Wild Fall Rice Bowls

Not quite fall but getting there and since cooler air has been rolling in, and the fact that I plan to share another wild rice bowl this week, I thought it was a great time to share these Wild Fall Rice Bowls.

As with many of my bowls, and recipes in general, I remind you while this is a recipe I always encourage you to use them as inspiration and adapt them to your personal taste and what you have on hand. If you really like apples, add more! If you don’t have shaved brussels sprouts you can use halves, and if you’re like me and love roasted brussels sprouts you can use those. I did the first time I attempted to photograph this bowl and it was just very dark, plus it was going to storm. So for a more visually appealing bowl I used steamed but both options are delicious. If you don’t like tofu you can omit that and add more veggies, butternut squash it a delicious addition, if you’re not dairy free cheddar or colby jack cheese, or obviously you can sub chicken but that’s not meatless so aren’t going with that because it’s Meatless Monday (hope you join Deborah and I for our weekly link up). Beyond Chicken Strips would be a good meat free option as well. However if you like cheese and or chicken I highly recommend you subscribe or come back later this week when I share a family favorite, especially with the kids, Wild Child Bowl. 😉

For my Wild Fall Rice Bowls I use a wild rice blend, crispy tofu, sweet crisp apples (we like Honeycrisp), shaved brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and top with Maple Tahini Dressing. The same dressing as some of my other bowls like these Sweet Potato Forbidden Rice Bowls. Very filling and full of flavor it’s great for lunch or dinner and great for meal prepping as you can make everything ahead, except the apples. You can cut the apples a little ahead and toss with lemon so they don’t brown if you want to make ahead and take for lunch. Delicious enjoyed warm or cold, I like both but prefer cold or everything cold except the rice and tofu if I’m making that last minute.

These bowls are really quick and easy but wild rice, even a blend, does take 45 minutes to cook but it’s so worth it!

Again you can make it ahead, which is what I’ve been trying to get better at. I’m REALLY BAD when it comes to meal prep, like terrible. It isn’t that I can’t set aside time to do it but more my moods and cravings change as does the family and if they don’t like something or eat it than my husband and I would be eating it for multiple meals in a row so it doesn’t go to waste.

I’m going to try really hard to get back to a version of meal prepping I use to do in hopes to make things run smoother with everyone home for the foreseeable future with distance learning and working from home. It will be really interesting with Baby G as he’s a handful right now climbing everything and has no fear. If you follow me on Instagram last week he broke a glass table we’ve had for almost 20 years! Almost 2 years, a move, and 2 out of 3 kids, I would have never thought he would have broke it. My plan is to make rice or other grains, sweet potatoes, roast up some veggies, chia pudding and/or overnight oats, and have the usual fruit and veggies cut up as much as possible. It won’t be for a week or set meals but there to make breakfast, lunches, and snacks easier. I will still have breakfast with G but my husband and the girls will likely eat earlier. We still aren’t sure if they will have the same lunch times, my husband usually grabs lunch between meetings or at his desk, and I try to eat lunch with G but if I’m going to workout while he takes a nap I try to have a light snack with him and lunch after I workout. Dinner we still pretty much eat together but with our oldest working she’s been gone at dinnertime. Our kitchen is busy all hours of the day and in a perfect world I would only make 3 meals or they would be recipe testers all day but 2020 is anything but perfect and I’m trying to get back to what we use to eat and not grabbing snacks all day long and more processed foods than I’d like to admit being in the house this year (things have been anything but normal this year so I’ve tried to be flexible and go with the flow), and me spending all hours of the day in the kitchen being a short order cook.

So bowls have been on repeat and coming back strong! Along with our love for smoothies and smoothie bowls, so watch for those. Oh and toast and overnight oats, all the simple (don’t worry they’re still delicious) things! Getting our snack stash built back up has also been a work in progress. There are just only so many hours in the day and most of them are spent chasing a wild toddler around.

How are things where you are? I know many kids are back to school or will be heading back this week, or in the coming weeks if things were pushed out like they were here. Are there recipes you’re looking for right now to make life easier?

Print Recipe

Wild Fall Rice Bowls

Delicious Wild Fall Rice Bowls are filled with wild rice blend, crispy tofu, sweet crisp apples (we like Honeycrisp), shaved brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, and top with Maple Tahini Dressing. Packed with flavor and nutrition they're gluten free and vegan friendly and perfect for meal prep.

Course

Dinner, Lunch

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

Wild Fall Rice Bowls

• 1 c wild rice blend (Lundberg Wild Rice Blend)
• 12-16 oz firm tofu
• 2 apples, cored and chopped (Honeycrisp, Fuji, Sweet Tango)
• 9-12 oz shaved brussels sprouts
• 1/4 c dried cranberries, craisins
• 1 TBSP avocado or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBSP liquid aminos, or soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, grated

Maple Tahini Dressing (4 servings)

• 1/4 c tahini (Soom Tahini)
• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
• 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 3 TBSP warm water

Course Dinner, Lunch Prep Time 45 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings servings Ingredients Wild Fall Rice Bowls 1 c wild rice blend (Lundberg Wild Rice Blend) 12-16 oz firm tofu 2 apples, cored and chopped (Honeycrisp, Fuji, Sweet Tango) 9-12 oz shaved brussels sprouts 1/4 c dried cranberries, craisins 1 TBSP avocado or extra virgin olive oil 1 TBSP liquid aminos, or soy sauce 1 clove garlic, grated Maple Tahini Dressing (4 servings) 1/4 c tahini (Soom Tahini) 2 TBSP pure maple syrup 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar 3 TBSP warm water

Instructions

1. Cook your wild rice blend according to package instructions, remember you can make it ahead to save time (along with everything except the apples which can be cut the same day or night before just toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Drain tofu then cut in half width wise (so it's about 1" thick) and press tofu between paper towels (or bread towel).
3. Lay paper towels down on a plate or cutting board. Place tofu on the paper towels and put another layer of on top of the tofu. Put another plate or a cutting board on top of the paper towels and then weigh it down with a cast iron skillet, or something heavy. Let sit for about 20 minutes while preparing the Maple Tahini Dressing.
4. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a glass, or plastic, jar with a tight lid. If you are making ahead store in the refrigerator until ready to use, it will thicken a little as it chills.
5. In a medium bowl, or bowl large enough to toss tofu cubes, combine oil, aminos/soy sauce, and grated garlic.
6. Cut pressed tofu into cubes, usually I cut 20 pieces per slice of tofu, 40 pieces total but here I cut into larger pieces only cutting 24 cubes.
7. Carefully add tofu to the bowl and toss to coat.
8. Spread tofu on a non stick rimmed baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper and air fry, 12-15 minutes at 375F in the air fryer until crispy, or pan fry in a hot pan.
9. Steam brussels sprouts in the microwave, or you can roast them in the air fryer or in a cast iron pan with a little oil.
10. When your rice, and everything else is done you can cut your apple. Again if you are making ahead and won't be enjoying right away store everything in the refrigerator and cut the apple as close to serving as possible or toss with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
11. Divide your ingredients between 4 bowls or containers (we make this work for our family of 5 since one is a toddler, one is almost an adult). You can store if you plan to enjoy cold, or serve right away. If you want to enjoy later keep the ingredients you want warmed up separate.
12. Just before enjoying toss with a little Maple Tahini Dressing.
13. Enjoy!

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