Sushi Just Got Sexy

Sushi has always been a pretty sexy, healthy meal. With omega-3 filled salmon and avocado, cooling cucumber, zingy ginger and seaweed (a bone fide superfood) featuring as common ingredients, it's hard not to think of this as a little roll of wonder. 

Now meet sushi v2.0 - that's right, sushi has been vegetated. Because although all the ingredients listed above are super-fantastic-amaze-foods, a roll of sushi also contains a whole lotta white rice. Which I am not a fan of (see post here).

So, to vegetatemyplate this bad boy, it's just a simple swap - bulgur wheat or quinoa in lieu of rice (or both, as pictured).

So why quinoa?

The only vegetarian source of complete protein, quinoa will get you full and stay there. 

And why bulgur wheat?

It packs a much bigger fibre punch than white rice, and has a very yummy, nutty flavour. 

Let's do it. 

What You'll Need:

Makes 3 x 10cm rolls

- 3 sheets sushi nori (available in all big supermarkets)

- 1 cup bulgur wheat or quinoa

- 3 cups water

+ sushi fillings. Popular options include: avocado, cucumber, prawns, ginger, salmon...

The How-To:

- Add water to bulgur wheat/quinoa and boil hard for 10 minutes

- turn down heat and simmer for additional 5-10 mins (bulgur wheat) or 10-15 mins (quinoa) until water is absorbed and grains are not crunchy. 

- spread an even layer of the grain across a seaweed sheet, leaving a 1cm gap at the top and bottom

- make a strip of fillings in a little pile across the grains

- use a sushi mat (or hands if easier) to roll the sushi tightly. 

- pop in the fridge to 'set' (roughly 10 min)

- use a very sharp and dry knife to cut into ~2cm slices

- serve with soy sauce, ginger, wasabi and if feeling punchy, a zingy Japanese beer like asahi!