October is National Seafood Month and for a celiac that’s great news. Seafood is naturally gluten-free, that is, until you spice it, bread it, and/or fry it. But in it’s natural form, seafood should be safe. In fact, sushi is one of my favorite things to eat!
However, I was always told that a California roll was a huge no no. Why? Because most sushi restaurants use imitation crab meat in this roll, which is why their crab is usually labeled krab – misspelling intentional. If you can’t substitute king crab in, you’ll have to go without or find another roll. Krab is typically white fish and wheat starch. If I’m going to be glutened, I at least way to have a real slice of Chicago style pizza, not a California roll. I can’t believe I’ve been fooled this whole time by a sushi roll!
I make a lot of sushi at home, but it’s typically vegan sushi. I’ll roll up some carrots, cucumber avocado and asparagus using traditional sushi rice and certified gluten-free nori wraps. I even have a sushi roller! However, after partnering with Simply Surimi, I won’t have to keep eating just veggies in my sushi roll. Simply Surimi is a new product made using no GMOs, added phosphates, artificial colors or flavors and without gluten. It’s made with Alaska pollock (a white fish), and contains pea starch and oat fiber. This product is certified gluten-free, made in a dedicated gluten-free facility, and can be used anywhere imitation crab is used – rolls, dips, and just as a snack!
Simply Surimi has three styles – flake, stick, and the stick style sold in handy resealable pouches. All are ready to eat and to use in your favorite recipe. They are all certified sustainable seafood by the MSC – which is really important when considering what seafood products to purchase. They are also certified gluten-free by Beyond Celiac.
For my Simply Surimi Sushi Roll, I used the stick style. I suggest you purchase a sushi roller, especially if you’ve never rolled sushi before!
Sushi Rice
- 1 cup sushi rice, well rinsed (until water is clear)
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons organic rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
- 1 small dash of salt
Depending on how much rice you use on each roll, and how long your nori paper is, I can get about 4-5 rolls out of this. You can use any sushi rice recipe you find online – but they’re all variations on the same theme. Recipes will tell you to add the vinegar, sugar and salt mixture after you prepare the rice, but I cook it into the rice using the rice maker.
Roll Ingredients
- 1 English (seedless) cucumber, peeled, sliced lengthwise, about pencil sized slices
- 10 sticks of asparagus, broken at natural bend in stalk
- 1 carrot, peeled, sliced lengthwise, about pencil sized slices
- 1 avocado, sliced into lengthwise slices (if the avocado is too mushy for this, it’s okay! Use it more like a spread)
- 1/2 a package of Simply Surimi Seafood Sticks (3.7oz)
Prepare in a rice maker on the rice setting, let cool slightly
Place one nori wrap on your sushi roller
Spread a thin layer of sushi rice on the nori wrap – I actually use a spatula to do this!
Place one straight line of carrot, cucumber, and asparagus down on the very top of the nori wrap, making sure the items fit lengthwise on the wrap
Place 1-1 1/2 pieces of Simply Surimi to fit lengthwise on the wrap
Scoop out 1/4 of an avocado and spread across the top of the ingredients lengthwise
Roll, roll, roll! Make sure the roll is tightly packed, or else the ingredients will fall apart when the roll is cut!
After your roll is tightly rolled, slowly trim the end pieces using a sharp knife
Divide the remainder of the roll into equal-sized pieces, small enough to fit in your mouth in one bite
Serve with gluten-free wasabi, grated ginger, and gluten-free soy or tamari sauce
You can find Simply Surimi in the small refrigerated seafood section of your grocery store, where imitation crab is sold. Use their store locator to find a grocery store near you that sells these products (or use Amazon FRESH) from transOCEAN. Don’t be fooled by those imitations full of wheat – choose gluten-free Simply Surimi!
**This is a sponsored post with TransOCEAN, but I’ve been a fan of their gluten-free products for a long time!**