Smoked Salmon Sushi Squares!

Some times the beauty and simplicity of a recipe just grabs your imagination and from the first time you make it, it becomes one of those recipes that you can see evolving and changing everytime you make it.  Such is this recipe for Sushi squares that I have been wanting to do it for some time.  Everyone got involved in making this recipe from my son who use to work in a Japanese Restaurant and my daughter in law who loves sushi!

Everything is assembled in a square cake pan that has been lines with saran wrap.

 This was our first attempt and garnished with sesame seeds and onion scallions

 Since the sushi is sandwiched between plastic wrap, it makes it very easy to pull out of the pan once chilled and easy to cut the sushi pieces.

 This was my second attempt, using day old sushi sticky rice and with less than 2 cups available, the pieces were not as firmly packed as when the rice is freshly made, so using lettuce as wraps became an interesting but delicious solution.. I had used sauté shrimp which also was difficult to pack firmly along with the slices of pineapple.. Fresh Pineapple and shrimp was most delicious. I would suggest using the shrimp after the pieces are cut as  garnish.

The carrots in this case were cut using a special tool to make thin strings or pasta of carrots.

My youngest grandchildren using chop stickes!

A Japanese friend was most appreciative for the squared sushi recipe and here are some of the ideas she shared:



Talking about Sushi
I usually buy Japanese rice(or Korean rice) at the Oriental section at grocery store. If you can't buy it, Italian rice is sticky too. (Calrose Rice or Short grain Rice)

You can cut Nori sheet in half size to make more variety of sushi.
Ideas to add layers... I can think of ...

-Smoke salmon, Cucumber and Cream cheese
- Baked Yam or Yam Tempura and Cucumber
- Crab, Avocado,Cucumber and Mayo
- Can Tuna, Mayo, (Spicy sauce), lettuce and Cucumber  
- Cooked Shrimp with Mayo or Shrimp Tempura and     Cucumber (with spicy sauce)
- Omelet, Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, lettuce and Mayo

So many variation you can do! You can put Ham, Chicken and Beef too. 

Here are her tips on cooking sushi

When I make Sushi rice, I put less water. Because you will add Sushi Vinegar to make little bit wet rice.

Making Rice( I do)
I put same amount of 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water
(Just little less water)
Start high heart  to Boiling, turn down low heart 15-20 minutes. Do not stir and do not open lid until cooked

I make Sushi Vinegar my self.

Make 1Cup of Rice
-1 1/2 tbsp Rice vinegar
-1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt

Boiling all ingredient (just need to melt sugar and salt)
Pure in to hot rice


Cheers,