Sushi Bowl Recipe

My family loves sushi. A couple of times out of the month I’d make California rolls and my kids just couldn’t have enough of it so I decided to change things up a little bit and convert regular sushi into a sushi bowl. This sushi bowl turns out to be a hit and now one of our favorite family meals. Here’s my version of the sushi bowl.

Ingredients:

2 cups short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
3 (4-inch) square sheets nori seaweed
6 ounces extra-firm tofu
2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
4 green onions, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse and drain the rice two or three times. Combine the rice and water in a rice cooker or a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Toast the nori in a preheated 300F degree oven or a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes. Crumble or chop coarsely.

Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise through the middle to make four 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick sheets of tofu. Two at a time, cook in a dry skillet or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high for a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip gently, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Let cool, enough to handle, then cute crosswise into matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining sheets.

When the rice is done, scoop the rice into individual bowls and top with tofu and avocado slices following with some yummy homemade Ponzo sauce (see below). Lastly, toss in toasted nori and add a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Garnish with chopped up green onion. (optional) Served immediately with Orange-Ginger Dipping Sauce or Ponzo sauce. See Easy Homemade Ponza Sauce below for recipe. Enjoy!

Makes 4-6 servings.

Notes: Other substitutes for tofu are wild salmon filets, chicken or beef. To avoid GM foods (Genetically Modified foods or biotech foods) use organic tofu.

Easy Homemade Ponzo Sauce

3 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (brown or white)
3 tablespoons mirin (Japanese seasoning wine)

Makes about 1/2 cup

Ponzo sauce from The Taste for Living World Cookbook by Beth Ginsberg and Mike Milken and sushi bowl recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

To get a snippet of GM foods, watch Food Inc., a documentary. Your library might carry this.