my rolls with cucumber, carrots and avocado– but you can use whatever you like. Simply chop them into thin, julienned slices, for easy rolling.

—

Step 4: Get Rolling!

Now all we have to do is assemble our rolls. I used Toasted Nori sheets for my sushi, because I prefer the texture over the raw version. (Toasted nori sheets are also MUCH cheaper!)

You may notice that nori sheets have vertical lines creased into them– that’s your “guide” for slicing your sushi later!

You want these lines to look vertical when you place them on your sushi rolling mat.

Then add your rice, filling the bottom third of the sheet.

Followed by your sliced veggies of choice, keeping them in the middle of the rice.

Make sure you have plenty of avocado and “spicy tuna” red pepper slices!

Now it’s time to roll it all up! Start from the bottom, where your rice and veggies are, and tightly roll away from yourself, making sure the edges get tucked evenly into the roll. Roll the nori into a long cigar-like shape, leaving a bit of an edge at the end.

Then dip your finger in water, to moisten the end, and roll up the rest! The moistened edge will help “seal” the roll.

Using a very sharp knife, gently cut the roll into 8 even pieces.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce! I made a quick mix of Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce), freshly minced ginger, and scallions.

Now delight in your amazing raw sushi!

Though it may look complicated, once the prep-work is done, these rolls are truly easy to assemble. If you prepare the peppers and rice ahead of time, you could have sushi ready to go in less than 10 minutes!

I enjoyed my sushi rolls with a massaged kale salad.

I dressed my salad with a quick mix of avocado, fresh ginger and garlic, Nama Shoyu, lemon juice, and scallions, then massaged it all in so that the kale would wilt a bit. It was the PERFECT flavor to pair with my sushi!

And dessert was one of my favorites from Doris’s class.

Korean Purple Yam & Ginger pudding! If you love ginger, you’ll love this pudding.

I’m addicted.

And I’ll post the recipe for that one later today, so you can be addicted, too. 😉

—

Next up in my kitchen? Cauliflower pizza night!!!! I can’t wait.