Colorado Vegan recipes 101: Vegan sushi and simmered pumpkin

Vegan sushi party, 2/10 Sushi, mango, kabocha nimono (simmered kabocha squash), umeboshi, wasab

Sara Jelley 2010

Sushi is so easy to make and tasty with just a bit of shoyu (soy sauce) and wasabi. It goes great with kabocha nimono, a japanese favorite (see recipe below). It is a sweet and filling side that you would see in many Japanese households.

Vegan Sushi

You'll need:
1-3 cups White sushi rice or good japanese rice (depending on your rice cooker size and amount of people)
Nori (seaweed, in sheets)
Vegetables, cut into matchsticks or long skinny slices, optional as you wish. I used:
     Cucumber
     Carrot
     Daikon radish
     Umeboshi (pickled plums)
     Ripe sliced avocado
     Zucchini
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
Bamboo sushi roller mat (optional but very helpful)

• Cook the sushi rice in a rice cooker or a pot according to package directions. A good rule of thumb is to have just over twice as much water as you do rice in the pot/cooker when you turn it on. If you're using brown rice, its a good idea to soak the rice for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
• Put cooked rice into a bowl, slowly fold in rice vinegar so that all rice is covered. If you've made 2 or more cups of rice, add more than 1/3 cup rice vinegar.
• Place a sheet of plastic wrap over your sushi roller mat (optional) and a sheet of nori on top.
• Flatten a handful of rice over the nori, just a square in the middle is fine. leaving some nori uncovered on both ends, but not on the sides. Too much rice will result in a too-big-for-your-mouth sushi roll.
• Place sliced veggies in a line about 1/3 of the way from the edge of the nori. Begin rolling from the edge of the nori, picking up the plastic wrap as you go, so that it doesn't get rolled up in the sushi. Pull lightly on the bamboo mat towards you, to tighten the roll as you go.
• Slice the roll in 1/2 inch slices with a sharp knife and serve.

Kabocha Nimono (Simmered pumpkin): (whats4eats.com)

1 medium kabocha squash (looks like a small green pumpkin, mostly available in fall)
1 tbsp vegan sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups vegetable broth (you can also just use water or a bit of vegetable bouillion boiled in water)
sea salt to taste

• Mix all ingredients except kabocha in a pot.
• With a sharp or serrated knife, cut open the kabocha and spoon out the seeds.
• Peel parts (not all) of the kabocha rind, so that the stock can cook in properly. Chop kabocha into 1-2 inch pieces.
• Place kabocha into pot, with the rind side down as much as possible.
• Turn heat to high until mixture boils, then turn to low and simmer with cover for 15 minutes. Stir lightly and only once if not all squash is covered from the start.