I’m going to guess that a lot of you are fans of sushi.

If you aren’t…I don’t know what to say…

We love sushi and would probably eat it on a daily basis if there wasn’t that annoying thing money, standing in the way.

Michelle from The Lively Kitchen makes her family Buddha Bowls and I’ve always loved the idea so I de-veganized them and added some typical sushi fillings. We have a really nice store in our neighborhood that has sushi-grade fish, but I realize not everyone has access, nor has the desire to use raw fish so don’t worry, there are a ton of options for protein in these bowls.

Everyone chooses their own toppings and they contain everything you need in a meal: whole grains, vegetables, protein and flavor!

Rice: 

• I would of course, recommend brown rice, but it doesn’t need to be special sushi rice
• the perfect use for leftover rice!

Nori: 

• can be found in natural food stores or asian grocery stores (much cheaper at the latter)
• best to roast with some sesame oil if it isn’t already roasted

Vegetables:

• julienned cucumber, carrots or spinach
• sauteed mushrooms, asparagus, bok choy
• sliced scallions, avocado

Protein:

• cooked fish like tuna or salmon
• raw sushi-grade fish
• cooked chicken, steak, shrimp or tofu

Toppings:

• sesame seeds, pickled ginger,
• sauces like miso, soy sauce, sriracha, peanut sauce, spicy mayo (mayo + sriracha)

What kind of sushi do you order? 

I think my Madison friends will really enjoy this recipe. It is from L’Etoile Restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. If you are from the area, you know what L’Etoile is and what it is all about.

L’Etoile is a restaurant that focuses on supporting local farmers and artisan producers and it just so happened that this recipe was featured in a recent Bon Appétit. I always get really excited when I’ve either been to or know of a restaurant that is featured in Bon Appétit or Food & Wine. It makes me feel like I kind of know about the food world.

The recipe sounded great – I love all things curry – and because L’Etoile has such a great reputation I figured it would be a good one. I switched a few things up in the recipe, mainly because I get frustrated when recipes call for 1/2 can of coconut milk or 3/4 cup broth. I don’t want to open it, use half and then throw the rest away! Right?

But the curry, oh this curry.

It was slightly sweet, really creamy and we loved the flavor. It is definitely a warming dish, perfect for fall and winter evenings.

I definitely wouldn’t skip the roasted squash, the texture was a welcome addition to the smooth curry. Since the curry itself didn’t really contain any veggies, I served it over brown rice and steamed green beans, but your favorite vegetable would work.