Cauliflower Sushi with Olive Pâté
Get your chopsticks, everyone – today we have cauliflower sushi on the menu!
At the time when I created this recipe, we were staying in Melbourne before heading up the coast to chase some warmer weather. And what more could a traveling raw food chef like me wish for than a high-end processor in the Airbnb kitchen? Therefor you can imagine how my days looked like back then – well, I didn’t miss my simple fruit meal for breakfast, but after that from raw cauliflower sushi to sun-dried tomato dips and not to forget raw pumpkin brownies as dessert I was creating and eating, creating and eating.
One day, I put together a less conventional sushi dish by ditching good old white rice, let alone the fish as well as any soy sauce. And even if you are not having processor at hand, you can make it work with a few simple tricks. Healthy, fancy and delicious can exist together, let me show you how.
Cauliflower Sushi Rice
– 1 small head cauliflower
– 2 tsp coconut oil
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
Olive Pâté
– 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
– 3 tbsp kalamata olives
– 1/4 red bell pepper
– 3 tbsp parsley
– 1-2 garlic cloves
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
Cauliflower Sushi Filling
– 4 nori sheets
– 1/4 red bell pepper
– 1/4 cucumber
– 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
Dipping Sauce
– 3 tomatoes
– 1/4 avocado
– 1/2 bell pepper
– 3 dates
– 3 tbsp parsley
– 1-2 garlic cloves
– 1 tbsp red onion
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
– Dash of Himalayan salt
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
– 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
Let’s start creating
1. Wash all veggies thouroughly. For those that are not organic, I like to soak them in 1l water with 1 tbsp baking soda for 15-20 minutes which should remove the majority of pesticides.
2. Cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces and put them into the processor. If you don’t have a processor, you can grate the cauliflower finely with a grater.
3. When chopped finely, add the coconut oil, maple syrup and lemon juice and mix again.
4. Put the raw rice aside for later.
5. Put the sunflower seeds into the processor until it becomes a fine mixture. Without a processor, you can put them into your blender (make sure it is dry inside) and mix well.
6. Add the bell pepper, olives, parsley, garlic, smoked paprika powder and mix again. Without a processor, put everything into a high bowl along with the sunflower seeds and mix with a hand blender instead.
7. At the end, add also the lemon juice and mix until creamy.
8. Put the olive pâté aside for later.
9. Cut the bell pepper and cucumber into slices.
10. Spread the cauliflower rice thinly and evenly onto half of the nori sheet.
11. Place the cucumber, bell pepper, olive pate and alfalfa sprouts in the middle of the cauliflower rice, from one end to the other.
12. Roll the nori sheet carefully together from the side where the rice mixture starts.
13. Close the end of the sheet by slightly wetting the sheet and pressing it onto the roll. After that, set the nori rolls aside before cutting.
14. Put the tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, dates, garlic, onion, lemon juice, sea salt, smoked and sweet paprika powder into the blender. Mix until it becomes a homogenous sauce.
15. Now, cut the nori rolls into mouth-sized pieces, garnish with some sauce, parsley or sprouts if you like. Enjoy!
For Sushi Newcomers
In case this is your first sushi creation, it would be a great idea to watch a short video online to get the hang of how to roll it without everything falling apart – I’ve been there. If you should be a more advanced roller, I hope this inspires you to soon get creative with your own sushi versions. Dare to turn conventional dishes into something unique, adding your favourite veggies, spices, herbs or dipping sauces.
At first, raw vegan sushi might sound like a big limitation but the possibilities are just endless here. Enjoy the exploring!
Kuranda, Australia
