Mexican Sushi
Recipe courtesy of California Milk Advisory Board (realcaliforniamilk.com)
Makes 4 to 8 servings
1 ⅓ c. sushi rice
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 T. seasoned rice vinegar
½ c. Real California Mexican crema agria or sour cream
2 t. adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles)
4 7-by-8-inch sheets nori (dried seaweed)
8 oz. Real California cream cheese, room temperature
1 two-inch length cucumber, peeled
½ avocado, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
½ mango, peeled and cut into 8 long slices
Mexican hot sauce
Roasted, salted pumpkin seeds, for garnish
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Special equipment: bamboo sushi mat, wrapped in plastic
Cook rice according to package directions. Turn cooked rice out to a large, shallow bowl or dish. Use a rice paddle or spatula and a slashing motion to spread rice evenly in the bowl (don’t toss or rice can become gummy). Drizzle lime juice and vinegar over rice, then use the same slashing motion to mix into rice. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine crema and adobo sauce. Transfer to a small resealable bag and set aside. Halve cucumber lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Cut each half into eight wedges and set aside.
Place a sushi mat on a work surface, sticks in the mat parallel to you, and place a sheet of nori on top, rough side up. Using damp hands, press ¼ of rice onto nori, leaving a 1-inch border on one longer edge. Carefully turn nori over, arranging bordered edge closest to you. Spread ¼ of cream cheese across nori parallel to you. Arrange ¼ of cucumber, ¼ of avocado, and ¼ of mango along cream cheese. Starting at border edge, roll sushi up, using the mat to roll border up and over fillings and squeezing gently to make a compact roll. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado, and mango. Cut each roll into 8 pieces, arranging them on plates or a platter.
Snip a small piece off corner of bag with crema mixture, then squeeze the bag to drizzle mixture over sushi. Drizzle with hot sauce, garnish with pumpkin seeds and cilantro, and serve.