Deconstructed sushi bowl
If I had to choose a country to eat from for the rest of my life, it would be Japan. Known for plantbased diets, an intimate relationship with the sea, and one of the oldest living populations in the world, this dish embodies the flavours and benefits I love.
Serves 4
Pickled cucumber
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup (125ml) rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp tamari
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Red rice
2 cups (400g) red or brown rice
1⁄4 cup (60ml) sushi rice vinegar
Teriyaki roasted cauliflower
6 Tbsp tamari
1⁄4 cup (60ml) water
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp ginger, grated
4 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets 8 small carrots salt and pepper, to taste olive oil
4 baby or 2 medium sized bok choys,
thinly sliced lengthwise
To serve
1⁄2 pack of nori sheets, cut diagonally into triangles
4 radishes, thinly sliced coriander, to garnish
Method
To make the pickled cucumber, place sliced cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt — gently mix.
Set aside for 5 minutes then rinse and drain.
In a lidded container, combine rice vinegar, coconut sugar, tamari, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Add cucumbers to the container and, with the lid on, toss to marinate.
To make the rice, cook rice as per package instructions. Once cooked, add sushi rice vinegar and stir well to combine.
To make the teriyaki roasted cauliflower, heat oven to 200degC.
Add tamari, water, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger and coconut sugar in a medium pot. Bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water.
Add this cornstarch mixture to the pot to thicken, mixing well. Simmer for a further minute and stir occasionally. Add cauliflower to the pot and toss to combine.
Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a lined baking tray.
Place carrots on separate lined baking tray. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast both the cauliflower and carrots in the oven for 20 minutes or until done.
To saute the bok choy, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add bok choy and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes.
To serve, add a scoop of rice, some toasted cauliflower, bok choy, carrots, pickled cucumber, a couple of nori sheets and some radish in a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander and extra sesame seeds.