Homemade Sushi (with brown rice)

Prepping the Sushi

1. Cook the brown rice according to the package directions.
2. Before cooking the shrimp, stick a skewer or toothpick through each one from end-to-end so they will be “straight” after they are done cooking and will therefore be easy to cut into strips. Boil the skewered shrimp in the water for 3 – 5 minutes or until they are firm.
3. Chop the cooked shrimp, raw fish, peeled carrots, and peeled cucumber into little julienned strips (pictured above). Similarly, slice the avocado(s), but save them for last since they could start to turn brown.
4. Once the rice is done, stir in the rice wine vinegar. Some sushi recipes also call for sugar to be added to the rice, but we think it tastes just fine without it. Also, it is best to use a wooden or bamboo spoon when handling the rice.
5. Cut the sheets of nori in half, long ways, and cover the bamboo mats with plastic wrap.

Assembling the Sushi

1. Lay 1 of the half sheets of nori along the bottom of the plastic covered bamboo mat.
2. Completely cover the top of nori with a thin, uniform layer of rice.
3. If you prefer the nori to be on the outside of your sushi roll then leave it the way it is with the rice on top. If you like the rice to be on the outside (like me) then flip it over like I did in the picture below.
4. Make a nice and neat row along the very bottom edge of the nori with whatever ingredients you’d like on the inside.
5. Using the bamboo mat as an aide, roll the nori over as tightly as you can and keep rolling until it is closed up completely.
6. Squeeze down on the roll with a little force to really secure it together.
7. If the rice is on the outside (like the picture) we think it is best to lay a little piece of saran wrap over the top of the roll before cutting it. Using a sharp knife cut through the plastic and the roll until you have the desired number of pieces of sushi.
8. We believe in eating as we go when we have to work this hard for our food so enjoy!