For those of you that don't know me, I am a huge sushi fan! Yes, I love raw fish! I like cooked salmon, but raw salmon sashimi does not taste fishy at all, and if it does, it's old or bad quality! I buy sushi grade salmon and tuna from Whole Foods and have never had it be bad. They have it already portioned out in slices and pack it fresh on a regular basis. Raw fish does not stay fresh for long, so please buy it to use that day or possibly the next. So if you are someone that avoids sashimi because you can't stand how fishy cooked salmon is, give it a try, you might be surprised!!
One of my favorite sushi restaurants in Scottsdale that we frequent a lot, has four different lollipop rolls on their menu. I just love how refreshing they are with the cucumber wrap and they are free of rice for all you grain free friends out there! The roll I order consists of salmon, yellowfin tuna, crab and avocado wrapped in cucumber and served with a ponzu dipping sauce. Being gluten and dairy free tends to mean you can not enjoy any sauces at sushi restaurants. I love these as is with some wasabi on top, but for my lollipops I decided to dip them in my Avocado Vinaigrette. I love the mixture of avocado and sushi so this is the perfect match!! The other option is to eat it like a traditional roll and dip it in a mixture of wasabi and some Coconut Aminos (gluten free soy sauce alternative that tastes great!!).
I was so excited to post this recipe that I didn't want to wait any longer as I experimented with a gluten free ponzu sauce. I will work on one, seems pretty simple. I am also going to work on a pesto dipping sauce that many places serve with rolls as well. These may look complicated, but really take no time at all!!!
Lollipop Rolls
Makes 12 rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb of sushi grade fish (I used salmon and tuna, but crab or shrimp will also work)
- 1 large cucumber
- 1/2 of an avocado, sliced into 6 strips
- 12 bamboo skewers
- wasabi powder
Instructions
- Using a mandoline, slice the cucumber lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slices
- Lay out a slice of cucumber vertically. Place fish slices and a slice of avocado horizontally across the cucumber. Set all of them right next to each other. You may need to trim off and pieces that are hanging over the edge of the cucumber
- Roll the cucumber tightly until it overlaps itself.
- At the overlap spot, poke a bamboo skewer into each side so you can slice it right down the middle to form two rolls.
- Repeat the process until you have 12 finished rolls.
- Combine wasabi powder with a bit of water to create desired consistency
Don't like sushi, enjoy these with chicken or beef strips and some raw veggies! Don't be afraid to get creative!
