recipe: rice, black bean and avocado bowl with sweet chili mustard sauce via the vegan 8

As I opened Blogger to type up this recipe I saw the date of my last post: 2016. Oops? Yikes? I'm not sure what to say here other than I took a short break which turned into a longer break and now, here I am so many months later. So, hello again!

I've been thinking about getting back to blogging. Much has changed since I last made an appearance on this page. That will be a longer post for another day as I decide on future content and how I want this blog to look. For today, I'm sharing a new favorite recipe and my modifications. It's a super flavorful, nutrient rich dish that will now be in our regualr rotation.

My mom sent me this original recipe via The Vegan 8's Instagram page.

A post shared by Brandi Doming (@thevegan8) on Jul 27, 2017 at 6:25pm PDT

{Vegan? Well, yeah, remember those changes I mentioned? That's the first. More on the whys later.)

I had all but one ingredient on hand so had to give it a try. I'm positive that the original recipe is wonderful but I changed up a few things to adjust for our toddler's palate and to get in more veggies. The following is my own twist and WOW, it is good!

Rice, Black Bean and Avocado Bowl with Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce

For the rice
• 1 1/2 cups medium-grain or long-grain brown rice
• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/3 cups water

For the sweet potatoes
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/2 cubes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the beans
• 1 15 oz cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed well
• 2 teaspoons regular chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (my beans were low-sodium, so adjust if necessary)
For the Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce (makes 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup regular yellow wet mustard (120 g)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (60 mL)
• 2 tablespoons regular chili powder (use 1 1/2 T for less heat)
• 2-4 tablespoons water
Garnish
• 1 medium avocado, chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the rice and sweet potatoes first. Preheat oven to 375. Bring vegetable stock to a boil and pour over rice, oil and salt in and oven safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour. Add sweet potatoes to a baking pan, lightly toss with oil and salt and bake uncovered in oven, along with rice, for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Uncover rice and fluff with a fork.
2. When the rice and sweet potatoes are almost done cooking, prepare the beans by combining the "beans" ingredients and heat either over the stove or microwave.
3. Prepare the sauce by combining the "sauce" ingredients into a small bowl and whisk really well until smooth. It will thicken better using a whisk. Add as much water to desired taste/consistency. This is a strong sauce so that it really stands out in the dish. The more water you add, the more diluted the flavor. I added 3 tablespoons of water to mine.
4. Chop your avocado and tomatoes (if using). Assemble either in a large serving bowl or individual bowls by layering rice, beans, sweet potaotes, avocado, tomatoes or any other choices. Drizzle lots of sweet chili mustard sauce on top and toss everything together to coat the mixture well. Serve immediately. The sauce will thicken some overnight. You can "freshen" it back up by adding some water/broth and gently reheating it.