A Nourishing Mushroom and Seaweed Rice Bowl
This recipe is just packed with ingredients we love. Seaweed, or algae, brings its hydrating properties to COMPLEXION RESCUE Stick, mushroom helps soothe skin in our BLEMISH RESCUE Concealer and we even use rice in our Hydrating MINERAL VEIL Finishing Powder. But if reading about these skin-supporting ingredients is making you wonder what’s for lunch, we can’t blame you. Chef Jane Coxwell brought them all together for this light but satisfying one-dish meal that couldn’t be easier to make at home.
This dish is based off the idea of the Korean bibimbap. It’s great for a cozy dinner or make-ahead lunch and it really is so simple to make — it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and has minimal clean up. The main prep for this dish is making the little pickled mushroom broth, but it’s easy and quick and, combined with the seaweed, gives that deep and satisfying savory umami flavor.
This recipe is just a starting point — if you don’t have all the ingredients, you can omit, add or substitute with what you have in your pantry, or any protein you need to use up. The list of variations really is endless — you could add a fried egg on at the end, make it more filling with tofu, meat or fish (I’d recommend something oily like wild salmon), or top it with fresh mint, shredded carrots or cucumbers. One thing I’d suggest keeping in there is the seaweed. It’s not something everybody uses in home cooking here, but it couldn’t be less intimidating. Most stores have it these days and rehydrating it just takes a bit of hot water. It’s also really, really good for you. It’s full of minerals like manganese and iodine, and also Vitamin C and Iron.
Mushroom and Seaweed Rice Bowl
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup of brown rice
2-3 ounces of wakame seaweed (I order online, but you can find this in most good grocery stores)
For the mushrooms:
1 cup of sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup of rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of raw sugar
1 ½ teaspoons of freshly minced ginger
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (optional)
Toppings:
2 radishes, finely sliced
1/2 an avocado, chopped
3 scallions, finely sliced
Handful of picked cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Lime wedge
Instructions
First, prepare the wakame seaweed: Just put the wakame in a bowl and add some boiling water until it is covered. Let it sit for about 4 minutes (or until soft), then drain it and set aside.
For the mushrooms: Heat the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a small pot. Add 1.5 cups of water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then add the sliced mushrooms, ginger and sesame seeds. Bring to a gentle boil and let it simmer for about 8 minutes, then set aside until you’re ready to use it.
Meanwhile, cook the brown rice in salted water according to packet instructions (this should take about 20 minutes).
Drain the rice when it’s cooked. Then drain the mushrooms from the pickling liquid (making sure to save the liquid) and add that liquid to the rice and stir to coat.
Distribute the rice between two bowls and reserve any liquid that might be remaining for the end. Top the rice with the mushrooms, avocado, scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds and radishes and drizzle any remaining mushroom liquid you might have over the whole dish. Finish with a squeeze of lime to brighten everything up.
Meet Jane
Jane Coxwell is a chef, author and consultant, and has earned her reputation as one of the most sought-after private chefs with a style that’s as elegant as it is unpretentious.
Equally comfortable working over open fires on the beaches of Papua New Guinea as she is in the kitchens of the biggest names in fashion, media and entertainment, Jane has cooked her way around the world, cultivating an approach to food and travel that is uniquely her own.
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa, Jane was one of the youngest chefs ever appointed to run the kitchen of a Camper & Nicholsons yacht. At just 23, she joined Hall Wines in California’s Napa Valley as Executive Chef and Culinary Manager, where she cooked for prominent guests including Hillary Clinton. For the last near-decade, Jane has served as Diane von Furstenberg’s chef, both on Eos, the 305-foot sailing yacht she and Barry Diller own, and in New York and Connecticut.
Her experiences on and off Eos — ranging from meals in the villages of Southeast Asia to the vibrant open-air markets of the Italian Riviera — inspired her first book, Fresh, Happy, Tasty: An Adventure in 100 Recipes. Now based in New York City, Jane continues to develop food-and travel-centric content while working on her second book. She also consults for large events, including the creation of the first sustainable meal for the 2017 CFDA Awards.