We're getting so close to that time of year when it's easy to let our guard down and just go for it—meaning eating and drinking whatever we want whenever we want. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but for some of us, overindulging means we end up with unwanted extra weight and overall malaise.
I'm talking about the holidays and how it's so easy to overdo it when it comes to food and beverages. Between the Thanksgiving pies and the Christmas fudge, the average person typically gains a pound or so during the season, but the effects of too much sugar and too much eating in general can bog down your system.
Before we go into food overload in the weeks to come, a nice healthy vegetable bowl might be just the ticket. This particular veggie bowl was shared with me a few years ago by a Bend friend who was gracious enough to be a guest on the food podcast I was hosting at the time (FoodLifePodcast/Stephanie's Story). Her story was so inspiring and the recipes she shared with me were easy, delicious and full of wholesome ingredients. The veggie bowl was one of the best ones I had ever made at home.
This simple recipe calls for sweet potato, rich in vitamins A and C, as well as manganese and potassium. It also has avocado, a good fat source and Brussels sprouts, a cruciferous vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals that may help to lower inflammation in the body. Of course, you could substitute other veggies of your choice and swap out the black rice for another grain that you like better.
You can also change up the garnishes. For example, if you don't like green onion, skip it. Add some chopped cilantro along with the basil and mint, perhaps, or squeeze some lemon on top if you don't have a lime handy. It's a versatile recipe ripe for personalization.
In my opinion, the sauce is what makes the dish, so I suggest following the recipe for that, at least initially. Once you taste it for yourself, you can decide if you want more garlic or less sugar or whatever.
The beauty of this recipe is you can prep extra ingredients (dice two potatoes instead of one and trim 4 cups of Brussels, for example) and make a larger batch of rice and keep everything in the fridge until you're ready to make a bowl or bowls.
Forbidden Sweet Potato Bowl
Serves 1-2
-1 cup Forbidden rice (black rice), cooked and kept warm
-2 teaspoons coconut oil
-2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
-1 medium size sweet potato, diced
-Pinch of sea salt
-¼ cup chopped green onion
-¼ cup torn basil
-¼ cup torn mint leaves
-1 avocado, pitted and diced
-1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
-Sriracha or other hot sauce, as desired
-Lime slices
Sauce
-1 tablespoon tamari
-2 small garlic cloves, minced
-2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
-1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or you can use regular sugar)
-2 tablespoons water
-Pinch of chili flakes, to taste
First, make the sauce by whisking together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels and sweet potato along with a pinch of salt. Sear the veggies in the pan for 2-3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking for another 7-10 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.
Place the cooked rice in a bowl. Top with the Brussels and sweet potato. Drizzle with the prepared sauce. Garnish with green onion, basil, mint and sesame seeds. Serve with Sriracha and lime slices.
