This shelf holds pickling vinegar base, so tonight we build a bowlful around it: quick-pickled vegetables, soft eggs, and rice make a bright, sour dinner that tastes like you planned it.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 700 calories a serving, 21 g protein, 110 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat. From USDA figures for 82% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot and stir in 1 cup rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lower heat to a bare simmer, cover, and let cook for 17 minutes while you prepare everything else.17 min
2. Peel 2 medium carrots and slice them into thin rounds, slice 1 small cucumber into half-moons, and mince 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 medium onion. Toss these vegetables into a bowl with 3/4 cup of the pickling vinegar base and let them sit.
3. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and carefully lower in 4 eggs. Cook for 6 minutes, then transfer them to ice water.6 min
4. Drain the rice and return it to the pot off heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide between two bowls.
5. Peel the cooled eggs and halve them. Top each bowl of rice with half the quick-pickled vegetables and their liquid, then arrange 2 egg halves on top.

Note Swap in any crisp vegetables: radishes, green beans, or bell peppers all pickle quickly. Leftovers keep for three days in the refrigerator; reheat the rice gently and eat the vegetables cold. Serve with a bottle of hot sauce on the side, or add a handful of fresh herbs if you have them.