Sushi Rolls

     Most sushi contains a variety of allergens: fish, yeast and possibly corn (in the vinegar), sesame, etc.  You can, however, make excellent sushi without any of these ingredients. Using a bit of lime juice in place of the usual vinegar does no harm to the flavor.

     1 c. rice (See Rice  in the Glossary) Sushi rice, being sticky, does an 

          excellent job of holding a sushi roll together, but  other  rice can be 

          substituted. 
     1 tsp. salt (See Salt in the Glossary)
     2 Tb. sugar (See Sugar in the Glossary)
     3 Tb. white vinegar (See Vinegar in the Glossary) or 2 Tb. freshly 

          squeezed lime juice (See Juice in the Glossary)
     (totally optional) 1/4 c. sesame seeds—1 Tb. sesame seeds per sushi roll 

          containing  sesame seeds 
     4 sheets of nori (some nori has sesame seed oil on it: read the label)
     2 or 3 filling ingredients (your choice of raw fish—ask your grocer which fish are ok for sushi, slivered green onions, slivered raw carrot, cucumber strips  [See Produce in the Glossary], corn-free, yeast-free marinated daikon, slightly cooked spinach or whatever else you feel like using and aren't allergic to)

     Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. Stir in the salt, sugar and vinegar or lime juice. Put the sesame seeds in a small pan over high heat and toast them, stirring constantly. As soon as the seeds are lightly browned, pour them out into a bowl so that the hot saucepan does not continue to cook them. Arrange your ingredients and a bamboo sushi rolling thing in front of you and you are ready to assemble the sushi rolls.  

Getting ready to make sushi with slivered green
onion, daikon pickle and carrot

     Use a wooden paddle (or the back of a big spoon) to spread ¼ of the rice onto the less shiny side of a sheet of nori, leaving one end of the nori uncovered.  

     Sprinkle 1/4 of the sesame seeds on top of the rice. If you need some of the rolls to be sesame-free, make those first, before there are stray seeds lying about your work area.

    Arrange the filling ingredients in a line on top of the rice.  Roll up using a bamboo rolling thing such that the uncovered end of the nori is on the top and can stick to the layer of nori below it, sealing the roll.

Ready to roll

     Slice with a sharp knife and serve with wasabi and/or Sushi Dipping Sauce.

Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Sesame-Free, Fermentation-Free Stir-Fry Sauce and Sushi Dipping Sauce

     The purpose of stir-fry sauce is to add deep savory flavors, lively seasoning and texture to stir-fries.  This can be accomplished without soy, sesame, corn or fermentation products (soy sauce, coconut aminos, or vinegar). The sauce produced by the recipe given here, though not quite conventional, is tasty and has just the right level of tartness. By all means bring soy sauce and sesame oil out as condiments for those who aren't allergic to them. 


Stir-Fry Sauce

     4 c. chicken or beef stock (See Broth in the Glossary)
     3 Tb. freshly squeezed lime juice  (See Juice in the Glossary)
     good sprinkle of black pepper (See Spices in the Glossary)
     1 knob of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
     3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
     salt to taste--the amount will vary according to how much salt was in the 

          stock (See Salt in the Glossary)

     1/2 Tb. or so tapioca starch, depending on how much you want the sauce 

          to thicken

     Reduce the stock to ½ cup; i.e., boil it until only ½ cup is left.  Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add to a stir-fry that is otherwise ready, then cook for a few seconds, until the sauce thickens.


Sushi Dipping Sauce

     For a condiment that perfectly complements sushi and egg rolls, follow the recipe above but leave out the tapioca starch and stir in 2 Tb. of gluten-free rice syrup. Note that some rice syrup is not gluten-free, as the processing involves enzymes which may have been derived from barley. Watch for gluten-free syrup if this is an issue. 

Korean Brown Rice Tea

     Besides being a classic hot beverage with a mellow, toasty flavor, Korean brown rice tea can be enjoyed by most allergy sufferers, as it contains a single ingredient:

     short-grained brown rice (See Rice  in the Glossary) 

      If you're allergic to corn, use a brand of rice that doesn't have corn added. ("Enriched" rice generally has added corn.)     Pour a bowl of the rice into a saucepan or skillet over high heat (not the highest setting, but close to it).  Keep the bowl next to the stove. Stir the rice constantly until it is toasted. It should be nicely browned but not scorched, and some of the grains of rice should be popping open. Indeed, it should smell a bit like popcorn cooking (but not burnt popcorn). As soon as the rice is toasted, pour it back into the bowl so that the hot skillet does not continue to cook it.

   

Toasted rice

     To prepare, stir toasted rice into boiling water (one tablespoon or so of rice per cup of water) and keep the water hot for 15 or 20 minutes so the rice can steep.