Spicy Avocado Roll {raw} {vegan}

Let me begin by saying that I love sushi. Since I've become vegan I've struggled to  find a variety of vegan sushi rolls. Being raw made it even more difficult.
A random craving for sushi and a little experimenting in the kitchen resulted in this roll.

List-O-Goodies

Cilantro
Arugula
Pea Shoots
Alfalfa Sprouts
1 Tomato
1 stick Celery 
2  Green Onions
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper (unless you're really really like spicy)
Cumin
Salt/pepper
Lemon 
Avocado
Raw Garlic Spread
Raw Nori 

Stuff that comes in handy:
a sushi mat
saran wrap


To make this roll I chopped up the cilantro, arugula, green onions, pea shoots, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, celery, and jalapeno pepper into small pieces. I pretty much eyeballed everything so feel free to adjust the amounts as you need to. I squeezed the lemon over the finely chopped salad and seasoned it with the cumin, salt and pepper.

Once the salad was made I set it aside. I lay the nori on a cutting board and spread a generous layer of the garlic spread over the far side of the nori wrap leaving about a quarter inch of space around the boarder. Then I a added a good amount of the salad on the side of the nori that is closest to me.  Next came the avocado. I simply sliced through the avocado and squeezed it onto the nori next to the salad. after that I simply rolled it all up! If you have a sushi mat, use it. It keeps the roll looking very tidy and uniform. You can also make the roll a lot tighter when using the mat. Once it's rolled up I lay a piece of saran wrap over the roll and sliced through to create bite sized pieces.  The saran wrap keeps the nori from breaking or sticking to your fingers and also helps keep the roll looking tidy.

Last step, lay on a plate and ENJOY!

Spicy Tahini Salad Dressing {raw} {vegan}

In the 10 years that I spent in Egypt, I knew tahini sauce to be nothing but a simple condiment. It was served to compliment the flavors of everything from shawerma sandwiches to grilled fish. I feel that tahini isn't given the credit is deserves. Tahini is a yummy sesame paste with a mild flavor and a very thick, creamy texture that makes a great  base for salad dressings and dips.

This simple Raw Spicy Tahini salad dressing has a deep medium warmth to it.  If you are sensitive to spiciness beware!

List-O-Goodies:

1/2 cup Raw Tahini
1/2 cup Raw Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic Crushed or Chopped very fine
1/2 cup Water
1/2 tsp  Cayenne Pepper (less for milder dressing)
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 1/2 Lemons Squeezed
1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt (or to taste)

This is very simple to make. Simply add the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I threw it all in my magic bullet and let it do the work. The recipe yields a little less than 2 cups of dressing.  Feel free to adjust the amount of water to achieve the consistency that you desire. This also makes a great dip for veggies, pita bread or chips. I served this dressing on a mix of Romain lettuce, arugula, avocado and green onions- of course you can use over any combination of veggies you could possible think up. Enjoy!

NOTE: When using Raw Tahini be aware that the oil may separate. Do Not pour the oil out! and Be sure that you mix the oil in well before using the tahini.