We all have those days: nothing went right, you took every wrong exit off the highway, you want to make dinner, but the store was out of X and you didn’t realize you were out of Y, but you ARE out of patience. In other words, you realize you need to pivot.
As your average millennial obsessed with the hit 90s sitcom, Friends, it is impossible for me to think of the word “pivot” without immediately hearing this iconic scene play out in my mind. While it isn’t often that I have to move a couch up multiple flights of stairs (thank god), the energy and desperation level of the scene speaks to me daily.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week (kudos to all my fellow teachers out there!) and I might venture to say that few people pivot more on a daily basis than those in the teaching profession. Students aren’t understanding the lesson? Pivot. A child walked in and immediately threw up on the floor of your classroom? Pivot. The day’s schedule is now completely different because of a last minute assembly? Pivot.
As someone that’s been teaching a few years now, I’ve gotten surprisingly good at and comfortable with pivoting all of the time (extremely surprising for someone that’s a type A control freak). The class period is unexpectedly cut in half on a test day? Fine, we will take the other half tomorrow. Nobody could find the homework despite me posting it online in 8 different places? No prob, let’s work on it in groups as a classwork activity. A coyote is spotted during cross country field conditioning? OKAY kids let’s go for a run FAR AWAY instead!
Oftentimes pivoting is a necessity that is out of my control. But, sometimes… I do it to myself.
It was a Wednesday– the day of a highly anticipated and built up field trip. I was taking my senior class to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (The MFA, for you Bostonians out there) to give on-site art presentations on the works of art that portrayed mythological stories. The kids were AMPED. Missing most of a school day AND getting to eat lunch out? THE DREAM for most teenagers. Everyone had been working on their art presentations for over a week. I’d emailed all of their teachers, received all signed permission slips, reminded the students about 10 times everything they needed to bring, double checked the weather, triple checked that all of their artwork was on display, etc. In other words, crossed all my “t”s and dotted all my “i’s in my usual neurotic way so that I can sleep at night.
But, despite my meticulous planning and double checking, I failed to confirm one thing. Museum hours of operation. Which turned out to be a problem because for some reason, the MFA is CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS?!?
Sidenote: I would love to know the reasoning behind this. Why is it that hump day is too much for one of the country’s premiere art museums? Did the museum director have stress dreams about everyone showing up in a Mean Girl’s pink outfit that would clash with the art? Does the entire staff do a Wine Wednesday in the galleries instead (honestly if that’s the answer I fully support it and want to change professions)? MFA, please let a girl know.
Anyway, the MFA was closed. THANK GOODNESS I found this out in the morning before we left (though you KNOW getting there with all the kids only to find out it’s closed WOULD happen to me). I was eating my breakfast, looking at Apple Maps (don’t @ me Apple Maps haters) trying to see how long it would take us to get to the MFA when I saw the “Closed Today” pop-up. I stared at it for a full 2 minutes processing and trying to figure out how I could have possibly made this mistake before I forced myself into “pivot mode”.
Your girl pivoted so hard that morning. I called my boss (who fairly laughed at me) and found a new date the following week to go (on a day the museum was open–I quadruple checked). I emailed all of the teachers that their seniors would in fact be in class today, but missing next week. I posted on Google Classroom for the students (in kid friendlier terms) that adults f*ck up too and guess what now you get more time to perfect your presentation AND still get to look forward to the field trip HOORAY. And then I took my ass to school prepared to be roasted (again, fairly) by both colleagues and students alike.
So, like I said, we all have to pivot sometimes. Some of us have to pivot more often and more drastically than others, but it’s part of being human. And few places require more pivoting than in the kitchen. Because sometimes you forgot to plan dinner, or the store was out of the ingredient you needed, or your first choice burned in a grease fire.
These crispy rice bowls inspired by one of my personal idols and food blogging royalty, Smitten Kitchen (aka Deb Perelman, but who my friend and I lovingly call “Deb” as though we are all besties on a first name basis) has been a go-to of mine for years. It has vague Bibimbap vibes, but as Deb points out, is not nearly as laborious to deserve the name and doesn’t use a sizzling stone to crisp the rice. But it IS highly easy and versatile, making it the perfect pivot dish.
Eggs and rice, two things that most people usually have in their fridge and pantry, are really the two most necessary ingredients. From there, you can substitute most things for whatever you have. The mushrooms (my own personal creation) marinate quickly and use gochujang (see the notes section for more details), but you can truly use any protein or Asian-inspired marinade that you like or skip them all together! If you’re able to go to the store though, be sure to get everything necessary for the vinaigrette. It is *chef’s kiss* SO GOOD and honestly will make you forget all the ways you messed up that day.
So whether you make it to the grocery store (check the hours first, you never know) or you need to pivot for dinner tonight, I got you. And if you did have to pivot or only had time to make it to one store (the liquor store) feel free to enjoy your rice bowls with wine, MFA Wednesdays style.
Crispy Rice Bowls with Gochujang Marinated Mushrooms
Servings: Serves 4
Total Time: ~45 minutes
Active Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Time: 20 minutes (or more if you need to cook the rice)
Ingredients:
For the vinaigrette
1/2 cup minced green onions (about 4-5)
2 tbsp minced ginger (you can buy fresh ginger and do grate yourself on a microplane, but I always keep a jar of this minced ginger in my fridge and it makes my life 100x easier)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed, sunflower, or vegetable)
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the mushrooms
6 portobello mushrooms, cut into large chunks (or the same amount of whatever you want to marinate! Eggplant, tofu, chicken, beef–the world is your oyster…mushroom)
1 tbsp gochujang
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp honey
For the rice bowls
3 cups of cooked, drained rice (white, brown, leftovers, use whatever you have!)
A few pinches of salt.
1 cup of grated carrots (about 2 large carrots grated on a box grater)
4 mini cucumbers sliced into thin half moons
4 eggs
Directions:
Marinate the Mushrooms: Whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey in a medium-large bowl. Mix in the mushroom chunks and let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes.
Make the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Set aside.
Prepare the Veggies: Chop your cucumbers, grate your carrots, and chop any additional vegetables you want to add or have on hand (like radish, bell peppers, etc.).
Cook the Mushrooms: Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, but discard the excess marinade (too much marinade on the heat will cause it to caramelize and burn!). Cook the mushrooms until tender and browned, about 5 minutes.
Crisp the Rice: Heat another large skillet on medium high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and let it heat up for another 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and spread it evenly throughout the pan. Season the rice with a few pinches of salt. Let the rice crisp for 3-5 minutes (don’t touch it!) until it is golden brown. Flip the rice (to the best of your ability) and do the same on the other side. Divide the rice between bowls.
Crisp the Egg: In the same large skillet that you used for the rice, heat another tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs one at a time, and season with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs to your liking! Flip them for overeasy eggs or cover the pan for a sunny side up eggs. The goal, no matter your method, is a runny yolk!
Assemble: To assemble each rice bowl, place 1/4 of the crispy rice on the bottom. Add 1/4 of the mushrooms and vegetables. Top with an egg. Drizzle the bowls with 2-3 tablespoons of dressing (or as much as you want really) and enjoy!
Notes:
Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste that is fermented. It is spicy, sweet, a little funky, and in my opinion DELISH. But, if you don’t take well to heat, feel free to half the amount used! I’ve recently seen it in a few commercial grocery stores like Whole Foods (YAY), but many Asian grocers carry it. You can also buy it online! Still can’t find it? Scroll down to see possible substitutions!
This recipe is super versatile (one of the reasons that I love it as a frequent “pivoter”) so feel free to make it your own! Don’t want gochujang marinated anything, but have left over chicken and broccoli? Throw it on! Hate carrots? Use whatever vegetables you prefer! This truly a choose your own adventure kind of recipe.
Dietary Notes:
Vegetarian recipe.
Dairy Free recipe.
Vegan: Omit the eggs. Substitute sugar for honey.
Gluten Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Re-heating Instructions:
Store the rice, mushrooms, veggies, and dressing separately in the fridge. Re-heat or re-crisp the rice in a skillet. Then, do the same with the mushrooms and assemble as written.
Side Dish Suggestions:
This is really a full meal in a bowl! But, additional sides like Deb’s Cucumber and Avocado Salad or just some roasted Broccolini would be lovely!
Substitutions:
Mushrooms: Don’t like mushrooms or want meat? Sub in chunks of eggplant, chicken, tofu, steak, etc. instead! Just be sure to adjust the cooking time so that everything is fully cooked.
Gochujang: If you can’t find gochujang, you can sub in harissa (for more on harissa, see my last post), or another chili paste like sambal oelek or thai red chili paste. In a pinch, sriracha should work too!