This is one of my faves when I am wanting some Asian flavors. Most ingredients are available in the Winter so its easy to have then. But with some summer fresh cucumbers, its the BOMB!
DECONSTRUCTED SUSHI BOWL
2 to 3 cups mixed greens
1/2 cup purple cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup cucumbers
1 cup rice
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup pickled ginger ****
1/4 teaspoon wasabi
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
**** make your own pickled ginger.
Pickled Ginger
9 to 10 ounces ginger
⅓ cup plus 1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, or 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
⅔ cup rice vinegar
Peel ginger and cut into super thin slices, use a mandoline or very sharp knife. Cut across the grain and aim for nearly see-through pieces.
Transfer the ginger to a saucepan or heatproof bowl. Toss with the 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to reduce its harshness.
About 10 minutes before the ginger finishes mellowing out, bring a kettle of water to a boil. When the ginger is done, pour the just-boiled water over the ginger. Use enough water to cover the ginger. Gently stir and let sit for 20 seconds to further reduce the harshness. Dump into a mesh strainer. Don’t rinse. Shake a few times to expel water, then transfer into a 2-cup capacity glass jar.
In a saucepan, bring the mixture of sugar and vinegar to a boil. Stir once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour into the jar of ginger.
Push down with chopsticks or a spoon to submerge. Cool, uncovered, then cap and refrigerate.
