CAULIFLOWER JICAMA NORI HAND ROLLS

Serving size: 3

I love to make these whenever I'm in the mood for sushi at home. They come together quickly and are perfectly light and refreshing, yet surprisingly very filling. Instead of actual white rice, I make a rice alternative from a blend of both cauliflower and jicama. These rolls are packed with fiber from the "rice" blend, abundant in healthy fats from the avocado and loaded with tons of vitamins from the nori and vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups cauliflower florets

• 2 cups jicama, cubed

• 2 tablespoons mirin

• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 1 tablespoon kelp flakes

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon umami seasoning

• 3 large carrots

• 1 cucumber

• 1 avocado

• 3 nori sheets

• 1/2 cup microgreens

I use this umami seasoning blend from Whole Foods.

Jicama is like a savory apple — crisp, crunchy and white with a high water content, just not as sweet as an apple. Because jicama is 85% water and high in fiber, it's extremely beneficial for digestion and gut health. In fact, Jicama is specifically rich in inulin, a prebiotic fiber that helps feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

DIRECTIONS

Add your cauliflower and jicama to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a crumb texture similar to white rice. You may need to do this in 2 batches to make sure you get all the pieces chopped down enough in the food processor. Also, be careful not to over pulse or else the mixture will become too mushy. Add this mixture to a bowl and toss with the mirin, rice wine vinegar, and salt. Set this mixture aside in the fridge while you prep your vegetables and the rest of the dish.

In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, kelp flakes, onion powder, and umami seasoning. This blend will be sprinkled inside the hand rolls before rolling and also sprinkled once more after rolling.

Using a mandolin, julienne your carrots and cucumber. You can also cut these long thin strips by hand but I don't recommend it. Slice your avocado into strips as well and set aside.

For the nori sheets, they will likely come in a large rectangular shape. You will need to cut the sheet in half lengthwise to create an even thinner rectangular shape. It should measure roughly 4 x 9 inches after cutting.

Position the nori sheet lengthwise in front of you and begin by placing some of the cauliflower rice mixture only on the left side (covering only about 1/4 of the sheet). Spread and flatten out the cauliflower rice only this small area, then sprinkle your seasoning mixture on top. Next, place your carrot and cucumber sticks at a diagonal angle with the top ends sticking towards the upper left corner of the nori sheet. Add the avocado slices and sprinkle the micro greens on top of the veggies.

To roll, fold up the bottom left corner of the sheet towards the top edge to form a triangle and continue to roll until a cone shape forms. This will take some practice if you've never done it before. Once the nori is in a cone shape, I like to sprinkle more of the seasoning blend on the open end of the roll. Serve with additional microgreens, avocado slices and enjoy.

I love how these rolls make a sushi dish accessible at home and unlike a roll that you would get at a restaurant, it won't spike your blood sugar due to the swap of white rice for fiber rich, nutrient dense cauliflower-jicama rice.