Roasted Vegetable Rice Bowls W/ Maple Balsamic Vinegar & Tamarind/Almond Sauce

One Green Planet recipe photo, will change next time I make

Sunday I was looking for recipes I could serve for a small lunch get together that were Vegetarian, Gluten/Dairy Free and yet offered my husband the option to add the meat he craved. One option that caught my eye was found under several different labels - rice bowl, Buddha's feast, glow bowl and more.

They all include a base of rice with a layer of vegetables on top. Extras can include tofu, beans or meat. Then there is usually, but not always, a sauce of some sort drizzled on top.  Most were vegan as well. so really versatile to have in my repertoire for my wide range of friends.

I had been perusing the great recipes at One Green Planet for awhile, so decided to use their Forbidden Rice Glow Bowl as a starting point. From there I increased it to serve 4, used a dark coloured wild rice mix instead of the original black rice, changed up some of the vegetables and roasted most of them. Then I topped them with a touch of Maple Balsamic Vinegar to pair with a different sauce that also has a maple note.

The results were wonderful.  My husband tossed on some BBQ chicken strips, the rest of us enjoyed as is.  But in my excitement to get everyone to the table, I forgot to snap a picture of the dish. SOOOOO, I have had to use the original photo from One Green Planet as the look is very similar and will change it the next time I make this.

My version is below, but if you want to see the original version with black rice and a lemon ginger tahini sauce click HERE.

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Roasted Vegetable Rice Bowls W/ Maple Balsamic Vinegar & Tamarind/Almond Sauce
Serves 4

Main Ingredients - 

1            Medium Zucchini, cut in half length wise and sliced crosswide
3            Large Carrots, sliced crosswise (if thick cut lengthwise first)
1            Large Red Pepper, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/2         Large Sweet Onion, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 C        Broccoli, cut in small florets
1 C        Snap Peas cut into 1/2" pieces
6 oz.      Cremini Mushrooms (or other) sliced
Olive Oil
2 C        Red Cabbage, sliced crosswise into 1/4" shreds
1 C        Frozen Edame Beans
4 C        Cooked Wild Rice Blend (I used NuWorld's. You could use brown rice, black rice or other                  great mix. Just needs some texture and I like the varied colour. For extra flavour, cook
             the rice in vegetable broth.)
Maple Balsamic Vinegar
2-4 C     Your favourite mixed greens, coarsely chopped (kale, spinach, chard, etc.)

Optional- 
1 lb        Chicken breast cut into narrow strips and BBQ'd or stir fried,

Sauce

4 T Smooth almond butter
4 T Tamarind Chili Sauce
1 T Maple syrup
1 T Grated fresh ginger
1 T Gluten Free Soy Sauce
2 T Warm Water

Instructions - 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss zucchini, carrots, pepper, onion, broccoli, snap peas and mushrooms with small amount of olive oil until all are coated and spread on cookie sheet. Roast in oven for about 40 minutes, until just tender.  

While they are roasting, saute red cabbage and edame beans in non-stick pan or in regular pan with just a touch of olive oil. Cook until just tender.  Prepare your rice or reheat of made ahead of time. Mix your sauce ingredients thoroughly. I like a magic bullet or food processor so that the ginger gets fully combined.

Combine all vegetables and drizzle with a small amount of maple balsamic vinegar. Toss gently. Place 1 cup of hot rice in each of your 4 bowls.  Top with a hand full fresh greens, Place 1/4 of the hot vegetables on the greens. Add optional chicken if desired. Drizzle sauce over top decoratively. SERVE!