Brown Rice Sushi Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Adapted from Happy Hearted Kitchen

| Yield: 4-5 servings | Time: 10 minutes (not including rice cooking time)

Ingredients

1 cup sweet brown rice or regular rice (won’t be as sticky but still works)

Seasoned Vinegar:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoons brown rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sushi:

4-5 sheets of nori, dried seaweed sheets

mixed veggies, julienned (carrot, red pepper, cucumber, etc.)

1 ripe avocado, halved and sliced (about 10 pieces)

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Lettuce

Black sesame seeds, to garnish

Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup peanut butter or sub with tahini

1 tablespoon white or chickpea miso

1 tablespoon freshly grated or
juiced ginger

1 + 1/2 teaspoon tamari

1 + 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon brown rice syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Water to thin, about 2 tablespoons

Preparation

Prepare rice according to package. Let sit for 20 minutes, remove lid, fluff with a fork and stir in the seasoned vinegar (instructions below). Spread rice out on a cutting board or tray and let cool to room temperature.

Make seasoned vinegar while the rice is steaming. Combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place a sheet of nori shiny side down on a cutting board or bamboo mat. Have a small bowl of water nearby and wet your fingertips to avoid rice from sticking. Gently press a large handful of rice (about 1/2 cup) thinly over the surface of the nori., covering all but a wide strip at the end farthest from you. Place veggies lengthwise across the rice, add two slices of avocados, spread over green onion, then top with lettuce leaf.

To roll, wet your fingers and rub over the exposed strip of nori, this will help seal the rolls. Carefully lift the end closest to your up and over the filling, squeezing firmly. If using a bamboo mat, lift the mat to continue rolling until you reach the end, seal and roll. Wrap the mat around the roll and squeeze to secure. Allow roll to rest seal side down while you repeat with remaining rolls. Use a sharp, moistened knife to slice rolls into 6 to 8 pieces, cleaning the knife between each cut.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Sauce can also be made by placing all ingredients into a small blender and mixing until smooth.