Crispy Rice Bowl

Hi! Welcome to Sunday Supper. This week I have a quick and easy one-pan meal that is healthy, satisfying and totally customizable. This is a perfect, end-of-the-week meal because you can use up all the bits of leftover veggies in the fridge. It’s also a great meal prep dish for the week ahead: make a big pot of rice, crisp it up and prep it in containers, to which you can add veggies (read: future leftovers) and toppings as the week rolls on. Let’s go Crispy Rice Bowl!

I made a pot of brown rice the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. When you want to crisp up rice, it’s always best to use day old rice. This is because when the rice is allowed to cool and sit for a period of time, the glutens in the rice grains firm back up, reducing the tendency to clump. This is optimal for frying or crisping up the rice; the grains are loose and each grain can get crispy.

Crispy Rice

I am using Brown Jasmine Rice, but you can use your favorite rice. The long grain rices tend to get a bit crispier with less chew, because they have more surface area to crisp up. So keep that in mind if you like your fried rice more chewy, use a short grain brown rice. Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a skillet over high heat and once hot, toss in the rice and a pinch of Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is getting golden and crispy on the outside. Once crisped to your liking divide the rice amongst 4 bowls or meal prep containers.

The Garlic Ginger Greens

Add avocado oil to the skillet and heat to shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic get brown. Add the spinach (or your favorite greens) and just let it wilt, stirring to incorporate the ginger and garlic. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and remove from heat. Add the greens to the bowls with the rice and wipe out the skillet.

Put an Egg on It

Add a good drizzle of avocado oil and heat it to shimmering over a medium heat. Tilt the skillet from side to side and back to front to ensure even oil coverage and crack an egg into the skillet. Reduce heat to low and we can prep the other veggies and toppings while the egg cooks.

Building a Good Bowl

When constructing a rice bowl, think about flavor, color and texture balance. Starting with the crispy, chewy, nutty brown rice. We have gingery, garlicky, bitter wilted greens. Crunchy, sweet, juicy red and orange peppers. Pickled carrot ribbons, give the bright hit of acidity. These flavors and textures are different; a good variety keeps this rice bowl super interesting.

Let’s add some good fat. Avocados contain heart-healthy Monosaturated fatty acids; they’re full of nutrients like Vitamin K, D Vitamins, Folate and Potassium. The creamy texture of avocados add richness that make this bowl satisfying and satiating.

Protein Pack

That egg should be cooked perfectly by now. The white firm and the yolk runny. You can certainly cook this yolk hard if you don’t like a thick but liquid yolk. Or you can do a poached egg. (See my Poached Egg tutorial.)The thick yolk adds a saucy-ness to the dish that can’t be beat, in my opinion. Remember, we fried this egg in avocado oil, so we aren’t introducing any dairy or butter fat to this fresh bowl.

For toppings, I have fresh cilantro leaves and thinly sliced scallions, cut on a sharp diagonal. You can top with whatever fresh herbs you like; cilantro, parsley, dill, mint or basil will be your best flavor bet for this Asian-inspired bowl. Also consider toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or cashews, for an extra crunch and heart-healthy fat.

My extra crunch and flavor is coming from my favorite chili crunch, which I liberally drizzled over the entire bowl. You can also add hot sauce, like Sriracha if you want a little spice.

Crispy Rice Bowl

A rice bowl is the perfect canvas for your favorite flavors to come together in a healthy, quick and versatile meal. The swaps are endless and all you need to think of is balance. Swap the egg for chicken or fish, the peppers for cucumber or radish slices, swap the pickled carrots for pickled red onion. You can’t go wrong!

Stay tuned this week, as we gear up for the Super Bowl with a few easy and fun recipes. Thank you all for joining me today for Sunday Supper. I hope you give this Crispy Rice Bowl a try – be sure to let me know how you make it your own. If you’re looking for another easy one pan meal that’s also perfect for meal prep, check out my Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers. Be sure to follow me on Pinterest and pin/share the recipes with your friends and family! Take care everyone and be well, xo Kelly

Print Recipe

Crispy Rice Bowl

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Dinner, Main Course – American/Asian

By Kelly Djalali - Adapted from Eating Well – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 45 Minutes – Cooking Time: 15 Minutes – Total Time: 1 Hour

Heart-healthy with whole grain brown rice, avocado, veggies, fresh herbs and an egg. This dairy-free, gluten-free rice bowl combines a variety of flavors, colors and textures for ultimate satisfaction.

Ingredients

• 1-2 tsp. Sesame Oil
• 2.5 cups Brown Rice, cooked, preferably day old
• Pinch of Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp. Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
• 1 clove Garlic, minced or grated
• 1 11-oz. Bag Fresh Spinach (or other favorite leafy green)
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice
• 4 large Eggs
• 1 ripe Avocado
• Veggies: Red or Orange Peppers, Carrots, Cucumber
• 2 Scallions, thinly sliced, for topping
• Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, Mint, Basil, for topping
• Chile Crunch, Sriracha or your favorite spicy condiment

Instructions

1

Heat sesame oil in a skillet over high heat and once hot, toss in the rice and a pinch of Kosher salt. Add more sesame oil if needed.

2

Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the rice is getting golden and crispy on the outside.

3

Once crisped to your liking divide the rice amongst 4 bowls or meal prep containers.

4

Add avocado oil to the skillet and heat to shimmering.

5

Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Don't let the garlic get brown.

6

Add the spinach (or your favorite greens) and just let it wilt, stirring to incorporate the ginger and garlic.

7

Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and remove from heat.

8

Add the greens to the bowls with the rice and wipe out the skillet.

9

Add a good drizzle of avocado oil to the skillet and heat it to shimmering over a medium heat. Tilt the skillet from side to side and back to front to ensure even oil coverage and crack an egg into the skillet. Reduce heat to low.

10

Build the bowl by adding your desired prepped veggies to the crispy rice and the greens.

11

Add the egg and top with herbs and your favorite toppings, such as chopped nuts, chile crunch, etc.