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There’s a lightness in the air; Spring is here in full. Wren loves flowers, or “abos,” as he calls them—our walks often take ages because he stops to pick each one he can reach. Vibrantly green new leaves decorate branches; pale pink and white blossoms turn fruit trees into puffs of cloud from far away. Wisteria blooms throughout the neighborhood, twisting vines slowly squeezing fences, trellises, creating pockets of fragrant air on the sidewalks that is best inhaled in deep, slow breaths. Doves visit our front yard, quietly pecking seeds that wild birds drop from the bird feeder. Wren watches out the window, shouting “caw-caw!” as soon as he spots a hint of a dark crow. We frequent the tide pools off Pleasure Point when the days are warm, waves breaking on rocks and arriving at the shore as barely more than ripples. Wren giggles wildly whenever he sees an anemone, pudgy finger poking, causing it to contract; more giggles, more pokes. Phoebe expertly unearths sand crabs, laughing as they tickle her palm; hermit crabs in shells of all shapes and sizes unfurl in her small palms, courageous as they realize she means them no harm. At home, roses bloom in the backyard. Phoebe found one as big as her face; I cut it, the drooping flower on its sliced stem somewhat tragic, but magnificent again as she held it up to her nose, inhaling great gulps of the intoxicating sweet scent, now at our table’s center.

Our food is reflecting the new season, leaning towards fresh, cold vegetables and salads, bowls that can be eaten warm or cool. This is one of those meals where, upon taking the first bite, I was instantly enthralled and could not stop exclaiming, “Wow, this is really good!” It’s essentially sushi in a bowl, without the extra effort of rolling and slicing. It may be a bit juvenile of me to still be in love with teriyaki chicken, but does anyone actually dislike teriyaki chicken? I don’t see how. Regardless, this meal can be eaten warm or cold; you can also substitute salmon for the chicken, cooked in whichever way best suits you. Salty-sweet chicken, crunchy cucumber, soft avocado, bouncy, sticky rice, tangy pickled ginger: it’s perfection.

This recipe is a riff on one in What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers, which is truly a phenomenal book with recipes that knock it out of the park in flavor and, bonus, they are legitimately very easy. I highly recommend the book! Chambers’ original recipe uses sriracha shrimp; I love shrimp but it does not make the best leftovers, so I decided to try teriyaki chicken instead. It was a solid choice, and the meal has since become a staple in my meal planning.

Note: I started making rice in an Instant Pot about a year ago and have never looked back—it results in perfectly cooked rice every time, no mushiness or undercooked grains in sight. I’m giving my recipe as I make it, in the Instant Pot, but feel free to cook your sushi rice in whatever way works best for you. Simply add the rice seasoning after you fluff the rice, no matter which method you use.

Teriyaki Chicken Sushi Bowls

serves 5 / inspired by a recipe in What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers

about 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs
½ cup teriyaki sauce/marinade
1 ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

2 cups sushi rice
2 ½ cups cold water
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp DC kosher salt
1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar

2 large cucumbers
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 large avocado
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

toppings (optional but recommended):
toasted sesame seeds
sliced pickled ginger
toasted and salted Nori sheets, thinly sliced
Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce, or similar, for drizzling

Place 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a medium bowl and toss with ½ cup teriyaki sauce and 1 ½ tsp kosher salt. If you’re cooking the meat in 30 minutes or less, leave it out at room temperature; any more time and you should cover the bowl and pop it into the fridge until needed. (I often marinate my chicken for at least 4 hours, if not longer, which I think allows more flavor to permeate the meat. You can also do this a day ahead.)

Right before you start the rice, turn your grill on to medium-high and clean the grates. Allow to preheat for 10 minutes before cooking the chicken.

Make the sushi rice: place 2 cups sushi rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Combine the drained rice in the bowl of an Instant Pot* with 2 ½ cups cold water. Seal the pot and set the program to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover the pot with a towel to keep the rice from drying out. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, and 1 ½ tbsp sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture evenly over the cooked rice and gently stir with a wooden spoon or rice paddle. Drape the pot with the towel until ready to eat.

*See note, above: cook your sushi rice whichever way works best for you if you do not have an Instant Pot. After fluffing your cooked rice, proceed as written.

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Barbecue chicken breasts for about 10 minutes per side, or about 6 minutes per side for thighs. If you’re unsure, get an instant-read thermometer! It is a game changer, and takes all the guess work out of cooking meat. Let the cooked chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into strips or bite-sized chunks.

Meanwhile, rinse your cucumbers and partially peel them, leaving some of the skin on in stripes. Slice in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice horizontally into bite-sized pieces. Toss in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tbsp honey. Right before eating, gently stir in 1 diced avocado. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and give it one last stir.

Build your bowls: I do a big scoop of rice first, then sliced chicken, cucumber and avocado. I top all of that with lots of pickled ginger, shreds of Nori, lots more toasted sesame seeds, and a nice drizzle of Bachan’s or more teriyaki sauce. You can build your bowl whatever way makes the most sense to you. Enjoy!