Quinoa Sushi California Roll
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 sheets nori (dried seaweed sheets)
Half of 1 avocado
4 shiitake mushrooms
1/4 seedless cucumber, skinned
3/4 cup crab meat, cooked
1/2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 tsp black sesame seed, toasted
Sea salt to taste
Rinse quinoa well, then transfer to a pot and mix with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the water has been fully absorbed, about fifteen minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, prepare your fillings by slicing the veggies into 3” long, thin strips. For the crab and avocado, dice into very small pieces.
Once the quinoa is cooked, transfer to a bowl and drizzle with the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce and stir well to flavor all the quinoa.
Let the quinoa sit for about 5-10 minutes until it's no longer hot, but has cooled enough to work with.
Lay a nori sheet on a rolling mat, leaving 3/4” of space between the nori and the end of the mat. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds, then spread 3/4 cup of the quinoa over the nori using a flat spoon, pressing it as close to the edges of the nori as you can, but still leaving 1/8" of space between the nori and quinoa.
Place the fillings in the middle, laying them out evenly and making sure not to pile them too high.
Using a shallow bowl of water and the tip of your finger, wet the 1/8” of space at the edge of the nori to make sure the roll sticks together.
Take hold of the bottom of the sushi mat and fold it tightly over the fillings, then squeeze it together, pressing down to seal in the fillings. Then take hold of the edge of the sushi mat and pull it forward to finish rolling the sushi, keeping the mat taut and pressing down on the roll with your other hand.
Transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice into 8 pieces. (Note: the ends may not hold together since quinoa isn’t as sticky as sushi rice.) Repeat until all the toppings, nori, and quinoa have been used. (This recipes makes about 16 rolls.)
Serve immediately, with soy sauce for dipping, or chill completely before enjoying.
