Shiitake Sushi Rolls with Cauliflower "Sushi Rice," Sesame-Ginger Tahini Sauce, and Homemade Pickled Ginger

Nori rolls filled with savory glazed shiitake mushrooms, crisp cucumber, carrot, and bell pepper, and creamy avocado, all on a bed of seasoned cauliflower "sushi rice." Serve them with a sesame-ginger tahini sauce for dipping and a side of homemade pickled ginger. Grain-free and soy-free.

Yield: Serves 2 (4 rolls) · Active: 40 min · Total: 40 min (plus 24 hours for the pickled ginger) · Year-round (cucumbers and peppers peak in North America in summer, and young ginger for pickling in late summer and fall) · Best eaten: midday

Ingredients

Homemade pickled ginger (make a day ahead)

• 4 oz fresh ginger, ideally young ginger with thin, pale skin and pink tips

• ½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt

• ½ cup coconut vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp raw honey

• Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt

Cauliflower "sushi rice"

• 2½ cups raw cauliflower rice (about ½ large head), squeezed very dry in a towel

• 1 tbsp tahini

• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar

• 1 tsp raw honey

• Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Glazed shiitakes

• 6 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

• 1 tbsp grass-fed ghee (or avocado oil)

• 1 tbsp coconut aminos

Sesame-ginger tahini sauce

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

• 1 tbsp coconut vinegar (or fresh lime juice)

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp raw honey

• 2–4 tbsp water, to thin

Filling

• 1 small cucumber, julienned

• 1 carrot, julienned

• ½ red or yellow bell pepper, julienned

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced

To roll and serve: 4 sheets untoasted (raw) nori, a small bowl of water, extra coconut aminos for dipping, and toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Make the pickled ginger (a day ahead). Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and slice it paper-thin on a mandoline. Toss it with ½ tsp salt and let it sit 30 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid. Warm the vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt just until the honey dissolves, let it cool, and pour it over the ginger in a small jar. Refrigerate at least 24 hours. Young ginger turns a natural soft pink as it pickles; mature ginger stays pale gold, which is just as delicious.

2. Glaze the shiitakes. Heat the ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the shiitakes 4–5 minutes, until golden. Add the coconut aminos and toss 30 seconds, until glossy. Let them cool.

3. Make the sauce. Whisk the tahini, coconut aminos, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey, then whisk in water until smooth and pourable.

4. Season the cauliflower rice. Stir the cauliflower rice with the tahini, coconut vinegar, honey, salt, and sesame seeds until it starts to clump together.

5. Spread. Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a sushi mat or cutting board, with a long side facing you. Press about ½ cup of cauliflower rice in a thin, even layer over the bottom two-thirds, leaving a 1-inch strip bare at the top.

6. Fill. Line up the shiitakes, cucumber, carrot, pepper, and avocado across the rice near the bottom edge. Keep the row slim.

7. Roll. Starting from the edge nearest you, roll the nori up and over the filling, tucking it in tightly and pressing with the mat as you go.

8. Seal. Dampen the bare strip with water, then finish rolling, seam side down, so it seals itself closed.

9. Slice and serve. Let the rolls rest 2 minutes, then slice with a very sharp knife, wiping it with a damp towel between cuts. Serve with the sesame-ginger tahini sauce, extra coconut aminos, and pickled ginger, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Make ahead: The sauce and glazed shiitakes keep up to 4 days refrigerated, and the pickled ginger up to 2 months. Roll the nori just before eating; it softens quickly once filled.

About store-bought pickled ginger: Many brands are dyed pink or sweetened with refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. Homemade is simple, and naturally pink when made with young ginger.

Nourishment Notes

Shiitake mushrooms — B vitamins, ergothioneine, and beta-glucans, including lentinan, studied for its role in immune function.

Cauliflower — glucosinolates, choline, and vitamin C, at their most potent raw.

Tahini and sesame seeds — calcium, magnesium, copper, and sesame lignans.

Ginger — gingerols, traditionally used to support digestion, which is why pickled ginger is served alongside sushi.

Nori — iodine for healthy thyroid function.

Avocado — monounsaturated fats and potassium.

Carrot, bell pepper, and cucumber — beta-carotene, vitamin C, and hydration.

For your cycle: Sesame's lignans and minerals are traditionally associated with the luteal phase in seed cycling, and nori's iodine supports thyroid health in every phase.

Sourcing

• Nori — organic, untoasted (raw) nori, ideally tested for heavy metals

• Shiitake mushrooms — organic, from a local mushroom grower or farmers' market

• Ginger — organic; young ginger from a farmers' market in late summer and fall

• Cauliflower, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, and avocado — organic

• Tahini — organic when available, 100% sesame; Al Arz makes its tahini from Ethiopian Humera sesame

• Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret

• Coconut vinegar — organic and raw; Coconut Secret makes one

• Toasted sesame oil — organic, cold-pressed, in glass

• Sesame seeds — organic and unhulled

• Raw honey — organic, local, and unfiltered

• Ghee — grass-fed ghee

• Baja Gold sea salt

— Anna aka Food Marshall