Recipe by Luka McCabe 

Rice bowls are one of my go-to lunches because they’re endlessly adaptable and genuinely satisfying. They work whether you’ve got five minutes or a bit more time, whether you’re eating at the bench, at your desk, or standing there wondering how it’s suddenly 2pm and you haven’t eaten yet. Once you understand the basic formula, you can mix and match whatever you’ve got on hand without needing to follow a strict recipe. 

The magic of a good rice bowl is balance. If you can roughly combine one carbohydrate, one protein and one fat, you’ll end up with something that actually keeps you full and steady rather than reaching for snacks an hour later. Using leftover rice is a big win too - crisping it up in a pan turns it from “meh leftovers” into something you actually look forward to eating. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup cooked leftover rice 
  
• 2 teaspoons tamari 
  
• 3 broccolini stalks 
  
• 70 g hot smoked wild-caught salmon 
  
• 1/4 cup frozen edamame beans 
  
• 1 tablespoon kimchi 
  
• 1/2 Lebanese cucumber, sliced 
  
• 2 spring onions, sliced 
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 
  
• 1/2 avocado 

Method: 

1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the cooked rice and tamari, spreading it out in the pan and allowing it to cook undisturbed until crispy.
2. Add the broccolini to the pan and let it crisp alongside the rice while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Steam or microwave the edamame beans until warmed through.
3. Assemble the bowl by layering the crispy rice and broccolini with the salmon, edamame, kimchi, cucumber, spring onions, sesame seeds and avocado.
4. Serve immediately. 

Ingredient Swaps and Variations: 

1. Swap rice for quinoa, brown rice or cauliflower rice. 
   
2. Swap salmon for shredded chicken, tofu, tempeh, tinned fish or a fried egg. 
   
3. Swap avocado for tahini drizzle, olive oil, sesame oil or mayo. 
   
4. Add extra flavour with chilli oil, miso, lime juice, ginger or garlic.