Meatless Monday: Chipotle BBQ Veggie & Brown Rice Bowl with Queso Fresco
I'm gonna be a little loosey-goosey with the instructions for this marvelous Meatless Monday dish. When it comes together, though, you'll realize how simple it really was and feel empowered that you led the charge, taking the powers of seasoning and sauce volume into your own hands! Wow, how does it feel to be so motivated on a Monday?!
Silliness aside, this really is just a framework for whatever you want it to be. You can mix up the vegetables, throw meat in if you want (though it certainly doesn't need it), and explore a variety of different sauces. I get pretty excited about sauces. I try to make them as much as possible, but seeing an entire aisle of hot sauces or BBQ sauces or any kind of sauce, really, is too hard for me to resist. Yes, this often leads to a fridge filled with half-empty sauce bottles...but then I take the night off from making my own sauce and figure out something with what I've already got, like this.
Speaking of sauces, I do make note in the recipe below that liquid smoke should be used judiciously! A few drops go a long way and overdoing it, well, would completely overdo it. If it's warm enough out (which, yay, it is!), you could also grill your sweet potatoes and brush them with your sauces, which would give you a natural smoky flavor. And I forgot to add this when I made it, but toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) would be a lovely addition and add a bit of crunch. Again, lots of options with this dish.
Chipotle BBQ Veggie & Brown Rice Bowl with Queso Fresco
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, diced into 1/2-in. chunks
oil (I used a canola-coconut blend, but olive oil would be fine for this, as well)
2 tbsp. ground cumin, divided
chipotle BBQ sauce, or your favorite BBQ & chipotle/adobo sauces
maple syrup or honey
a few drops of liquid smoke (optional—but it's a buck or two to buy a small bottle and will last forever in the fridge for future fake smokiness)
1 bell pepper, diced into 1/2-in. chunks
1/2 red onion, diced into 1/2-in. chunks
1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed & drained
3/4 c. brown rice
1.5 c. broth or water
1 lime, cut into quarters
salt/pepper, to taste
avocado, diced
small block of queso fresco, grated, to serve
crema, sour cream, or Greek yogurt, to serve
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place diced sweet potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. of cumin. Pour in enough olive oil to lightly coat the potatoes. Stir until the oil and cumin are well distributed on the potatoes. Pour potatoes onto a baking sheet and then drizzle with chipotle BBQ sauce (or each of the sauces if you have two separate ones), a tiny bit of maple syrup or honey, and then a few drops of liquid smoke. Trust me, a dab will do ya when it comes to liquid smoke, so don't over do yaself. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly golden. Remove from oven and set aside, keeping warm. I like to turn the oven off and after it's had a chance to cool down a bit, I put the potaotes back in just to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, start the rice. Place rice and broth/water in a an appropriately sized sauce pot. Squeeze two quarters of the lime into the pot and throw in a pinch of salt (more if you're using water instead of broth). Bring to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer and cover the pot. Let simmer for about 30 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. At that point, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and then cover again and set aside.
3. While the rice is cooking and the potatoes are roasting, prepare other ingredients for the meal. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan. Once hot, add peppers and onions to the pan, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in the other tbsp. of cumin and stir. Once the peppers and onions have gotten slightly soft, add drained beans to the pan. Add desired amount of bbq sauce, maple syrup/honey and again, just a pinch of liquid smoke. The ingredients don't need to be too saucy like a can of baked beans, just enough to season everything and give it a nice flavor. It's all up to you, though. Once everything is heated through and the vegetables are seasoned nicely, remove from heat and sprinkle with salt/pepper, to taste.
3. Now, to assemble. Place a mound of rice in a bowl and top with the veggies. Add in avocado, spritz with one of the lime quarters and serve with cheese and crema.
