Far East Rice Bowl Recipe

Hi ya’ll, happy May!

I have been really thinking about the over use of processed foods when the Lord provides us everything we need. God provides natural sweeteners in honey yet we turn to white processed sugar. We have fruit perfectly made by God and we turn it into fruit snacks in plastic packages. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of it, but it's been on my heart to really try and focus on whole ingredients. 

So today I want to share a recipe that I have been coming back to whenever I find myself in a rut of wanting to rely less on processed foods but unsure what to make for dinner. 

A little backstory on how I have found and curated this recipe to my own preferences as this is a recipe I have loved for quite a few years now! As a somewhat picky eater, I was at a restaurant in 8th grade with a few friends as a last hoorah before high school. There were no chicken fingers on the menu so I was forced to break out of my shell and try something new. I landed on something called a Far East Rice Bowl. 

It came with a few things on it that I was very hesitant about however I ate it and I LOVED IT! So much so, I went home and tried to recreate it, down to the soy vinaigrette sauce they used. As someone who hates sauce, this was practically newsworthy to my family. 

I have since made tons of varieties of this far east rice bowl over the last 9 years, just building off of what the original one contained and adding things I love and truly have found what I think to be the best twist to the original. 

And today I will be sharing it with you. 

Ingredients for the bowl (measurements can be altered to how much will feed you, this is based around 2 people). 

• 1 cup of Rice 

• 1 small cucumber

• 1/2 medium Tomatoes or a handful of cherry tomatoes 

• 1 large Carrot 

• 2 cups Lettuce

• 2 stalks of Green onions (optional) 

• 1/2 cup of Edamame, shelled

• Shrimp or chicken (your choice of which one), adjust to the amount that will feed two people, I usually go 1 chicken breasts a person or about 8-9 medium shrimps a person.

• 1 cup of fresh pineapple or mango (your choice) 

Ingredients for the sauce 

• 2 tbsp of Liquid aminos or coconut aminos 

• 1 tbsp of Honey 

• 1/2 tsp of Sesame seeds

• 2-3 tbsp of Apple cider vinaigrette 

Instructions 

1. Cook your rice in a rice cooker, stove top, or instant pot. I always suggest washing your rice thoroughly and adding water until about ¼ inch above the rice. 

2. Next cook your chicken or shrimp (your choice of which one, I've done both and they are equally delicious). I suggest using a stove top and basic seasonings (oil, salt, ect.) for this because you will have a very strong seasoned sauce on it later. 

3. Boil your edamame in some water on a stovetop. Add a pinch of salt for seasonings. 

4. Cut your carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, green onions, tomatoes, and pineapple (or mango- again both are so yummy) into cubes that are easy to eat. 

5. Now for the sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl, and mix throughout until fully combined. 

6. Lastly, add your portion of rice to a small bowl, then your meat and edamame, and then the fruits and veggies. 

7. Finally, drizzle your sauce on top of everything and enjoy! 

Some notes:

• The fruit really gives it a sweet twist to the tangy flavor of the sauce. I have used both pineapple and mango and love both equally.

• In regard to chicken or rice, again, both are great! You could even do a tempeh or tofu option, which I have also done, to make it vegan.

• This is also a great recipe for if you have leftover rice and a meat, but don't want the same meal you already had the day before!

It’s such a simple and delicious recipe to make! One thing I love about this recipe is the ingredients. Lots of raw veggies, a sweet fruit tang, and those gut cleaning ingredients. I don’t know what vinegar base the restaurant's recipe used. When I first made this recipe, I used white vinegar, however I have switched to the apple cider vinegar (Both taste just as well). But that apple cider based vinaigrette is amazing for your gut, metabolism, and blood sugar management, which I LOVE!

I pray you all have an amazing week and you enjoy this recipe. If you make your own varieties or twists, I would love to hear about it, drop a comment or send me a message on our Instagram @beeveryera <3 

All my love, 

Brooklyn.