Homemade Sushi
Simple Instructions for Grain Free Sushi!
Growing up we did not eat sushi, the only fish we ate was usually dipped in flour and fried in butter, delicious but as an adult it has been fun learning other ways to cook and eat fish. I only started eating sushi a few years ago and at first only ate vegetable sushi or if it had cooked seafood in it. In the last couple years I started liking raw sushi as long as I knew it was good quality fish and from a trusted source.
I always thought it would be difficult to make sushi , I tried it one other time and I even used the proper sushi rice but I tried rolling it in smoked salmon but everything just fell apart. It was still delicious even though i couldn’t get it to stick together. This time I decided to look at several other recipes just to see more specific instructions on the technique to make the rolls not only stick together but look nice. This time I used the proper nori sheets and that seemed to help a lot. Using a very sharp knife is the one piece of equipment that’s a must if you want perfectly cut rolls. Most other recipe instructions stated that one needs a sushi mat, I don’t have one and I don’t think it’s necessary.
This recipe is really simple, just a few simple ingredients served with your favorite soy sauce, my favorite is coconut aminos which is found at most grocery stores. The best thing about this recipe is that it does not have rice and I didn’t even miss it. Most people stated that it was very difficult to use cauliflower rice because it would not stick together as well. Tapioca starch and arrowroot starch helps baked goods stick together and not fall apart and I thought it might work for sushi. I found that other recipes used a very small amount of tapioca starch and I decided to use a lot more. I Cooked the cauliflower rice till a-la-dente, turn off heat, add tapioca starch stir, and add salt to taste. This turned out perfectly starchy and hopefully it wasn’t just a fluke and will work the next time.
I certainly plan on making a variety of sushi recipes in the near future, I will either have new blog posts or just add it to this one. As always, thank you for visiting my second most favorite place, Emma’s Daily Bread. Cheers to a happy & healthy day!
Homemade Sushi
Ingredients
- 4 OZ Fresh or Smoked Salmon Make sure it's sushi grade. My Favorite is wild caught smoked salmon from Trader Joe's or Costco
- 3 Nori Rolls
- 1 Head Small Cauliflower or approximately 4 Cups cauliflower diced in a food processor
- 2 TBSP Tapioca Starch
- 4 OZ Regular Cream Cheese or Dairy Free The best dairy free and good quality cream cheese is from Miyokos
- 2 Small Cucumbers Sliced lengthwise, Trader Joe's has the perfect smaller sized cucumbers
- Soy Sauce & Hot Sauce To Serve
Instructions
- First, dice the cauliflower into rice sized pieces using a food processor. A small cauliflower makes approximately 4 cups rice. You can also use a grater but it will just take longer. Melt 2 TBSP of coconut or olive oil in a cast iron, dump in the cauliflower rice and spread evenly into the pan. Keep the temperature on low and stir rice every couple minutes until it's soft but still has a slight crunch. Turn off the heat, but leave pan on the burner. Stir 2 TBSP tapioca starch into the cauliflower rice, it should get pretty starch and sticky, add small amount more if needed. Add salt to taste.
- Once I'm ready to make the sushi rolls, I like to arrange all my ingredients around the cutting board while putting together the sushi rolls.
- If you have a bamboo rolling mat it will make the process easier, but I didn't have one and I was still able to make nice sushi rolls. Place a nori sheet onto a rolling mat, I used my bamboo cutting board since I don't have a rolling mat. Using a spoon or table knife spread a thin layer of cauliflower rice onto a nori sheet, use approximately 1/4 cup for each nori sheet. Leave about 1 inch without rice at the top of the nori sheet, using your finger wet it with a small amount of water which helps the nori sheets stick to each other once you make it into a roll.
- The next part can be a little messy or else I just haven't figured out a better way to do it. About an inch from the bottom of the sheet start putting down the cream cheese which is also parallel to the bottom of the nori sheet.
- Next layer with a slice of cucumber and pieces of salmon.
- Then take the bottom of the nori sheet and lift up and fold over your sushi roll ingredients, tucking the bottom of the nori sheet under the salmon or whatever ingredient is on top. Continue tightly rolling it away from your body until it is complete.
- Cut into 1 inch slices with a very sharp knife, wiping your knife in between cuts will help it cut more evenly. Serve with your favorite soy sauce and/or spicy mayonnaise sauce.
- Veggie Variation: Follow all the previous instructions till first part of number 5, omit the salmon and layer with vegan cream cheese, cucumber and sliced carrots or any other thinly sliced veggie that you may have in the fridge. I used some beautiful heirloom carrots that I found at the local farmer's market downtown Indianapolis and the cucumbers are from Trader Joe's, the perfect size for sushi.
- Then continue following the above instructions to finish making the sushi rolls. If you have any vegan or vegetarian friends they should love this easy simple recipe.
