Colorful tuna sushi bowls

with canned tuna and cauliflower carrot "sushi rice"!

Hi there! It’s officially starting to feel like spring! I’m planning a fun Easter dessert and menu to share soon, we are spending lots of time outside and fitting in regular after-dinner walks and some much-needed yard work, and I have the urge to plant and (attempt to) grow things again. All signs of spring!

This past week has been full— ballet rehearsals, appointments, our wedding anniversary— on top of school and work and after-school activities and the usual juggling. Each of these reasons gives me a good excuse not to cook dinner, but I find that when I push through the slump and make it anyway, I’m always so happy that I did.

Which leads me to this reminder: dinner doesn’t have to be complicated.

I know I don’t say that enough. As a recipe developer, I am always trying to get creative with the concept of putting food on the table, but some days, a snack plate is all you need (our very un-fancy version of a charcuterie board with meats, cheese, veggies, fruit, etc.). Or it’s a simple salad. Or a sheet pan of roasted veggies with some chicken I threw in the air fryer.

Preparing elements in advance definitely simplifies the process. I’ve probably meal prepped the most in this past year than I have in my whole life, and I hate to even use that term because it’s really much simpler and low-effort than you might think.

Here’s what I made on Sunday, and the amount of time it took:

• Beef barbacoa: 20 minutes (plus Crockpot cook time, totally hands-off). I followed a recipe in this new cookbook and used the Crockpot for a really low-effort protein (but you could use any Crockpot chuck roast recipe).

• Basil seed pudding: 5 minutes. Just like chia seed pudding, this is as simple as it gets! Curious about basil seeds? You can learn more about them in this post.

• Vinaigrette: 5 minutes (this creamy balsamic basil vinaigrette is my favorite!)

• Roasted beets: 5 minutes prep (plus 30 minutes in the oven).

Basil seed pudding was breakfast for us three mornings this week. I don’t often roast beets but I got a large bunch in my produce box this week and so the beets and vinaigrette helped build a quick salad for a couple of lunches. We enjoyed the beef barbacoa for two meals: once served over leftover spaghetti squash, and the next day as tacos. That’s at least seven meals that were mostly, if not completely, prepared! All from 30-40 minutes of prepping various elements on a Sunday.

I don’t always do this and some weeks, dinner is less planned than others. That’s when recipes like today’s are extra handy!

In the spirit of celebrating low-effort meals, I’m sharing with you a simple sushi-style bowl, made with none other than canned tuna, frozen cauliflower rice, and some fresh toppings.

Since it’s the first Thursday of the month, this recipe has no paywall. Thank you for reading and subscribing and cooking along!

Here’s a look at what else paid subscribers can expect this month:

• a new low-glycemic recipe every Thursday with calculated nutritional info and a printable PDF;

• a week-long meal plan made featuring many of those recipes that includes five main meals, a treat/breakfast recipe and a full shopping list I curate for you;

• at least one bonus recipe for a sweet treat;

• three variations of an Easter menu along with Easter and springtime recipe inspiration from the blog.

Any recipe requests? Send them my way! I’m always open to your recipe and newsletter topic suggestions!

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• Good Energy by Dr. Casey Means. I know I mentioned this last week but I just can’t stop/won’t stop talking about this book (SORRY). I’ve been listening to the audio book any chance I can— cooking, walking, folding laundry, etc. It’s a must-read and beautifully covers the topics of good metabolic health and disease prevention through diet, sleep, and movement.

• I just got these blue light blocking glasses and love how fun and affordable they are!

• I made this low-carb / grain-free /keto carrot cake for our anniversary over the weekend and remembered why I really should be baking carrot cake a whole lot more.

• I’ve been enjoying the notes and posts by

  Daniel Flora, MD, PharmD
  who writes about cancer, cancer prevention, and related topics. This post on metabolic health and cancer is a good overview.

• This high-protein pasta salad featuring lupini pasta will be a spring and summertime staple! I use Kaizen pasta which you can order on Amazon, Thrive Market, or directly from their website (you can use the code StemandSpoon at checkout to get 15% off).

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These tuna sushi bowls have all the flavors of a sushi roll and are ridiculously easy to put together!

The base is a simple low-glycemic “sushi rice” made with sautéed frozen riced cauliflower and grated carrot. It cooks in about 10 minutes and is the only cooking required for this recipe!

You will top that “sushi rice” with the tuna mixture— canned tuna mixed with cottage cheese, avocado oil mayonnaise, and a bit of sriracha. Then, have fun with the toppings! I like these with fresh green onion, avocado, radishes, and cucumber but just like regular sushi rolls, you can create your own favorite combinations.

A little bit of nori or roasted seaweed on the side is the perfect finishing touch, but if you don’t have it, no worries!

If you do have nori, which is pretty easily available these days at most grocery stores (I use this one from Target), you can use all of these elements to create delicious, low-carb sushi hand rolls. I’m leaving instructions for that in the recipe notes!

And if you’re not really on board with the idea of mixing in cottage cheese, let me explain! It adds a flavor similar to cream cheese in a sushi roll, plus it’ll add extra protein to the tuna mixture. If you’re just not a fan or you don’t consume dairy, use extra avocado oil mayonnaise instead. We’re just looking for a creamy, tuna salad consistency!

Here’s the recipe- enjoy!

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep time: ~20 minutes

For the cauliflower carrot “sushi rice”:

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 12-16 ounces frozen riced cauliflower

• 1 medium carrot, grated (about ¾ to 1 cup)

• 1 tablespoon tamari or coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

For the tuna mixture

• 2, 5-ounce cans tuna, water drained (I like Wild Planet)

• ⅓ cup full-fat cottage cheese

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil mayonnaise (like Chosen Foods)

• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (see notes)

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Salt and pepper, add to taste

For the sriracha mayo:

• ¼ cup avocado oil mayonnaise

• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha

To assemble the bowls:

• ½ large avocado, sliced

• 2-3 scallions, chopped

• 2-3 radishes, sliced thin

• 1-2 Persian cucumbers, chopped small

• ½ mango, cubed (optional)

• Everything Bagel seasoning (optional)

• Nori or seaweed sheets, sliced into strips or larger rectangles

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil (you can also use avocado oil, ghee, or coconut oil). When it glistens, add the frozen riced cauliflower. Let it cook for about 5 minutes to defrost and soften. Stir occasionally. After 5 minutes, add in the grated carrot, tamari and rice vinegar. Stir and cook for 4-5 more minutes or until the moisture has cooked out and the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the sesame oil, then taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

2. While the “sushi rice” cooks, add the two cans of tuna to a medium bowl. Add the cottage cheese, avocado oil mayonnaise, sriracha sauce and sesame oil. Mix well, then taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.

3. In a small dish, mix together the mayonnaise and the sriracha to make the quick sriracha mayo. I like to start with 1 tablespoon of sriracha and add another if it needs to be spicier.

4. Now it’s time to assemble the bowls! Add a scoop of the “sushi rice” to each of the bowls, then a couple of spoonfuls of the tuna mixture. Top it with the avocado, scallions, radishes, cucumber, and mango (if using). Add a sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning and the strips of nori. Drizzle on the sriracha mayo or add a small spoonful to each of the bowls.

• The quality of your ingredients matters here (as always!). Make sure you’re using a 100% avocado oil mayonnaise (like Chosen Foods) and not one that is made or mixed in with inflammatory oils (read the ingredient list since many that are marketed as “avocado” or “olive oil” mayo is blended with other types of oil). As for the sriracha, there are several brands now that are “cleaner,” like this one!

• To serve little eaters, simply pull out some of the tuna mixture before adding in the sriracha. Serve each of these elements– tuna, cauli rice, fresh veggies– separately if you think your little one will accept it easier that way.

• If you have sauce squeeze bottles, you can use one for the sriracha mayo. If not, just dollop a little bit into each of the bowls.

• Fresh or frozen mango works out well. I pulled out several pieces of frozen mango from a frozen fruit blend and simply let it defrost before serving. The mango is optional.

To make hand rolls:

1. Cut one square sheet of nori into two equal rectangles. Place one sheet with the rough side up.

2. On one side of the rectangle, add a spoonful of the cauliflower carrot rice, a spoonful of the tuna mixture, and a few of your fresh toppings. Add about a teaspoon of the sriracha mayo.

3. Pick up one of the bottom corners of the side with the ingredients, then fold it up and over the middle of the ingredients. Continue to roll over the filling to create a cone shape.

• Tuna: I love using canned tuna since it’s affordable, easy, and pre-cooked! However, this recipe is super versatile and you can substitute it with your own favorite pre-cooked fish (cooked cod or salmon) or another type of tinned fish. Fresh ahi tuna or another type of raw sushi-grade fish will also work well.

• Cottage cheese: You can substitute the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt or extra avocado oil mayonnaise.

• Rice vinegar: Swap in apple cider vinegar or fresh-squeezed lime juice.

• Sriracha: If you don’t care for sriracha, you can simply omit this ingredient or use your own favorite hot sauce to add heat.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal, based on an estimate of 3 servings.

Calories: 438

Total fat: 29 g

Total carbohydrate: 19 g

Dietary fiber: 6 g

Total sugar: 6 g

Protein: 27 g

Total net carbs: 13 g

Colorful Tuna Sushi Bowls

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