Thursday, December 30, 2010

Prepare Sushi And Brown Rice

It is widely believed that eating sushi is healthy; however, sushi can be high in calories and fat if you add oil, mayonnaise or any sauces. One of the healthiest sushi options is brown rice in sushi that is wrapped in nori, which is a dried seaweed sheet or black layer that keeps sushi rolls together. With brown rice, it retains the missing nutrients and fiber the white rice lacks including the bran. Brown rice sushi works best in sushi rolls since it is less sticky than white rice. You can fill any raw or pickled vegetables, baked tofu or tempeh if you are looking for very low-fat sushi.








Instructions


Instructions


1. Rinse brown rice in a strainer under cold running water once and drain.Prepare a large pot with three cups of water over high heat. Use a one-to-three ratio of rice to water when cooking brown rice. Add the rice and bring the pot to boil. Simmer for 45 minutes, covered. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to steam for 30 minutes by covering the pot with the lid.


2. Uncover the pot and place the cooked rice in a non-metallic bowl. Fluff the brown rice with a wooden fork. For brown rice seasoning, mix 1/2-cup rice vinegar, 1/4-cup honey and 1/2-tablespoon sea salt in a bowl. Drizzle brown rice seasoning slowly over brown rice and make sure it does not taste too sweet or sour. Use a hand-held fan to cool down the rice for about 10 minutes.








3. Lay a sheet of nori (dried seaweed layer) on sushi or bamboo rolling mat. Dip your fingers in the bowl of warm water and spread rice in a thin layer onto the middle section of the nori. Leave about 1/2 inch of the nori edge. Drizzle toasted sesame seeds over rice for a nutty flavor. Arrange your sliced raw vegetables (avocado, carrot, cucumber, red peppers and alfalfa sprouts) on the brown rice. Add baked tofu or tempeh for protein boost.


4. Wet the sides of the nori and roll the nori around the rice and ingredients like a burrito by holding the mat with both hands. Seal the sushi together and use a sharp knife to slice the roll in half. Proceed to cut through both halves at once into six pieces. Serve sushi rolls with ginger, wasabi and low-sodium soy sauce.

Tags: brown rice, sushi rolls, baked tofu, baked tofu tempeh, brown rice seasoning, dried seaweed, rice seasoning