It’s hot outside, and I like my fish raw. I loooooooove sushi and could probably eat it every day and not get tired of it but man it’s a pain in the a** to make. The thing when you make sushi is (or at least when I make sushi) that you never just make one kind. If that were the case making sushi at home would be an easy task. What usually ends up happening is I buy salmon, tuna, prawns, crab, tobiko (fish eggs), I chop 10 different kinds of veggies, make a few different types of sauces, it’s a never ending project. Not to mention the rice. Sushi rice has to be just Per-Fect! Not too sticky, not too sweet, not too sour, just right.
Last time I decided to make sushi at home my boyfriend and I were in the kitchen for about 5 hours. By the time we finally sat down and had dinner, we had about 2 bottle of wine (oops) and were absolutely famished. It was fun and all, but now when I have a sushi craving I think about it twice before I venture myself in the sushi making art. Because it is an art, trust me. The very first time I made sushi I ruined at least the first 4 rolls I made. They were still delicious, but they looked like crap.
These lovely Spicy Tuna Veggie Rolls were a compromise for the spicy tuna craving I had last week. Folks, they’re a lot faster and easier to make than real sushi.
And they were super tasty (obviously)! Plus see how amazing they look!
- 300 grams ahi tuna (sushi grade) *see notes above on sushi grade fish
- 3 tbsp spicy mayo, see recipe below
- 2 tbsp green onions or chives, finely chopped
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 12 thin strips of english cucumbers using a mandolin if possible or a peeler would work
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced then cut in halves
- 1 large carrot, cut julienne about the same length as the peppers
- handfull sprigs of cilantro
- handful sprigs of radish or sunflower sprouts
- 12 toothpicks
- gluten-free tamari or braggs' soy, for dipping
- 1/2 cup mayo check out my simple mayo on this site, link below
- 2 tbsp shriracha sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Begin by making the spicy mayo either using my Simple Mayo Recipe or jarred mayo will do (if you must). Mix mayo, shriracha and sesame oil with a spoon until mix is uniform. Set aside.
- For the spicy tuna simply mix 3 tbsp of the spicy mayo with the shallots, chives and diced up ahi tuna. Set aside.
- To make the cucumber rolls, cut the ends off a medium English cucumber and slice it lengthwise, as thinly as you possibly can. The use of a mandolin would make this process a lot easier here for the thinner your slices are, the better the rolls will hold. I didn't have my mandolin at that time so I had to use a knife, hence the thick cucumber strips seen in the pictures. (You might also want to try a peeler)
- Place the cuke strips flat on a chopping board and place one spoonful of the spicy tuna about 1 inch from the edge. Stack the rest of the ingredients on top of the spicy tuna, keeping as tight as possible. Roll the cucumber slices onto themselves to form 12 rolls and set them onto paper towels to absorb excess moisture. (If needed, secure rolls with a toothpick.)
- Voilà! You've got yourself the perfect appetizer. *Serve immediately after assembling or they might get a bit mushy.
*For my Simple Mayo recipe, click here.