Rice. Potatoes. Rice. Potatoes. Veggies. Rice. Potatoes.
I feel like those three foods have become staples in our diet since we moved to China. I'm not complaining! Especially since the veggies are unique, sweet potatoes are available, and I was able to find brown rice at Wal-Mart. Plus, my rice cooker does all the work for me by cooking the rice and steaming the potatoes and veggies at the same time. Dinner can't get much easier than that...or less boring.
Hence the need for some flavor, which birthed this recipe.
This recipe for Lemon Cilantro Rice, Spicy Potatoes, Veggies & Tahini Dressing came together on a random weeknight when I was trying to make something a little bit more exciting than plain rice, potatoes and veggies for Brett and my dinner. Simply by adding some spices to the veggies, fresh herbs and lemon juice to the rice, and a rich and creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing on top, my boring meal turned into a flavor explosion! It was so delicious that I ended up making it again the next day for lunch.
I also love how versatile this meal is and that it can easily be tailored to suit different taste preferences. If you don't like mushrooms, use zucchini. If you don't like white potatoes, use sweet. If you don't like tahini, use almond butter. If you'd rather use parsley instead of cilantro, go for it! Get creative and use this recipe as a base for a delicious, hearty meal that represents you.
This recipe is hearty, flavorful, colorful and completely plant-based. If your rice is already cooked, it comes together in 30 minutes. And if you don't like cooking very much, it's an easy recipe that you can double or even triple for leftovers throughout the week. Yes, please!
If you end up trying out this recipe, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag me on Instagram (#theconscientiouseater).
Have a great weekend!
📖 Recipe
Lemon Cilantro Rice, Spicy Potatoes, Veggies & Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Cilantro Lemon Rice:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup cilantro finely minced
Spicy Potatoes:
- 2 small potatoes
- Chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
Veggies:
- ½ red onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms stems cut off and quartered
- Salt and pepper
- 2 large carrots sliced and steamed
- ½ red bell pepper sliced
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Water to thin
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- Cut your potatoes into wedges or bite size cubes and spread them out on a baking sheets. (The smaller you cut them the quicker they'll cook.) Sprinkle chili flakes, salt, and pepper over the top and toss to coat. Spread them back out on the sheet so that they're on an even level. Place them in the oven and let them roast for about 30 minutes, until fork tender. Remove and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, sauté the red onion in water until soft. Add in the broccoli and let it cook for about 5 minutes until bright and beginning to soften. Add in the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to sauté until the veggies cooked through.
- In a steamer basket, start steaming your carrots. (Alternately, you can also add them in with the potatoes to roasted or sauté them with the broccoli.)
- While the veggies are cooking and the potatoes are roasting, warm up your cooked brown rice if using leftovers. Place the warm rice into a bowl and squeeze the juice of one lemon on top and stir in the minced cilantro. Set aside.
- Lastly, in a small bowl, mix together the tahini and lemon juice until smooth. Add in water to thin if too thick.
- Once all of the components are ready, divid the rice, potatoes, and veggies evenly between 2 plates (or 3), drizzle with the lemon tahini dressing and dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
This veggie and rice bowl looks amazing! Three cheers for finding brown rice at Walmart- I'm sure that's a big relief since y'all are eating lots of it 🙂 I love that you jazzed up the three staple ingredients you have available to make a meal that you can look forward to eating!
Faith says
Thanks Liv! It hit the spot!! Yeah, we eat a bunch of rice so I'm so glad I found brown rice too!