Green smoothies is just one way to eat your greens. I love smoothies because they are easy and effortless, but don’t stop there. Get creative. Get fancy.
Why not use them in veggie wraps and veggie sushi rolls.
Why Veggie Sushi?
Sushi is all the rage these days, and vegan sushi is certainly nothing new.
If you love sushi, like many people do, you may wonder, Why vegetable sushi? Why not just have the real thing.
All of us heard about the benefits of eating fish, especially for their Omega-3 content. Plenty of publications have been written about the wonders of fish and fish oil – not to mention the various brands of dietary supplements that are now available in every health food store and pharmacy.
So, why veggie sushi? Well, aside the fact that this is a veggie-centered site, there are some important reasons why I’m going to try to convince you to skip the fish in your sushi.
One is health risks due to rising fish toxicity. Fish is one of the most polluted foods we eat, and it may place you at increased risks for various cancers. Due to increasing pollution, fish may contain significant levels of methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and other environmental contaminants. On top of that, if you are eating fish to get Omega-3s, you need to know that farm raised fish is usually fed artificial diet and as a result no longer contains the Omega-3s that you wanted.
The second reason to skip the fish is the collapse of entire marine ecosystems due to overfishing. What few people know about is that approximately 90% of the ocean’s fish have disappeared in the recent years. That’s right, a decline of 90% of the population of many marine species – especially the large fish species, such as sharks, tuna, and other – has been well documented.
Global fisheries are collapsing. Just as an example, millions of sharks and rays are discarded as “by-catch” each year. An estimated 300,00 dolphins, porpoises, and whales also die as by-catch each year, as they are unable to escape when caught in nets or drift-lines. Fish and other sea creatures are intelligent, sensitive animals who suffer terribly when caught in fishing nets.
For every pound of seafood that ends up on market, over 10 pounds may be thrown away as by-catch.
So what’s a health-conscious person to do, who is also compassionate and cares about the environment?
What most people don’t realize is that no fish actually makes omega 3 fatty acids themselves. And, therein lies the biggest fallacy of all. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in microalgae or plants, which every fish has to eat in order to obtain them.
Since not one fish produces Omega-3s on their own, why not just go to the source. Plant sources of Omega-3s include nuts, seeds, and beans, such as flaxseed, walnuts; soybeans; green vegetables; as well as algae, like spirulina or chlorella. The algae supplements are grown in clean environment, so they don’t contain toxic pollutants.
Veggie Sushi Wraps
OK, back to veggie sushi rolls.
They are a fun dish to prepare with your kids, which makes them more likely to eat their veggies.
So, get your veggies and a sharp knife and you’ll have an impressive-looking appetizer that is easy to put together in minutes!
Veggie Sushi Recipe
Ingredients
Veggie Sushi Recipe
- 1 cucumber or raw zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 tomato
- 1 avocado
- 1 fresh lemon
- 1 tablespoon (or more) of grated ginger root
- a few large collard green leaves, washed, deveined and dried really well (or untoasted nori sheets)
Instructions
- Just as with smoothies, experiment with different ingredients that you may have in your kitchen. Collard greens work great, but if you don't have any, other leafy greens, such as cabbage leaves, may do the job.
- General rule is to add some juicy ingredients (e.g., tomato), creamy ingredients (avocado) and some crunchy ingredients (carrots).
- Cut the veggies (carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes) into long strands using a knife or julienne slicer. (If you have time you can marinate the veggies for a few hours in a mixture of rice vinegar with some sesame oil).
- Mash the avocado with lemon juice and ginger into paste. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of dulse flakes over the avocado for a salty, seafood flavor rich in minerals.
- Or, you can make veggie "rice" by shredding the entire zucchini into small rice-size pieces. Next, squeeze a some lemon juice or a lime over the pile of rice and add about a tablespoon of dulse flakes. You can also use kelp powder or other sea vegetable, and/or sesame seeds. Toss with the rice with a fork to mix the juice and dulse. To make the sticky rice, mash 1/4 avocado into the zucchini rice with your hand and mix well.
- On a half of collar leaf (the tough stem removed) matte side down, smear some avocado mash and arrange the vegetables on the end closest to you. Then, tightly roll it away from you.
- If using nori sheet, roll tightly and seal the roll by dipping your finger in a little water and rubbing it along the edge of the seaweed and then seal.
- Slice the long roll with a sharp knife into individual pieces.
- Repeat until your ingredients run out.
Okay, so my sushi picture is not impressive, but I promise to work on my sushi technique and post some better photos soon.
Veggie Sushi Rolls: Turn a collard green wrap into sushi using this method for a healthy and pretty appetizer!
No doubt, this recipe requires some precision cutting, wrapping and patience. It’s not the usual throw-it-into-a-blender-and-drink-it-5-minutes-or-less recipe.
But that’s not a good enough reason not to try it.
Quite the opposite. Let’s use this recipe as an excuse to get educated.
While you are working on your veggie rolls, with or without rice, I want you to download and listen to this amazing podcast about Fish Consumption and By-Catch. Listen to the podcast here.
Cook and Listen
New Ebook: Truth About Eating Fish and Fish Oil
You may be rolling your eyes at another “truth” being exposed, but I challenge you to read my new ebook and tell me you did not learn something new.
The Truth About Eating Fish Or What Your Doctor Never Told You About Fish & Fish Oil Supplements. Fish Are Friends Not Food Ebook
Coming soon to Amazon Kindle!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
