Vegetarian Sushi Rolls & why you should eat Nori

I admit, several months ago, the thought of sushi rolls made me scrunch my nose. Raw fish? Seaweed? Uh, no thanks. Then we went to this sushi place for our friend's birthday, and I tried a couple different kinds and found that it wasn't actually as repulsive as I had assumed, and not every sushi roll contains raw fish! I decided to try out vegetarian sushi rolls made fresh and sold at my local grocery stores (HEB and Kroger's), and found that it was fairly tasty.  Problem is, it's pretty expensive, so it sushi seemed like one of those once in a while treats.

When planning this week's menu, I decided to attempt to make my own sushi roll. I bought toasted nori (seaweed) and the special bamboo mat required. I didn't use the rice that most restaurants use for sushi rolls, but it worked out well, and I was able to cater it to flavors I like.  We have long grain rice on hand, so that's what I used.

Below is my recipe for a Mexican infused sushi roll. It's very tasty, and was a hit with our older two kiddos and my husband, plus it's easy and inexpensive!



2 cups of long grain rice cooked according to the package (cooked, it will make 4 cups)
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
Minced garlic (as much or little as you like- I keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge).
1-2 avocado, sliced into strips.
Cilantro
3 Nori sheets
Salsa verde
Seasonings (I used Cajun seasonings, but you could use taco seasonings or just salt)
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Combine cooked rice, balsamic vinegar, a splash of salsa verde and minced garlic and sprinkle with seasonings. Mix well.
Lay a sheet of nori onto the bamboo sushi mat. Top with seasoned cooked rice- layer about 1 cm thick and covering about 3/4ths of the nori sheet. Make sure to spread it to the front and side edges.

I sprinkled a little more seasoning over the rice, and then placed a line of avocado strips across the rice. I really should have taken a picture of what this looked like.  When you roll it up, you want the avocado to be in the middle, so make a strip of avocado right down the middle of the rice, from left to right.  Sprinkle cilantro across it.

Now it's time to roll it up.  If you've never made sushi before, check out How To's on the web so you roll it properly. Once you've rolled it tightly, you might need to push some rice in each end to make sure it's really stuffed.

Slice gently with a very sharp knife.

Make two more just like that.

Now it's time to make the creamy topping.

Take 1/2 an avocado and mash it up. Add a splash of salsa verde and 2-3 TBSP of mayo.  Season it if you'd like. Mix together until smooth.  Taste to see if you want to add more mayo or more seasoning.

Spoon over the top of the sushi, or put in a baggy, cut the corner off of it, and pipe the creamy mixture over the sushi.  Depends on how fancy you want it to look.

Serve with soy sauce!

Makes 3 sushi rolls.  Each sushi roll can be sliced into 5-8 pieces, depending on how thick you like your slices. I like mine more on the thinner side.

I put cabbage and carrots in one of the other rolls I made and really liked that. Play around with things, see what you like!


This is a great appetizer to serve to friends or a treat to take for lunch. (I set aside some to put in my husband's bento box for tomorrow.)

Seaweed is a great ingredient to slip into your diet. It is packed with amino acids, vitamins and minerals.  It has high amounts of iron (which I need) and is said to help with alertness and mental clarity (hello, this mama needs that!)

It helps lower cholesterol levels and has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Those who suffer from Fibromyalgia or other chronic inflammatory conditions may find this ingredient helpful, as well as those who have memory issues or struggle with depression.

If you don't think you can handle sushi rolls, try it shredded over a salad or in a sandwich.

Here's another recipe for a more traditional vegetarian sushi- looks yummy! I think I'll try this one next!

http://drbenkim.com/how-to-make-sushi.htm

A foundation of good health for children

There is an issue of vital importance that most well-meaning parents don’t know about. They don’t know because nobody has told them. The issue is this: the modern diet that most children are eating today creates a fertile cellular environment for cancer to emerge at a later age. Trying to prevent breast, prostate and other cancers as an adult may not be possible because most risk factors cannot be changed at this late stage. The bottom line is that in order to have a major impact, we must intervene much earlier, even as early as the first seven years of life. In other words, childhood diets create adult cancers. That’s right: when our children don’t eat fruits and vegetables and instead are fed junk food, the groundwork may be laid for cancer and other diseases down the road.

- Dr. Joel Fuhrman

We still love raw foods

I've been thinking about raw food again, mainly because the kids and I just watched Food Matters again, and I was reminded of how absolutely fantastic I felt when I was on a high raw vegan diet.  I had come to the point where my energy was no where to be found.  I was dragging by lunch time, had a migraine by two in the afternoon, and had a Garfield-like nap attack on a daily basis (which, after indulging, I'd wake to an even bigger migraine and general grogginess).

I learned a lot from taking part in a high raw vegan lifestyle.  First of all, I realized that our diets were seriously deficient in whole, raw foods. Like most Americans, we were in the habit of eating cooked food, and the little bit of raw we managed to get in our diets was from the lettuce and onions on our burgers. Sometimes we'd have fruit for breakfast.  Sometimes I'd have a fruit smoothie.  Sometimes we'd eat carrots.  Sometimes.

Researching raw foods and their impact on the body really opened my eyes to the big gap in our family's diet, so we made huge changes. It has been my goal for our diets to be over 50% raw.  We changed snacks to fruits (clementines, bananas, and apples are the favorites here) and raw nuts (sunflower seeds are a hit), and started including at least one generous side of fruit or vegetables with each meal.  Breakfasts are generally loaded with fruits as well (clementines, grapes, bananas, strawberries).

We significantly cut back on our meat intake.  We may have a little meat mixed in a salad, soup, or veggie-filled casserole, but we're no longer consuming huge slabs of meat on a regular basis. I found that my body really does not handle large amounts of red meat well at all.  Since cutting back on red meat (I may a small amount once every two weeks, if that), I've found that this horrible full-body itch I'd been plagued with for several years has vanished!

When I first did the "raw food" thing, I did a lot of work in making raw meals.  However, I found that the thing that worked best for us was just consuming raw fruits and vegetables in their natural state, instead of trying to make raw lasagnas, pizzas, and such.  Pairing a lot of raw foods with some cooked foods is what really works best for our family, allowing us to get in the nutrients and live enzymes we need without having to concoct "weird" recipes.

One of our favorite recipes is a taco salad which features ranch-style (pinto) beans, on a bed of assorted lettuce greens loaded with (raw) onions, tomatoes, peppers and such. We enjoy a lot of Greek style foods as well, like gyros, which are easy to pair with cooked and fresh vegetables and a huge salad.

We found the kids really love cucumbers, and even though I'm not a huge fan, I don't mind when they are chopped up finely and tossed in a salad.  They love when I slice cucumber rings to snack on.  They will also consume tomato grapes like they're going out of style, and I buy about 10 pounds of clementines on a weekly basis.

Evangeline is a huge raw food lover. Ask her if she wants an orange or banana, and you'll see her face light up as she squeals with excitement! It's amazing how often the children ask for fruit when they are hungry instead of a sugar snack.  That's not to say they never ask for sugary snacks (they do love granola bars, and we buy organic versions), but I am hearing requests for fruits and veggies far more often.  Here's an example of a meal they might have one day.  (This is Evangeline's, so it's a bit more skimpy than the other kiddos' plates)

Banana, clementine slices, carrot "chips" (just sliced carrots) with a bit of tzatziki for dipping.
Sandwich wraps and organic corn chips (similar to fritos).

See, there's a give and take. The kids do have some things that aren't extremely healthy (even if they are organic, like the corn chips).  Sometimes we have white bread (or, in this case, white tortillas), sometimes we have whole wheat or some other grain. Sometimes their plates are loaded with veggies and fruits and have a muffin on the side.  Sometimes we have soup and crackers.  Thing is, we try to keep a healthy balance.

And there then are mornings when we do crazy stuff like this:

Because, we do love donuts, and there is no use denying it.

Gluten-Free yummies!

I'm thinking I may need to go gluten-free.  Gluten issues run in my family (Hi Dad!) and when I mean run, I mean.. um, well anyway.

My mom has a wheat allergy, most of us (including my parents, sibling, husband, 3 out of 4 of my kiddos, and myself) have problems with dairy, my husband's jaw locks up when he has agave (so, no tequila babe), and my stomach cannot handle lots of meat. My sons go ADHD-crazy when food-dye gets into their systems (but M&Ms are so tasty!) and too much black pepper causes problems for my husband (I'll spare you the details).

So, needless to say, we're no stranger to food allergies and sensitivities. That being said, we often indulge in the things that irritate our bodies the most because we're ridiculous like that.  Time after time, with my stomach in knots and guts gurgling, I tell myself, "You've got to stop eating that junk," but it's difficult, isn't it?

We go through phases.  We will eat super-duper healthy (even raw vegan) for a time, and then something will happen that knocks us out of the routine and we're allowing more and more "cheats" and indulgences. I personally like to blame the pregnancy for the extreme chocolate cravings, but before long, I'm going to have to blame post partum, and then what?

Anyway, my husband and I are headed to Louisiana later in the week where the term "health food" is fairly non-existent.  I tell you, I am never more motivated to change my diet than when I leave my mother-in-laws.  I love her Cajun cooking, but poo-yi* it slays me.  (*Cajun slang, which is all the more appropriate because it contains the word POO.)

The other day I confessed to my friend (who is also my midwife) and my husband, "I'm pretty sure I need to go gluten-free."  My friend has been GF for a couple months now, and my husband has been on and off the GF boat over the years (usually just as a cleanse, though).  My husband agreed, "When we get back from my Mom's, we definitely need to get back to eating healthy."

*Nod*

So, here's a few recipes I wanted to share (mostly so I have a record to return to when I need some inspiration) of GF recipes around the web.


Cinnamon baked apples are one of my favorite desserts, but I haven't had them in ages. It's one of those desserts you can feel good about. (Thanks Wheatless and Meatless for the reminder!)

These Cornmeal Dinner Rolls from Gluten Free on a Shoestring would be perfect as buns for burgers, hot dogs, or sandwiches. (Mmmmmmmm....)

One of our family's favorite meals is Eggplant Parmesan. GF on a Shoestring has a great recipe for GF baked Eggplant Parm!

This recipe for Chili Almond Asparagus from Vegan Yum Yum sounds delicious, although I would replace the powdered soup "seasoning" she uses with real (GF) seasonings.

I like rice dishes, and this recipe for Vegan Paella sounds delish.  Who's with me?

Oh hi yum, I would love to eat this Spring Potato Salad with a big ol' bowl of GF gumbo.

Speaking of potatoes, I could totally get my sweet potato with this great Sweet Potato Pone recipe from The Gluten-Free Homemaker.  Oh man, I've got to do that ASAP!

Waking up to yum...

Know what I like? Waking up the day after we load up on fruits and veggies to see all of this!