Today I'm be finishing my last day of work before the summer holidays, typing furiously on my laptop while sitting on a train speeding towards the airport. Talk about down to the wire! Then just a hop, a skip, and a jump (read: 17 hours in transit) and I'll be back in Vancouver for a family holiday. Ahhhh.
I've been doing the Stockholm - Vancouver commute long enough now that the long flight doesn't really get to me, but it's never a particularly good food day. I'm planning to change that this time around.
This sushi bowl is something that I pack for my lunches from time to time, and I think it'd make a pretty good travel meal as well. Short grain brown rice is seasoned with rice vinegar, then topped with pretty well whatever you like. Here I've chosen edamame, carrot shreds, cucumber, lightly steamed broccoli, red pepper, sunflower sprouts, and avocado. It's all topped off with a tangy orange miso dressing, which I drizzle over the avocado to prevent it from browning - and in this case, avoid the fuss of taking a liquid dressing through airport security. I'm willing to bet a crumble of toasted nori over the top would be delicious as well.
If I'm packing these for my lunches I'll make up to 4 boxes at a time, leaving out the avocado and the dressing until the morning before I eat it. I'm sure you could come up with countless combinations of toppings, so if you try it out let us know what you use!
One year ago: Yoghurt Fruit Popsicles
Two years ago: Baked Ricotta
Three years ago: Banana Spelt Weekend Muffins
Brown Rice Sushi Bowl Recipe:
This is really a choose your own adventure situation. I've given instructions for the rice and dressing, but beyond that it's up to you. Let us know what you choose!
Serves 4
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For the rice:
1 cup short grain brown rice
1.5 cups water
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
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Combine rice, water, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to the boil, covered, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until rice is tender but still a bit toothsome. Remove the rice from the heat and sprinkle the rice vinegar over the top. Fluff with a fork to combine, and set aside to cool (I like to cover my rice with a damp paper towel while it's cooling).
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For the dressing:
2 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional, but tasty)
Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or glass jar. Set aside.
For the sushi bowl:
Topping suggestions include:
steamed edamame
diced tofu
shredded carrots
shredded beets
pickled ginger
diced peppers
roasted yams
steamed broccoli
cucumber
enoki mushrooms
sunflower sprouts
avocado
pickled radish
Divide rice into four portions and spread out over the bottom of four large bowls or boxes. Layer toppings of your choice over the rice, and drizzle a bit of the dressing over top. Enjoy!
Brown rice is a source of dietary fiber, manganese, selenium, magnesium, and tryptophan. Did you know
that the process of converting brown rice to white rice destroys 60 - 80% of the vitamins and minerals,
and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids? Think of white rice like cake, it's a special occasion
food and should be eaten in moderation. Brown rice, on the other hand, is a whole food with a myriad of health benefits from colon health to cholesterol lowering. You can have your cake and eat it too!
All text and photos © The Muffin Myth 2013
Allison says
oh man, I'm totally into your lunch bowl recipes... Feels great to know I have lunch prepped ahead of time and not have to worry about it each day. this one is another winner!
themuffinmyth says
I'm glad to hear it! I'm totally into lunch bowls too! They're the best packed lunches. So much flavour and good nutrition, so easy to plan ahead. Yay!
Allison says
ps. congratulations!!!!!!!
themuffinmyth says
Thanks!
Jess says
What a great thing to make a bunch of and have for lunches all week - I love simple lunch solutions! Have a fantastic time in Vancouver, Katie!
themuffinmyth says
Thanks Jess! It's good to be home 🙂
kellie anderson says
Super template for a seriously healthy lunch. Once again we are vibing on the same wave length, but lucky for me it is a hot dish, with teriyaki salmon! I really love the fabulously vibrant topping menu here. So pretty too. PS missed you at FBC5! Truly!
themuffinmyth says
Mmmm, teriyaki would be great (though tofu for me), that's a great idea. I can't wait to check out the recipe! I also missed FBC5. I was following the twitter and instagram feeds feeling wistful and wishing I was there. Maybe it'll work out for next year, or maybe I'll just have to make a trip and check out Edinburgh. I've always wanted to!
Cammy says
Shall we extend that good eating throughout the trip? With a few well thought out and homemade with care little treats here and there...
themuffinmyth says
Agreed.
Kathryn says
Have a safe trip home! I've got in a bit of a lunch rut recently so very glad of the inspiration.
themuffinmyth says
Thanks Kathryn! This really does make a great lunch, and you can mix it up in so many different ways I think it would take quite a while to get bored.
Sandra says
Oh yum...I love the sunflower sprouts and avocado!!! And the dressing sound lovely. This box sounds better then anything you would possibly find in transit.
How long will you be in Vancouver? I'll be there on Thursday...(Shhhhh don't tell) only mine is a 6 hour flight...way better then 17.
themuffinmyth says
I'm in BC for 2 weeks, but am mostly on the Sunshine Coast just 40 min by ferry from West Vancouver. I'll be going back and forth a bit now, so you never know how our schedules might line up!