QUINOA VEGETABLE SUSHI WITH SPICY CHICKPEA TAHINI SAUCE
My husband loves to make sushi at home and would live on sushi rice if he could, but I thought of incorporating quinoa to increase the nutritional content of the meal. What you put into the sushi is up to you. I have used sweet potato, purple sweet potato, steamed asparagus, and cooked beets. This is a great way to be creative and use cooked or raw vegetables. I am a big fan of tahini as it provides so many beneficial functions for our hormones. The spicy combination of chickpeas and the kick of spice is heavenly. We have been putting the extra sauce on everything.
Ingredients
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground arrowroot
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 4 nori sushi sheets
- 1 sweet potato roasted, cooled, and cut up into several long,thin strips
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced thin lengthwise
- 1 scallion cut up into roughly 3-inch strips
- ½ cup Spicy Chickpea Tahini Sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the rice vinegar, maple syrup, and arrowroot. Add the quinoa and stir well. Set the mixture aside to cool. Wrap your sushi mat in plastic wrap and lay it flat on the counter.
- A sushi mat is a woven bamboo mat; they have been used for centuries in the art of making sushi rolls. Don’t fret if you do not own a sushi mat. A simple thick kitchen towel can take the place of a mat. If using a towel, lay plastic wrap on top of it before you begin. Place the nori sheet smooth side down on the mat. Spoon about ⅓cup of cooled quinoa onto the entire piece of nori. Use your fingers to cover the nori with the quinoa and gently press it down to distribute it evenly, leaving a 1-inch border at the top and bottom edges. Layer one-quarter of your vegetable strips (sweet potato, avocado, scallion)over the quinoa.
- From the bottom, lift the edge and roll the sheet over the vegetables, tucking as you go and rolling as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, wet the edge with water and seal the roll. To cut the roll into pieces, use a sharp knife dipped in water. Serve with the Spicy Chickpea Tahini Sauce.