Sushi- Happy New Year!

Have you ever shied away from cooking something just because it sounded intimating? Well, there are several dishes I plan to make this year that I've been nervous about trying and now I'm able to mark sushi off my list. I have to say, it was much easier than I anticipated and I’m looking forward to experimenting with different vegetables next go around.

Once I gathered all my ingredients and found a how-to video on Youtube, I was ready to roll!

Below is the official recipe from a restaurant we frequented in Florida. I dolloped two rolls with the special sauce and replaced the cream cheese with the sauce in the other two rolls.

Dynamite Roll: Sublime Cookbook: Nanci Alexander

4 Sheets nori

6 cups Sushi Rice (read package for instructions, will need sushi vinegar)

1/2 cup soy cream cheese

avocado strips

cucumber strips

carrot strips

Sauce for topping (optional):

1 cup vegan mayo

1/2 cup capers, drained

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 T. thinly sliced scallion

2 T. thinly sliced chives (we didn't use)

1 T. white sesame seeds

1 T. black sesame seeds (we didn't use)

Cook rice as instructed on package. Position nori sheets with the lines running vertically. spread a baseball-sized rice ball evenly across each sheet, leaving a 1/4" margin at the top. Place a line of soy cream cheese (If using) 2/3 up sheet, layer with avocado, cucumber and carrot. Place a bit of water on the top margin of nori to seal. Use a sushi mat to wrap the roll tightly. Cut role in half, then half the halves (8 pieces).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mayo, capers, onion, scallion, chives, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well. Spread the mixture on double sheet of foil and bake for about 5 min., until it just begins to brown and is piping hot. Cover each piece with a dollop of the baked topping.