Shout out to all my SE Portlanders - I miss seeing your faces at NOW on Division! Anyone else make a post-yoga habit of scarfing down a Double Dragon rice bowl at least once a week? Just me? After 5 years of living within a 3-block radius of 12th & Division and becoming one of their better weekly patrons, I finally decided to recreate my own version of DD’s famous rice bowls.
This is really a 3-in-1 recipe that I think of as “how you like it” rice bowls, because you can swap, add to, or leave out any element of this dish. It’s great for leftovers, primarily contains pantry & produce staples, and is nourishing and filling. Vegetarian, gluten free, and can easily be made dairy free & vegan (swap honey for maple syrup & greek yogurt for coconut yogurt).
Feel free to pull this 3-in-1 apart and take on one at a time. Roasted veggies & chickpeas are great on salads, on their own, or as a side with almost any protein. The green goodness sauce goes great on anything (try it on any protein or veggie). And those quick pickled cukes. Oh, man. Just try to not eat them all in 1 go. I dare ya!
Since we all hate scrolling to get to the actual recipe, let’s get right to it…
Serves 4
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Quick Pickled Cukes:
1 long English cucumber
1 tsp salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
½ a jalapeño, sliced thin with seeds to preference
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots and Crispy Chickpeas:
3 large carrots, orange or multicolor
1 head cauliflower
1 14.5 oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp evoo
Green Goodness Sauce:
1 bunch cilantro
4 scallions
1 Tbsp honey
1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
¼ cup rice vinegar
½ cup plain greek yogurt
½ a jalapeño, roughly chopped with seeds & ribs to preference
1 Tbsp sesame oil
½ cup evoo
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups jasmine rice
2 cups fresh arugula
Cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F for veggies. Then start with the cucumbers:
Quick Pickled Cucumbers:
Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and slice thin.
Toss cucumber slices & a large pinch of salt in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the cucumbers start to sweat and soften.
Meanwhile, whisk together honey, apple cider vinegar, cucumber, jalapeño, salt & garlic.
Squeeze as much moisture out of cucumbers as you can. Cheesecloth works great, but be gentle!
Add cucumbers & vinegar mixture to an airtight Tupperware container & toss to coat. Let sit at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Meanwhile, make:
Spiced Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots with Crispy Chickpeas:
Slice cauliflower into bite-sized florets & quarter or eighth carrots lengthwise. Drain & rinse chickpeas well, then pat very dry. (This step is key for maximum crispiness!)
In a small bowl mix EVOO, paprika, cumin, turmeric, crushed red pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt.
On 2 large baking sheets, toss cauliflower and carrots with spiced oil on one, and chickpeas on the other so the chickpeas can crisp while the veggies cook evenly without steaming. Salt all to taste and spread out in an even layer. (I cooked them all on 1 baking sheet but they would have been crispier if I had used 2!)
With chickpeas on top & veggies on bottom rack, bake in preheated oven at 425F for about 30 minutes, turning over halfway, until chickpeas are golden and crunchy and veggies are cooked through.
While veggies are in the oven, cook rice to package instructions, and make:
Green Goodness Sauce (a very loose play on Green Goddess):
Tip: Pull off any brown parts of the cilantro, but use stems & all. The stems blend well and add great flavor.
Blend all ingredients except EVOO for 30 seconds on high, or until smooth.
Add EVOO & blend until just mixed – 10 – 15 seconds.
Refine consistency. If too thick, add 1Tbsp water. If too thin, add 1 Tbsp greek yogurt. Add salt & pepper to taste.
TO SERVE:
Start with a bed of jasmine rice. Top with a handful of arugula (or any green you have on hand), roasted veggies & chickpeas and quick pickled cucumbers. Drizzle (or generously dollop) with green goodness sauce. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Tip: Store all elements separately for leftovers.
Enjoy!
xo,
Sonya