If you’ve always wondered what it was like to make sushi at home but never thought you could pull it off, the California sushi roll is the best place to start. There’s no raw seafood to deal with, making it less intimidating, and most of the ingredients are easy enough to find at the grocery store. A few essential Japanese ingredients will be easier to find at a local specialty market, so plan ahead!
Once you get the hang of making the California roll, you’ll be able to rotate it into your easy lunches for the week. Or save the sushi-making for one of your date night dinner ideas. Set up a cooking class station on your counter, open a bottle of sake or dry white wine, and you’ve got a whole evening of fun without having to leave the house.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sushi rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- Bamboo sushi mat
- 8 nori sheets
- 1 small cucumber, seeded and julienned
- 3 ounces imitation crabmeat sticks, julienned
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and julienned
- Optional: Reduced-sodium soy sauce, prepared wasabi and pickled ginger slices
Directions
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- In a large saucepan, combine rice and water; let stand for 30 minutes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Transfer rice to a large shallow bowl; drizzle with vinegar mixture. With a wooden paddle or spoon, stir rice with a slicing motion to cool slightly. Cover with a damp cloth to keep moist. (Rice mixture may be made up to 2 hours ahead and stored at room temperature, covered with a damp towel. Do not refrigerate.)
- Sprinkle toasted and black sesame seeds onto a plate; set aside. Place sushi mat on a work surface so mat rolls away from you; line with plastic wrap. Place 3/4 cup rice on plastic. With moistened fingers, press rice into an 8-in. square. Top with 1 nori sheet.
- Arrange a small amount of cucumber, crab and avocado about 1-1/2 in. from bottom edge of nori sheet. Roll up rice mixture over filling, using the bamboo mat to lift and compress the mixture while rolling; remove plastic wrap as you roll.
- Remove mat; roll sushi rolls in sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 8 rolls. Cut each into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger slices if desired.
Nutrition Facts
1 piece: 35 calories, 1g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 44mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch.