Vegan Qunioa "Sushi" Roll

I came home from work today ravenously hungry and craving sushi ... I don't really know why, but that is what I wanted. So, I decided to get creative and make "sushi" with ingredients that we had in the house (namely the 3 day old quinoa sitting in the fridge, begging to be eaten).

Now, I am pretty sure I can't call what I made actually "sushi" - as I believe that this word actually IS or has something closely to do with the type of rice used to make it. "Sashimi" is the raw fish and obviously I wasn't using that....but you can have sushi without sashimi. In any case, we shall call my creation sushi for it's close resemblance and for the ease of it.

This Sushi roll is vegan and gluten free - also it is higher protein and lower sugar than a vegan roll made with sushi rice (as it is a form of glutenous rice - meaning sugar, not wheat gluten .... though beware you gluten-freers out there - some sushi restaurants add wheat gluten to their sushi rice).

My challenge in using quinoa is that it is not sticky like glutenous rice. To overcome this problem, I remembered an effective baking egg-substitute - ground flax simmered in water. After 3-5 minutes, the mixture becomes highly sticky (hence it helps hold things together in baking as eggs would). Problem solved.

I think our "sushi" rolls turned out great:

finished quinoa 'sushi' roll

Ingredients:
1 sheet nori seaweed
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp ground flax seed
4 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp agave nectar (optional)
5 baby carrots, chopped thinly lengthwise (organic preferred)
1/4 cucumber, chopped thinly lengthwise (organic preferred)
1/2 small avocado, chopped thinly lengthwise (organic preferred)
1 tsp shoyu (organic, low-sodium)

**If you are gluten free, check shoyu or soy sauce - some are prepared with gluten**

 Directions:

1.  Bring water to simmer in small pot, then add ground flax - stirring constantly. Once mixed, add agave, if using, and continue to stir and simmer until consistency is like a raw egg - sticky.
2. Cool flax mixture in fridge while chopping vegetables.
3. Mix cooled flax mixture into quinoa (you probably have to use your hands) until mixed throughout and quinoa becomes sticky
4. Lay nori flat on a sushi mat and press quinoa across surface using hands or sushi paddle. Leave 1in edge on one side of nori for overlap when rolling
5. Lay carrot, cucumber and avocado pieces in rows across the quinoa - rows should be the same direction as the sticks in the sushi mat
6. Roll together using the sushi mat with firm pressure. If extra edge of nori does not have enough moisture to stick, add small amount of water to seal edge.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice into pieces of desired width
8. Dip into shoyu if desired

plate of sushi with splash of shoyu for dipping