Sushi Bowls…

You all know how much we enjoy sushi, and even though Joel and I found making sushi at home to be extremely easy, we opt for a slightly easier version every now and then. Like these sushi bowls. It’s the most ingenious idea ever and SO easy! Gather up all your favorite sushi fixin’s, pile it in a bowl and voilà- sushi bowl awesomeness! We used cucumbers, imitation crab meat, avocado, shelled edamame and our favorite spicy sauce- the mayo/sriracha sauce; and BOY did we love this! If you’re searching for a quick, delicious weeknight dinner, I highly suggest making these; for one thing, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than going out for sushi and it’s ready in no time! Perfect!

Sushi Bowls

1⅓ cups rice, rinsed well
1⅓ cups water
3 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks
imitation crab meat (as much as you like), cut into sticks
1 avocado, sliced and cut into chunks
shelled, steamed edamame (as much as you like; you can find pre-shelled edamame in the freezer section of most grocery stores)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2-1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce, depending on how spicy you like it

soy sauce and wasabi for serving

Rinse the rice. Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar and sugar in a separate small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, until the sugar dissolves. Transfer the rice into a large bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold and cut thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool. Do not refrigerate.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sriracha; set aside.

Pile the rice, cucumber, crab meat, avocado and edamame in individual bowls and top with sesame seeds, soy sauce/wasabi (if desired) and sriracha mixture. Serves 4.

Recipe source: adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles





    Pineapple-Cilantro Quinoa…

    With all this grilling we’ve been doing lately, I always like to serve lots of easy, fast side dishes. However, we were getting a little tired of rice, so one night I decided to try quinoa. You know, anything you do with rice, you can pretty much do with quinoa- that’s the beauty of it! So I decided to try simple quinoa mixed with fresh juicy pineapple and cilantro- it was a HIT! I served it alongside these pork chops and it was the perfect pairing! Such a delicious meal! The next time you find yourself in a rice rut, try this quinoa instead! Light, summery and full of flavor- a perfect Springtime side dish!

    Pineapple-Cilantro Quinoa

    1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
    2 cups chicken broth
    1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
    1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    salt

    Bring the chicken broth and quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and has soaked up all the liquid. Stir in the pineapple and cilantro.
    Serves 4.

    Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original





      Mediterranean-Style Quinoa…

      [keen-wah]. You thought it was [kwin-oah], didn’t you? ;) That’s ok, so did I at first. Up until a couple of years ago, I had never even heard of this stuff, much less know how to cook it. But it’s become pretty popular lately- mostly due to how healthy it is (very high in protein and fiber), but also because it’s extremely versatile. You can bake with it, eat it for breakfast (like oatmeal), make a salad with it, cook it like rice and throw in lots of yummy vegetables…the list goes on! It’s a grain-like seed with a texture similar to a cross between rice and couscous (you can read all about quinoa here). Joel and I both loved the texture and thought it was all-around a delicious new food to add to our menu rotation! I cooked it with red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, garlic, baby portobella mushrooms, black olives and feta cheese for a flavorful Mediterranean twist – absolutely delicious! I’m so happy I finally decided to try quinoa and can’t wait to experiment with all kinds of flavors and dishes!

      Mediterranean-Style Quinoa

      1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
      2 cups chicken broth
      1 tablespoon olive oil
      1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
      1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
      1/2 red onion, chopped
      1 clove garlic, minced
      squeeze of fresh lemon juice
      6-8 baby portobella mushrooms, cut into quarters
      1 small can chopped black olives
      1/3 cup feta cheese
      salt and pepper

      Bring the quinoa and chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until all the liquid has absorbed.

      In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, peppers and garlic until beginning to soften, about 7 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
      Add the cooked quinoa to the pan with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice, black olives and feta cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 2-4.

      Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original