Recipe: Smoked Salmon Lox Sushi Rolls

Smoked Salmon Lox Sushi Rolls

3 cups sushi rice (short-grain "pearl" rice)*
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
6 sheets roasted seaweed sushi Nori*
6 oz. Alder Smoked Salmon Lox
3 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into 1/4" wide bars
1 mango, peeled and cut into slivers
1 large avocado, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
Wasabi
Pink ginger
Soy sauce
2 bamboo mats*

To Prepare Rice:
Place 3 1/2 cups water and rice in a four-quart pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed (approximately 15 minutes). Remove from heat.

Dissolve sugar in rice vinegar and stir into rice. Pour rice onto sheet pans and spread evenly to cool to room temperature.

To make rolls:
Soak one bamboo mat in water for a few minutes. Place the dry mat on a flat surface, put one sheet of Nori seaweed on top; firmly spread rice on top to cover sheet. Place the wet mat on top of the rice and flip it all over. Remove the dry mat.

Along lower bottom edge of seaweed, place strips (1/4-inches wide) of smoked salmon, along with enough cream cheese, mango and avocado to have the food 1 1/2-inches wide and 1-inch high along the edge of the seaweed sheet.

Begin to roll up the edge of the mat with the food on it. As you begin to roll, press and roll up tightly, eventually removing the mat.

Place uncut sushi roll on a sheet of wax paper and roll up. Continue to make rolls until all ingredients are used up. Put rolls in freezer for 20 minutes.

Remove from freezer and unwrap, slice with a sharp knife into 1-inch slices and serve with wasabi, pink ginger soy sauce on side.

Makes 48 Pieces or 6 servings
Source: Pamela Weiner/Arlington TX