VEGGIE SUSHI HAND ROLL

Steps:

• Place the rice in a coarse-mesh sieve and rinse with cold running water until water runs clear. Shake out excess water.
• In a large saucepan, combine rice and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer rice to a bowl and sprinkle with rice vinegar; toss and let cool.
• Meanwhile, peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks. Cut the unpeeled cucumber lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Then cut cucumber into matchsticks. Slice peppers into matchsticks. Cut chives to match the length of the vegetables. All vegetables should be about the same length and thickness. Cut each nori sheet in half crosswise.
• To prepare sushi, hold the nori in one hand, shiny side down. Dip your free hand in a small bowl of water to prevent sticking. Using your wet hand, shape 1/4 cup rice into a ball and place on the left side of nori sheet. Spread the rice to a 1/4-inch thickness, leaving about a 1-inch border of nori on the sides. With your finger, make a crosswise "well" in the center of rice where vegetables will go.
• Place 1-2 sticks of each vegetable (carrot, cucumber, peppers, and chives) in the well and tightly press vegetables together. (Let kids pick combos of their favorites, but making colorful sushi is the goal!)
• To roll sushi, start with bottom left edge of the nori and bring it up on a diagonal to the center of the rice and vegetable. Start rolling the sushi to the right to create a cone shape, using your free hand to tuck it all together tightly. With your fingertip, place a drop of water on the outside bottom corner of the nori to hold the sushi together.
• Repeat steps 4-6 with remaining ingredients.
• Place sushi rolls on a platter and serve with low-sodium soy sauce for dipping, if you like.