Squares of smoked salmon sushi pizza

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This is a Smoked Salmon Sushi Pizza recipe, a nice easy way to serve sushi for those not inclined to take on the task of buying sushi mats and hand rolling individual sushi. It is also a healthier version without deep frying the rice layer.

According to Wikipedia Sushi Pizza may in fact be a Canadian invention. It typically starts with a base of fried rice and is topped with smoked salmon or avocado. It can be made in individual size rounds but is a little easier made in a square baking pan. The wasabi is mixed with mayonnaise and spread on or drizzled over so it is evenly included in each piece. You can adjust the wasabi heat to your liking. If you want to get fancy you can add a garnish of fish roe but since that is not an ingredient in my pantry I just stick with the sesame seeds and fresh snipped chives from my garden. In winter that would be replaced with finely chopped green onions.

Short Grain Rice vs Long Grain Rice

Short grain rice is very starchy and is soft and sticky when cooked. It is used to make sushi as well as dishes like paella and risotto. Long grain rice, like basmati or Thai Jasmine rice, contains less starch so the cooked grains are drier and more separate. If you do not want to buy sushi rice then I suggest you try my recipe for California Roll Salad which is made with long grain rice. To make this sushi pizza you need to use short grain rice for the rice to stay together when cut in pieces.

Ingredients for Sushi Pizza

I recently blogged my California Roll Salad and researched the need-to-know information about gluten free ingredients to make sushi pizza. To have a look at that click here. After making my California Roll Salad a few times I ran out of wasabi so went out to buy more. I felt like overnight every store switched to only the brands containing wheat…seriously! So I had a little talk with myself that went like this:

  • I am happy to see that so many packages are clearly labelled ‘wheat’,
  • I know there is a trend to make products more cheaply and satisfy that consumer need. Wasabi-style may mean there is NO wasabi in the product,
  • I do not want to buy a food-like product; I want to buy real food. I can exercise that right every time I shop,
  • Shopping for specialty ingredients takes time. Planning ahead is the best way to avoid frustration.

I feel better already…thanks for listening.

So in the small city of Calgary, Alberta with a population of just over 1 million people  I did not find gluten free wasabi paste today. I did buy gluten free wasabi powder and made it into paste in less than one minute…just add water.

One Pan Sushi Pizza

This recipe calls for just one square of seaweed and that is the exact size of the pan you make it in. I have two 8” x 8” baking pans and although this recipe only requires one of them I use the other pan to sit on top. I then fill it with heavy cans and put it in the fridge to weigh it down. I like to keep it in the fridge overnight to compress the rice so it cuts nicely and stays together.

If you are feeling adventurous you can use round moulds or empty tuna cans to make individual rounds. This will make it look more like pizza. I’m doing it the easy way.

Either way it is delicious and I hope you will give it a try!

This recipe is adapted from Bonnie Stern’s The Best of Heart Smart Cooking. Bonnie is a Canadian icon and her cookbooks are full of healthy recipes and helpful information. Pick up one of her cookbooks if you are looking for ways to make your everyday cooking healthier.

Ingredients

SUSHI RICE
1½ cups short grain sushi rice
1¾ cups cold water
¼ cup rice vinegar
FILLING
thin slices of cucumber to line the whole pan (long English or small cucumbers)
¼ lb (125 g) smoked salmon, thinly sliced
1 tbsp GF wasabi paste
¼ cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 sheet toasted nori*
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

1
Rinse rice in cold water until water runs clear. Drain well. In a medium pot, combine rice and cold water. Allow to rest 15-30 minutes.
2
Bring rice to a boil on medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.
3
Transfer rice to a large bowl. Sprinkle rice vinegar over rice and stir with a fork. Cover with a damp towel if not using right away.
4
Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with plastic wrap. Arrange cucumber slices in rows, slightly overlapping on the bottom of the pan. Arrange smoked salmon slices over the cucumber. Combine mayonnaise and wasabi then spread evenly over the salmon.
5
Gently spread half the rice on top of the salmon. Sprinkle your hands with cold water and firmly press the rice to compress it. Place nori sheet on top of rice.
6
Spread the remaining rice on top of the nori pressing firmly into the pan. Fold in sides of the plastic wrap, cover with more plastic wrap if needed. Place another pan on top and weigh it down with heavy cans or bricks. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
7
Unwrap and invert onto cutting board. With a sharp knife cut into small squares about the size of the cucumber slices. Place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with snipped chives and sesame seeds. Serve.

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Ingredients

Directions
  • SUSHI RICE
  • 1½ cups short grain sushi rice
  • 1¾ cups cold water
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • FILLING
  • thin slices of cucumber to line the whole pan (long English or small cucumbers)
  • ¼ lb (125 g) smoked salmon, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp GF wasabi paste
  • ¼ cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
  • 1 sheet toasted nori*
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  1. Rinse rice in cold water until water runs clear. Drain well. In a medium pot, combine rice and cold water. Allow to rest 15-30 minutes.
  2. Bring rice to a boil on medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer rice to a large bowl. Sprinkle rice vinegar over rice and stir with a fork. Cover with a damp towel if not using right away.
  4. Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with plastic wrap. Arrange cucumber slices in rows, slightly overlapping on the bottom of the pan. Arrange smoked salmon slices over the cucumber. Combine mayonnaise and wasabi then spread evenly over the salmon.
  5. Gently spread half the rice on top of the salmon. Sprinkle your hands with cold water and firmly press the rice to compress it. Place nori sheet on top of rice.
  6. Spread the remaining rice on top of the nori pressing firmly into the pan. Fold in sides of the plastic wrap, cover with more plastic wrap if needed. Place another pan on top and weigh it down with heavy cans or bricks. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
  7. Unwrap and invert onto cutting board. With a sharp knife cut into small squares about the size of the cucumber slices. Place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with snipped chives and sesame seeds. Serve.