Hi All!!

I have no idea if any of you have ever eaten a California Roll (or sushi for that matter), in a Japanese Restaurant.

I have, AND I LOVE THEM. What I didn't know was that I COULD MAKE EXACTLY THE SAME THING IN MY KITCHEN.

Yesterday I went to my local asian grocery store and bought a package of Nori Wraps. These are actually Sea Vegetables (seaweed), and FULL OF MINERALS, VITAMINS AND ALL GOOD STUFF.

The package I bought was 10 to a package and the whole thing cost me a buck.

So I got home, went on youtube and decided to learn how to make California Rolls. I used the wrong rice (I bought whole grain brown rice), you are supposed to use short grain white rice . I used the wrong vinegar. I used Apple cider vinegar and you are supposed to use Rice Vinegar.

I tried to put the rice on the nori wrap and it wouldn't stick. I just gave up, and took my ingredients and put it on the nori wrap and rolled it up, added a dash of low-sodium teriyaki sauce and I ate it. I made a few more.

My neighbor walked in, took a look and ate the rest of it. She said "this is the most delicious thing I ever ate in my life."

My husband loved it too.

What did I use for my filling? I shredded some zuchini and some raw carrots, I then added maybe a tablespoon of the cooked brown rice. I added some of my sprouts, I sprinkled on some sesame seeds, rolled the whole thing up, added the low sodium whatever, and that was it.

I just went on the internet and there's all kinds of stuff to make with Nori..

You better believe that from now on, I'll be making these Nori rolls every day, with various ingredients. It's cruncy, and with the dash of the low sodium teriyaki, well, what can I say!!!!

Oh, one nori wrap is 10 calories. Need I say more?

Ten stupid calories, add some raw shredded veggies, (or whatever), and roll it up, and splash on some sauce and you'll be in heaven.

I have never thought of making this at home. I don't care that I didn't successfully make the california roll. I will use a bit of brown rice (it's better for diabetics than white rice), and all the veggies are glorious.

And if anyone can think of various ways to make these rolls, why not post here?? Post what other ingredients we can put in this roll.

Today I made Zucchini, carrot, fenugreek (one of my sprouts),with brown rice. (Divine!!!) Crunchy too.

Tomorrow I'm making a Nori Salmon roll.

WE CAN HAVE A NORI ROLL THREAD GOING.

You gotta try these. They are to die for.

And look up the benefits of seaweed. And don't go saying "Yuck, seaweed!!"

IT IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

And the calorie count is perfect for us.

Just imagine this for one of your snacks, or appetizers.

I wish I had known about this years ago.

Holy Moly

lol

Melody

Sounds great to me! I love sushi!

I've also used hijiki (seaweed) in salads.

This is the traditional salad where it is the main ingredient:
http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-...0/164123.shtml

But I have found you can use just some, added to other things.
It might really be nice with your sprouts, Mel. It is long a thin like the sprouts, so it would mix in well. Only difference is that it is a dark color, and not green.

You buy it freeze dried in packets.

BTW, the place where I get my sushi, already prepared, at Kroger's (a little stall there), use brown rice now instead of white. Brown has a better glycemic index. I guess you can buy short grain brown now.
(short grain makes it more "sticky" so it will hold together more.)
The California rolls I get have the nori inside holding the ingredients together, with the rice only on the outside. They also have some sesame mixed in the rice.

I only buy cooked sushi, since I have a type of food allergy that occurred with an IVP test (organic iodine)...I can eat cooked seafood/fish, but not raw.
Raw makes me sick.

Hi Mrs. D.

I've never eaten raw sushi in my life. Only the California Rols, veggie rolls, Philadelphia rolls, etc.

Tonight, I'm COOKING my salmon filets, adding my sprouts, and wrapping in the Nori. Just to get the benefits of the Seaweed.

I just made Alan a Nori Roll, with a tablespoon of the brown rice, my sprouts, some shredded veggies, some sesame and a dash of low sodium teriyaki. rolled it all up.

After demolishing the first one he said "Can't I have another?"

I then made him one more, went out around the corner and picked up two more nori packages.

There was also a bigger package of nori but it looked different. It was $4.59 and it said on the package "3 packs 100 pieces" but you couldn't tell if they were regular sized nori or smaller sized small pieces of nori.

From the looks of it, they looked like little bite size pieces of nori. I asked the guy but no one spoke english, so I ended up bying the two packs of regular nori.

I believe I will buying these FOR A LONG TIME.

The nori hand rolls take one second to make, don't break up, I can add my brown rice and whatever I wish. What a great time saver and healthy little treat.

Never thought this man would love seaweed.

lol

Mel

Just found this tidbit today, while looking at a new website (for me).

http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumat...html?ic=506016

Seaweed!

Thanks much my dear Mrs. D.

61 years young and I discovered Seaweed!!

You gotta love this!!

lol
Melody

I'm an interloper here, but I saw the word Nori in the title and had to come visit.

I make my own sushi rolls. Usually only put avocado in them but sometimes I'll marinate some chicken strips in teriyaki and have that as well.
We actually call the raw fish, sashimi. I do not eat raw fish.

There are a few tricks I've found to making them well.

I use a fan to cool the rice after it's cooked. A hand fan. Cools it down fast and stops it getting too gluggy.
Always rinse the rice before cooking.
I use Rice Vinegar mixed with a little sugar.

I love brown rice but sometimes my body finds it more difficult to digest. A pain really. I always use the sushi rice to make the rolls.

Also, the nori does come in smaller sizes. They use that for other dishes. My son sometimes cuts up the sheets and makes a tiny little parcel with some Korean rice thing he makes. I've found the better quality the nori is the better the sushi roll will taste.

seaweed is so good for us all.

P.S. It helps to have the little bamboo mats to roll them in. Very cheap too.

Congrats Melody and thanks for sharing your secret.