Vegetable sushi

There's a bit of a knack to making sushi but practicing is in itself great fun and once you've cracked it, there'll be no going back. You'll be eating sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Makes 8 – 12 pieces

Ingredients

Moroccan

• 2 nori sheets
• 6 tbsp couscous, cooked with 3ml each turmeric and pomegranate molasses, cooled
• 2 tsp preserved lemon, washed and chopped finely
• 4 large fresh mint leaves, shredded finely
• 2 thin slices of eggplant, cut lengthwise, lightly grilled

Moroccan dip

• 3 tbsp thick apricot / peach / mango juice
• 1ml harissa paste / a pinch of chilli powder
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts, ground

Italian

• 2 nori sheets
• 6 tbsp arborio rice, cooked with 2 tsp apple purée
• 8 large fresh basil leaves
• 6 slices sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
• 2 medium baby marrows (zucchini), in thin lengths

Italian dip

• 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp water
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
• 2 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped very finely

Thai

• 2 nori sheets
• 6 tbsp red sticky rice
• 1 whole star anise
• 3ml rice syrup
• 4 tbsp toasted salted peanuts, crushed very small
• Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber (or width of a nori sheet) cut lengthwise into quarters

Thai dip

• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp apple / pear / pineapple juice
• 2 tsp tamari
• 2 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 1 garlic clove, chopped very finely

Method

1. Use a Japanese sushi bamboo mat to roll these vegetable sushi neatly and tightly.
2. To start, place a sheet of nori seaweed on the bamboo mat, shiny side down (so the dull side is facing up). 
3. Press some of the rice (or couscous etc.) onto the nori with wet hands.  Leave a finger width margin along 3 sides, and on the side furthest from you, leave two finger widths.  Place the vegetable fillings in neat rows tightly alongside each other on the side closest to you.  Using the mat, roll the nori sheet and filling up tightly.  Wet the far side with a little water to seal.  One rolled up nori makes one portion, yielding 6 pieces of sushi

Moroccan

1. Overcook the couscous slightly to make it sticky and clump together
2. Divide the fillings in half
3. Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 thick or 6 thinner pieces
4. For the dipping sauce, mix the juice, harissa (or chilli) and pine nuts together.

Italian

1. Overcook the arborio rice slightly to make it sticky
2. Cool completely. Divide the fillings in half
3. Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 or 6 pieces
4. For the dipping sauce, mix the balsamic, water, garlic and parsley together.

Thai

1. Cook the rice with the star anise and rice syrup.
2. Overcook the rice slightly to make it sticky.  Remove and discard the star anise.
3. Divide the fillings in half.
4. Make the sushi rolls and cut each roll into 4 to 6 pieces.
5. To make the dipping sauce, mix the lime and apple juice, tamari, ginger and garlic together.

From Benessere Well-being: Vegan & Sugar-free Eating for a Healthy Life-style by Laurinda Erasmus