RAW like sushi

a rare recipe that's looking good today:

 Really really raw sushi

Raw nori sheets, kale and macadamia rice, quick pickle and avocado filling, and dipping sauce

I've had a packet of raw nori in the cupboard for a while now - why on Earth was I so afraid to open it?

Well today I did!  If you look really closely you can see the difference - the rolls on the left have a slightly burnished golden look - they're the ordinary roasted nori - on the right it's a deeper purple/black, that's the really raw one.

I'm usually so impatient with sushi and try to stuff too much in, so the only real secret here is breathe and be gentle.

 The 'rice' is a few leaves of kale with the stems removed 1/3 cup of soaked macadamias blitzed in a hand held stick blender with the nut attachment and just a little liquid to blend it - chiffonade the kale first, and open the mixer up every now and then to help it mix together.  It may not LOOK like it's going to hold together initially, but it will. don't squoosh it.

Easy Pickles

1 Tablespoon umeboshi paste or one plum broken up, cut up 1 lebanese cucumber, slice 2 mushrooms and cut up half an avocado - add a touch of rice vinegar or just use umeboshi vinegar (cheaper than plums but boy I love them!) - let it sit for as long as you can or eat it straight away and knock the leftovers off tomorrow.

You don't even have to make this - you could just add whatever veges you have but this is a spectacular combination.

Lay the nori on a sushi mat (or use a teatowel) gently spread the 'rice' just shy of each end, but right up to the left and right corners.  Then lay the cucumber, avocado then mushroom slices in that order on top along the centre of the rice.


Then breathe, adopt a buffalo stance, take the end of the mat closest to you and flip it up and roll - y'know - it's probably best to check YouTube for 'how to roll sushi', there's a real risk I'll make this sound weird!  There's a bit of a knack to getting the bottom edge tucked in to the top bit, but it doesn't really matter.  Before closing the roll wet the top clear nori edge just to make it stick, then rest the roll on the join before cutting with a SHARP knife.

joy! it worked.

My dipping sauce is equal parts of Bragg's Aminos and lemon juice with a glob of Namida Pure Wasabi Powder - it's lovely, gentler and sweeter, and raw!

Did you know that the 'Wasabi' that you usually buy is ordinary horseradish with food colouring? Check the label, and next time get this http://www.wasabi.co.nz/.

Now don't you get fresh with me...     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsRz3TJDEY