Sushi for Two

I love sushi but do not feel qualified to handle raw fish at home. Thankfully I found a fantastic vegetarian sushi recipe in the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times that I was able to tweak to fit my preferences by replacing the green beans with shelled edamame. The squeak of the green beans while biting into the sushi is not ideal and the edamame adds protein. I may be able to someday survive a pregnancy-induced hiatus from ‘real’ sushi after all.

Maki Garden Rolls

Sushi Rice
1 ½ c sushi rice, uncooked
2 to 3 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS Mirin
1 to 2 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt

Filling
2/3 c vegetable or chicken broth
3 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
1 TBS mirin
½ c shelled edamame
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
10 shitake mushroom caps cut into thin slices
3 sheets nori seaweed
3 tsp toasted sesame seeds

To make the sushi rice: rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring rice and 1 2/3 c water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest an additional 10 minutes, covered. Whisk together vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Transfer rice to large bowl and drizzle half of vinegar mixture over the rice, incorporating it with a wooden spoon. Continue adding until all vinegar is absorbed. Cover with a damp cloth and cool.

To make the filling: Bring broth, soy sauce and mirin to a boil in a skillet. Add carrot and simmer 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and edamame and simmer until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from broth and let cool.

I usually double this recipe to make sure there is enough to satisfy our intense sushi cravings. I prefer to make inside-out rolls, but this obviously works traditional style as well. After rolling I top with the toasted sesame seeds and serve with the usual soy sauce wasabi combo. Mirin is my new favorite stir fry ingredient thanks to this recipe!