Vegetable Tempura Sushi Rolls

There are typically two competing forces that control my life - the impulse to be adventurous and the impulse to stay on my couch wearing as comfortable clothes as possible.

Sometimes, you just want sushi. You want it so bad it hurts.  You want to sip on some sake, and wear cute clothes, and have a fun date night with your hubby and friends followed by a night out on the town.  Maybe a drink at Patterson House?  Maybe a random bar in East Nashville that (for some unexplained reason) has ballroom dancing going on.  Maybe even late night bowling escapades in said cute clothes.  Anything is possible.

And sometimes, you just want sushi to be delivered so you don't have to stop watching "Dance Moms" on On Demand.  Because it's cold outside and you really didn't feel like brushing your hair today.  And even though you hate yourself for watching, you can't seem to stop.

And that latter feeling, my friends, can often times result in creating greatness.  Especially if you are the type of person who doesn't just have frozen sushi-grade fish hanging out in your freezer.

I found myself in a very similar predicament one Friday night after a long day of work.  I had all of the sushi fixings due to our last escapade with Sushi making, and got creative.

And so, I present to you, a fix:

Vegetable Tempura Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:
The stuff for Sushi:
1 cup of prepared sushi rice (fix rice according to directions, add two tablespoons of sugar and rice wine vinegar, and then a dash of mirin because it's awesome).
3 sheets toasted nori

The Veggies: 
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 onion, cut into thick strips
1 sweet potato, sliced into thin, horizontal strips
1 cup of green beans, whole
(You can get creative here.  Add carrots, mushrooms, avocado, even some mango if you're feeling it)
Wasabi paste

Tempura Batter:
Peanut Oil (for frying)
1.5 cups Flour
1.5 cups Cold Seltzer Water (I used Club Soda)
1 T. Cornstarch

Prep 

1) Prepare the Veggies.  Remember, they're going into a roll.  Nothing too chunky!
2) Prepare your tempura batter by combining all of the ingredients.  Make sure your seltzer water is cold.  It also doesn't hurt to chill it for ten minutes.
3) Prepare your sushi rice per the directions, and cool.
4) You can go ahead and fry the veggies the day before, if you want.  Just gently reheat closer to time you want to make the sushi.

Instructions

1) Heat the peanut oil to frying temperature. 

2) Dunk the veggies in the batter, then fry for 2-3 minutes until the batter has turned a golden brown. 

3) Remove from oil, and drain on paper napkin. 

4) When you are ready to make your sushi, take a sheet of nori, wet your fingers, and then spread a thin layer of rice over the entire thing.  Pile an assortment of veggies in the middle, and then roll. 

5) With the sharpest of sharp knives, slice the sushi.  The sharper the knife, the prettier your rolls will be  

Serve with soy sauce mixed with equal parts Mirin, plenty of wasabi and pickled ginger, and relief that you got sushi without having to physically leave your home.  This is also a cheap fix when you're budget is getting low and you are completely certain you will die if you don't get some sushi.