Mortadella sushi with Couscous and vegetables – MARTINO’s Couscous

Millions of people worldwide are madly in love with sushi and will devour it whenever given the chance. Sushi restaurants have been popping up across the globe and have become some of the most successful businesses during the past twenty years. But when it comes to kids, sushi is not amongst their favorite dish.

We have a solution! This mortadella and couscous sushi alternative will become your kids favorite snack! Bring the ingredients on the table and make sure to have your kids’ help – they will enjoy this playful dish while cooking and eating.

Recipe by Giallo Zafferano’ Simona Novarini

 

Here is how to prepare the mortadella sushi with couscous and vegetables

Ingredients:

• 40 grams of Martino Couscous
• 40 ml of water
• 120 grams of ricotta
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 slice of mortadella
• 1 carrot
• 1 courgette
• 50 grams of Fontina cheese
• a spoonful of mayonnaise

Directions:

Hydrate the couscous:
As always use a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, pour 40 ml of water and one teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, pour 40 grams of Martino Couscous making sure you are spreading it evenly. Cover with a lid and set aside for about 4-5 minutes.

Once the couscous is fully hydrated and has absorbed all the water, drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and fluff it with the help of a fork. This will remove any lumps and separate the delicate grains without crushing them to give the couscous a light, fluffy texture.

When the couscous is ready and already cooled down mix it with 120 grams of ricotta in a large bowl and with the help of a spoon. Make sure to mix gently but well.

Cut the vegetables and Fontina cheese:
Cut each carrot in half, lengthwise. Cut each length into long thin strips about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat the same with the courgette. Then, cut strips of Fontina cheese of the same thickness.

Now it’s time to roll out the sushi:
To begin with, if your mortadella has a round shape, cut its sides so that the final shape is rectangular. To continue, place the mortadella slice on top of a piece of plastic wrap. This will help you to roll the sushi! With the help of a spoon pour the couscous mixture on top of the mortadella slice and make sure to spread it evenly. Spread a spoonful of mayonnaise on top of the couscous.

It is time to bring in the veggies and the Fontina cheese. Place one or two stripes of carrots, courgette and Fontina cheese in the center of the couscous layer.  

Hold the edge of the plastic wrap with your thumbs. Lift and fold it over the first ingredient. Make sure to keep the ingredients in place and that the couscous sticks together. Continue to roll the sushi. Tuck the front edge into the roll. Roll slowly so that you ensure that the sushi is coming out even. Tighten the roll. You will need to tighten the roll to keep ingredients from falling out when you cut it.

Cut the sushi:
To make sure that the sushi will not spread or make your life difficult while cutting it make sure to place it together with the plastic wrap in the refrigerator for one hour so that it becomes firm and easy to cut.

Cut the mortadella sushi in parts of approximately one inch thick using a sharp knife and place your delicious sushi rolls on the serving plate.

If you are looking for new ways to engage your children in the kitchen in a playful way while cooking healthy snacks for them, this mortadella couscous recipe is ideal to start with. It is easy to prepare, tasty and above all the kids will love rolling the sushi with their own hands. If you need more recipes like this one don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to receive playful recipes for the little ones directly in your inbox.

We all know that our children have some of the wildest imagination. Involve them in your kitchen let them play and why not let them bring their own ideas and variations to the recipe. But don’t forget to leave us a comment to tell us those out of the box ideas.