Rainbow Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Yield: 4 entree servings

You may use this recipe as a guideline, adding amounts of the various ingredients that appeal to you. Or incorporate different vegetables, like the ones mentioned in the main post. For added flexibility, the bowls are also easy to make gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

For a fun, complementary side dish, serve with a bowl of steamed edamame in the shell.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked black rice (from 1 cup uncooked; could substitute rice noodles or brown or white rice)
~ ⅛ a head of red/purple cabbage (about 1 cup), thinly sliced or shredded
3 ounces (about 1 cup) snow peas, halved diagonally or thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned or shaved with vegetable peeler
1 small to medium red or yellow pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
12 to 15 cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1 avocado, sliced or diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Peanut sauce (homemade or your favorite store-bought)
Protein topper: Cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, edamame, or chickpeas
Optional garnish: 4 teaspoons sesame seeds or 4 tablespoons peanuts (or nuts/seeds of choice); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, a lime wedge

Assemble the bowls: Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Arrange the veggies in piles around the bowl. For a rainbow effect, go in this order: red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. (The black rice turns an indigo blue shade when cooked. See options and substitutions provided in the main post.) Sprinkle scallions over all, and top with optional protein and or herbs, nuts and/or seeds of choice. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of dressing. To eat, I like to mix everything together for great flavor in each bite and drizzle with more dressing as needed.

For meal prep: Divide rice among 4 bowls. Fill 4 (2-ounce) salad dressing cups with the peanut sauce and place lids on top. Arrange veggies and protein of choice in piles on top of the rice. Nestle dressing cups among the piles. Scatter the optional toppings overall. (For nuts and seeds, add just before serving to preserve crunch.)