Grain Bowl with Miso Vinaigrette
Once you've created a Niçoise salad at home, you can use those skills and creative thinking to craft a wide variety of dishes, including an at-home grain bowl for the fraction of the cost as a restaurant.
Recipe Ingredients
- For the bowl:
- - 16 ounces (1 block) tofu
- - 1/2 cup lentils
- - 1/4 head of cauliflower
- - 2 medium beets
- - 1 can chickpeas
- - Salt and pepper
- - Curry powder
- - Turmeric
- For the vinaigrette
- - 1 teaspoon sriracha style chili sauce
- - 1 1/2 tablespoon white miso paste
- - 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- - 5 tablespoons neutral oil
- - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- - Pinch salt + freshly ground pepper
- - Double the amounts of all above if using as marinade and dressing
Recipe Instructions
To prepare the compnents:
- TOFU: Slice your block of tofu into thin strips and marinate (in your favorite marinade, or the miso vinaigrette) for at least 30 minutes to an hour (longer if you'd like to develop more robust flavor). You can use it as-is, or cook if you prefer.
- LENTILS: If using dry: rinse, simmer until tender (in broth to amp up the flavor), drain and mix in your favorite seasoning. If using canned: rinse and drain thoroughly in a strainer, and let them sit for a bit to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Once done, stir in your favorite seasoning.
- CAULIFLOWER: Cut into florets and roast in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven with olive oil, salt and turmeric for 15-20 minutes.
- BEETS: (If whole, cut off the tops as close to the beet as possible.) Wash, peel, and slice beets into thin, uniform rounds. Toss with olive oil and salt, roast in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes.
- CHICKPEAS: Drain chickpeas, then add to a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder (to taste).
To prepare the vinaigrette:
- Simply add all the ingredients to a jar, close tightly, and shake vigorously until everything comes together. If the ingredients start to separate, just give the jar a good shake before use.
Plating:
- The idea is to make something that is visually pleasing, but this can prove a little challenging when you are simply putting vegetables on a plate. My strategy for this dish is to repeat each ingredient on the plate on its opposite side.
- For example, put the beets around 10:00 o'clock and 4:00 o'clock and make a pattern as you add ingredients, considering the color of the ingredients. Set them next to the complementary colors to make them pop as much as possible. Showcase your star protein in the center.