Plastic Free Rice Balls

These rice balls are made using a silicone mold instead of plastic cling wrap

Cook Time45

Cooling time15

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings: 8 rice balls

1 silicone mold with about 2-3/4" squares (can also use a silicon muffin tin, the rice balls will just be smaller)
1 pan with lid

Rinse the rice and add to the pot with water and salt.
Heat rice to boiling.
Once boiling, cover rice with lid and turn stove temp to low.
While rice cooks, prepare the filling. (I used the beef salad in the pics).
When rice is done cooking (about 30 minutes) loosely fill the silicone mold and let rice cool a few minutes.
Wet your hands with water to help keep the rice from sticking to them. Press the rice down into the mold forming a well/cup in the center of each one.
Spoon the filling into the rice "cups" you just made leaving a little room at the top.
Top off the filled rice "cup" with more rice, about a 1/4 or 1/3 cups worth.
Wet your hands again with water and press the rice till it is just above the top of the mold edge.
Let rice balls cool before turning them out of the mold.
When you turn the rice balls out of the mold, they should all hold together. If not, you will need to put them back into the mold and re-press them.
Use half a sheet of nori sushi wrap to fold around the rice ball.
Eat warm or store for later using your storage method of choice.

I don't recommend storing your rice balls for much more than 2 days.