These three vegetarian sushi recipes go beyond the expected and give your palate a run for its money, so you won’t crave sashimi and all the health and environmental risks it comes with ever again.

With all we know (and don’t know) about seafood these days, there’s no absolute assurance that it can be consumed sustainably or healthily. But who wants to give up a sushi habit just because fish is no longer on the menu? Not me! The only problem I have with vegetarian sushi is that it often comes in one form: avocado roll. And that same go-to combo can get real lackluster, real fast.

Before you dive into these recipes, take the time to teach yourself how to roll sushi, which is outlined in this DIY sushi guide.

1. Bean Veggie Roll

Makes five rolls

Ingredients

• 5 nori sheets
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• Few leaves of kale, stemmed and chopped

Directions

Once the rice has cooked, toss it in a large bowl with rice vinegar and salt. Set aside.

In a blender, add the white beans, sriracha, and mayonnaise. Blend until smooth.

For assembly, line each nori sheet with a layer of rice. Spread the shorter end of each sheet with the bean puree and top each with an equal amount of diced tomato, green onion, and kale. Roll each sheet, starting with the end with the fillings and keeping the roll as tight as possible. Slice each roll in half, and then each half into halves, and then each quarter into halves to create eight rolls.

Season with red pepper flakes and enjoy!

2. Spicy Eggplant Sushi

Makes two rolls

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cooked sushi rice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili paste
• 1 scallion, sliced lengthwise
• ½ eggplant, sliced into thin strips
• 2 nori sheets

Directions

Mix rice in a large bowl with rice vinegar and salt.

In a medium skillet over medium-heat, add the oil, garlic and chili paste. Sauté the garlic and chili paste for about one minute while stirring with a spatula. Add the eggplant strips in a single layer. Cook the eggplant strips for three to four minutes on each side, or until browned. Be careful not to burn the eggplant. Set aside.

To assemble the sushi, lay out the nori sheets. Spread an even layer of the rice across each sheet. Line the shorter end of each sheet with an equal amount of eggplant and scallion. Roll each sheet, starting with the end with the fillings and keeping the roll as tight as possible. Slice each roll in half, and then each half into halves, and then each quarter into halves to create eight rolls.

3. Shiitake Mushroom Roll

Makes four rolls

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups cooked sushi rice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for one hour
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 4 nori sheets
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Red pepper flakes for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, maple syrup, and salt into the cooked rice, which is still hot.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Check to see if the oil has heated by tossing a pinch of cornstarch into it. If it sizzles, it’s ready. Drain the mushrooms and remove their stems. Dip each mushroom into the whisked egg and then pat all sides with cornstarch. Carefully place the mushrooms into the oil and fry them for about two minutes. Once finished, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Roughly chop them before assembly.

To assemble the sushi, lay out the nori sheets. Spread an even layer of the rice across each sheet. Line the shorter end of each sheet with the mushrooms and top each with an equal amount of sriracha and mayonnaise. Roll each sheet, starting with the end with the fillings and keeping the roll as tight as possible. Slice each roll in half, and then each half into halves, and then each quarter into halves to create eight rolls. Season with red pepper flakes and enjoy!

Related on EcSalon
Nutritional Breakdown: Sushi
Sushi On the Rocks
Sustainable Sushi in London

The post 3 Vegetarian Sushi Recipes that Go Beyond the Avocado Roll appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s called “tomato sushi” and it’s a dead ringer for bluefin tuna. Chef James Corwell creates it by skinning tomatoes, removing the seeds, and then vacuum sealing them in sturdy plastic bags. After that, the tomato is cooked in hot water for about an hour using a technique called sous-vide. The process provides a similar texture to that of bluefin tuna and when paired with nori, ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi it tastes like a sushi roll, according to a story on NPR.

It’s an overall effort to reduce the impact on our oceans, and especially on at-risk species like bluefin tuna, the largest species of tuna, which can live up to 40 years in the wild. Their populations have declined severely, largely driven by demand for the fish at high-end sushi markets. All three species of bluefin tuna: Northern (or Atlantic) bluefin tuna, Southern bluefin tuna, and Pacific bluefin tuna have suffered in massive overfishing. Since bluefin tuna are late to mature and slow-growing, they’re especially vulnerable.

Other chefs and food manufacturers have also experimented with vegan sushi and faux fish like Sophie’s Kitchen, which makes vegan calamari, scallops, and fish fillets. They also sell a product called VeganToona, a canned faux fish made from pea protein, potato starch, seaweed powder, and olive oil, according to NPR.

But it’s a question of whether the demand is there to support a blossoming industry. Today 3.2 percent of Americans or 7.3 million people follow a vegetarian-based diet, according to a Vegetarian Times study. Additionally, .5 percent of Americans or 1 million people choose a vegan diet. These are growing, but still relatively small numbers.

Veggie burgers, tofu, and other meat substitutes have gotten better over the years, but there’s still work to be done.

“So much of sushi is visual, and using vegetables gives us the opportunity to use so many beautiful colors,” says Casson Trenor from Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar and Izakaya, reported on NPR. “We have some dishes that feature the bright color of tuna meat. Are we trying to mimic maguro? No. Are we trying to put purple and red into the menu? Yes.”

What do you think? Would you add faux fish or vegan sushi to your diet?

Related on EcoSalon

Bluefin Tuna Breeding Grounds Protected By a New NOAA Amendment

It’s Time to Get Serious About Overfishing

Marine Life Disappearing Thanks to Overfishing and Climate Change [Study]

Image of giant bluefin tuna from Shuttershock

The post Endangered Species Like Bluefin Tuna Could Find Protection in the Growing ‘Faux Fish’ Market appeared first on EcoSalon.

Something’s fishy about sushi.

Many people regard sushi as light fare – individual bites of effortless, diet-friendly goodness. However, the Japanese delight bears some danger zones that you should consider before making sushi a regular occasion.

Just like a salad, sushi can easily turn fattening if the add-ins begin to overwhelm the point of it all. One tuna roll has some 200 calories, but if you opt for the shrimp tempura roll, we’re talking upwards of 500 calories and 20 grams of fat. Many of us don’t even stop at one roll, either, so while each bite may feel light, the calories are adding up.

Other sneaky offenders include soy sauce, rice, and raw fish. Soy sauce may be low in calories, but it makes up for it with its high sodium content – one tablespoon of regular soy sauce contains up to 900 milligrams! White rice alone is adding both empty starches and extra calories to your diet while raw fish is putting you at risk of foodborne diseases by way of bacteria, viruses, parasites and mercury.

When eating out, avoid making tuna your go-to roll in order to reduce your risk of mercury exposure. If you can’t separate sushi from tempura, cream cheese, or any other fried or decadent add-ins, look at sushi as a rare indulgence rather than a daily pick-me-up. And if you want to keep things super safe, always order the veggie roll.

To keep the standards high and the mystery at bay, try making your own vegetable sushi. The following recipe is a homemade, frills-free way of doing just that. Packed with veggies, cauliflower rice, and the creaminess of the avocado, you can have your sushi and eat it too!

Homemade Cauliflower Sushi

Makes 6-8 rolls

Ingredients:

• 6-8 nori sheets
• 1 cup shredded cauliflower
• 1 carrot
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 avocado
• 2 scallions
• Nama Shoyu for dipping
• Fresh ginger for a palette cleanse

Directions:

Place the pepper on a stove top on high heat, making sure to turn it occasionally until it is completely blackened. Immediately place into a paper bag, store, and set aside while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.

Julienne the cucumber, carrots and scallions. Slice, core, and remove the avocado meat – slice into thin pieces. All the vegetables should be the same size. When the red pepper has cooled, remove it from the bag and under warm water, use your hands to wipe off the blackened skin. It will come off easily. Remove the pepper’s stem and seeds and julienne it.

In a food processor, process cauliflower florets until rice-like in consistency. This will be the “rice”.

Lay out each nori sheet and on one end, parallel to the dotted lines on the sheet, layer the cauliflower rice, 2 slices each of cucumber, carrot, red pepper and avocado.

Roll tightly, folding the nori unto itself as you go.

Wet the edge with a bit of water to help it stick closed.

Slice into sushi-sized pieces and serve with Nama Shoyu, which is unpasteurized soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Enjoy!

Images: Avlxyz, Aylin Erman

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Veggie Sushi (Without a Speck of Rice) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Recently, a colleague sent me a link with the words “what, soy sauce causes cancer now?” emblazoned across the email. I could sense her frustration through the keyboard. What next, the very air we breathe causes cancer? (Actually, in my city, it does.) Sometimes it seems like we have to give up everything for the gods of health: trans fats, antiperspirants, and/or mascara that doesn’t run. When is the time to say – enough, I want my high fructose corn syrup-sugared cake and I want to eat it too?

Well, that day is not today. (Nor is it any day for a person who doesn’t want to live in Ignorance is Bliss Land. This exists right next to magical Cake Town and Pie Ville. Sighs all around.) Because, yes, some soy sauce could cause cancer. Soy sauce contains an organic chemical compound called 3-MCPD. It occurs when hydrochloric acid is used to speed up the reaction of the soy protein, a cheaper method used by some manufacturers. According to sources, this compound “is carcinogenic and highly suspected to be genotoxic in humans, has male anti-fertility effects, and is a chemical byproduct which may be formed in foods.”

The compound has been found at high levels in many causes in East and Southeast Asia. But recent information also links it to sauces found all over the world. As the Canadian Cancer Society reports, “3-MCPD is a substance that has been found to be present in a number of soy, mushroom and oyster sauces in Canada and the United Kingdom. The levels vary from product to product ranging from very low levels to relatively high ones.”

The British Food Standards Agency (FSA) has sorted out “brands and products imported from Thailand, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Brands named in the British warning include Golden Mountain, King Imperial, Pearl River Bridge, Jammy Chai, Lee Kum Kee (李錦記), Golden Mark, Kimlan (金蘭), Golden Swan, Sinsin, Tung Chun and Wanjasham soy sauce.”

So do we start a soy tea party and start dumping our soy sauce into the streets? Not just yet. The FSA stresses that some soy brands were found to be 3-MCPD free and that these non-toxic brands all came from major food chains.

So for now, just be aware of who made your soy sauce. And in the meantime? Prepare yourself for the next delicious food which will be declared unhealthy. I’m standing guard over cupcakes. They’re very healthy. I know it. (Hands plugging ears.)

Images: avlxyz

The post Now Soy Sauce Causes Cancer? appeared first on EcoSalon.

I love fish. Poached salmon. Bouillabaisse. Absolutely sublime sushi. How can I say no to seafood? And why would I?

Sylvia Earle, an awe-inspiring scientist and oceanographer who has studied the ocean for over 50 years, helped change my perspective in her most recent book, The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One. She covers a lot of ocean ground, but one particular bit stuck in my craw with regard to over-fishing.

“Ninety percent of many fish common [in the past half century] are now gone, consumed by eager diners unaware that in their lifetime they might witness the disappearance of some of their favorite wild-caught fare, from tuna and swordfish to lobsters and crabs.”

Slow Food in San Francisco has instituted Meatless Mondays. I began to wonder what we could do for fish. I thought of Fishless Fridays, but that suggests we’re eating fish all the other days of the week. Fish Friday comes to mind, but I believe that’s a Catholic tradition. Maybe it could be more like one day a month, a celebratory day called First Fish Friday, the only day of the month we allow ourselves a special treat from the sea.

It may seem extreme. But what’s more extreme? Reducing personal intake of an endangered food source, or gobbling it down as fast as you can while you watch it disappear? As Earle quoted John C. Sawhill: “In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy.”

Image: Nicola Zingarelli

The post Be at One with the Ocean: Contemplations on Eating Fish and Fishless Fridays appeared first on EcoSalon.

One of my favorite places to eat in London is a cheap and cheerful little sushi restaurant in the heart of the West End, just around the corner from Leicester Square.

If you are a tourist in London, you’ll almost certainly visit this area. It’s the centre for London’s theatre scene, and a stone’s throw from Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, Covent Garden with its funky boutiques, and the nightclubs of Soho.

If you find yourself in need of sustenance then Tokyo Diner, between Leicester Square and Chinatown, serves great sushi, sashimi and Japanese noodles at very reasonable prices. The vibe is simple with wooden furniture and few pretensions – check out the live webcam on the website if you like. The staff are extremely friendly and in keeping with Japanese tradition, do not accept tips. Any money “accidentally” left on the table will be returned or donated to a local charity.

The best thing about Tokyo Diner is the fact that they deliberately don’t serve tuna. Don’t get me wrong, I love tuna. But global over-fishing has brought tuna stocks almost to the point of collapse. The fish are hunted by airplane through the Pacific Ocean, while in the Mediterranean they are captured before breeding age and kept in fattening pens. Tuna fish are the cheetahs of the sea and like any predator, a natural eco-system doesn’t support them in great numbers. The species simply can’t keep up with our growing appetite.

The species most at risk is bluefin tuna and this has been disappearing off menus for some years now – London sushi chain Moshi Moshi is among the restaurants that has stopped serving bluefin. However, yellowfin tuna is also at risk – in fact, over-fishing is a serious risk for all tuna species, with the possible exception of skipjack. Another problem is that fishing methods, particularly longline fishing, have a significant by-catch. In other words, tuna fishing frequently means the death of large numbers of young tuna and other fish species, as well as endangered turtles, sharks, and marine mammals.

The best way to ensure sushi is sustainable is to avoid tuna altogether, as Tokyo Diner has done.

Not in London and not planning to visit? Well, there’s sustainable sushi in San Francisco and probably in your city too. In Japan they’re even serving venison as an alternative, which seems a little unorthodox to say the least.

Please share your sustainable sushi secrets for your city in the comments. And if this is something lacking in your city, then perhaps it’s time for a little lobby work – after all, all restaurants respond to public demand. Tokyo Diner is a case in point – it made its decision as a result of feedback from customers.

Image: grendelkhan

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