Maki/Nori Rolls

Popular in our household is Maki or Nori Rolls. Growing up, this was usually a staple for quick meals, but with added fake crab meat and scrambled egg thrown in. Typically, Maki Rolls can be made with whatever we had on hand. However, it’s good to have a formal or written down recipe as to what kind of ingredients or assembly is possible.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked (short grain rice tends to be sticker)
• 2 tablespoons brown-rice vinegar, if needed
• 1 package nori sheets (usually contain 7-10 sheets, but we found packs of 50, 75 or a hundred)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 2 scallions, cut lengthwise into strips
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 2 long carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into long, thin strips
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut lengthwise into thin slices
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into strips
• 2 stalks bok choy, cut lengthwise and into long strips
• Wasabi powder
• 1 jar picked ginger
• 1/2 cup low-sodium tamari sauce

1. Place the rice into a large bowl and fluff. To make the rice more sticky, add some brown-rice vinegar so that the texture of the rice holds itself together better.
2. Take 1 sheet of nori, shiny surface down and matte facing up. Using about 1/2 cup or less of rice spread it one-half of the nori sheet (like half ping pong table). Arrange the sliced vegetables horizontally in the middle of the spread out rice. Use both hands and fold up beginning from the end with rice. Start rolling up the sheet being mindful to cover the vegetables and continue rolling. If the rice is still warm, it will stick better. Sometimes it helps to wet a finger and paint the nori side without rice like you would an envelope. Slice the nori rolls in 1/2 inch increments with a sharp knife, 50 cent or Toonie (two dollar Canadian coin) size pieces.
3. Wasabi paste can be made from the Wasabi powder by adding water gradually until the desired consistency is reached.
4. The nori slices could be served with a side dish of pickled ginger, wasabi and low-sodium tamari. Nori rolls can be eaten plain or by dipping in a small shallow dish of tamari sauce and some Wasabi dissolved inside.

The variations of Nori or Maki rolls can be made by following this simple template. With hot or freshly cooked rice, it’s easy to skip the rice vinegar. Our family has gone so far as having the vegetables already cut and served on the table, each person scoops the rice and rolls their own. The rolls can be eaten as a whole like a spring roll or the Maki rolls can be sliced into smaller pieces. We also use maki rolls to use up leftovers in the fridge and the excess can be packed for lunches in Bento boxes. Everybody loves the beautiful arrangements. Pickled radish and carrots have been easy and popular additions.