I was a tad apprehensive to try making sushi at home, having heard rumors that chefs trained for decades to become consummate professionals. Imagine my excitement when I found that making sushi at home is not quite as difficult as one would imagine. It’s far less expensive than going out for a sushi dinner and it is a healthy lunch or dinner option. And, it can be filled with anything you choose. I opted to make these vegetarian, but you could easily add cooked shrimp or crab meat.

There are a couple important things to note thought. There is a rice especially for sushi making and it really does make all the difference. There is also a bit of a process to making the rice. Add in a rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt mixture to add flavor and improve the consistency of the rice. The mayonnaise is also key. It adds a slightly spicy-sweet flavor that absolutely makes the sushi. I like to serve the mayo alongside, along with soy sauce, for dipping. 

Cucumber, Carrot, and Avocado Sushi with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce 

Serves: 2 sushi rolls cut into about 8 slices each

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 ½ cups cold water
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• Pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt
• Wax paper, for rolling
• 2 nori seaweed sheets
• 1 large carrot, shredded into long thin strands
• 1 cucumber, sliced into long spears
• 1 avocado, pit removed and sliced
• ½ cup mayo
• 1/3 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• Optional: Sriracha, to taste
• Optional: sesame seeds, to garnish
• Optional: soy sauce, for dipping

Directions:

1. To make the rice, rinse the rice under cold running water, then put the rice and 1 ½ cups water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, heat the rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the rice to a bowl and stir in the rice vinegar mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare you vegetables for the filling. 
3. To make the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce mayonnaise, simply stir the mayo and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce together until combined. Add a bit of sriracha if you’d like a spicier mayo. 
4. Cut a square of wax paper large enough to fit a nori sheet. Place the nori sheet shiny side down on the wax paper. Have a bowl of cold water ready for dipping your fingers into so that the rice will not stick to you instead of the nori. Using about half of the rice mixture, place a layer of sushi rice on the nori sheet covering it completely. 
5. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the Thai Chili Mayo mixture along one edge of the long side of the sushi. Layer the carrots, cucumber spears, and avocado slices on top of the mayo mixture.  
6. Using the wax paper to help you, roll the sushi up tightly. Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into about 8 slices. Repeat with the remaining nori sheet, rice, and vegetables. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with remaining Thai Mayonnaise and soy sauce. 

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