California Rolls

A classic Japanese dish that everyone will love! California Roll is great even for those who don't love seafood like you do.

Ingredients

1 cup medium grain rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar, mixed with 1 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp sugar
roasted nori
cucumber
avocado
crab meat--real or imitation
sesame seeds

Instructions

Rinse rice until water runs clear and let drain for one hour.
Pour 1 1/3 c water into a pan and add rice. Bring to a boil, cover and boil for 14 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove lid and cover with a clean kitchen towel, then replace lid...let sit for 20 minutes.
While rice is sitting, julienne cucumber and avocado and cut up crab (*shred*). Some people mix it with a bit of mayo, but I don't like this.
Remove lid and towel from rice; transfer to a shallow, wide bowl or dish. Sprinkle with warmed seasoned rice vinegar (If using the unseasoned rice vinegar, combine with the sugar and salt and warm, stirring until dissolved.) Toss and fan the rice to cmbine with vinegar and cool quickly. This is an important step, as it is what causes the rice to be sushi rice and able to hold together.
INT: In a large cup, put water with a bit of extra rice vinegar (need not be seasoned). Use this between rolls to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. If you have a sushi roller (really makes the job easier, so I would get one if you don't already have one)...place a sheet of plastic wrap over the roller and press a layer of rice (square) onto the plastic. Do not make it too thick.
Place a sheet of nori on a flat surface and wet one edge with vinegar/rice mixture.
At opposite edge, about 1/2 inch in, place some of the crab, cucumber and avocado.
Roll and use wet edge to seal. Place nori roll on one edge of rice and use roller to roll tightly.
Peel off plastic and roll in sesame seeds.
Slice into 6 or 8 pieces.
Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce. Good luck!