Superbowl Sushi

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Take a deep breath and relax.

That was the advice I read in most sushi recipes I consulted before trying my first batch.

Apparently, I would need to be in the zone. Calm and confident.

But I suppose you could say the odds were stacked against me. It was my first time attempting a sushi roll, and until recently I’d been somewhat ashamed to admit I didn’t really like sushi. That is until I realized that my aversion to raw fish wasn’t so odd considering my lack of affection toward meat in general. But then I started eating veggie rolls and changed my mind completely.

Still, I was no skilled sushi chef and I wouldn’t have blamed anyone for discounting my chances for a successful roll due to my lack of experience, confidence and knife sharpness. (Seriously, I have got to get myself a proper chef’s knife.)

Was I an underdog Eli Manning trying to prove myself against the undefeated and handsome Tom Brady of sushi excellence? Perhaps.

In the end, while my results weren’t always pretty, I did get the job done. Did I win my own little Superbowl of sushi rolls? Why yes, as a matter of fact, I did.

I started with a batch of brown sushi rice from the Skinny Bitch in the Kitch book. (Yes, I read Skinny Bitch. Yes, I’m giving the whole vegan thing a try, although I’ve caved to dairy a few times. But I don’t want to make a big thing about it, mmkay?) I added a couple of tablespoons of agave nectar to the rice vinegar and it instantly smelled like sushi in my kitchen. I was on my way.

I had planned to make a simple avocado roll for my first attempt, but I’d already made a batch of guacamole, so I had plenty of cilantro, red onion and jalepeno on hand. The obvious choice was to make a guacamole roll.

I neatly assembled all my tools and ingredients, prepped my first roll, took a deep breath and started to roll. And a few seconds later I had a nicely formed little sushi roll. No mess, no disaster. Perhaps there was something to this calm and confident thing.

Next, I attempted to combine sushi with another classic Superbowl snack – Buffalo wings. The idea came from Sushi Day (via Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen), and man was it a good one. I made one version with boneless chicken wings and another vegan version with these tofu wings from Bryanna’s Vegan Feast. The tofu version turned out really well, and I’m told the chicken one was also very tasty.

One note about the tofu wings: if you don’t have any Louisiana Hot Sauce and decide to use Sriracha instead, as I did, reduce the amount used by, like, a lot. Or they will melt your face off. Trust me.

So, there you have it. Guacamole and Buffalo wing sushi – how’s that for a Superbowl feast? Score another one for the underdogs. Eat your heart out, Tom Brady.

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Filed under Appetizers, Main Dishes