Colourful and nutritious sushi bowls

An easy, attractive and delicious meal in a bowl!

It’s amazing the variety of things that come in ‘bowl’ form today. Smoothie bowls, poke bowls, grain bowls and more. I’ve got a couple of rice bowl recipes that I just love (especially this one with chicken and peanut sauce) and I have to say that somehow dishes just seem more festive when presented in a prettily-constructed bowl. It occurred to me that sushi would benefit from this treatment, so I give you this easy, tasty sushi bowl. Skip the shrimp or substitute it with chopped mock crab meat, or even canned crab meat if you prefer. Crispy fried tofu cubes would also be delicious. This is a recipe that’s open to endless interpretations and if you prep all the ingredients ahead of time, the bowls take just moments to assemble. You could also assemble miniature bowls as an impressive appetizer.

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pickled ginger juice or mirin
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soya sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free version)
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) water

Spicy mayonnaise:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) mayonnaise
• 1 – 2 teaspoons (5 – 10 mL) Sriracha (to taste)

For the bowl:

• 1/2 cup sushi (Calrose) rice
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) white sugar
• 1/2 sheet nori (dried seaweed)
• 10 – 12 medium sized shrimp or 1 cup chopped mock or lump crabmeat
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cornstarch, for coating shrimp
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil, for cooking shrimp
• 1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped English cucumber
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) finely minced green onion
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sesame seeds
• pickled ginger and wasabi paste, to serve

Method

• Prepare the dressing by whisking together the ginger juice or mirin, soya sauce (or tamari) and water. Set aside.
• Make the spicy mayonnaise by blending together the mayonnaise with the Sriracha, starting with just 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of the Sriracha, tasting and then adding more if desired.
• Prepare rice by putting it in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and swirl the pot to rinse the rice, then drain out the rinsing water. Add 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) fresh water and a pinch of salt to the pot.
• Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat then immediately reduce heat to minimum. Cook until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed (about 20 – 25 minutes). Fluff with a fork then stir in rice vinegar and sugar. Spread out on a plate or in a broad, shallow bowl and refrigerate until cool. Cover with plastic wrap once cooled if storing more than 2 hours.
• While rice cooks, cut nori into long, thin strips (about 1/3 inch or 1 cm wide). Stack the strips then cut them crosswise into 1/4 inch or .5 cm) pieces.
• If using shrimp, prepare them while rice cooks. Peel and devein, if necessary. Pat shrimp dry with paper towel then put into a small plastic bag. Add cornstarch; twist the bag closed and shake until shrimp are well coated.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium frying pan; add shrimp to the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and tightly curled. Remove cooked shrimp to a clean plate and refrigerate until cool.
• When ready to assemble, stir minced nori into cooled rice; divide rice among two bowls. Arrange shrimp or crab (if using) on top along with cucumber, carrot and avocado. Drizzle first with dressing and then with spicy mayonnaise. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds and serve, with slices of pickled ginger and dollops of wasabi paste on the side.

Serves 2.