Roll up a fresh, delicious, veggie-packed meal with this simple recipe for homemade sushi. Making maki at home is fun, rewarding, and extra-delicious, and can be easily customized to include your favorite sushi ingredients—try mixing it up with sautéed mushrooms, vegan cream cheese, or even spicy jalapeños. To accompany your sushi, try Mushroom Miso Soup and Asian Coleslaw for an unforgettable Japanese feast.

Serves 4

What You Need:
1 cup white sushi rice
1-1/3 cups water
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Prepared sushi rice
4 sheets nori
Wasabi paste
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup ounces seasoned tofu, cut into thin strips
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin slices

What You Do:

1. For the rice, in a mesh strainer, rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Drain 1 hour.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add rice and water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 14 minutes without removing cover. Remove pan from heat and uncover. Drape a dish towel over pan, then replace cover. Let rice stand 20 minutes.

3. Transfer rice to a shallow dish and add vinegar. Use a wooden spoon to toss until well-mixed. Make sushi while rice is still slightly warm.

4. To prepare sushi roll, in a dry skillet over a medium flame, toast sesame seeds 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

5. Place a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat or smooth cutting board. Dip fingers in a bowl of water. Spread about 1/4 of the rice evenly over nori, leaving a 3/4-inch strip bare along one edge.

6. Spread a pinch of wasabi across the rice. Sprinkle rice with sesame seeds, then arrange several strips each of carrot, cucumber, tofu, and avocado along line of wasabi. Fillings should extend to both sides of the nori.

7. Use your index fingers and thumbs to pick up the edge of the bamboo mat (if not using a mat, grasp the nori) closest to you. Place your remaining fingers over the fillings to hold them in place. Roll forward, tightly wrapping nori around the fillings, until you reach 3/4-inch strip of bare nori. Lightly wet several fingers with water and run them across uncovered nori strip. Continue rolling, pressing moistened strip of nori against roll to seal it.

8. Unroll bamboo mat and place roll on a cutting board, seam side down. Wet a serrated knife with water and cut sushi roll into 6 even pieces. Repeat for remaining rolls. Serve immediately.