Quinoa Sushi

Here’s a delicious healthy lunch or snack idea.  This is one of my favourite lunches.  I have it once a week because it’s delicious and provides a rich source of iodine, a mineral known to be deficient in Australian soils and therefore it’s vegetables.

Seaweeds are packed full of minerals, vitamins & antioxidants.   They have been widely studied for their benefits to weight loss, hormone & blood sugar regulation, improving thyroid function & heart health, and for their detoxification properties.

You can purchase seaweeds dry in packets and hydrate them in cold water.

• Wakame is high in calcium & magnesium.  It can help reduce water retention and contains a pigment called fucoxanthin, which can help improve insulin resistance.  It has been studied for its benefits to weight loss.
• Nori is very high in protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C and Vitamin B12.
• Kombu is very high in iodine, which is required for healthy thyroid function and metabolism.  It has been studied for its benefits to heart health because it contains a phytochemical (fucoidan) which acts as an anticoagulant.
• Arame is high in potassium and has anti-viral properties.  It has been studied for its benefits to weight loss.

Quinoa Sushi

Ingredients  

• Nori Sheets – it’s easier to invest in a rolling bamboo sheet to roll the sushi.
• Seaweed – I use a mix of wakame, dulce flakes & arame, rehydrate them in water and then soak them in 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar, 1 TBSP tamari and a splash of organic toasted sesame oil – delicious!
• Quinoa – cook as per packet instructions, then rinse in cool filtered water & drain.
• Sushi ingredients – steamed asparagus, avocado, cucumber, fresh ginger.  Other veggies that work include carrot or red pepper (capsicum).

Directions

1. Place the nori sheet onto the bamboo rolling kit
2. Once cool add a 2 cm layer of quinoa into the centre of the sheet
3. Add the drained seaweed, and other sushi ingredients into the centre of the sheet onto of the quinoa
4. Roll the sushi using the bamboo roller and wet the edge of the nori sheet a little to stick.
5. Serve with some fresh ginger, organic wasabi and organic tamari for dipping.
6. Enjoy!