For a long time, I’ve been hearing about these things called “rice bowls.” They’re insanely popular right now and for good reason. They’re simple to prepare and the ingredients involved oftentimes aren’t very expensive. Folks in the eastern hemisphere have been enjoying rice bowls just about forever.
If you aren’t aware, a rice bowl is a, yes, bowl that’s filled with any type of rice that fits the mood. Most of the time, the rice is topped with a few different sauteed or roasted vegetables and on top of that, a tasty vinaigrette is added. They’re really good and the ingredient assortments are endless.
The Recipe
Today’s recipe was rather simple to prepare. While there was some cook time involved for the brown rice and the roasted vegetables, the small number of ingredients coupled with the straightforward preparation method is what I remember best. Both the rice and vegetables are coated with a nice flavorful vinaigrette, so it was a good time eating this one. And as usual, I made a whole bunch more than I was supposed to, so we’ve got leftovers for a while.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
1 Cup Brown Rice
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
5 Large Carrots, Trimmed, Peeled and Cut
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Za’atar
8 Ounces Kale, Stemmed and Cut into 1-Inch Strips
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Sweet Onion, Chopped
4 Large Egges
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank America’s Test Kitchen for this recipe. We pulled it from their The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook resource and it was perfection.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange the oven racks so one of them is in the top position. Then, warm the oven to 375 degrees.
Cook the Rice
Cook the brown rice on your stove top as per its instructions. In my case, I used 1 cup brown rice to 2 1/2 cups water. I added 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the water and brought it to a boil. When the water was boiling, I added the rice, lowered the heat to low, covered the medium sized saucepan and let it cook for 45 minutes. It came out perfectly. One of my tips is to add about 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of ground black pepper to the cooked rice and to fluff with a fork.
Prep & Cook the Carrots
Trim both ends from the carrots. Then, peel them all and cut them in half widthwise. The thinner half should be fine. For the fatter half, slice lengthwise in half and then in half again. Place all strips in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the za’atar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
After that, spread the carrots on a large baking sheet and place in the oven, on the top rack, for 20 minutes.
Prep & Cook the Kale
Stem the kale by grabbing the large end of the stem and pulling all the leaves off in one fell swoop. Then, slice the leaves into 1-inch strips. In a large bowl, toss the kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
When the carrots are finished cooking, remove the tray and spread the kale over them (on top of them).
Then, add the baking sheet back to the oven and cook for 15 more minutes or until the kale develops some browned edges.
Prepare the Vinaigrette
In a medium sized bowl, add the red wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Then, whisk those ingredients well and add in the chopped onion. Whisk again.
Plate the Dish
Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Then, divide the roasted vegetables among those bowls as well. Drizzle some vinaigrette over each bowl of food.
Cook the Eggs
Warm a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and carefully crack the 4 eggs into it. Cover the skillet and let the eggs cook for 1 minute. The goal is to have the egg whites cooked through, but to leave a soft yolk. Continue peeking inside the skillet until the eggs are finished.
When the eggs are finished cooking, add one to each bowl and serve.
The Final Rice Bowl
I think this recipe will be a breeze after you go through it once. Trying to time the separate ingredients, plate them and cook the eggs can be tough, but once you get used to it, it’ll be very easy. Give this recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. Thanks for reading!
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