Erica’s Dragon Bowls - Spring

This recipe was passed on to me by a good friend. It is a fantastic, filling, and colourful meal that is sure to impress friends who are skeptical about vegetarian food. It is also fun to prepare with kids because of all the different components and the creativity in assembling each portion at the end. This is a good meal for spring because it combines textures with the grounding warmth of brown rice and cooked carrots but also the fresh, raw, crisp salad to lighten it up as we prepare for the warmer, brighter weather.  Enjoy!

Base:

• 1 ½ cup brown rice

• 2 cups waterpinch of salt

Salad:                                   

• ½ cup shredded beets

• 2 small tomatoes, chopped

• 1 medium cucumber, chopped

• 1 small red onion, chopped

Dressing:  

• ½ cup sesame oil

• Splash of lime juice

• Splash of wheat free soy sauce (Bragg’s)

Sauce:

• 2/3 cup honey

• 2/3 cup mustard

• 2/3 cup wheat free soy sauce (Bragg’s)

• 1 clove minced garlic

Protein:

• 1 pkg tofu, cubed / 1 pkg tempeh, cubed / 2 cans chick peas

• 3 Tbsp sesame oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 Tbsp ginger, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  

  Carrot Layer:

• 5 medium carrots, cut into thick slices

• 2 Tbsp sesame oil

• 2 Tbsp Wheat free soy sauce / Bragg’s

• ½ cup sesame seeds

Greens:

• ½ bunch spinach, torn

• ½ bunch rapini, torn

• ½ bunch green kale, torn and thick spines removed

• ½ head broccoli, cut into small florets

Toppings:

• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts

• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions

• ½ cup sesame seeds
  

Start to cook the rice according to package instructions. This will take around 45 minutes so should be started first. Brown rice can be substituted with basmati, rice noodles, soba noodles, or quinoa.

Secondly assemble salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Prepare dressing and adjust seasoning to taste. Do not dress salad yet. Set aside.

Now prepare the sauce. Combine honey, mustard and soy sauce. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and adjust seasoning to taste. Mix well and set aside.

Now is a good time to prepare the protein.  Heat sesame oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and ginger.  Sauté until spices are fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add tofu/tempeh/chickpeas. Continue to cook until well done on all sides, stirring frequently.  In the last few minutes add ~ 1 cup of sauce (honey-mustard-soy) and heat through for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Now prepare the carrot layer.  Heat sesame oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add carrots and cook 5 minutes stirring frequently.  Turn down heat, add soy sauce, and continue to cook until tender.  Remove from heat and add sesame seeds coating all the cooked carrots with seeds. 

The last stage is steaming the greens.  Bring a small amount of water to boil in a pot.  Place a steamer on top and combine the greens inside.  Steam until all the greens are tender and bright green.  Keep a close eye on these as they get overdone quickly.

Finally assemble each rice bowl individually.  Place 1 cup cooked brown rice at the bottom, layer protein, carrots, steamed greens, sauce (honey-mustard-soy), raw salad, and dressing.  Garnish with bean sprouts and sliced green scallions.  Repeat for each serving.

* NB this recipe should serve ~ 4. However, the quantities listed are not exact and may need altering.