Easy Hand Rolled Sushi

Making sushi has intimidated me for a long time.  I found these instructions on the back of a package of Nori (Japanese Seaweed) and decided that hand rolls might be just our speed.   Hissho Sushi brand of Nori is best for this recipe.  

You can really put anything you'd like in these hand rolls, but we like California rolls so we use crab meat, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, rice and cilantro.  (For a gluten-free version, use soy sauce marked gluten-free and avoid imitation crab meat, which often contains wheat.)

To make the sushi rice, cook 2 cups of sushi rice (short grain rice) as the package directs.  Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl and add 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar (or 1/3 cup rice vinegar mixed with 3 tsp sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt).  Combine well and let cool slightly.

To make the rolls, lay a sheet of Nori shiny-side down.  Spread sushi rice on half of the sheet.  

Top the rice with fresh sushi-style seafoods, sliced vegetables, wasabi and mayonaise as desired.  (I purchase half a pound of Alaskan Pacific Fish and Snow Crab meat from the seafood counter at Lunds.)

Begin rolling the Nori starting at  the rice covered edge to form a cone shape.  A little dab of cream cheese helps to keep the Nori closed.

Repeat up with the remaining sheets of Nori.  Serve immediately with wasabi and picked ginger.