Exotic Sushi

2001 Recipe Contest Top Ten Runner-Up

Cooking Instructions:

For the Sushi Roll:

  • 1-1/2 cups Lundberg® Sushi Rice
  • 3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1 50-sheet package of Sushi Nori (roasted seaweed sheets)
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • Soy sauce
  • Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
  • Water in a small bowl

For the Roasted Vegetable Filling:

  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced long way, then sliced again
  • 1 portabella mushroom, sliced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Smoked Salmon Filling:

  • 1 package nova smoked salmon
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 package alfalfa sprouts

For the Pesto Chicken Filling:

  • 1/2 lb. sliced chicken breast meat
  • teriyaki marinade sauce
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Boil 3 cups water in a 3 qt. pot. Add rice. Cover and turn heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Put into a plastic bowl and add the rice wine vinegar. Mix well. While the rice is cooking and cooling, prepare the fillings.

Make sure that your hands are dry. Take one sheet of sushi nori out of the package. Place shiny side down on either a bamboo sushi roller or a large cutting board. With a flat wooden spoon, put 2 spoonfuls of rice on the nori. Push it down into a thin, even layer using the spoon or a fork, to the left and right sides of the nori, leaving one inch of space at the top and bottom ends. Place several tablespoons of the filling of your choice along the middle of the rice layer. You should now have a one inch by one inch layer of filling running horizontally. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

To create the Roasted Vegetable Filling, place all of the sliced vegetables into a bowl. Create a marinade made of olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and mix. Let stand for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Heat a grill or a grill pan on the stove or heat the oven to broil. Remove vegetables from the marinade and grill 3-5 minutes on each side or broil 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and cool. When vegetables are cooled, mix well. Prepare the nori with rice layer. The vegetables can be placed on the rice in a random way. Lay them in a horizontal line. Don't put too much or you will be unable to roll the nori and rice mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roll as outlined above.

To create the Pesto Chicken Filling, marinate the chicken slices in a teriyaki type sauce. In a food processor, add all the other ingredients except the olive oil. Blend until smooth. While it is blending, slowly add the olive oil until it created a nice smooth mixture. Remove the chicken slices from the marinade and dispose of the marinade. Grill on a grill, grill pan, or broil in the oven. After you have prepared the sushi nori with the layer of rice, brush an even layer of pesto about a inch wide in the middle of the rice layer. It should run horizontally. Add thin slices of chicken on top of the pesto layer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and roll.

To create the Smoked Salmon Filling, prepare nori with rice layer. Create a layer of chopped scallions about an inch wide in the middle of the rice layer. It should run horizontally. Add slices of nova smoke salmon on top. On top of the salmon, sprinkle the alfalfa sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and roll.

Susan F. Goldstein

Wynnewood, Pennsylvania