Healthy Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza

This healthy Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza is a version of the popular Canadian invention, sushi pizza. Unlike the usual deep-fried versions, this adaptation is simply layered in a baking pan then cut into squares.

this gluten free recipe

This is perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to make hand-rolled sushi. It comes together fairly easily but cutting the pieces perfectly does take a bit of time. A sharp knife is key.

Ingredients for Sushi Pizza

Like any good invention there are numerous versions of Sushi Pizza and they all sound amazing! The base is a crisp fried rice patty often topped with avocado slices, salmon or tuna and a drizzle of wasabi or Sriracha mayo. Pickled ginger, nori and roe can be served on top or on the side.

To live up to their name these are made in individual rounds, like a mini pizza, or slightly larger and cut into wedges. Searching sushi pizza makes me want to try other versions but it always comes back to ‘so many recipes, so little time’.

What Can I Substitute For Sushi Rice

Nothing. Sushi rice, or the California variety called Calrose rice, is the short grain rice you need to make sushi. The high amount of starch in this rice makes it sticky when cooked and that is the feature we’re going for. It’s not recommended to substitute any other rice for sushi.

The topic of rice gets deep very quickly. For the everyday home cook who enjoys rice you should try different kinds for all the classic recipes and learn the difference. For gluten free eaters there’s a world of possibility in rice. See recipe suggestions at the bottom of the page.

Seasoned Rice Vinegar vs Rice Vinegar

The basic recipe for the vinegar used to season rice for sushi is ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 4 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat it in the microwave or on the stove until the sugar dissolves. You just made the seasoned rice vinegar used for sushi.

Seasoned rice vinegar is probably gluten free but gluten is sometimes added when any ingredient is flavoured. For me, the more important reason to buy plain rice vinegar is that it decreases the amount of items I have to stock in my pantry. I use it in recipes like gluten free pie pastry (the secret to tender pastry), Korean Short Ribs and many other recipes.

Wasabi Paste vs Wasabi Powder

Wasabi is a Japanese radish and as soon as you want to know more this topic gets deep. Apparently most of us have never had real wasabi. It’s rare and expensive so most wasabi products; paste, powder and mayonnaise, are made from horseradish or mustard and they're all related.

You probably know wasabi heat goes up the nose and maybe that’s what you like about it. What we really need to know is if wasabi powder or wasabi paste is safe for a gluten free diet.

Some brands of wasabi paste I looked at list wheat in the ingredients. Wasabi powder always has less ingredients and can easily be made into paste so that’s what I buy.

How To Make Wasabi Paste

My tin says to mix 5 teaspoon wasabi powder, 3 teaspoon water, stir and place the bowl upside down for 1 minute for maximum spiciness. I have no idea why but it makes me feel like I know some ancient Japanese secret so I just do it.

Easy Wasabi Mayonnaise Recipe

This Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza recipe has a layer of wasabi mayonnaise and I think that’s brilliant! Every bite has all the elements of sushi.

Mix ¼ cup mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon wasabi paste and that's it. For those who require more heat make a stronger mayonnaise and serve it on the side in a squeeze bottle. Have fun!

Is Nori Gluten Free

I see nori in flat packages with ten or more sheets, plain or toasted. Some brands now have a gluten free claim on the package so reading the ingredient list is always important.

Nori sheets can be seasoned with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce so they could contain gluten. Buying plain products as often as possible is the best advice and season it in your kitchen.

Once you’ve got these four gluten free ingredients; sushi rice, rice vinegar, nori and wasabi, you can make many different recipes.

Healthy Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza

This healthy Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza is an un-fried version of the popular Canadian invention, sushi pizza. Also perfect if you don’t want to hand-rolled sushi. It comes together fairly quickly but cutting the pieces is key to a nice presentation. A sharp knife is key!

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Course: Appetizer

Keyword: healthy smoked salmon sushi pizza

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Final Assembly: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 pieces

Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

SUSHI RICE

• ▢ 1½ cups sushi rice
• ▢ 1¾ cups cold water

SEASONED RICE VINEGAR

• ▢ ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• ▢ 4 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt

EASY WASABI MAYONNAISE

• ▢ ¼ cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 tablespoon gluten free wasabi paste (see notes if using wasabi powder)

FILLING

• ▢ 24 thin slices of long English cucumber (or as many as needed to cover the pan)
• ▢ ¼ lb thinly sliced smoked salmon (125 g)
• ▢ 1 sheet toasted nori (see notes on toasting)

GARNISH

• ▢ ¼ cup finely chopped chives or green onions
• ▢ 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (two colours if you have them)

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Instructions

MAKE SUSHI RICE

• Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear, about 1 minute. Drain well.
• In a medium pot combine rice and cold water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cover, simmer 18-20 minutes.

MAKE SEASONED RICE VINEGAR

• Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Microwave 30-45 seconds and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
• Transfer hot rice to a low, wide bowl. Sprinkle with seasoned rice vinegar and fold in using a wooden rice paddle to combine and encourage cooling. Cover with a damp towel if not using right away.

MAKE WASABI MAYONNAISE

• Combine mayonnaise and wasabi paste. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE SUSHI PIZZA

• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap that generously hangs over the sides. Arrange cucumber slices in rows, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Arrange smoked salmon slices over cucumber.
• Spread Wasabi Mayonnaise evenly over the salmon.
• Gently spread half the rice on top of the salmon. Sprinkle your hands with water and firmly press down the rice.
• Place nori sheet on top of then rice then top with remaining rice pressing firmly into the pan. Fold in sides of the plastic wrap, covering with more plastic wrap if needed. Place a second empty pan on top and fill it with full food cans to compress the rice. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Unwrap and invert onto sushi pizza onto a cutting board. With a sharp knife cut into small squares about the size of the cucumber slices. Place on a serving platter.

GARNISH before or after cutting

• Sprinkle with snipped chives and sesame seeds. Serve with gluten free soy sauce or tamari.

Notes

Sushi Rice - Asian brands are typically labelled sushi rice, Calrose rice is a popular brand from California.

Sushi Rice is best made the same day.

Wasabi Paste - Mix 5 teaspoon wasabi powder with 3 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Stir and place the bowl upside down for 1 minute for maximum spiciness.

Toasted Nori - I hope you bought toasted nori sheets but if you couldn't buy them you can simply wave the sheet briefly over a gas burner or under the broiler.

Compressing Sushi Pizza - Two pans are better than one and this technique of weighing down the entire pizza is one of many reasons I always recommend buying baking pans in pairs.

Rice Cooker instructions - Cook sushi rice in your rice cooker as usual.

Tried this recipe?Mention @everyday.gf.gourmet!