Sushi is one of the easiest meals to make healthy, because if you take out all the deep-fried fillings, it really is just rice, veg and protein with a healthy dose of sea vegetables for much-needed iodine! I’ve always loved it. In fact, my family had a “sushi night” every Thursday for as long as I can remember, where we would each roll our own… So I’ve been doing it for a very long time! I don’t use any fancy props, I never have, and I don’t believe you need to. Just be careful not to “over-fill” it, roll them tightly, and slice carefully! Or you can just enjoy as a hand-roll, it’s up to you. Here, I’ve used quinoa instead of rice, but brown rice works just as well. The dressing I suggest to mix into the quinoa makes the quinoa nice and sticky just like traditional sushi rice. Plus it adds a delicious flavour. I hope you try these 🙂 They are the perfect entertaining appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp vinegar (I use coconut vinegar, but Apple Cider Vinegar would work too)
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 4 sheets nori
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 cucumer sliced
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 2 tbsp kim chi / fermented cabbage
- 100 g tempeh
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- wasabi, picked ginger, and additional tamari to serve
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to packet.
- Stir together tahini, vinegar, lemon juice until combined.
- Once quinoa is cooked, transfer to a bowl and mix in the dressing until full absorbed. Place bowl in fridge to cool.
- Cut tempeh into slices (approx 4cm). Heat the coconut oil in a pan and cook the minced garlic for 1 min before adding the tempeh and 1 tbsp tamari.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Slice all your vegetables and have them ready for rolling your sushi.
- Take a nori sheet out and prepare a small dish with some water.
- Spoon approx 4 tbsp of quinoa onto each sheet of nori, and press down firmly using the back of a spoon. There is no need to cover the entire sheet with quinoa, leave a few cms toward the end. The quinoa should be nice and sticky.
- Lay a thin layer of your sliced veggies, tempeh and kim chi at the top end.
- Dab some water along the other end of the nori.
- Using your fingertips, tightly roll the sushi up, starting from the end where your fillings are.
- Seal by pressing the slightly damp end of the nori sheet into the roll.
- Take a knife and slice into bite-sized pieces!
