The beauty of making this meal is its simplicity. Did you know that you could cook all these things in one single pot? It’s like a miracle. The rice and lentils are boiled together, and right before they are done you can toss in the veggies to steam on top. While all that is going on, whip up the sauce, then shred the cabbage and toss it in citrus, olive oil and a little salt. This raw portion adds enzymes to the dish, which help with digestion, and gives the bowl a delicious crunch. If you’re not into cabbage, toss in some massaged kale or spinach.
Natural Vitality Living
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Ingredients
- 2/3 cup brown rice
- 1/3 cup green lentils
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
- Drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil
- GARLIC-GINGER PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic
- Knob of fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 to 1 cup water
- 3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine rice and lentils in a medium bowl, cover with water and wash well, rubbing grains and legumes together. Drain and repeat until water is clear. Cover with water again and soak overnight—for up to 8 hours, if possible. Drain and rinse.
- In a medium saucepan, place the rice and lentils, plus 1½ cups water (if soaked; add 2 cups water if unsoaked) and sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered until water has been absorbed and rice and lentils are cooked through (about 30–45 minutes, depending on if you soaked the grains or not).
- While the rice and lentils are cooking, chop the broccoli into florets and the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes. About ten minutes before the grains have cooked (check the water level before adding veggies—if it’s dry, add a little more liquid), add the sweet potato. After five minutes, add the broccoli on top of the sweet potato.
- While the rice and lentils are cooking, you can also blend together the sauce (see below) and prepare the cabbage: Shred cabbage using a mandolin or sharp knife. Toss with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil and some salt. Toss to combine.
- To assemble the bowl, simply spoon in the cooked rice and lentils with the steamed veggies, add the cabbage on the side and pour sauce over. Give thanks for the abundance and enjoy.
- GARLIC-GINGER PUMPKIN-SEED SAUCE: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast pumpkin seeds, stirring every so often, until they begin to pop. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a food processor, pulse to mince garlic and ginger. Add cooled pumpkin seeds and blend on high until sand textured. Add remaining ingredients (start with ¾ cup water) and blend, scraping down the sides periodically. Add remaining water as needed to suit your desired consistency. Season to taste. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Recipe Notes
- NOTES: This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce, but as it keeps for five days it’s a wonderful thing to have on hand to dress salads, roast veggies and cooked whole grains. You can easily make half the amount if you know you won’t eat it all before it spoils.
- You can also make a raw version of this sauce. To do so, soak the pumpkin seeds for 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse well. Skip step 1 in the instructions and carry on with the others. Enjoy!
