California rolls get a lot of flack for not being “authentic,” but I’m an ardent supporter of the confusingly named Japanese-Canadian “sushi.”
And when I don’t have the energy to cook an elaborate meal for myself, this is one of the best quick fixes I have in my arsenal — it only requires about 10 minutes of active time and an hour of marinating. You could easily make this with those pre-cooked rice bowls from the Asian market, too, if you wanted to cut down on cook time even more.
California Roll Bowl
Servings: 2 people
This is the recipe I reach for when I want a comfort food that won't weigh me down too much. It requires about 10 minutes of active prep time and about an hour of planning ahead so you can let the cucumbers marinade.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups cooked short grain white rice or sub with whatever cooked rice you'd like
- 4-6 Persian cucumbers sliced
- 10 sticks imitation crab crushed into strands and chopped to bite sized pieces
- Asian-style mayo Ottogi brand preferred
- 1 ripe avocado sliced
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1.5 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp dashi powder optional
- 2 Tbsp boiling water
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp mirin optional
Instructions
- Add sugar and dashi powder to a medium sized Tupperware style container, followed by the boiling water. Seal tightly and shake to dissolve the sugar. If your container doesn't have a tight seal, you can also whisk the mixture together to dissolve the sugar.1.5 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp dashi powder, 2 Tbsp boiling water
- Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mirin, and gently mix to combine. Add the cucumbers, seal the container back up, and transfer it to the fridge for 1 hour to marinate.2-3 cups cooked short grain white rice, 4-6 Persian cucumbers, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp mirin, 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- Once the cucumbers are ready, prepare your bowl: sprinkle cucumbers on a bed of hot rice and drizzle the rice all over with the leftover marinade — this will season the rice to taste like sushi rice.
- Arrange the imitation crab and avocado alongside the cucumbers. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and add mayo to your liking. Serve immediately.10 sticks imitation crab, 1 ripe avocado, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, Asian-style mayo