in the mood for sushi

i don't know about fish, but no one makes better veg sushi rolls than sushi on bloor in toronto. just thinking of the oyster mushroom avocado roll makes me salivate. i was really craving one today but since heading to sushi on bloor was not an option (i live in victoria, bc at the moment), i had to get creative. while i appreciate the skill it takes to make pretty looking maki, home made sushi can be equally delicious (even if not as pretty) and you get to really play with the ingredients. here are a couple of rolls i came up with tonight. they utilize fairly typical ingredients with a little pea twist...

spicy pea, yam roll

you will need:

1/2 cup green peas

2-3 slices yam - cut into long sticks (1/4 inch thick)

1-2 green onions

1/2 cup brown rice (cooked, cooled and seasoned with rice vinegar and/or mirin)

1-2 sheets of nori

cayenne pepper

1 t tamari

1/4 cup tofu (any kind)

2 cloves garlic

sesame oil

place the peas, garlic, tamari and tofu in a blender; blend until smooth

heat the sesame oil in a non-stick pan, add the yam and fry lightly for 5mins

assemble the rolls using rice, pea-mash, yam, green onions and pinch of cayenne - roll

oyster mushroom, spinach and avocado roll

you will need:

1/2 cup oyster mushrooms (about 2-3)

1/2 cup frozen spinach (or 1/3 bunch fresh)

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup of brown rice (cooked, cooled and seasoned with rice vinegar and/or mirin)

1 green onion

sesame seeds (toasted)

1 t tamari

2 t sesame oil

1-2 sheets of nori (depending on how large you want your rolls to be)

saute the oyster mushrooms with a little sesame oil (1/2 t) and tamari (1 t) - remove from pan and set aside; saute the spinach w/sesame oil and tamari - remove from pan, set aside and when cool, squeeze excess moisture; cut avocado into slices; assemble the rolls with rice, mushrooms, spinach and avocado; sprinkle some sesame seeds; roll

serve your rolls with the usual: tamari, wasabi, pickled ginger and some miso soup.