Add your favourite ingredients to create a stunning and easy dinner, full of health

These bowls keep weeknight dinners easy but never dull; no rules, just inspiration and a bit of assembly.

Rice bowls are a great option for an easy dinner. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

I reckon rice bowls are the ultimate dinner solution: they’re simple, satisfying and endlessly adaptable. They aren’t just recipes – they’re ­foundations for ­whatever your day (or your appetite) calls for. They ask for little but deliver plenty.

It all starts, as the name suggests, with rice. Sometimes sticky and seasoned with a splash of vinegar, other times nutty brown or fragrant jasmine rice. Freshly made or leftover from the night before, either works.

What goes on top depends on what’s in the fridge, pantry, or simply what you’re in the mood for. It might be something picked up on the way home, like sashimi, or something made, like a grilled piece of chicken or a dressed-up can of tuna. A little goes a long way. Add colour and crunch with vegetables, avocado or pickles. Condiments can do some heavy lifting, too – kimchi, crisp ­shallots, nuts, wasabi peas, or toasted sesame seeds.

Much of the prep can be done ahead, but even when the fridge is looking sparse I can usually rustle something together. Sometimes it’s as simple as grilled greens and an egg, its yolk spilling over, ready to be stirred into the rice. The flexibility of rice bowls makes them a lifesaver when cooking for different tastes. Lay everything out and let people build their own. It keeps weeknight dinners easy but never dull; no rules, just inspiration and a bit of assembly.

Today’s two rice bowls are ones I return to again and again. First, a sashimi rice bowl –bright and fresh, with cubes of raw fish and plenty of crunch. The salad is built around what I love, but by all means use what you love, that’s the whole point. It’s all tied together with a lip-smacking lemon and sesame dressing and a spicy, tricked-up store-bought mayo.

Next, lemongrass mince bowls: fast, fragrant, and a great way to take mince beyond the usual family-friendly dinners. I’ve used beef here, but pork or chicken thigh mince work just as well. Even crumbled firm tofu would be good. To sneak in some extra greens, I stir in chopped baby spinach; the kids don’t seem to mind it this way. Since this dish is inspired by Vietnamese flavours, I use coconut water as the liquid base for a touch of natural sweetness, though regular water works fine too. We serve it with cucumber, fresh herbs and chilli.

I hope these rice bowls bring a little ­inspiration – ready for whatever your day, or your mood, calls for.

Rice and easy. These bowls are the ultimate dinner solution and very quick to make.

Lemongrass beef bowl, recipe by Elizabeth Hewson. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Lemongrass beef rice bowl

Ingredients

• 500g beef mince
• 3 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cornflour
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised, tough end trimmed, white part finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped (white to light green parts only; reserve the green tops to serve)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 80ml (1/3 cup) coconut water or water
• 75g (2 cups, or 2 handfuls) baby spinach, finely chopped
• Cooked rice
• 1 bird’s eye chilli, deseeded
• 2 cucumbers, roughly chopped
• 1 lime
• Handful of coriander or mint

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornflour and coconut water or water.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the garlic, lemongrass and the white parts of the spring onion, and cook for a minute until soft and fragrant. Add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Spread it out and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes.
3. The liquid will start to release, then slowly evaporate as the mince begins to brown. Once the liquid has evaporated, toss the mince and let it brown for another 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce and toss well to coat. Let it caramelise and thicken for 2 minutes. Throw in the baby spinach and turn off the heat; it will wilt in the pan.
4. Serve immediately on top of rice, along with cucumber, reserved parts of spring onion, herbs, a squeeze of lime and chilli. Serves 2-4

Buy sashimi ready prepared for a simple dinner fix. Photos: Nikki To / TWAM

Healthy and delicious, this sashimi rice bowl features Japanese flavours.

Sashimi rice bowl

Ingredients

Lemon and sesame dressing


• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Spicy mayo


• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I like Kewpie)

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

• ½-1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste

Rice bowl


• 1 cup frozen edamame beans, podded

• 120-180g fresh sashimi-grade kingfish, salmon or tuna (or a combination)

• Cooked rice for 2 (I like sushi rice), warm

• 1 cucumber, finely sliced

• 2-3 radishes, finely sliced

• 1 avocado

• 2 sheets toasted seaweed, cut into strips

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced

• 1-2 tablespoons furikake, optional

Method

1. For the dressing, put the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and toasted sesame seeds in a jar and shake well. Taste and adjust to your liking – it should be zesty, and well-seasoned, with a nutty, rounded finish. For the spicy mayo, mix the mayonnaise, soy sauce and sriracha in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and season generously with salt. Add the frozen edamame and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and run under cold water. Prepare the sashimi – either chop into cubes or slice thinly. Prepare your other vegetables.
3. To assemble, spoon the warm rice into two bowls and top with edamame, cucumber, radishes, avocado, seaweed and sashimi. I like to arrange everything in neat piles on top, ready to mix together as I eat. Sprinkle over the spring onions and furikake, if using. Spoon over a few tablespoons of sesame dressing, followed by a drizzle of spicy mayo. Serve immediately. Serves 2