Brown Rice ‘Heart’ Sushi

Did I ever mention my 2 year old is funny?

What’s ‘funny’ is that sometimes I just want to make my toddler a peanut butter and jam sandwich with a few slices of cheese and apples on the side and call it a lunch. But to her, that’s unacceptable.

“Is this more to your liking?” I ask.

Yup.

Here’s the thing. Els is one of the pickiest eaters I’ve ever met. But she’s not the typical picky. She’ll choose seaweed over potatoes. Kimchi over Bread. Fermented soybean soup over cheese. You see where I’m going with this?

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just, not a peanut butter and jam sandwich, you know what I’m saying. And guaranteed these are what’s in my diaper bag when we go out for pizza as a family. Because the idea of pizza, somehow activates her little, peculiar gag reflexes.

Here’s a little tutorial! (It’s a Korean style sushi, otherwise known as kimbap. I used only three ingredients as the filling, but the options are endless in terms of what you want to put in them).

Ingredients:
(for one roll)

1 cup of sticky brown rice
1 sheet of roasted seaweed
1 egg
1 carrot
1 yellow pickled radish (Please make sure to read the label and get organic if you can, but also msg and preservative-free. The brand I like is: Pulmuone. They are committed to providing all natural, high quality wholesome foods).
sesame oil
pinch of salt
sesame seeds

PREP:
1. First scoop out the rice in a bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and mix. Then add as much sesame seeds as you want ( I use a LOT) and a pinch of salt and mix again.

2. Peel the carrot and slice into thin pieces. Stir fry the carrots for a few minutes until cooked but still slightly crunchy. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and set aside. Slice the radish into strips. Beat one egg and make a thin crepe-like egg on pan on medium-low. Once done, cut the egg into strips. It should all look like this:

3. To make the heart shape, you will need a special heart making sushi kit. You can find them at your local Korean or Japanese Store. Get the sushi kit and the roasted seaweed ready.

Take the kit, grease with a little sesame oil, and start layering. First rice. Then egg, carrots and radish. Top off final layer with more rice. Sprinkle more sesame seeds on top if you like. Place the lid on top and press down. Take off lid and place face down on the very left side of the seaweed.

5. Start rolling to the right. Once at the end, dab a little water on the edge to seal the seaweed together, like you are sealing an envelope. Finally, take a sharp knife and slice carefully into sushi pieces. (Tip: Wet the knife in between each slice to get a clean cut)

Use the leftover egg, radish and carrots as a little side for your toddler to munch on!

It might look like a lot of work, but I promise it’s very easy! And worth it at the end.

And if you are wondering how I made those grape tomatoes into hearts, here’s the link that shows you how.

*Do your toddlers/kids have any special tastes? I’d love to hear them. I feel like I’m the only one who has a toddler who prefers vegan mac n’ cheese over the real deal! Not that it’s a bad thing!

If you like my posts make sure to follow me on facebook and pinterest! And keep up with me on twitter and instagram for the latest!