Sushi is far too much trouble for the lunchbox, right? Ain’t nobody got time for that, right? Nope!  I seriously think it only takes as long to make sushi as it does to make a sandwich.  But for those of you convinced that it takes a whole heap of skill and hours of my time, I’m putting together a quick video.  Just click the embedded video below to watch:

But back to sushi, you need cooked rice (traditionally sushi rice), and your fillings, nori for the outside or as today’s challenge email showed you, even for the inside!  I like to send in little soy sauce containers with the sushi- it adds to the fun of having it in the lunch box.

For the rice, you can use rice that was cooked at dinner time, even if it’s a different type.  Just make sure you cool it in the fridge and keep it in a sealed container over night.  I have made sushi with a rice and quinoa mix, with fried rice and also with jasmine rice. As with any rice, ensure you rinse it well, I soak it for 5 minutes then rinse, soak for a another 5 then rinse and if the water hasn’t run clear…I repeat again!  Having said that though, there are times when the rice has had one rinse and gone straight in the rice cooker.

I cook my rice in the rice cooker because I am terrible at cooking rice and that way it can be bubbling away whilst I’m cooking dinner.

Nori is sold in supermarkets in sheets and is what you need if you want to make maki rolls (the sushi that is rice and a filling wrapped in seaweed).  I also make nigiri, which are the little rice mounds topped with smoked salmon etc.

Let’s talk about maki sushi fillings- for the main filling I usually use:

• smoked salmon
• tuna with mayo
• sliced chicken schnitzel
• teriyaki chicken
• yakitori salmon
• pulled pork
• lemongrass beef
•  bbq chicken
•  roast beef
•  roast pork
• tinned salmon

For the other items I pick and choose from:

• sliced cucumber
• thinly sliced carrot (I use my peeler)
• lettuce
• avocado
• thinly sliced leftover plain omelette
• steamed asparagus
• leftover cooked: carrot, zucchini batons, spinach, broccoli
• leftover cooked sweet potato

Super sushi

If you haven't made it before, check out these combos for making super, super sushi that is extra easy and very kidfriendly. Perfect for the lunchbox.

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Ingredients

• nori sheets
• 1 cup sushi rice cooked, makes 2 cups
• sushi seasoning, optional or use 1tsp sugar plus 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar- this makes the rice stickier and yummier
• fillings of your choice
• water for brushing

Instructions

1. Take the nori sheet and lay flat on a chopping board, shiny side down.
2. Brush the inside of the Easy Peasy sushi maker with water.
3. Add the rice and filling to the sushi maker and squeeze.
4. Pop the prepared rice and filling onto the nori and roll.
5. Brush the final edge with water and stick it down.
6. Cut the roll with a wet knife.