Poor Boy's Maki Roll

A canned tuna-mayonnaise mixture is used along with seasoned rice, celery,

avocado and cream cheese in this variation of sushi rolls.

2 cups rice
3/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 stalks celery
1 avocado
Cream cheese (chilled)(1/2 of 8 oz package)
2 seaweed sheets (dry)
1 roasted garlic seaweed sheet
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 6 oz can tuna (water-pack), drained
Mayonnaise (2 Tablespoons)
Soy sauce

Cook the rice. Long grain is the best, but short grain rice will also work. Meanwhile, mix vinegar and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring every 30 seconds. Cut celery into strips. Cut avocado into thin slices. Cut cream cheese into thin slices. Once the rice is cooked, add the vinegar/sugar combination. (This will make the rice sticky.) Take one sheet of the dry seaweed roll. Put about a cup of the cooked rice mixture onto the seaweed. I usually use my fingers to flatten the rice onto the seaweed, but you can also use a mini rolling pin. (Make sure to put plastic wrap over the rice when you use this method.) Now that the rice is flattened onto the dry seaweed roll, take 1/2 of a sheet of the roasted garlic seaweed sheet and place it in the middle. Add a few pieces of celery, avocado, and cream cheese in the center of the roll. Sprinkle with half of the sesame seeds. Mix tuna and mayonnaise. Add 2 tablespoons of the tuna mixture to the center of the roll. Roll up the roll and slice into 1" pieces. Serve with Soy sauce for dipping.

Notes:
You may substitute imitation crab meat, shrimp, or sardines for the tuna. Shredded carrots can be used as a substitute or in addition to the celery. I love making and eating Japanese sushi rolls. For those who know how to make them, the raw fish is very expensive to buy at the Asian markets. I came up with a maki roll recipe that is tasty and inexpensive to make.

Number of servings: 3