Nori Rolls Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cover rice with water and let stand for 30 minutes.
• In a shallow dish combine soy sauce, honey and garlic. In this mixture marinate tofu for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring water and rice to a boil and then reduce heat; simmer for about 20 minutes, or until thick and sticky. In a large glass bowl combine cooked rice with rice vinegar.
• Place a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. Working with wet hands, spread 1/4 of the rice evenly over the nori; leave about 1/2 inch on the top edge of the nori. Place 2 strips of marinated tofu end to end about 1 inch from the bottom. Place 2 strips of cucumber next to the tofu, then avocado and carrot.
• Roll nori tightly from the bottom, using the mat to help make a tight roll. Seal by moistening with water the 1/2 inch at the top. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Slice with a serrated knife into 1 inch thick slices.

Steps:

• Empty rice into a bowl and run water through it until the water runs clear off the rice.
• Then cover rice in water and boil, adding water continuously until it's all absorbed and you have a sticky rice.
• If you have a bit too much water at the end, when the rice is cooked, just set it in a strainer for a few minutes to drain.
• Now, leave the rice for up to an hour beforehand so it can cool properly.
• You can speed this up a bit by putting it in the fridge to cool.
• When the rice is cool, lay out a tea towel and a nori sheet on top.
• Spread rice thinly over the sheet (a knife dipped in hot water makes this easier), leaving about an inch clear at the bottom and a slightly smaller border around the rest.
• The trick is to not use too much rice, leaving room for it to expand when rolled.
• Choose your fillings (one or two for each roll) and lay out in a thin line across the sheet, about 1/3 of the way from the top.
• Then start rolling from the top.
• The tea towel will help you get it started.
• When it is rolled (the bottom inch of the nori will stick to itself, holding the roll together) take a sharp knife and slice 1 inch rounds.
• Dip in soy sauce and wasabi, topped with ginger slices and enjoy!

Steps:

• Cover mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a work surface. Cut mushrooms crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.
• Make the dipping sauce: Stir together 1/3 cup soaking liquid, the lime juice, 1 teaspoon tamari, 1 teaspoon cilantro, and the salt in a small bowl; top with some julienned scallions. Set aside.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook according to package instructions. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer to a medium bowl; toss with sesame oil and remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir in shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots begin to brown, about 2 minutes (if the shallots begin to stick, stir in 1 tablespoon reserved soaking liquid). Add cabbage, and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage wilts slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid, and remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tamari. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in sliced scallions; set aside.
• Toast the nori sheets: Using tongs, pass each sheet just over a medium gas flame, turning, until fragrant and crisp, about 3 passes on each side. (If only an electric burner is available, heat to medium; toast sheet directly on the burner, flipping for 30 seconds to 1 minute.)
• Working with 1 toasted sheet at a time, put 1/6 of the noodles along 1 edge of the nori, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with 1/6 of the cabbage mixture. Starting at the side with the filling, roll up sheet, enclosing filling. Repeat process with remaining sheets, noodles, and cabbage mixture. Cut each roll on the diagonal into 2 pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.

Steps:

• Sushi Zu Preparation:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Take off of the heat and allow to cool.
• Rice Preparation:
• Rice volume increases 2-2 1/2 times as it cooks. Almost all the short grain rice needs to be washed before cooking, because of the starch on the surface of each grain. If you cook rice without washing, starch makes the texture and taste less palatable. The following is the procedure to prepare rice:
• Wash rice with care, putting rice in a big bowl and washing gently with cold running water for 10 minutes. Drain rice in a big colander and dry for 20-30 minutes. Place washed rice and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Place in a large bowl and pour over Sushi Zu mixture.
• Sushi Preparation:
• Place 1/2 sheet of seaweed (nori) lengthwise, shinny side down on a bamboo roller. Place approximately 3 ounces of sushi rice formed into a bar in the center of the seaweed, going lengthwise, spread rice evenly, covering entire nori except for about 1/2 inch at the top edge. Spread wasabi thinly in the center, on top of the rice, lengthwise from one and to the other. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of rice, if desired. Then place a couple strips of cut cucumber in the center to fill the length of the roll.
• Bring seaweed and rice toward you to the edge of the bamboo roller and holding the edge of the bamboo roller with one hand and, holding the cucumbers in place with the other hand, lift up the edge of the mat closest to you. Begin rolling mat away from you, rolling over the cucumber and connecting rice to rice. Then stop to make sure you still have a 1/2 inch strip of just nori left over at the top (this is what seals the roll). Lift the edge of bamboo roller slightly and roll another 1/2 inch away from you connecting the seaweed to seaweed and sealing the roll.
• Gently squeeze both sides while pressing gently down on top with both index fingers. Cut roll in half, then turn one piece around so they are parallel to one another, line them up, then cut both pieces twice, to make 6 pieces. Cut remaining rolls and serve.