Maki Sushi

Sushi is one of the healthiest and most entertaining foods you can put on the table…and pretty easy to prepare. One of my favorite sushi dishes is maki sushi (makizushi), or sushi wrapped in dried seaweed (nori).

To make you’ll need:

---A sushi roller (available at many supermarkets, most health food stores and every Asian market. You can get one around $2 to $4)
---6 to 7 nori (dried seaweed sheets)
---2 cups of rice (do not use long grain rice! Japanese sushi rice can be used, but I prefer short-grain brown rice.)
---1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
---salt (to taste, I use very little)
---an assortment of sliced vegetables, fish, etc. Feel free to experiment with your choices. I generally use a mix of the following: Avocado, cucumber, carrot, green onions, red peppers, salmon (I buy 3oz pre-packaged smoked salmon for convenience, since I use so little), shrimp, crab, cream cheese, and asparagus (lightly steamed). Mix and match and find combos you enjoy. I find that I almost always use avocado.
---sushi can be served with soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger slices. I like to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over my finished sushi—it adds a great taste and looks nice, too.

Directions:
Prepare rice according to directions. Remove from stove and add vinegar. Gently mix and set aside to cool. Slice desired ingredients for filling. For a full dinner for two, I generally use 6-7 nori. Place nori shiny side down on your sushi roller. When rice is cool, spread desired amount over nori. I like heaps of rice in my maki sushi, approx. ¾ to1 cup. Spread so that the rice covers the nori leaving ¼ inch on the two sides and on the end closest to you. Leave 1 inch open on the far end of the seaweed sheet. Pull the nori flush with the back end of the roller. Lay the sliced fillings across the rice and, holding the ingredients in check with your fingers, use the roller to roll the seaweed over the ingredients and then press gently along the top and sides. The seaweed should form a nice wrap around the ingredients. Pull the seaweed roll to the back of the roller and roll forward once more until the nori is shaped entirely around the fillings. Use a sharp knife to slice into sushi, and wipe the knife frequently for a cleaner cut. I usually get 6-7 pieces per roll.

After I plate my sushi, I sprinkle lightly with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve with wasabi, soy sauce, plum sauce, and pickled ginger slices.

It’s an amazingly easy dish to prepare and a great way to impress a date or get yourself out of the doghouse (if you’re at that stage in your relationship). It kicks ass at parties and your friends will think you are more hip than you probably are --but only if you USE CHOPSTICKS!!!