Honey-Ginger Black Rice Bowl

A few years ago, my mom became super into making “bowls” for dinner. With each member of my family on different schedules, we all seemed to need dinner at different times. In classic Peggy fashion, she managed to make healthy, nourishing meals that we could throw together quickly at any time.

This recipe is adapted from a Half Baked Harvest stir-fry recipe. What makes this bowl so tasty is is the honey-ginger sauce. It has the perfect balance of savory and sweet while incorporating a hint of Asian-inspired flavors. My favorite part of this bowl are the caramelized cashews. They give the dish more texture and a bit of a crunch which I always love!

I initially decided to use black rice mostly just to switch things up. However, in doing a little bit of research, I learned that black rice has more protein and fiber than brown rice, and is a great source of iron and is loaded with tons of beneficial antioxidants.

While it seems like this recipe has lots of steps, it is deceivingly easy and simple. The sauce is made out of ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen (honey, soy sauce, orange juice, etc.) which makes it easy to throw together spontaneously. You can mix up the veggies that you use depending on what you might already have. This would be a great meal prep option because once you make all of the separate ingredients (rice, vegetables, sauce), all you have to do is throw it together and heat it up. This is a recipe I can see myself making very often when I’m back at school!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups black rice
1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets
½ bunch thin asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
Kosher salt
Pepper
2 bell peppers, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes
¼ cup fresh Thai basil
2 carrots, shredded
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and cut into wedges (substitute: clementines)

Honey-Ginger Sauce:
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (substitutes: coconut aminos or tamari)
3 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
1-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Caramelized Cashews:
4 tbsp sesame oil
½ cup raw cashews

For garnish:
1 avocado, sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
¼ cup Thai Basil
Sesame Seeds

Directions

1) Cook black rice according to the packaged directions.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, hoisin sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic.
3) In a large skillet (or wok) over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of sesame oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the cashews and 2 tbsp of the honey-ginger sauce. Cook, stirring often, until the cashews begin to caramelize (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from skillet and set aside.
4) Wipe the skillet clean.
5) Over medium-high heat, add 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil to the skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and cook until florets begin to soften. Remove broccoli and set aside. (I cook some of my vegetables separately. When they are done, I combine all of them in a large bowl.)
6) Over medium-high heat, add 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil to the skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the pieces begin to soften. Remove asparagus and add to the large bowl with the broccoli.
7) Over medium-high heat, add 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil to the skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the bell peppers and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the scallions and cook for 1 more minute. Remove the peppers, mushrooms, and scallions and add to the bowl with the cooked vegetables.
8) Over high heat, add ½ tbsp of sesame oil to the skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the chicken cubes and cook (stirring often) until cooked through. (Cut through a piece to ensure it is no longer pink.)
9) Pour the honey-ginger sauce to the skillet with chicken. Stir to make sure all of the chicken is coated. Cook until the sauce has thickened (about 6 minutes).
10) Divide the rice and chicken among four bowls. Top with veggies, cashews, basil, and orange wedges. Garnish with avocado, scallions, basil, and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!