THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (32 page)

Many of my favorite meals include rice and veggies. I always have both on hand so that a quick and healthy meal is not far away. I make several variations of this bowl and some kind of well-seasoned mushroom is often on the menu. They are versatile, flavorful, and satisfying.

4 cups cooked brown rice or other grain, divided

1 recipe Mushrooms Barbacoa (
p. 196
) or Jerk Mushrooms (
p. 198
)

1 avocado, diced

½ medium red onion, diced

2 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, quartered

1.
Place 1 cup of cooked rice in the bottom of each of four bowls.

2.
Top each bowl with the mushrooms and a little of each of the avocado, red onion, tomatoes, and chopped cilantro.

3.
Serve each bowl with one of the lime quarters.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

I make some kind of Buddha bowl or Zen bowl a few times weekly. I like them because it is not always about making a pretty presentation—sometimes you just want to get the food on the table. I make a big pot of some grain—quinoa is my favorite because of its nutty flavor and quick cooking time—once a week to have on hand, add some kind of sauce or salsa like the one in this recipe, and use frozen vegetables if I am in a hurry (fresh steamed vegetables when I have a little more time).

3 cups water

1½ cups quinoa, rinsed

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 recipe Fresh Herbed Tomato-Corn Salsa (
p. 58
)

1 ripe avocado, cubed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the quinoa and salt. Bring the pot back to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the quinoa, covered, for 15 minutes, until tender.

2.
Add the black beans and cook just until heated.

3.
Divide the quinoa–black bean mixture among four bowls and top with the salsa, avocado, and chopped cilantro.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

This is one of my favorite bowls. I usually make a double batch of the falafel so I can use half of it in Falafel Tacos (
p. 205
) or Mediterranean Pita Pizzas (
p. 211
), too. This recipe is probably my favorite way to eat falafel because it means I get a good serving of vegetables for dinner.

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 package frozen mixed vegetables, cooked according to package instructions

1 recipe Falafel (
p. 82
)

1 cup Green Sauce (
p. 52
)

chopped green onion or cilantro, for garnish

1.
Put 1 cup of cooked brown rice in the bottom of each of the four bowls.

2.
Top each bowl with some of the cooked vegetables, Falafel, and Green Sauce.

3.
Garnish with chopped green onion, cilantro, or both.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS    

One day I made falafel for a few friends and realized right before the first guest arrived that I had forgotten to buy pita bread. One of my guests said that she often serves falafel in corn tortillas, either with Green Sauce or with salsa, and voilà, dinner was saved!