As much as I love Champagne and again I DO love champagne. When it comes to pairings, I have to start with my favorite food and work backwards from there. For me it would be sushi. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I have to admit I craved it more than I did champagne. But trust, when I finally got my hands on a roll, I definitely had a glass of champagne by my side. A Spanish Cava to be exact. This champagne is perfect for savory pairings and light meals.

Now when I want sushi I leave it to the experts, but if you’re a little more ambitious and want to try something new, check out this bacon avocado cucumber sushi roll. A light meal with a savory finish!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 and 1/2 cup steamed sushi rice (short grain rice)
• 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• 7 Sushi seaweed sheets
• 14 rindless short cut bacon rashers, cooked until well done (not too crispy)
• Mayonnaise in a squeezable bottle ( use Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise)
• 1 Avocado (I used Hass avocado), pitted, peeled and sliced
• 1 Cucumber (I used English cucumber), peeled and sliced into thin strips
• (Optional) 1 Tbsp sesame oil – to give some Korean flavor and/or to give a shiny look to the rolls
• Sushi seasoning (Mix these in a small bowl and microwave it for about 30 seconds to dissolve the sugar. Alternatively you could use 3 Tbsp of premade sushi seasoning sauce)
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Directions

• In a large bowl, mix the cooked sushi rice with the sushi seasoning and roasted sesame seeds. Set aside while other ingredients are being prepared as mentioned in the ingredients section.
• Place one seaweed sheet on a bamboo (sushi) mat and thinly spread the rice on the seaweed sheet. (covered about 90% of the sheet)
• Place the prepared ingredients on top of the rice (in the lower center of the rice) in the order of bacon, mayonnaise (3 to 4 rows), avocado and cucumber strips (use 2 short cut bacon, 2 avocado strips and 2 cucumber strips per one sushi rolls).
• Once all the ingredients are set, lift the bottom end of the sushi mat to cover the ingredients.
• Once you cover them, roll up the seaweed to the top (paste some water or put some rice pieces at the edge of the seaweed sheet, if it doesn’t stick). Roll the sushi roll with the bamboo mat once more to give a firm shape.
• Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients (optionally brush the sesame oil on the outer layer of seaweed). Cut the sushi roll into bite-size pieces. Alternatively, halve the roll and eat like a burrito. Serve with a dab of wasabi sauce and a dash of soy sauce.

Erica