Veggie Sushi Rice Bowls

This delightful rice bowl tastes like your favorite veggie sushi, but without the fuss and mess of the rolling and cutting. It's a great way to use leftover cooked rice. Short-grain brown rice gives it the most authentic flavor, but really, any kind of whole grain rice or rice blend will do. Once your cooked rice is on hand, this is really no more time consuming to make than a sandwich or any other kind of salad, and if you use a covered container, it's an offbeat portable lunch that you'll be happy to dig into! Photos by Rachael Braun.

Makes: 2 rice bowls; recipe doubles easily

For the rice:

• 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked brown rice, warm or at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon natural granulated sugar or agave nectar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 sheet toasted nori or 6 to 8 pieces nori seaweed snack

Toppings (choose 3 or 4):

• ½ medium avocado, pitted, peeled, and finely diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 3-inch or so segment of cucumber,
  seeds trimmed away and cut into matchsticks
• 3 to 4 lightly cooked shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
• About ½ cup peeled daikon radish or turnip
• 6 to 8 slender asparagus stalks,
  cut into 2-inch lengths and lightly steamed

Garnishes (use any or all):

• Sesame seeds
• Pickled ginger
• Thinly sliced scallion
• Wasabi

• Natural reduced-sodium soy sauce

Combine the rice with the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small mixing bowl.

Use kitchen shears to cut the nori into short, narrow strips and stir into the rice.

Divide the rice between two serving bowls. Arrange your toppings of choice atop the rice. You can place them in separate little piles as shown in the photo, or stir them together in the mixing bowl used in the second step before topping the rice.