Tuna Sushi Rice Boxes

I owe you lots of life updates. We moved to Mar Vista, which is amazing because it’s closer to the ocean (it’s just inland of Venice Beach). I’ve been showing you around via IG stories but I *promise* to do some room by room tours here on the blog soon. My cookbook is in its final stages (eeepppp!!!)—we’re about to go to the printers and I have an official cover and publication date! Vienna is settling into her new environment. She’s rediscovered squirrels and has been waking up at the crack of dawn to find them. Moses is busy with a new project, biking to work (sometimes), and has reverted back to a monotone color palette (have we talked about this yet?).

 What else? Well, it’s somehow magically the middle of October, which as you know is National Seafood Month. In the spirit of this, I’ve teamed up with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and am getting back to my roots / childhood and whipping up these quick and easy tuna sushi rice boxes. In case you’re not familiar with tuna sushi rice, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Think umami packed shoyu (soy sauce) tuna, pickled carrots, green onions, and nori (dried seaweed) all boxed up and ready to take along on a picnic, to school, to work, or wherever you want to take it.

 This is a meal I grew up with in Hawai‘i and I love it because not only is it delicious, it’s also easy to make, and it’s healthy and affordable. I feel like when people think of seafood, they automatically think it’s $$ and it doesn’t have to be. Canned tuna is a great way to incorporate sustainable seafood into your everyday without breaking the bank. I partnered with the MSC on this recipe because I believe in what they’re doing and want to share fun and simple recipes as well as bring awareness to responsible consumption.  

The MSC is a global nonprofit that works with fishermen, communities, and companies to protect our oceans and ensure that the whole ecosystem remains healthy and thriving. So when you see their little blue fish label on seafood products, it means you can trust where it’s coming from, all the way from the ocean to your plate. Knowing that MSC-labelled products are certified sustainable, it empowers us, the consumer, to keep our oceans healthy. This is  something that’s close to my heart and I’m so proud to partner with the MSC! Look for the blue fish label when you’re choosing your seafood products and head over to MSC.org or @mscbluefish for more information.

TUNA SUSHI RICE BOXES

SERVES 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

Sushi Rice

4 cups uncooked short-grain rice
1⁄3 cup rice vinegar
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt 

Shoyu Tuna

4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce (shoyu)
4 teaspoons mirin
Two 4-ounce can tuna, in water, drained

Quick Pickled Carrots

2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup chopped green onions, green parts only
1 sheet roasted sushi nori, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon furikake (optional)

 TOOLS

Aluminum tins / boxes or 8 x 8-inch pan

FIX

To make the sushi rice, cook the rice according to the directions of your rice cooker or via stove top if you do not use a rice cooker. While the rice is cooking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while the rice cooks. Pour the sauce over the hot, just-cooked rice, tossing, fanning, and fluffing it with a rice paddle. Be careful; the rice is hot. Let the rice cool to room temperature before using.

To make the shoyu tuna, in a nonstick skillet, combine the sugar, soy sauce, and mirin and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then add the tuna and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.

Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a bowl with a handful of ice cubes and water, and set it aside. To make the quick pickled carrots, bring a small pan of water to a simmer over medium heat and quickly blanch the carrots by cooking them in the simmering water for 1 minute, then plunging them into the ice-water bath. Remove the carrots from the bath after a minute or two. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and rice vinegar and add the carrots. Let sit for 15 minutes; drain the pickling liquid before using.

To make the boxes, use a rice paddle to spread an even layer of sushi rice on the bottom of your box. Sprinkle with a layer of shoyu tuna, followed by the pickled carrots, green onions, and some thin strips of nori. Spread another layer of sushi rice and sprinkle some furikake. Alternately, use an 8 x 8-inch pan and layer it with a sheet of sushi nori on the top and bottom, and slice into sushi squares with a wet knife.

This post was sponsored by MSC. As with any and all sponsored posts on Fix Feast Flair, I am a big believer in this brand and love that they’re making certified sustainable seafood easy to identify and that they’re making it accessible!