Spring Rice Bowl with Sunny Orange Vinaigrette
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- Sunny Orange Vinaigrette 5-6 tbsp
- Cooked Brown Rice 2 ½ cup
- large bunch asparagus 14-16 oz
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- Kosher
- navy beans 1
- flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 cup
- fresh dill or fresh mint ½ cup
- roasted pistachios ½ cup
- large Cara Cara 1
- large or small ripe avocados 2
- red pepper flakes 0.5-1 tsp
- tart dried cherries or finely chopped dried apricots 0.33 cup
For heartier appetites, use 2 cans of navy beans in this meal. Dress the beans with more salt and Sunny Orange Vinaigrette to taste. If using pistachios with shells, it will take several minutes to remove them, so do that before starting the recipe. Storage: Store the assembled rice bowl (beans, asparagus, herbs, nuts, dried fruit) in the fridge for about 3 days, separate from the avocado. Add freshly chopped avocado and herbs on top right before serving. It’s great right out of the fridge, or if preferred, briefly reheat in the microwave for a warm bowl. Nutrition boost: For more veggies, add any leftover roasted or steamed veggies you have (beets are great here!). Or, serve over a bed of lightly dressed salad greens for a salad-rice bowl hybrid. If they’re in season, add in some pitted and halved fresh cherries. For more protein, sprinkle the bowl with some hemp seeds. You can also use more navy beans for added protein and fiber (see Note 1). Shortcut: If you bought sugar snap peas, skip roasting the asparagus and simply chop the snap peas into bite-size pieces. Toss with the salad in step 4. Shortcut: Skip zesting the citrus and just add a squeeze of juice on top.
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1Gather: Sunny Orange Vinaigrette , Cooked Brown Rice , large bunch asparagus , extra virgin olive oil , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, navy beans , flat-leaf parsley leaves , fresh dill or fresh mint , roasted pistachios , large Cara Cara , large or small ripe avocados , red pepper flakes , tart dried cherries or finely chopped dried apricots .
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2Arrange a rack in the top third or bottom of the oven, and preheat to 425ºF / 220ºC. Take the Sunny Orange Vinaigrette and Cooked Brown Rice out of the fridge. If the oil in the vinaigrette has solidified, add the jar to a bowl of hot water.
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3Roast the asparagus. Transfer the asparagus to a sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus pepper to taste. Toss and spread out on the pan. Roast for 15-20 minutes , until tender and browned in spots. (Skinnier asparagus should take 15 minutes.)
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4While the asparagus roasts, prep the other ingredients and prepare your side salad (if you’re making one). Beans: Drain, rinse, and pat dry the beans. In a large bowl, combine with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, pepper to taste, and 1 tbsp of Sunny Orange Vinaigrette, or enough to lightly coat. Set aside to marinate. Herbs & Nuts: Roughly chop the parsley, dill or mint, and pistachios. Citrus: Zest the orange/grapefruit to get 2 tsp; set aside. Peel and segment the fruit, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Rice: Add the Cooked Brown Rice to a bowl and add an ice cube on top. Cover and microwave for 1 minutes , or until softened and just warm. Avocado: Dice or slice the avocado(s). Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, if using.
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5Assemble: To the marinated beans, add the roasted asparagus, chopped herbs and pistachios, citrus zest and pieces, warm rice, and dried fruit. If desired, add 1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes for a subtle kick. Toss to combine. Add 4 tbsp Sunny Orange Vinaigrette. Toss and taste, adding up to 1 tbsp more vinaigrette or salt/pepper as needed.
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6Divide among bowls, then scatter the avocado on top of each bowl. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.