Sushi - Deconstructed

I love sushi - but I'd rather leave the work to the experts. I'm not sure I could roll it tightly enough or balance the ingredients in the correct proportions. Tonight I had a sushi craving, but no desire to head off to the nearest (not-so-nearby) sushi bar. Luckily, I always have a couple frozen tuna steaks on hand, as well as a stash of pickled ginger and a very ripe avocado.

So we had pacific rolls without the roll: Chewy seasoned brown rice, tender strips of tuna steak - grilled to medium rare, slices of buttery avocado and pungent pink strips of ginger. If you enjoy sushi, this is a meal sent from heaven. Not to mention it's good for you - with the tuna and avocado providing heart healthy fats including omega-3s, the rice providing fiber and nutrients and the ginger's antibiotic properties.

Deconstructed Pacific Roll



2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ponzu sauce
1 Tbsp wasabi powder
1 Tbsp Japanese rice seasoning I like one with Nori strips, sesame seeds, bonito flakes and salt

1 cup brown, mahogany and wild rice medley

2 tuna steaks, brushed with olive oil and grilled until medium rare (no more than one minute on each side)

1 avocado, split, pitt removed and sliced thin then scooped from the skin

4 oz. pickled ginger

good quality teriyaki sauce such as Soy Vay
ponzu sauce
Japanese rice seasoning



Combine stock, oil, vinegar, ponzu and seasonings in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes, or until rice is cooked through and liquid has been absorbed.

Let the tuna rest for at least 5 minutes after it comes off the grill. Then slice thin, against the grain and arrange each steak atop a bed of rice. Add 1/2 sliced avocado to each, along with a small pile of pickled ginger. Drizzle with teriyaki and/or ponzu and sprinkle with seasoning.