Quinoa Sushi Bites

I'm a sushi fanatic, but I'm not necessarily a fan of the white sticky rice that sushi restaurants use. Unless you're getting vegetable sushi or a plain, raw fish sushi made with brown rice, it most likely isn't good for you. Spicy rolls use spicy mayo, which adds on tons of calories. Crunchy rolls also add on a lot of unnecessary calories. Not to mention, sushi can be very expensive, so I ventured out to make my own healthier version. My homemade sushi doesn't even require seaweed! I've replaced the rice with whole grain quinoa for protein, and replaced the seaweed with cucumber. This is very easy, quick, and filling!

         

Start by cooking your quinoa. Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a sauce pan and stir in 1/4 cup of dry quinoa. Bring down to a simmer and cover for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, start preparing your sushi ingredients. Slice a cucumber lengthwise into 12 very thin slices. Cut up your fresh carrot, celery, and avocado into small sticks that are the same width as your cucumber slices (You can use any mix of veggies or fish for your sushi). Once the quinoa is cooked, mix in some soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and salt. Place a thin layer of your quinoa on each strip of cucumber. Next, place your veggies at one end of each piece of "sushi" and roll. You may need a toothpick to hold them together.

         

You can serve your sushi bites as a meal for 2 or as a great horderve for a party. It takes about 20 minutes total and tastes great! Not to mention all of the health benefits you're getting from the quinoa. Serve with some less sodium soy sauce and enjoy!

             

Makes 2 Servings

Recipe:

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Quinoa

1 Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Carrot, cut into small sticks

1 Celery Stalk, cut into small sticks

1/4 Advocado, cut into small sticks

1/2 Tbsp Less Sodium Soy Sauce

1-2 Dashes of Sriracha Sauce

1 Tsp Salt

Season to Taste

*Cook quinoa and season with soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and salt.