Ice Cube Tray Salmon Sushi -

Craving sushi but don’t have a mat or seaweed in the house? You’ve come to the right place, my friend! This is dead simple and takes no time at all. In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t been serving my dinner guests sushi as an appetizer all these years. It’s so easy and fun! It pops right out of an ice cube tray like magic.

I love making poke so I keep sushi grade tuna and salmon in my freezer. It’s very easy to thaw – just throw the frozen pack in a dish of cold water an hour before dinner and it’s ready to go. If you’ve never made sushi, don’t be afraid. Just ask your fish monger for sushi-grade seafood. It is a little pricier than buying standard salmon but my pack was $13 and that’s still cheaper than getting two and a half rolls at a sushi restaurant, which is how much sushi this recipe makes.

This is just one idea but the principle can be applied to so many different combinations. Try using avocado, cucumber, sushi-grade tuna, and cooked shrimp. I know I’ll be making this all summer long!

Ice Cube Tray Salmon Sushi
1 piece sushi-grade salmon
Spreadable cream cheese
1 cup sushi rice, cooked
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp salt
Soy sauce, sesame oil (optional) for serving

Whisk together 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp granulated sugar, and 1/2 Tbsp salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Stir with 1 cup cooked sushi rice, coating every grain. Pop in the fridge to cool for 15-30 minutes.
Cut salmon in half so that it’s half as thick. Cut into sashimi-sized pieces. You should have about 14-16 pieces.
Line a room temperature ice cube tray with plastic wrap, working it into each square. Gently lay salmon slices in each square, pressing down slightly. Top each little salmon cup with a bit of spreadable cream cheese- about 1/4 tsp. Top with sushi rice. One cup of sushi rice should be exactly enough to fill up the ice cube tray. Pop in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Remove from fridge, flip upside down on a cutting board, and carefully remove plastic wrap. Voila! Sushi for lazy people who don’t keep seaweed in the house. Serve with soy sauce. (I like mine with a splash of sesame oil!)

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