Red Pepper and Spicy Hummus Sushi

Homemade sushi is totally do-able. It just takes a bit of patience and practice. It also makes for a great make-ahead lunch! This recipe makes enough rice for 4 rolls or 32 sushi pieces.

Ingredients and tools
1 cup sushi rice
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp rice vinegar
red pepper or spicy hummus (I made a couple of rolls with each)
cucumber
carrots
imitation crab meat
avocado
roasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup oil
nori seaweed sushi sheets
plastic wrap
sushi rolling mat or bamboo place mat (I just use a bamboo place mat)

Directions
Place rice and water in pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for about 25 minutes or until water has evaporated. Set rice aside to sit covered for 10 minutes. Add vinegar and stir well. Rice will be sticky and moist and become thicker and stickier when you add the vinegar. Place rice in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare veggies and crab meat by cutting them into long thin strips.

Place plastic wrap over rolling mat.

To assemble, lay seaweed on the plastic wrapped mat. Coat your hands with olive oil (this prevents the rice from sticking to to your hands). Spread a layer of rice on the seaweed, covering it completely, pressing down firmly.

Flip over nori so that the rice is face down on the plastic wrap. Spread hummus on face up nori side then add fillings to the middle of the roll.

 
Finally, use your mat to gently fold over the sushi to form one long roll, moving your hands back and forth to roll it into place. (The rice will stick to itself and should hold together.)

At this point, I usually refrigerate the sushi for about 15-20 minutes, then cut each roll into 8 even pieces with a very sharp knife.

Serve with soy sauce mixed with wasabi on the side and with tomato eggs and garlic baby bok choy to make it a complete meal!