This recipe was part of our Japanese cooking course a few years ago. Making sushi at home is a great way to have a fun family night, expose kids to the concept of sushi before you’re at an expensive restaurant, and it’s a great way to try food in a new fun way. Having things like chopsticks, dipping sauces, and sesame seed “sprinkles” can help bring the whimsy.

If you have kiddos that are new to sushi, make sure to have a few fillings you know will go over well. I always include carrots and cucumbers, but we have also done rectangles of cheddar cheese, quartered hot dog slivers, and even leftover chicken nuggets from the night before. It’s a great way to use up leftovers and gives kids autonomy over what exactly goes into their food (this doesn’t happen often and is a great way to build confidence in trying new food).

Humans often have a nicer experience and tend to like a food more if they are the one that is choosing to try it. Another great thing to have on hand is just rolling some of the sushi up into balls. This can help if your child is unfamiliar with seaweed. You can dip them in soy sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and maybe have some of the cut up veggies on the side. Sushi night in our house is all about trying a new food and creating a positive, fun, safe experience for that play and creativity.

Incomplete list of (somewhat surprising) filling ideas:

• carrot
• cucumber
• tomato
• cabbage
• avocado
• banana
• kiwi
• smear of peanut butter
• imitation crab sticks
• cheese sticks
• bell pepper
• squash
• zucchini
• french fries
• cream cheese
• shrimp
• chicken
• chicken nuggets
• hamburger slices
• pickles
• ketchup
• meatballs
• tofu
• refried beans
• black beans
• cereal
• pretzels
• scrambled eggs or Japanese style omelet

I will leave it there, but the possibilities are endless. Remember, if they are excited to eat it and try something new, that is a win! It is about the expansion of the idea of what is possible for them to eat. Pick 3-4 items from the list and see how it goes! You might be surprised at the combinations kids come up with and enjoy.

Veggie Sushi

Ingredients

2 cups sushi rice

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon neutral oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 red bell pepper

2 carrots

1 cucumber

1 avocado

1 package sushi nori

Soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds for serving

Instructions

1. Rinse uncooked rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Prepare sushi rice according to package instructions. 
2. Once rice is cooked, Add ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon neutral oil, and 1 teaspoon salt to rice and stir to combine. Let rice cool. 
3. While rice is cooking, prepare your vegetables.
   1. Thinly slice your bell pepper. 
   2. Peel and grate your carrots. 
   3. Cut your cucumber into matchstick sized pieces. *see note*
   4. Slice your avocado into thin pieces. 
4. To assemble rolls:
   1. If you have a sushi roll mat, cover it in plastic wrap or put it inside a gallon sized zip top bag to keep the rice from getting stuck in it. 
   2. Cut your nori sheet in half. Place a piece of nori on your sushi mat or cutting board if you don’t have a rolling mat. 
   3. Spread a thin layer of your rice mixture onto your nori. Have a little bowl near you of rice vinegar or water to dip your fingers in. This will help the rice not stick to you. 
   4. Make a line of fillings down the center of your nori sheet, long ways. 
   5. Start to roll your sushi. Press and hold the fillings while you bring the side closest to you over the top of your fillings. Roll and start to press the sushi into a round shape. As you roll, the sushi mat end that is closest to you will come out of the roll so it doesn’t get stuck. 
5. Slice rolls with a sharp knife. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds. 

Notes

• Younger children can help cut the cucumber if you slice it into thick rounds first, and then let them slice the rounds into thin, matchstick-like pieces.