Burdock, Cucumber, and Mango Maki Rolls

“Raw vegan food… so, you just eat salads, right?”

Well, I am not opposed to salads, and actually I usually have at least one, maybe two, per day, but sometimes I like to be a bit more creative than that. So here is an example of some relatively simple maki rolls that are still raw! The hardest part isn’t making this recipe raw vegan, it is the challenges of sushi making in general! Once you get that down, you can change up the filling to whatever you like! Avocado, radish, bell pepper, asparagus... get creative!

Confession: I made these without a bamboo mat for rolling. I don’t recommend this, even though I did it. So do as I say, not as I do, and buy a bamboo mat! Here is a link to the maki making process, in case you need more visual examples on how to roll! http://www.sushifaq.com/basic_recipe/maki-sushi-cut-rolls/

Sticky “Rice”

½ head of cauliflower

½ cup of hemp seeds

1 tablespoon hemp oil or olive oil

2 teaspoons coconut vinegar

Pink Himalayan salt to taste

Maki Rolls

4 sheets of nori

1 burdock root

1 cucumber

1 mango

Dipping sauce

2-inch cube of ginger

1/3 cup coconut aminos

1/3 cup coconut vinegar

In a food processor, combine all of the rice ingredients and pulse until granulated evenly. Set aside. Peel the burdock root and slice into thin matchstick pieces the same length as a sheet of nori. Cut the mango and cucumber into similar matchstick pieces. (If they are not quite long enough don’t worry, you can overlap!) On a dry cutting board lay out your bamboo mat, then lay out your first sheet of nori, shiny side down. Spoon out a thin layer of “rice” along the nori, leaving a bit of room at the back edge for rolling. (This is where you might want to look at the link up top.) Place matchstick vegetables (burdock, cucumber, and mango) in middle of roll, making sure they stretch out over the entire length of the nori sheet. Using one end of the bamboo mat, roll over top. Using a back and forth motion of the bamboo mat, seal the roll (again, you might want to look at the pictures on the link here.) Once you have a solid roll, set on dry cutting board and cut into 1 inch thick slices using a SHARP knife. If your knife is not sharp enough, sharpen it! Otherwise it will mess up all your hard work! Set cut rolls on a plate, and repeat these steps for each nori sheet. In a small food processor or blender, combine the ginger, coconut aminos, and coconut vinegar. Blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and serve with your rolls. If you have leftover veggies, get creative! As you see I wrapped mine up in a bundle with a scrap of leftover nori. If you have trouble sealing the nori, use a tiny drop of water to help the process along. Enjoy!