quinoa + nori wraps

I have been making these for a while now, and I don't know why I haven't shared them with you earlier! The best thing about these little wraps is you can keep them for a couple days, this is why I make four at a time. They don't usually last more than two days in my fridge though, if you know what I mean. Another great thing about them, unlike lots of other sushi and raw rolls, they don't need any dipping sauce! Although they are quite good dipped in miso dressing, or with a little squirt of Bragg's Amino Acids, they are full of flavor from the nutritional yeast.

So, here it goes. Start by making quinoa. 1 cup of quinoa to about 2 1/2 cups water (this is 1/2 cup more than I would normally do because I want it to be sticky). When quinoa is cooked but still wet, mix in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, this should make it very sticky and almost pasty. Allow to cool in the fridge or freezer while you prepare your other filings.

As for the veggie filling, I have done everything from tofu and green beans, to asparagus and beets. But for today, I used the classics. 1 carrot (cut into thin strips), 2 green onions (cut into similar size and shape), 1/2 cucumber (cut into strips), 1/2 avocado (sliced), and any kind of sprouts.

Lay rolling mat, flat side up on countertop. Place nori wrap, shiny side down, on the mat lined up with the mat on the side closest to you.

Spread 1/4 of the quinoa onto the nori, leaving 1 to 2 inches of the nori uncovered on the edge farthest away from you.

Stack up your fillings (about 1/4 of each ingredient) onto the quinoa closest to you.

Now, if you have rolled sushi before, roll away, if not, listen closely. Have a little bowl of water ready near you for when you need to seal the wrap. Lift up the side of the mat closest to you and start to roll away from you. Sometimes you need to push the fillings in while you roll, keeping your thumbs on the outside of the mat rolling, and your fingers tucking the fillings in. When it gets to a point of nori on nori, don't roll the mat into your roll! You can gently tuck the nori in with your fingers, then the mat rolls over to fold in half with the nori roll inside it it. at the end of the nori, wet your fingers and run them along the nori seam. My rolls are usually a little oddly shaped so I give them another roll in the mat to shape them more evenly. And don't be afraid to make it tight and put some pressure on it while you roll, I go harder each time and I still have yet to bust a nori!

Repeat with the other three rolls. Cut rolls in half with a sharp knife. It helps if you clean the knife after each cut and wet it a little.