Sushi Bowls

Clay measured with a yardstick - we got 20 inches of snow last night and it's still coming down. I've never seen so much snow. Apparently our back alley is impassable because one of the trees has so much snow on it that the branches are hanging down and touching the ground where the road is.

Last night, after a dinner of Sushi Bowls, we built a big fire and sat around it. Clay had to finish up (FINALLY) reviewing 286 applications. Zoe played her violin for us and I read a bit. What a cozy, lovely evening!

This recipe is a recent discovery - sushi that's so quick and easy you can make it on a weeknight. The rice requires a little advance preparation, but the actual assembly takes about 10-15 minutes. We love sushi, and this is basically sushi taste without the time-consuming rolling. It's nothing like as fancy as real sushi, but it has it's own beauty (and, look, I have my first food pictures!). Family style sushi.

Sushi Bowls
(makes enough for 3 very generous servings)

2 cups sushi rice
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (scant)

optional toppings: veggie options:
1 avocado, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and julienned (or thinly sliced at an angle)
green onion, sliced thinly at an angle
tiny strips of nori (the stuff you usually make sushi rolls with)

protein options (choose 1-3):
2-3 eggs (mixed with about 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. sugar - just eyeball it)
tofu - cut in strips and fried if desired
sushi quality raw fish, in strips
cooked shrimp
imitation crab
fish roe
other toppings/condiments:
furikake seasoning (comes in a shaker at the japanese store - I got one with sesame seeds, dried egg and seaweed bits)
soy sauce
wasabi paste
pickled ginger
sesame seeds

Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Let it drain for at least 15 minutes. Put it in a pot with 2 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn it down to the lowest heat setting you've got, cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it steam for about another 15 minutes. Resist the temptation to stir it at any point. If you have a rice cooker - lucky you! Turn it out into a large bowl , pour the vinegar over the top and stir it gently, fanning to cool it quickly, until it is room temperature. Fanning helps bring out the gloss and the right texture in the rice. Warm rice is ok for this dish (and actually was quite satisfying last night in the snowstorm), but you NEVER want warm rice when you're making sushi rolls because it makes the nori chewy.

While the rice is cooking, cook the eggs and/or tofu if using and assemble the toppings. It doesn't really matter how you cook the eggs, but I sprayed a little oil spray in my nonstick pan and cooked them in a solid, thin layer, turning once, and then I cut it into strips.

Divide the rice into 3 bowls and arrange the toppings on top. Serve with the condiments.

A note about doubling the recipe: I haven't had luck with cooking more than 3 cups of rice at a time - it always ends up undercooked in the middle and overcooked around the edges. For 3 cups rice, use 3 1/2 cups water and a little more than 1/4 c. of seasoned vinegar. I would recommend cooking the rice in 2 batches if you need more than that.

Update: larger amounts work fine in a rice cooker or instant pot.