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Jump to RecipeSushi: My Favorite Summer Meal
Sure, I’ll eat sushi any time of the year. But when it’s hot outside, and I don’t want to heat the kitchen, and the deck beckons with twinkle lights and fireflies and maybe even some chilled white wine…sushi is where it’s at.
I’m not a purist, though, when it comes to making my own sushi. I will roll anything between Jasmine rice and nori wraps and call it sushi. So, follow along for the basic proportions and method of rolling sushi, but feel free to fill it with whatever jives with you! Read on for the recipe, and please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think.
What I’m Rolling
These days I have been very into rolling a mixture of kimchi, egg, and sweet potatoes or carrots, and dipping it in coconut aminos. Another favorite is salmon, avocado, and cucumber.
I use cooked salmon fillets or even canned salmon because my kids aren’t fans of raw fish. If you do use raw fish (to be more authentically sushi), be sure to buy sushi grade fish, which involves flash freezing it when caught and maintaining it at a frozen temperature for a specific amount of time. Don’t use the raw fish sitting out on display at fish counters.
How to Roll
I invested a bamboo rolling mat for eleven bucks since I do make sushi regularly. It’s not absolutely necessary, though. You can make good sushi without it, but the rolling mat makes nice, tight rolls that are easier to pick up with chopsticks.
After you prep your ingredients, clear a space on the counter for your rolling mat (or to lay down the nori) and set up all of your ingredients in front. Lay down the nori and fill it with half a cup of rice, pressing it down and smoothing it flat. Leave a 3 inch space on one edge.
Spread your fillings in an even line close to, but not touching, the edge nearest you. Use the bamboo mat to roll over the filling, then squeeze, almost tugging it gently toward you. Roll some more, and squeeze, and again, until you’ve finished the roll. Lay it aside on a cutting board. The outer edge should soften and “seal” after it sits for a few minutes, but if it doesn’t, you can run a thin layer of avocado or sesame oil along the edge.
Once all your sushi is rolled, slice them into rounds. Or, you can keep it rolled up and eat it like a burrito.
Serve with coconut aminos or traditionally fermented shoyu sauce, along with picked ginger and wasabi (if you like).
Check out these Other Summery Favorites
Thanks for reading my friends! See you next time,
Rebekah
Simple Homemade Sushi
Equipment
- A bamboo rolling mat is helpful but not required
Ingredients
- 10 sheets nori wraps
- 2 cups dry white Jasmine rice
- 14.5 oz can salmon or sushi grade salmon
- 1-2 ripe avocados
- 5 eggs scrambled
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup kimchi
- 1/2 cup julienned carrots
- avocado oil
- coconut aminos, shoyu sauce, wasabi, and/or ginger for serving
Instructions
- Cook rice. Rinse 2 cups Jasmine rice and place in a pot with 3.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, prep your remaining ingredients. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper and cook over a medium high pan in avocado oil, 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Slice carrots into matchsticks and sauté briefly in the same pan for about 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Whisk eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and heat butter in the same pan to scramble egg until just cooked. Remove from pan. Thinly slice cucumber and avocado.
- After you prep your ingredients, clear a space on the counter for your rolling mat (or to lay down the nori) and set up all of your ingredients in front. Lay down the nori and fill it with half a cup of rice, pressing it down and smoothing it flat. Leave a 3 inch space on one edge.
- Spread your fillings in an even line close to, but not touching, the edge nearest you. Use the bamboo mat to roll over the filling, then squeeze, almost tugging it gently toward you. Roll some more, and squeeze, and again, until you've finished the roll. Lay it aside on a cutting board. The edges should soften and "seal" after it sits for a few minutes, but if it doesn't, you can run a think layer of avocado or sesame oil along the edge.
- Once they are all rolled you can slice into rounds, or keep rolled and eat like a burrito. Serve with coconut aminos or traditionally brewed shoyu sauce, along with ginger and wasabi if you like.
I love sushi but have never made it myself – until now! Your tips were spot on and it was such a fun meal to make!
My husband really loved this! Sushi is his favorite and it was so nice to be able to surprise him.
Kimchi is a life staple on our house so adding it to these sushi rolls was a no-brained, they came out super flavorful and made the perfect lunch!
My niece has discovered sushi and just loves it. This was such a fun activity for us! Thank you for the detailed instructions. We had a blast and it was super tasty.
I didn’t realize sushi is so easy to make and I love how fresh the rolls taste. The tips were very helpful.