Family sushi fun

(makes 4 rolls)
Chicken and avocado & Tuna, corn and avocado rolls

I am by no means any type of sushi expert. This was more of a fun family activity, and a blog post to remind me of the things that worked and didn't! I'm sure any remotely skilful or Japanese person will cringe at our attempts. However, it was a lot of fun, as you will see my little girl loved being involved, especially in sneakily munching on the ingredients whilst watching us - I've never seen her eat so much avocado!

Little Miss A helping to pass and eat the ingredients

Prep time: 30 minutes
Assembly time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
300 g chicken thigh fillet
soy sauce
mirin
2 cups sushi rice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar 
1/2 cucumber
1/2 carrot
1/4 pickled cucumber (yellow one)
1 avocado
2 pieces of iceberg lettuce
1 tin tuna (in springwater or oil)
1 small tin of corn, drained
Japanese (Kewpie) mayonnaise
Packet of seaweed (usually 10pc, so can use twice)

Special equipment: bamboo rolling mat (preferably wrapped in a plastic bag to avoid sticking)

Method
1. Cut the chicken into thin strips then marinate in soy sauce, mirin and sugar for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cook the sushi rice according to the instructions, generally to 2 1/2 cups water in the rice cooker. Once it's cooked, cool down then mix through with rice vinegar and sugar.
NB. This helps the rice to be a bit sticky (but hopefully not too soggy). We put in way less sugar than recommended as we didn't want our little girl having too much sugar, it seemed fine though. You want the rice cool before you start to assemble, this may take at least 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the ingredients; cut the cucumber, carrot, pickled cucumber, avocado and lettuce into thin strips.

4. Prepare your mat by placing one piece of seaweed on first. Cover about 3/4 of the seaweed (leaving about 1 inch on the top and bottom and on the sides - too little = flat lop-sided sushi). Then place your ingredients on top of the rice, pressing it in firmly. Start by rolling the seaweed over, gently pressing the ingredients in. Put a squeeze of Japanese mayo on top, then fold the roll (try to bring the rice from the bottom to the top, compressing the vegetables in between). Bring the bamboo mat over, then pull hard to compress the rice into a circle. Keep rolling the seaweed over and pull again to compress the rice. The seaweed will stick to the rice once it is slightly damp.

Chicken, veg and avocado sushi

Also tried making tuna, corn and avocado sushi (just mix the corn, tuna and mayo together first)
Little Missy sneaking in chicken whilst daddy was busy rolling :)

5. Use a sharp knife to cut the sushi into 1cm wide pieces. Serve with light soy sauce and wasabi, if desired.