Easy Weeknight Grain Bowl

I don’t know about you but I’m wondering why I felt the need to have 2 (TWO!) Thanksgiving dinners this year. And that doesn’t include the leftovers I ate. I’m trying to get back on track this week, and I remembered this recipe I shot for Banker’s Fidelity Life Insurance. The recipe is for a really easy grain bowl that is a healthy, delicious weeknight meal.

And no, that’s not a wig, the video is a couple years old 😉

 

There is an easy trick to making good brown rice. The key is to rinse off all the extra starch. It will get rid of that sticky texture that makes brown rice so off-putting.I’ve described how to cook the rice on the stovetop below, but if you have a rice cooker I would suggest using it. Rinse the rice then make according to the rice cooker’s instructions, preferably in brown rice mode.

New Year's Resolution Bowl

New Year's Resolution Bowl

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New Year's Resolution Bowl

Ingredients

4
  • Brown Rice
  • 1 ½ cups brown rice
  • 2 ¼ cups chicken stock
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • sprig of thyme (optional)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • Dressing
  • Yield: 1 ¼ cup
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, rough chopped
  • ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbs tamari
  • 1 tsp dark miso paste
  • ½ tsp honey
  • ⅔ cup sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp dark sesame oil
  • Garnish:
  • 2 ripe avocados, cored and sliced
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • ½ cup toasted peanuts, chopped
  • 2 tbs toasted sesame seeds, white and black
  • ¾ cup homemade or high quality cabbage kimchi
  • 1 cup cucumber, sliced thin (about ½ a cucumber)
  • 1 cup carrot, shredded (about 3 carrots)
  • 1 cup sprouts
  • ½ cup fresh basil, hand torn
  • ¼ cup green onions, sliced

Instructions

  • Measure the rice and place in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with fresh, clean water and agitate it for about a minute, until the water looks starchy. Drain the rice and place it in a pot.
  • Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, turn heat to low, and allow to cook for about 35-45 minutes. Rice is cooked when tender and the stock is evaporated. Keep covered for 10 minutes with the heat off, and fluff with a fork.
  • Place ginger, garlic, vinegar, tamari, miso paste and honey in the blender, and blend until combined for about 10 seconds. Then slowly pour in both oils with the blender running. Pour in a container and refrigerate until needed.
  • To Assemble:
  • Place the brown rice on the bottom of the bowl. Place the chicken in the middle and then place all the vegetable garnishes in little piles starting with the sprouts, then the carrots, the cucumber, the kimchi and the avocado. Sprinkle the basil, green onions, sesame seeds and peanuts all over the top of the bowl. Drizzle the dressing around and enjoy!

Nutrition information

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