Japanese takikomi gohan cooks a variety of ingredients—from sweet peas to hijiki (a type of seaweed) to bamboo shoots—directly on top of short-grain rice. When the cooking is done and the rice has had a chance to rest, the ingredients are stirred into the grains. It’s an easy no-fuss way to make a flavorful, interesting and satisfying pot of rice. We use sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms and shredded carrots to make what is known as kinoko gohan, and we toss the vegetables with soy for savoriness, mirin for sweetness and fresh ginger for spiciness before they go onto the rice. We like the meatiness of shiitakes, but feel free to substitute other types of mushrooms, or use a combination. To finish the dish, we stir in a mix of butter and miso for richness and added umami. Assertive red miso is especially good here, but sweeter, milder white miso is also delicious, so use whichever you prefer or have handy. Serve as a side to almost any type of meat, poultry or seafood, or make it into a light meal on its own by topping it with soft-cooked or fried eggs.