This is yet another type of veggie grain bowl that we love to have at our house. It is very easy to put together. This recipe is inspired by one of the recipes that I saw in one of my favorite blogs, "Green Kitchen Stories".
You could have this in both vegan or vegetarian versions.
You will need:
Roasted veggies:
Veggies:
4 cups butternut squash sliced/diced
4 cups asparagus cut in thirds
You could use other veggies like sweet potato, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower etc.
Oil:
2 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings:
onion powder
garlic powder
red chilli flakes
thyme
rosemary
oregano
crushed black pepper
salt per taste
Fresh herbs (optional):
fresh basil (from my Gardyn)
fresh thyme (from my Gardyn)
fresh rosemary(from my Gardyn)
Grain:
1 cup rice blend (white, brown, wild and red)
1.5 cups water
You can use other grains like white rice, brown rice, quinoa, farro, cracked wheat as well. The grain:water ratio would vary and cooking time would vary.
Pesto:
3-4 tbsp pesto (I used store bought vegan pesto, Seggiano brand)
You could make your own pesto at home as well. Most of the store bought pesto have parmigiana which is not a vegetarian cheese. I have not yet found a pesto made with vegetarian parmesan. But lately I found this Seggiano brand vegan pesto, so I can skip the step of making pesto for those busy nights.
Toppings:
sun dried tomatoes (optional)
1 avocado diced
sweet peppers sliced (optional)
roasted pine nuts (or any nuts of your choice)
fresh mozzarella (optional)
How could I resist using these delicious sweet peppers from our Gardyn!
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 400°F. Transfer the butternut squash and asparagus to an oven safe pan. Add oil, seasonings and fresh herbs to the veggies and mix well. Roast them at 400°F for 20 minutes.
In the meanwhile I like to prepare my grains in my Instant Pot (IP). Add the rice blend (I used Rice Select brand) to the IP base. Mix in water. Close the IP lid. Set the valve to sealed mode. Cook at manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release.
As mentioned earlier if you are using other grains or brands, grain:water ratio and cooking time could vary.
Time to assemble!
Add grain to a serving dish. Add pesto to this. Mix well. Add the roasted veggies and toppings.
Make it vegan without using the cheese.
Or for a vegetarian version, pinch of some fresh soft mozzarella on top.
ENJOY!
