Sushi – a California obsession with no limits. We’ve tried every sushi roll and sashimi plating you can imagine, including all the healthy stuff. Vegan sushi rolls? Check. Multi-grain sushi rolls? Actually pretty good! Sushi rolls with no rice at all? Sure, we’re fans of a good cucumber-wrapped roll, but our sushi obsession du jour comes directly from the macrobiotic-inspired M Cafe, our L.A. ‘bite of the month’ for January.
M Cafe is not a sushi bar, but the couple of sushi rolls they do offer are wrapped in super-healthy ‘faux’ rice – and we can’t get enough. Yes, the rolls are low-carb, but they’re also straight up delicious for those of us who simply want to mix things up from time to time. The faux rice is made from a blend of almonds and a few other secret ingredients we’re revealing below in their signature recipe. Trust us when we say this stuff must be tried…
M Café Vegan Rainbow Roll with ‘Faux’ Rice
Ingredients:
¾ sheet nori
½ Tbsp kaiware sprouts
½ Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
½ Tbsp red bell pepper, julienned
½ Tbsp daikon radish, julienned
½ Tbsp carrots, julienned
1 Tbsp Persian cucumber, finely chopped
4 oz almond sushi rice
For the almond sushi rice:
4 oz slivered blanched almonds
½ tsp white sesame seeds
2.5 Tbsp celery, chopped
1/8 tsp garlic, chopped
¼ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
Place all of the almond sushi rice ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Process until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth.
Cut a sheet of nori into ¾ of its full size. Spread the almond sushi rice evenly onto the nori sheet, leaving 1 inch of empty space on one end.
Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the rice horizontally.
Set the sushi nori over a bamboo sushi roller and roll the sushi from the bottom side to the empty side.
Place the empty nori side down and let it sit for a few minutes so the nori sticks together.
Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
