Vegan Sushi: Easy Peasy with Sushezi

                                      My vegan barbecue chicken roll topped
                                      with vegan caviar, aka Caviart

There's just something about sushi: the oceany flavor of the nori, the sweet and vinegary taste of the rice, and the savory and tender ingredients sandwiched in the middle. Each bite can be so satisfying, especially when dipped in soy sauce (or coconut aminos) that's studded with wasabi.

Sushi isn't difficult to make at home, but it can be a bit messy. I wanted to try out my new Sushezi, which promises to make "perfectly round, restaurant-quality sushi at home," to see if I could streamline the sushi-making process.

The Sushezi definitely makes things easier. I bought mine for $16 on Amazon, but the product usually hovers around $20-$23. (Tip: Put items you want to buy from Amazon in your cart and check your cart each day -- Amazon lets you know at the top if the price of your item has increased or decreased since you last logged in. That was how I was able to get my Sushezi cheaper; I waited until the price decreased. Price drops don't always happen right away, and you have to know when to buy; otherwise the item could increase in price and not come back down for months.)

I would definitely recommend this product whether you make sushi once a month or once a week. Prep time is still the same, but you really are almost guaranteed a nice, full, compact tube of rice. I can't guarantee cutting the roll into slices will be easier, but what helps is if you use a sharp knife and wet the knife in between cuts.

My Sushezi is open and slightly oiled.

I pan fried some soy protein that I smothered in homemade barbecue sauce (ketchup, mustard, organic sugar or maple syrup).

Ingredients: pickles, avocado, nori, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds

Fill each side with a 1/2 c. of cooked rice.

                                      

Add your ingredients. I drizzled some Siracha on the avocado.

Bring up the sides of the Sushezi and snap close. You then twist the cap on the bottom and twist the handle at the top to compact the insides.

Uncap the bottom, and push the rice roll onto the nori.

All rolled up

See all the yummy ingredients!

Wetting the knife in between cuts helped a lot.

The perfect bite! I added sliced avocado, pickled ginger, and black Caviart seaweed caviar on top.

Product Review: Instant Veggie Burger Mix from Great Life by Lucinda (Roasted Garlic, Dried Tomato & Chive)

I enjoy making my own veggie burgers from canned black beans: I drain and rinse the beans; mash them in a bowl with a fork; add a squirt of ketchup, mustard and relish and some spices; and then form the mixture into patties and bake in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes -- flipping the burgers halfway through the cooking process.

It's fun to craft sandwiches and play around with different flavors and textures: 

• Greens: For a tender bite, add spinach; otherwise, kale adds a great chew, while lettuce gives that clean, crisp bite.
• Spreads: Nothing beats Follow Your Heart Veganaise and Earth Balance Original Mayo (which is soy-free), but I'm really digging the flavors of Viana's Organic Spreads (Stay tuned for product reviews of these spreads!)
• Pickles and Peppers: Sweet relish, sweet pickles, mild banana peppers, spicy chipotles, the list goes on and on.
• Cheese: I love a tangy cheese, so I make my own with almond flour, lemon juice, and Siracha. Door 86 makes awesome vegan cheese, and I'll be testing Treeline Aged Artisanal Hard-Style Treenut Cheeses soon.
• Bread: I avoid breads that can't hold up to all the sauces and veggies I add to my sandwiches. So far, a Turkish bread from Giant Farmers Market in Hackensack has been the best for my burgers and sandwiches. It even does a good job at keeping sliced avocado and tomatoes from sliding out.

I wanted to have another shelf-stable product in my arsenal when I was craving a veggie burger, so I ordered Instant Veggie Burger Mix from Great Life by Lucinda (Roasted Garlic, Dried Tomato & Chive) from VeganEssentials. 

The ingredients are simple, and you only have to add hot water to 1 cup of mix before forming your patties. 

The cooked patty had a subtle garlic and tomato flavor. It was drier than my bean burgers, but a slice of onion and Veganaise on the bread added moisture.

If you like to have shelf-stable products at your fingertips for when you and your family crave a burger, then give this product a try. Other flavors include: Smoky Chipotle, Garden Veg, Curry, and Cajun. They are priced on VeganEssentials for $7.99 for 8 oz. package (makes about six patties per package). 

The Hunt for the Red Food Truck

My first Cinnamon Snail experience began like a treasure hunt.

The generous, whimsical Snail crew were going on a month-long hiatus, so my sister and I wanted to try some menu items before she returned home from visiting me in New Jersey.

Fortunately for us, the Cinnamon Snail was giving away one savory item and one sweet item per person on their last day -- Dec. 23. Anticipating the huge crowd, the Snail said they wouldn't post their location until they were parked on Monday morning. So, on the 23th, we took an early bus from Jersey to the Port Authority and waited around 42nd Street until they listed their location on Twitter. It was raining, so as soon as we found out where they were parked, we grabbed a cab and set out.

The red food truck was easy to spot, and with four of us in our party, we got to try eight heavenly food concoctions.

For those of you blessed with the opportunity to visit the Cinnamon Snail, here's a review of the free food we received:

1. Blue Corn Pancakes with pine nut butter and and Vermont maple syrup ($9): The three pancakes were a lovely light blue (as to be expected) and they were hearty and tasted like sweet corn tortillas. The pancakes soaked up the nut butter and syrup and were great for sharing.

2. Maple Mustard Tempeh Sandwich on grilled spelt bread with roasted garlic aioli, kale, tomato, and onion ($8): This was our favorite savory item out of the bunch. It was the easiest to eat, too, because it was the least messy and had a sheet of wax paper in which to wrap around it. Those who order this during their lunch hour won't get their clothes, face, and hands dirty with this sandwich. The sandwich had a mix of sweet and savory flavors, with the slice of raw onion providing a zing with each bite.

3. Lemongrass 5 Spice Seitan with curried cashews, arugula, Szechuan chili sauce and wasabi mayo on a grilled baguette ($9): This sandwich was a few inches larger than the MMT sandwich and was messy because the seitan was in chunks. The bursts of wasabi were wonderful mixed with the curry and chili spices.

4. Thanksgiving Sandoo with porcini mushroom simmered seitan, rosemary parsnip bread pudding, marinated kale, orange cranberry relish, roasted garlic aioli on grilled baguette ($10, seasonal item): This sandwich is a favorite among Snail-iens (the term used to describe Cinnamon Snail fans). It was the same size as the Lemongrass sandwich and was equally messy because of the seitan chunks and globs of tender stuffing.

5. Cranberry Glazed Doughnut and Pistachio Doughnut ($2): These cake doughnuts were bursting with flavor and were nice and oily. I like oil-soaked cake-like things, but those who don't like fry-bread-type items may not like the texture. The cranberry glaze was tart and a perfect accompaniment to the slightly sweet cake.

6. Cinnamon Snail Roll ($3) and Norberweiberberweiberhydrafab Doughnut ($2): The cinnamon roll was dry, but full of cinnamon flavor. The sweet glaze on top prevented the pastry from being overly dry. The Norber... doughnut was very sweet -- a little too sweet for my liking, but my sister loved it. This doughnut has a white-chocolate glaze and is stuffed with bourbon hazelnut ganache and dusted with dirty blonde streusel.

If you have a chance, look up the Cinnamon Snail on YouTube and see if you can find a video featuring Adam, the owner. He's a hoot! You can tell the Cinnamon Snail is a labor of love and is all about bringing the best food and best attitude to the masses.

Tip for the over-thinkers: Because I'm one of those people who overdoes the planning phase of any excursion, I knew we would need extra napkins and silverware. Looking back, I should have packed a few paper plates as well because the sidewalk got to taste a couple chunks of tender seitan. Don't worry; I cleaned up after everyone.