Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls with Sunflower Seed Paste and Fresh Veggies

I'm taking to the woods on a back-country camping trip today, and have been dehydrating food for the last week. This is not particularly aesthetically pleasing- especially the curry- and I have yet to discover how desirable these meals are once rehydrated. Therefore, I won't be sharing any of those experiments with you yet.

What I will share is the result of an impromptu craving for sushi last night while packing, and a lack of sushi rice in my kitchen. I will definitely not take credit for this idea. I had my first raw sushi roll from Four Sisters, an Ottawa-based family business that makes organic and natural prepared foods. They're on board with the slow food and hundred-mile diet philosophies, and sell their products in natural food stores in the city. I am a huge fan of veggie sushi, but not a huge fan of how easy it is to overeat when the delicious morsels tucked inside tend to be surrounded by so much filler. I was so intrigued by the replacement of rice with seeds that I had to try to make my own.

You can play around with this recipe and substitute any of the veggies inside. Marinated mushrooms, steamed asparagus or sweet potato would be terrific additions or replacements. For my first go, I chose simple, which translates into using whatever I had in my fridge. I couldn't muster up the energy for a fancy dipping sauce (planning six days of meals really takes the wind out of you), but basic soy sauce worked just fine.

Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls with Sunflower Seed Paste and Fresh Veggies 

Ingredients

3 sheets of nori (seaweed paper)
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 avocado, peeled, cored and sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced length-wise
1 green onion, sliced length-wise
3 - 4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
Pickled ginger
A small bowl of cold water
Extra gluten-free soy sauce, for dipping
Optional: Wasabi or Sriracha

Directions

Using a hand blender or food processor, combine the sunflower seeds, tahini, lemon juice and soy sauce. If you're having trouble, add a bit of water to help smooth the consistency. I didn't worry much about getting it smooth - as long as its blended slightly, you can make a solid paste for the filling.

Lay out a sheet of nori. Scoop about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp of the sunflower seed paste, or enough to cover about 3/4 of the nori in the middle. Layer on the ginger and veggies, about one slice per layer, like so:

Dip your fingers in the water, and wet the edge closest to you. Begin folding it over, tucking in the vegetables as you go and rolling gently but firmly. If you find the nori sticking to your fingers, dip them in the water again and keep coating the paper. Careful not to use too much water - the paper can tear if it gets too wet.

When you're nearing the end of your roll, dip your fingers in again and wet the outer edge as you did in the beginning to close the roll.

Using a sharp knife, cut the sushi roll into bite-sized pieces. This makes 3 rolls, and fed two of us. They are best consumed fresh, but can be kept 1 - 2 days in the fridge. Serve with gluten-free soy sauce,  pickled ginger and wasabi or Sriracha (hot sauce, if desired).