This is about as close as I get to a post on super bowl anything.
I love sushi, but I don't have it often. And when I do, I have a vegetarian option. What I really crave, aside from the silky beautifulness of high-quality raw fish, is rice and seaweed and ginger and soy. When I get a fix of that, I tend to not miss the fish anymore. And I try to not get all in-your-face political over here, but if people don't stop eating fish, we will not have any more. Period.
So. I recently was given a brand new rice cooker, which I was like wha? Whatever will I do with that? After a great discussion on my Facebook page about it, I gave it a go. And I like it. I mean, I didn't think rice could get any easier, but it did. And easier clean up too. I'll make a few cups of rice in the beginning of the week. I'll heat up a cup of rice for lunch, and add to that a half of a perfectly ripe avocado, seaweed, pickled ginger and a few shakes of soy sauce. You can put anything on it of course: some edamame, an egg, greens, pickles, vegetables chopped in matchsticks, sesame seeds.
The pickled ginger from The Ginger People is addicting, for the record. Steve asked me why I didn't make some of my own, and it's really because I love this stuff so much. I bought a case of it. And the seaweed is Yama Moto Yama seaweed snack chips. I snip them with my kitchen scissors right onto my rice.
I'm sure I'm being very basic here with the add-ons. If you have a great idea, let me know in the comments, would you? This way of eating has been a great way to avoid the lure of grilled cheese sandwiches, so I don't want to tire of it!
root veggies roasted with a dash of soy. plus kimchi and sweet pickled daikon! :)
ReplyDeletei don't have a rice cooker, but i am so into cooking whole grains and using them throughout the week. can you cook other grains in it? farro and quinoa are at the top of my list right now.
Oh this looks really good. I have a ripe avocado waiting for me on the counter, and this might be just the thing. YUM.
ReplyDeleteWith pickled or non pickled Ginger, soy, sesame oil and veges who needs fishes anyway?!
ReplyDeleteI am so looking up "The Ginger People" Thanks.
Tigress: you can cook other grains in the rice cooker. It has a sensor that somehow knows when they are done. Just check out the model.
I want a rice cooker. I don't know where I'll put it, but I want one anyway. And I'm glad that I don't like fish very much. It's one less thing to be conflicted about. Avocados, though? They'd better watch out when I'm around. I do like all this roasted veggies and grains cooked ahead of time business -- smart. We are loving the quinoa here.
ReplyDeleteWait, I meant that I don't like to eat fish very often, not that I don't like little fishies in the world. But you got that, right?
ReplyDeleteHurray for not eating the fishes!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tigress: kimchi is the way to go with this bowl. There was a place in town a few years back that had these great Buddha Bowls, and they would do basically like you, but put some very lightly steamed veggies on top of the rice, too: like sweet potato, broccoli, and carrots. I'd forgotten all about those bowls, and I think I'll put it into this week's lunch rotation.
Oh, and about the Super Bowl, my husband and I took to calling it the Superb Owl, and found that to be a great way to confuse people. "Where is this Superb Owl everyone has been talking about?"
Tigress - I knew you'd be on board for this! Like Two By Sea says, I believe you can do anything. It senses when the water is gone, and if you put the right amounts in the grains should be cooked. I was worried about brown rice, as the directions never even discussed it!, and it works fine. Let's do some other grain experiments! It's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteEmily - IMO, the ripe avocado is key.
Two By Sea - Yes! Get that ginger, it's perfect.
Shae - I wouldn't never think that you would not like fishes personally. You are way too kind a person!
Zemmely - You're right. I can't believe I haven't made it in a while. And for the record, I would totally go to the Superb Owl. Love your sense of humor!
Yum! A few chopped peanuts might be a nice addition one day, unless you are allergic. Maybe some super-slow caramelized onions.
ReplyDeleteDenise! So good to hear from you! I am not allergic, and I agree that would be tasty. So would the onions. God, I love caramelized onions.
ReplyDeleteI made a version of this for lunch today. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you had on it? Glad to inspire. Lately, I've been having rice, spinach, sesame oil, soy sauce, seaweed, sesame seeds and a fried or hard-boiled egg for breakfast. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI miss making rice bowls. I barely have the time. This is something I really want to do now.
ReplyDeleteand again today... i used your basic ingredients plus some carrots i quick pickled and sesame seeds. what type of rice do you use? i'm using Lundberg brown sweet rice and loving it. your new spinach & egg version looks great! i read your new comment and topped my bowl with a little sesame oil. yum.
ReplyDeleteDenise - you rule. The rice I used was not what I would have used given the choice. I bought a boat load of basmati and have to use it up. I think your choice of rice sound perfect. Love that brown sweet rice. The other day I made a brown rice (medium grained) bowl with a carrot ginger slaw (miso rice vinegar and sesame oil dressing). How did you do your quick pickled carrot? That's what I was going to do, but got carried away...With chopped nori on top.
ReplyDeletePickled Carrots - I just sliced up two carrots super thin w/ a mandoline, measured 1/2 sugar and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar + a little grated ginger (thumb above your knuckle size) about 1/2 tsp salt and a dash of red pepper flakes...put it all in a bowl w/ lid, turned it a bit and set it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. I like the nori on top too :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Sounds perfect.
ReplyDelete