Everyday Sushi

I could eat sushi everyday. That's right. I said everyday. You could eat sushi all the time if you wanted to. It is waaay easier than you think. And the best part? It is blazing outside, and sushi is cool as a cucumber. In fact, cucumber is actually a cooling vegetable according to Ayurveda. (So is celery, in case you need some insurance.)

I would love to go buy sashimi grade fish, and eat raw salmon all the time, but that is a little hard, budget-wise. So instead, i keep it simple. Trader Joe's has a can of crab for 2 dollars. I get avocados at the farmer's market. And i try to buy organic cucumbers there, too. Cucumbers are high on the list of foods found with a lot of pesticides. I bought a giant bag of nori, which i am trying to use quick, because nori can go bad if you keep it too long, or in a humid place.

Then there is the rice.I get short grain brown rice. I used the rice specifically for sushi, also. But the reasons I don't buy it all the time are related to lack of nutrients and price. Although the brown is not as sticky, I think it works nicely and adds a little chewiness, which I like.

Everyday Sushi

For 2

6 or more sheets nori

1 cup short grain brown or sushi rice

1 1/2 cups water (just 1 cup for sushi rice)

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt or soy sauce

1 cucumber

1 carrot(optional)

1 apple(optional)

Horseradish or scallions(optional)

6 oz can crab meat

1-2 avocados

Sriracha

Sesame seeds

Wash your rice until the water is no longer cloudy. Combine water and rice, and bring to a boil Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until rice is tender. Turn off heat, and let rice sit for 10 minutes, covered. Pour rice into a very large and wide bowl, or onto a flat, clean area, like a cutting board.

Combine vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce or salt. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice. With something to fan the rice, begin to fan and fluff or toss the rice with a fork. Do this for several minutes until the rice hascooled down quite a bit.

Slice the cucumber, avocado, carrots, and apple into thin sticks. Place the first sheet of nori shiny side down, and spread a thin layer of rice over about two thirds of the sheet. Lay the vegetables and crab meat along the edge of the nori with the rice, and begin the tightly roll the sheet away from you. Allow it to sit seam side down for several minutes for the nori to soften, and it will be easier to cut. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Slice the nori log with a serrated knife, into small bites. Do not press down with the knife, or you will squish your sushi. Just saw. :)

Add a little sriracha and soy sauce to a small bowl to dip your sushi. Enjoy!