What was I doing on Sunday, you ask? Well, I was making a super bowl, of course! Superbowl Sunday is always a great day for three things. Yummy food, socializing, and knitting on the couch for extended periods of time. Oh, and I suppose I left out the football! Don’t get me wrong, I wore my orange and blue for the occasion. I am a Denver-ite after all. I daresay I actually watched and enjoyed the game between knits and purls (GASP, a personal first)! There’s hope yet! On Sunday morning, while the Mister was excitedly watching the pre-game, my mind was on the food. I made some gluten-free samosas with chickpea flour wrappers to take to the game, and these “super bowls” for lunch.
The previous day, my friend Karissa and I created these bowls together, and then proceeded to chow down. I just had to make it again on Super Bowl Sunday so I could record the recipe and share it! I’m always looking for healthy, colorful lunch ideas. For me, a mostly raw diet is not a good fit. In ayurveda, my body constitution is “vata”. I’m always cold and need warming foods to keep my system in balance. If you’re unfamiliar with ayurveda, here’s a good explanation.
This lunch (or dinner) bowl is easy, healthy, lime-y, spiced and colorful. It’s a great warm lunch for these winter days, and you can add or subtract ingredients as you like, change up the sauce, and add raw greens or other veggies. If you like to eat your veggies raw, scatter the rice and veggies over a bed of greens to create a salad. You can also roll everything into a tortilla or wrap.
Every good get-together needs good food. If you bring the football enthusiasm, I’ll bring the eats! I hope you enjoyed your Super Bowl. I sure enjoyed mine!
- 2 cups short grain brown rice (or jasmine rice, or your favorite variety)
- 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cans beans (pinto, black, or a mix), rinsed
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 medium yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ½ inch
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- kosher salt to taste
- 6 small sweet peppers, mixed colors, or 1 bell pepper, cut into 1" long thin slices
- baby spinach or salad greens (optional)
- 1-2 Avocados diced
- chili-lime vinaigrette (see below)
- Prepare the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove according to the package directions (I usually add an extra ¼ to ½ cup water when using a rice cooker). When the rice is finished cooking, stir in half of the cilantro, the green onions, beans, lime juice to taste, and season with salt. Stir to combine. Close the rice cooker or put a lid on the pot and allow the residual heat to warm the beans.
- In the meantime, on a large sheet pan, toss the sweet potatoes with two tablespoons of the olive oil and the chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic and a couple big pinches salt. Bake in the oven until soft, about 25 minutes. Toss and flip them. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until they are slightly darkened in places.
- Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, sauté the peppers to your preferred texture--2 minutes for crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes for fully cooked and soft. Season with salt to taste.
- Make the vinaigrette (recipe below).
- Layer the rice and beans in a bowl, followed by the roasted sweet potatoes, peppers, greens (if using), and avocado. Drizzle with the chili-lime vinaigrette and garnish with the remaining cilantro.
Need more lunch ideas? Try my…
Veggie Crunch Wraps with Black Bean Hummus
Asian Quinoa Salad with Almond-Soy-Ginger Dressing
Southwest Quinoa Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette
This looks awesomely Bueno! Te Amo!
Gracias, Daddio! Te amo también!
This looks DELISH!
Thanks Kel!
Te amo tambi’en and the “Super Bowl”, Grandma