I love sushi but I don’t have the patience (or skill, frankly) to make it myself. But you can whip up these Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls, which have all the scrumptiousness of sushi without the fuss, in no time. Here’s why I chose this recipe…

• It’s a quick and easy meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
• Shrimp is super-nutritious (more on this below).
• Sushi made with brown rice isn’t so easy to come by. But the added sugar and low fiber content of regular white rice sushi can lead to spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.
• Shrimp was a fave of my mom’s so it seemed appropriate given her birthday was this past week. And while I never did convince my mom to like sushi or raw fish, she would definitely have loved this!

 

Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls…Deconstructed

Shrimp is super-nutritious…

• Just 3 ounces of shrimp provides 20 grams of protein for only 84 calories. And getting enough protein is important, particularly as we age.
• Shrimp is high in iodine, a key component of the thyroid hormones that control your body’s metabolism (i.e., how your body transforms the food you eat into energy). You may have heard of the thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). Each is made up of a molecule of tyrosine (an amino acid) with the 3 and 4 indicating the number of iodine molecules attached. The body can make tyrosine from phenylalanine (also an amino acid) and you can find both of these amino acids in many foods, including meat and fish, nuts, seeds and cheese. The richest sources of iodine are fish (cod is particularly high), seaweed, milk products and eggs (primarily the yolk). And some foods are fortified with iodine (iodized salt, for example). So if you make these Spicy Shrimp Sushi Bowls with some toasted nori shredded on top (as suggested in the notes), you’ll amp up your iodine intake.
• Eating shrimp may also promote heart and brain health due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin.

Like all foods, there is a range of quality out there. So aim for organic, sustainably farmed or wild-caught shrimp whenever possible. One source of sustainable Canadian shrimp is Planet Shrimp (their website provides a list of retailers).

Similarly, this recipe benefits from a high quality mayonnaise. One I like is Fresh Mayonnaise by Maison Orphée. You’ll find it in the refrigerator section as it is all natural with no preservatives or added sugar.

The most time consuming part of this recipe is making the brown rice. As you know from last month’s recipe, my favourite way to make brown rice is in an Instant Pot (click here for details). It indeed yields perfect brown rice every time with no pot-watching involved. And leftovers freeze well for future meals.

Be sure to review the recipe notes for suggested flavour boosters and toppings. And I wouldn’t be much of a Harry Styles fan if I didn’t suggest cooking along to Music for a Sushi Restaurant from his new album Harry’s House. He’d probably like these bowls too as, according to this article, he’s “not a roll guy”.  😉

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I hope you enjoy it and share it with your family and friends!