I believe there’s truly nothing more comforting than a big warming bowl of fresh food. It’s my favorite way to do lunch, and I find I always digest food easier if it’s something that can be “mixed together” or thrown into one pot. This recipe is a breeze to make and tastes delicious, plus it’s great reheated if you want to make extras for later in the week. It’s super easy to swap out the veggies with whatever you have on hand. I usually make this at the end of the week when some of my older veggies are looking worse for wear, and it’s a great way to eat a super nutritious meal while also cleaning out the fridge. The carrots can definitely be swapped for sweet potatoes and the asparagus for broccoli, or whatever you’re feeling that day! If you’re out of brown rice, go for quinoa or cous-cous. If you’re not feeling beans, hit it up with some mashed avocado or extra veggies. The options are endless.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup organic brown rice, uncooked
- 1/2 tin of organic black beans, drained and washed
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
- 1/2 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 carrot, chopped
- Water, as needed
- 1 bunch of asparagus, ends cut off
- tahini and pumpkin seeds, for topping
Instructions:
- Cook the rice. In a small pot, place 1/2 cup uncooked rice with 1 cup water and a bit of salt, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Rice perfection. Set aside.
- Sauté the garlic with olive oil over low heat until soft and fragrant, add the black beans, salt and crushed red pepper and cook on low-medium heat while making the other veggies. Stirring every so often. You want the black beans to soften and some to split open.
- In a large pan, add the carrot with salt and enough water to fill the bottom of the pan and cook on medium-high heat. Add more water as necessary and cook until the carrots are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Remove any excess water, then add the zucchini and a bit of olive oil and sauté.
- In another small pan, add the asparagus with a bit of olive oil and salt, cover and let sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the edges are crispy and the asparagus is easily pierced with a fork but still holds a crunch.
- Layer the food into a bowl and then drizzle tahini on top and pumpkin seeds. And voilà!
Super simple, but really nourishing. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do!
Always,
