Vegetable Donburi

Ingredients

In Japan, Donburi basically means something served over rice -- usually eggs. It's easy, popular, made at home and sold as street food. It's Japanese comfort food and kids grow up on it. I've enriched it by adding vegetables (and losing the egg - it's still excellent).

1 cup red rice (or substitute brown basmati rice), rinsed

2 cups water

1 cup vegetable broth

¼ cup sake or sherry

1 Tbsp white miso paste

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

2 carrots, chopped

2 cups broccoli (about half a head), broken into florets

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 cup edamames (green soy beans)

8 oz (225g) mushrooms, sliced

4 scallions, chopped

Directions

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and has absorbed liquid -- about 40 minutes.

Remove from heat but keep covered and warm.

Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Add sake or sherry, miso, soy sauce and optional sesame oil. Stir until smooth. Add broccoli, carrots, ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until vegetables start to soften. Add scallions and mushrooms and continue cooking another few minutes.

Divide rice into two bowls. Gently spoon vegetables and sauce on top.

Serves 2.