Vegetable Sushi

Cook the rice first. Place the raw rice in a large strainer. Place the strainer in a large bowl of cold water, enough water to cover the rice. Gently rub, turn and toss the rice. As the water becomes cloudy, lift up the strainer and discard the water, add fresh water to the bowl. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Drain the rice and let it sit in the strainer for 10 minutes to drain. Place the rice in a pot or rice cooker. Add the water and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before starting the cooking process. Cook according to rice cooker instructions. If cooking without an electric rice cooker or instant pot, Cook over medium heat on the stove. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, reduce heat to very low and cover with a lid. Cook another 10 minutes. Allow to stand off the stove for 10 more minutes.

While the rice is cooking, make the sushi vinegar. Combine the rice vinegar, salt and sugar in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Place the cooked rice in a shallow container and drizzle the seasoned rice vinegar over the rice. Quickly break up the rice with a rice paddle and fan it until it's cooled, about 1 minute. Cover the rice with a damp kitchen cloth or damp paper towels.

Cook the shiitake mushrooms by placing them in a shallow pan with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Mirin, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cook until mushrooms are soft and have absorbed the liquid. Set aside to cool.

Blanch the spinach or greens in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from the hot water and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. When cool, squeeze out all the water by squeezing hard until no more water comes out when tightly squeezed. Drizzle a little low sodium soy sauce on them and sprinkle with Eden Shake or sesame seeds. Set aside. Sprinkle with red chili pepper flakes, if desired.

Cut the carrots into julienne pieces. Heat a skillet or medium-high heat and add the carrots. Add a tablespoon of water and allow the carrots to steam saute for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. For the Gobo (burdock roots), place the sticks of gobo into a large pot with enough water to barely cover, 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons cane sugar or dry sweetener, and 1 tablespoon Mirin. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the gobo sticks the same size as the sushi nori, approximately 8 inches wide. Set aside. Place all the sushi ingredients--the mushrooms, cucumbers, carrots, greens, gobo, and avocado on a tray or plate, lined up in separate sections.

Set up a sushi rolling station with a bamboo sushi mat, sheets of seaweed, rice and a small bowl of water. Place one sheet of seaweed (8 by 7 inches) on a rolling mat, rough side up. Wet your hands and allow excess water to drip off. Scoop up 1 cup of rice and place it on the sheet of seaweed. Spread the rice out all the way to 3 of the 4 edges, in a thin layer, being careful not to press down too hard on the rice. Keep 1/2 inch of the top border free of rice.

Place all the filling ingredients on top of the rice. Start rolling upward, tucking in the filling ingredients and allowing the rolled sushi to meet the rice remaining of the sheet of seaweed. Continue rolling, using the mat, to form a tightly packed roll. Place a few drops of water on the bare edge of seaweed to make it stick to the roll as it comes together. Squeeze a few times to form the roll. Set the roll on a tray and cover loosely with plastic wrap of a lightly damp towel. Continue making all the rest of the rolls.

When all the rolls are done, using a wet and very sharp knife, cut the rolls into equal sections by cutting them in half, cut each half in half, cut each quarter in half, for a total of 8 pieces. After every couple pieces, wipe off the knife and dip it into water, draining off the water before using it. Use a gentle sawing motion to cut the sushi so as not to smash it. Arrange the sushi on a platter and serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and low sodium soy sauce.