Where’s the beef?
You know how much I love making chicken, fish, beef, burgers, etc., but every now and then (well I’m trying to aim for a few times a week) we go veggie. Now don’t get me wrong, going veggie doesn’t mean going less delicious or hearty, quite the opposite, veggie nights are some of the most flavorful of the week!
My current non-meat obsession is veggie bowls! I usually do a rice or cauliflower rice base and load up on the green stuff to my heart’s content. I went with a Mexican flavored bowl this past week and took the additional effort to make a cilantro jalapeño sauce. The sauce took a little prep time, but it was soooooo worth it! I made enough for the week, but it was literally gone after two more meals, so if that doesn’t scream delicious I don’t know what does. Now onto the good stuff!
Ingredients:
For the bowl-
1 head of kale (chopped and stems removed)
2-3 cups of cooked white rice
1 can of black beans drained (Trader Joe’s organic black beans)
1 red bell pepper
1 extra large avocado
Olives
cherry tomatoes
jalapeños
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold reserve cheddar)
For the sauce–
1 bunch of cilantro
1 jalapeno (seeds removed and coarsely chopped)
2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I always have a jar on hand in the fridge -super easy way to get more garlic in your diet)
2 limes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup of mayo (I used Chosen foods 100% avocado based)
Rinse one cup of rice under water and place in pot with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Pull rice off heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes covered. While the rice cooks sauté kale in one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Place the black beans in a small pot over high heat, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Chop remaining veggies to bite sized pieces for the bowls.
Destem the cilantro and place in food processor or blender. Add juice of two limes, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, olive oil, and mayo. Blend until thoroughly combined. Can add water to thin out to desired consistency.
All that’s left to do is assemble your bowl, top with the sauce, and dig in!
Wine to pair?
Well I’d go with a nice light bright white for this dish since it doesn’t have a meat protein, maybe a stainless steel Chard or even a Sauv Blanc. However if you want to stay with the meal theme I say pour yourself a tequila
