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Owen’s ‘Roll Your Own’ Vegan Sushi

Owen Charles says there is so much to be said about sushi, but he prefaces his remarks by noting that he makes it strictly as a fervent fan, rather than a traditional master chef “of this national cuisine of Japan that has gone worldwide.”

He and his wife Lynne Charles love making vegan sushi both as a treat for themselves and for the friends they are making on the road as they live out of the van. While sushi is often seen as a kind of luxury, they say, it’s easy enough to make, even in their modest van kitchen. And most ingredients are available in most supermarkets, even Walmarts, he says, and, if not, they can definitely be found in local Asian markets.

He says making vegan sushi can take about two to four hours, and that it is something fun and relaxing to do with friends.

“I learned from my best friend’s mom, Helene Wainston, who is half Japanese, about 40 years ago,” he says.

It’s important to keep your hands clean throughout the process, frequently washing them and rinsing off the rice from your hands in a bowl.

Owen’s ‘Roll Your Own’ Vegan Sushi

by Owen and Lynne Charles

Ingredients

10 to 12 sheets of nori (seaweed sheets)

about 3 cups of cooked sushi rice (nishiki)

2 to 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons of white sugar

a pinch of two of salt

Possible fillings:

sliced avocado

thinly sliced carrots and cucumber

tofu that has been marinated in teriyaki

(marinate in tamari or soy sauce,

ginger, garlic, and grill in sesame oil)

grilled exotic mushroom such as

king mushrooms and shitake

soy-based imitation crab or tuna

Serve with:

Soy sauce

Wasabi paste

Oshinko (pickled ginger slices)

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Equipment:

Bamboo sushi roller

(often available in supermarkets)

Sharp/serrated knife (for slicing sushi rolls)

Bowl of warm water (to rinse hands of rice,

and to use drops of water to seal the rolls)

Paper towels or clean dish towel

(to wipe off hands, wipe off knife)

Directions:

• Cook rice and cool it to the point where you can grab it easily with your hands. As it cools, mix in the rice vinegar and sugar.

• Prepare desired fillings so that they are about 5 to 6 inches long so that they will fit into a whole roll.

• Set yourself up so that you have a clean place on the table in front of you with the bamboo sushi roller. Place nearby several plates with each filling, the bowl of warm water, a cutting board, knives, paper towels, and decorative platters or to-go containers in which to place the finished sushi rolls.

• With the bamboo roller mat in front of you with the stripes in a horizontal direction, place a piece of nori on the mat, shiny side down. If you can see lines in the nori, have them run in a vertical direction, which will allow you to use those lines to cut the finished sushi.

• Place a small amount, about a small handful, of rice in the middle and spread out a thin even coat about two inches across the middle in a horizontal stripe.

• Onto this layer, place horizontally the fillings you will use, pushed down lightly into the rice, then add another smaller sprinkling layer of rice on top of that. Use hands to even it out and make sure the ends have enough filling and rice, evenly.

• Rinse your hands of rice gluten in the water and dry them.

• Take the ends of the roller nearest you and gently guide the nori over the hump of rice and filling in the middle and guide it with your fingers to land like a gentle crashing wave over the top and stop when you touch the other side of the nori, pressing down and squeezing backward a bit, together, evenly across and very lightly to make the roll stick together, not too loose, not too tight.

• You should now have about 1 to 2 inches of plain nori still in front of you. Wet two fingers with water, and paint the last ¼ of an inch of the roll with water as this will seal it together. You can now let the bamboo mat go and just complete rolling it tightly and evenly with your fingers until you reach the end. To ensure that the bit of water seals the roll, place the finished roll with the seal side down onto your cutting board.

• You can now do several more rolls, and then prepare to slice them.

Slicing the sushi

Each roll should cut into 5 to 7 pieces. You can take the end pieces and place them upside down, so they appear even when served.

With the knife sharp and cleaned off from any rice gluten, firmly slice down each piece in a sawing motion. If at first you get jagged edges on the sushi, don’t worry, you can practice and get it right and eat any messy rejects along the way. Carefully wipe the knife free from rice gluten after each roll with a wet cloth or paper towel.

Place pieces decoratively into platters/containers. You can also optionally sprinkle lightly with toasted sesame seeds (you can buy these pre-toasted, or toast yourself by putting in a clean dry hot skillet for 15-30 seconds, being careful not to burn).

To serve:

Sushi can be kept lightly covered in plastic wrap or in a Tupperware-like container at room temperature if serving soon or in the fridge if being served later or next day.

Serve with chopsticks, small plates of soy sauce, a dish of wasabi (warning anyone unfamiliar with this of how strong this can be), and Oshinko (sweet pickled ginger slices).

Typical traditional side dishes would be steamed edamame, miso soup, and salad, but could also include cold noodles with a sesame/peanut/and-or ginger sauce or other complementary dishes.