Maple Mushroom Rice Bowl
The steaks of the vegetable world known as portobello mushrooms add meaty bite to this rice bowl, while the sweetness of the maple syrup and the creaminess of the ricotta are wonderful counterpoints to the wild rice and other earthy ingredients.
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) wild rice
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) + 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
4 tsp (20 mL) grapeseed oil, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth or water
2 tsp (10 mL) cider vinegar
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
6 portobello mushrooms, sliced, stems removed
1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
1 cup (250 mL) ricotta cheese
2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest
Place rice and 2 cups (500 mL) water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, add 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork.
Heat 2 tsp (10 mL) oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add kale, in batches if necessary, and sauté for 2 minutes, or until lightly wilted. Place broth or water, vinegar, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, and black pepper in skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 4 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed and kale is bright green. Remove kale from skillet and cover to keep warm.
Add 2 tsp (10 mL) oil to skillet and raise heat to medium. Place mushrooms in pan and heat until softened, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and simmer until most of the maple syrup has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
In small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, thyme, and lemon zest.
Divide rice among serving bowls and top with kale, mushrooms (plus any extra maple syrup in pan), and dollops of ricotta mixture.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 490 calories; 21 g protein; 12 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 80 g total carbohydrates (18 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 345 mg sodium
source: "Rice Bowls", alive #385, November 2014
Maple Mushroom Rice Bowl
Directions
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.