Brown rice sushi bowl with broccoli and smoked tofu

I have this slight urge to quit while I am ahead. I like the feeling of life rolling along the right track, picking up speed and appearing to be headed somewhere better than what was expected. But what if where one appears to be heading is not actually where they will end up? Would it be better to get off the train a stop early and just hold on to the excitement, the anticipation and the pleasure of what lies ahead, even if you never actually arrive at the intended destination?

My research paper was finally accepted for publication in a great journal. This means I might actually have a chance at landing a decent research position when I graduate. With my defense coming up in 10 days and a sea of possibilities lying beyond I just do not think I could be much happier. But I know that what comes next is not going to be easy. Anything can happen at my defense and maybe I won't find a job right away and maybe if I do find a job it will be horrible. I am not ready for more struggles. I just want to live in this moment where things are looking up and anything seems possible. Is that so crazy?

Mike's review of today's recipe was: "weird". So, maybe it is not the best one to try if you are not in for a bit of strangeness. I have been wanting to make a sushi-style bowl for a really long time but never had all of the right ingredients at the same time. Yesterday, Mike bought these really strange but surprisingly yummy seaweed snacks from Whole foods, Annie Chun brand. They were just the kick I needed to try this recipe out. I cannot post this without acknowledging the Sushi Bowl recipe from 101 Cookbooks because they have a lot of things in common. 

That being said, next time I will try Heidi's recipe specifically and see if the "weird" reaction can be improved somewhat. I like to try things my own way first. I personally was quite happy with this recipe but admit it was slightly on the sour side. Upping the honey amount and decreasing the vinegar might help but maybe something was missing. If you try this recipe or have maybe tried something like it I would love to know what you do differently.

Brown rice sushi bowl with broccoli and smoked tofu 

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks Sushi Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice, presoaked overnight or for a few hours in the fridge

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1/8 cup tamari or light soy sauce such as kikkomans
1 - 2 tsp honey (or brown sugar for vegan)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 - 2 tsp tahini

1 tsp lemon juice

1 chopped avocado

2 cups broccoli chopped into bite sized florets

1/2 block smoked tofu, drained

White pickled ginger, sliced thinly

Annie chun's seaweed snacks (or Seaweed sheets roasted briefly) sliced into thin strips

Sesame seeds, toasted (or not)

Directions

1 - Cook brown rice by boiling in large pot of water until tender (about 30 - 40 minutes, depending on how long you soaked the rice for). Drain and cool.

2 - Make dressing by whisking together rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and honey. Taste the dressing. It should be more on the salty and sweet side than on the sour side. The vinegar flavour will come out strongly at the end if there is too much rice vinegar. Whisk in tahini or blend in with a food processor. Season lightly with a splash of lemon juice. Adjust proportions to your taste.

3 - Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a saute pan, stir-fry broccoli, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, until broccoli is slightly tender but still crisp.

4 - Grill tofu slices in oven, on a seasoned pan or on a grill (I used a George Foreman grill - love that thing) until lightly browned.

5 - Cut tofu into thin strips or bite sized cubes.

6 - Place a serving of cooked brown rice in a bowl and mix with a spoonful of dressing. Top rice with broccoli, tofu, avocado and garnish with seaweed, sesame seeds and ginger strips and drizzle on another spoonful or more of dressing.