Harvest Grains & Grill Bowl
Harvest Grains and Grill Bowl, a guilt free and surprisingly satisfying meal. I typically don’t order vegetarian bowls at a restaurant, add in the extra challenge to cook grains into a tasty dish? I’m in. The secret to delectable, is to ensure all aspects are seasoned. When each component carries its own flavor and is tied together by the sweetness of balsamic vinegar, the bowl will be surprisingly yum.
In Canada, the breadbasket of the world, grains are not well appreciated enough. Wheat, rye, soybeans, barley, canola, lentils, oats, beans and corn make up the major grains grown by our farmers. We may laugh about the flat and dry climate of the Prairies, but city folk like me neglect that Canada is the 5th largest exporter of agriculture or agri-food products in the world! Its easy to forget how vast the resources in Canada are. Let’s celebrate the hard work of livelihoods of those who support the bellies of Canadians and other families globally!
Supper Challenge theme for this week, is “Harvested Grains.” I live on the Canadian prairies, but I am certainly not well versed in cooking grains outside of wheat and corn. How great to consume the wide variety of Canadian grains that are grown? So time to challenge myself! Harvest Grain Bowls are all the rage in smart cafes and plant based restaurants. Yum, this was actually tasty. Really!
If you’re looking for another recipe, Vegetarian Spiced Lentil (Dal) Soup with Apples, Ginger and Tumeric.
Harvest Grains & Grill Bowl
Ingredients
- Oyster mushrooms
- Mini portobello mushrooms
- Zucchini slice ¼” lengthwise
- Drizzle vegetable oil
- Spice rub
- Halloumi Cheese optional
- Paneer Cheese optional
- Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
- Pickled beets diced
- Fresh kale chopped
- Kosher salt
Red Lentils
- ½ cup dried red lentils
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaf
Pearlized Barley
- 1 cup pearlized barley
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon concentrated chicken or vegetable bouillon I prefer Better than Bouillon Chicken or Vegetable
Instructions
Pearlized Barley
- In a medium sized pot on medium heat, boil and then simmer pearlized barley, water and bouillon for about 30-45 minutes with a lid loosely covered.
- Once the pearlized barley doubles in size and is al dente, take pot off the heat and set aside.
Grill
- Meanwhile, preheat gas, propane or charcoal grill.
- Drizzle vegetable oil on oyster and portobello mushrooms and zucchini slices. Lightly season vegetables with kosher salt.
- Grill oiled vegetables onto direct heat on grill about 5 minutes; turn, flip and rotate vegetables to cook.
- When vegetables are cooked, remove from heat and season with your favorite spice rub.
- Season paneer with spice rub.
- Grill paneer on high heat for 2-3 minutes each side. Set aside and cut into small pieces.
- Grill halloumi on high heat for 2-3 minutes each side. Set aside and cut into small pieces.
Red Lentils
- In a medium sized pot on medium heat, boil and then simmer red lentils, water and bay leaf for about 10 minutes with a lid loosely covered.
- Once the red lentils double in size and softens, take pot off the heat and set aside.
Bowl Assembly
- In a large bowl, create a bowl with bed of kale, grilled oyster mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, zucchini slices
- Add spoonful of lentils and pearlized barley, pickled beets, halloumi cheese, paneer cheese.
- Season bowl with kosher salt and drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.