There is something both comforting and creative about these bowls, which are chock full of healthy, flavorful ingredients- and enlivened by a sauce or dressing. Use these recipes as is, modify them to suit your tastes and your pantry – or use them as inspiration for an entirely new combination!
Gado Gado Bowl with Peanut Sauce- serves 4
This colorful and nourishing combination has its roots in Indonesia. A bed of spinach is topped with rice and an assortment of vegetables, then dressed with peanut sauce, and garnished with a sprinkle of coconut and a squeeze of lime. It can be a nice stay-at-home dinner served from the kitchen counter or a colorful dinner party buffet. People enjoy selecting just the perfect combo of vegetables to suit their taste, so I usually set all the vegetable options out in separate bowls.
Note: the peanut sauce can be made ahead of time, and the veggie garnishes prepped ahead as well, to make it easy to put together at mealtime.
Ingredients:
Raw Baby Spinach leaves: a small handful to cover the bottom of each bowl
Rice: 4 cups cooked basmati rice
Rice Toppings:
1 container firm tofu, drained, cut into appx 1-inch chunks, marinated in tamari and baked (see below)
2 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
1 red pepper, raw, cut into chunks or spears
1/2 cucumber (peeled if non-organic), cut into chunks
1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1 cup pineapple chunks, (or small can of pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice-drained)
1 can bamboo shoots, drained (optional)
1 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
(Try these other optional toppings if you have them on hand: sliced hard-boiled egg, grated carrot, shredded purple cabbage, baby corn, chopped peanuts. To scale the recipe ingredients back- try making this with just spinach, broccoli, tomato and tofu- or just tofu and spinach – and increase the amount of spinach for each bowl.)
Peanut Sauce dressing:
1 TB cooking oil
½ small onion, chopped
½ tsp minced garlic
1 cup peanut butter
1 lemon (peel & juice- hint: grate the skin before cutting and juicing the lemon!)
1 cup milk (I like rice milk, but soy, coconut or regular will do)
¼ cup grated dried coconut
2 TB honey
dried ginger powder- 1 ½ tsp (or more to taste)
Final garnish
1/4 cup grated dried coconut
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain tofu and cut into 1-inch chunks. Put in an oiled shallow baking dish and sprinkle liberally with soy sauce and garlic powder to taste. Marinate for 10 minutes, then bake until the liquid is absorbed- approximately 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
2) While tofu is cooking, prepare veggie toppings as described above and arrange on platters or in bowls for guest to serve themselves;
3) Also, prepare Peanut Sauce:
Saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Reduce heat, add peanut butter and stir to combine. Next add honey and then lemon juice and lemon peel, stirring continually and being careful not to let the bottom stick (and burn!). Add milk and stir until smooth, then add coconut. Bring to a simmer gently on low heat- stirring continually- and cook 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. (You can leave on very low heat longer to keep warm if needed, but be sure to stir frequently to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of pan.) Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or pitcher to serve over rice and veggies. (Peanut Sauce can also be prepared up to a day in advance, and gently re-warmed before serving. You may need to add a little more milk to thin it back to the proper consistency.)
To serve: Place a bed of fresh Spinach leaves in each bowl, then top with rice, followed by an assortment of veggies. Garnish with peanut sauce, grated coconut- and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
Vitality Bowl with Tahini Sauce: Makes 4 Bowls.
This delicious bowl has a fall flair- with black beans, butternut squash, kale, sauerkraut and pumpkin seeds. Each element adds a distinct flavor, be it sweet, salty or savory – and the broth for the beans and the sauerkarut aid digestion too! When building the bowl, start with brown rice, then top with black beans, butternut squash, kale, sauerkraut, pumpkin seeds, and lemon tahini dressing.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 cup Brown Rice, cooked
2 cups dry Black Beans or Black Eyed Peas (or use 1 11 oz can of good quality organic beans, drained.)
2 Onions
4-5 Bay leaves
4 Boullion Cubes
2-3 bundles of Kale
Sauerkraut
1 cup (or more) Pumpkin Seeds
1 small Butternut Squash
Lemon Tahini Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup Tahini
3/4 cup water
3 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Black Pepper to Taste
Directions :
Butternut Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop butternut squash into small cubes. Toss in olive oil and sea salt . Spread butternut squash in an even layer on a parchment lined baking pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender .
Beans: If using dry beans, soak overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain. Dice onions and sauté in olive oil in a large pot until brown. Add soaked Beans, 4 -5 Bay leaves, 8 cups of water, and 4 boullion cubes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until tender. (If using canned beans, drain the beans, and add to the pot with the onions, along with 1 cup water, 1 boullion cube, and the bay leaves, and simmer gently for 10 minutes to bring out the flavors.)
Kale: Remove kale leaves from the stalk and chip into bite size pieces. In a separate pot, cook kale in boiling water with vegetable broth or 2 bullion cubes for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Lemon Tahini Dressing: In a blender combine Tahini, Water, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Black Pepper. Blend on high until smooth.
To build the bowls:
Add brown rice to bowls, top with black beans and bean broth, arrange butternut squash, kale, and sauerkraut around the sides of the bowl, then finish with lemon tahini dressing and pumpkin seeds.
