Cooked tuna and cucumber sushi roll
Japanese cuisine focuses on the food’s appearance. Small portions and colorful vegetables make meals visually appealing. The portion size of foods not only affects how much we eat (i.e. smaller servings means we eat less and feel full sooner), but it also affects how we respond to various sensory and cognitive cues, as well as to hunger and satiety. When you take the exact same meal but actually break it up into smaller bits, research shows that you will actually eat less! The use of chopsticks in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine allows for smaller bites compared to spoons and forks and more time between bites. Eating slowly and mindfully, with this extra time between bites, actually allows us to bring focus and attention to the present moment and limit distractions.
SERVES
Ingredients
- 2 cans line-caught tuna in water
- 2 green onions, minced
- Salt & pepper
- 4-6 pieces pieces nori (seaweed)
- 1 cup sushi rice, cooked
- 12 thin, long sticks of cucumber
- Low sodium tamari or soy sauce for dipping
Directions
- Add the tuna to a small bowl and flake with a fork. Add a little salt & pepper to taste and add the green onions.
- Lay your sushi mat down and place one piece of nori on top. Scoop 1/4 cup of the hot rice from the pot or rice cooker onto one side of your mat. Smooth it out so it covers 1/3 to 1/2 of your nori.
- Add 1/4 of the tuna mixture and three sticks of cucumber to the rice and slowly roll the rice side of the nori towards the side with no rice.
- Squeeze tightly with your mat and set aside. Slice when ready to eat.
- Make the other three rolls. Ensure the rice stays hot while making these rolls so they can warm up the nori which allows it to stick.
