Walk On The Wild Side

By Gina Caputo

Walk On The Wild Side

Wild rice seems so...rustic. It's hearty and earthy and I don't use it nearly enough. It started there. But the real star of this One Bowl Wonder? THE PEANUT BUTTER-MISO SAUCE. Maybe it's just me but I want this flavor again and again. Next time I'm doubling the amount of sauce so I can put it on other stuff just to see how it holds up. But the pairing of that sauce with sweet potatoes was EPIC.

Ingredients:

  • 5 cups wild rice
  • 2 medium or 3 small sweet potatoes
  • 1 large bundle broccoli (I used 5 crowns, florets cut off)
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Crushed red peppers
  • 1 lb spicy chicken sausage, if links, remove from casings (optional)
  • 1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans 
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter (unsweetened)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • Lime (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Get out two sheet pans (cookie sheets
  2. Prepare rice in a rice cooker on the Mixed Rice setting or cook on stovetop according to package directions.
  3. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  4. Cut crowns off broccoli off the stems.
  5. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and garlic powder and toss again to distribute.
  6. Do the same thing with the broccoli crowns.
  7. Place the sweet potatoes on one sheet pan and the broccoli on the other. Pop them into your 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. Check the broccoli sooner as it may cook faster than the potatoes depending on size. You can flip everything halfway through if you’d like browning on both sides.
  8. While they cook, toss your drained and rinsed garbanzo beans in the remaining olive oil with sea salt and a pinch of crushed red peppers. If you’re using the spicy chicken sausage saute it first in a skillet. Remove and set aside, then add garbanzo beans to the same pan and toss frequently.
  9. Next, prepare your peanut butter-miso sauce: Combine everything in a blender or food processor and run until smooth, scraping down sides once.
  10. To serve, put rice, roasted veggies, sausage and beans in a large salad bowl. Toss to combine. Serve in bowls with a huge dollop of sauce and a slice of lime for garnish.