We love this twist on sushi for lunch! This nutrient-packed hand roll is easy to make and it’s loaded with colorful veggies instead of fish for first-time sushi eaters. It’s low in fat, but full of fiber and iron, and it’s an excellent way to get vitamins A and C.
Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups short grain brown rice
4 cups water
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 carrot
1 cucumber, unpeeled
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
½ cup fresh chives
10 sheets nori (seaweed)
Low-sodium soy sauce for dipping (optional)
Directions:
1. Place rice in coarse-mesh sieve and rinse with cold running water until water runs clear. Shake out excess water.
2. In large saucepan, combine rice and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 40 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Transfer rice to a bowl and sprinkle with rice vinegar; toss and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, peel carrot and cut into matchstick-thin sticks. Cut unpeeled cucumber lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Then cut cucumber into matchstick-thin sticks. Slice peppers into matchstick-thin sticks. Cut chives to match length of vegetables. All vegetables should be about the same length and thickness. Cut each nori sheet crosswise in half.
4. To prepare sushi, hold the nori in one hand, shiny side down. Dip your free hand in small bowl of water to prevent sticking. Using wet hand, shape ¼ cup rice into a ball and place on the left side of nori sheet. Spread the rice to ¼-inch thickness leaving about 1-inch border of nori on sides. With your finger, make crosswise “well” in the center of rice where vegetables will go.
5. Place 1-2 sticks of each vegetable (carrot, cucumber, peppers, and chives) in well and tightly press vegetables together. (Let kids pick combos of their favorites, but making colorful sushi is the goal!).
6. To roll sushi, start with bottom left edge of nori and bring it up on a diagonal to the center of the rice and vegetable. Start rolling the sushi to the right to create a cone shape using free hand to tuck it all together tightly. With finger tip, place a drop of water on the outside bottom corner of the nori to hold the sushi together.
7. Repeat steps 4 – 6 with remaining ingredients.
8. Place sushi rolls on a platter and serve with low-sodium soy sauce for dipping, if you like.
Makes 10 servings (2 hand rolls per serving).
Nutrition Facts per serving: 220 calories, 2g total fat (0g sat, 1g poly, 0g trans fat), 0g cholesterol, 46g carbohydrate (3g fiber, 2g sugar), 6g protein, 50mg sodium, 25% Daily Value (DV) vitamin A, 90% DV vitamin C, 4% DV calcium, 10% iron.
– Stacey Antine, MS, RDN is the author of Appetite for Life, founder of HealthBarn USA, and director of the HealthBarn Foundation and HealthBarn Nutrition Academy. Celebrating 20 years of inspiring strong bodies and healthy minds, HealthBarn USA has become a national model for hands-on nutrition education. Stacey was named one of the Top 10 Dietitians in the Nation by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her groundbreaking work in children’s health and wellness.
