Caribbean Root Vegetable Grain Bowl

“Víveres” is what Dominicans call a number of tubers and root vegetables, which are iconic Caribbean foods that provide color and flavor to a variety of meals. Many grocery stores provide some Caribbean vegetables in the produce department of the grocery store! Some examples of these include yuca, batata, ñame, mapuey, auyama squash, plantain, and malanga or yautía. In this grain bowl, starchy víveres are combined with non-starchy vegetables (such as broccoli, carrots, onions, arugula), protein (pigeon peas), and served with brown rice to create a balanced, budget-friendly meal. This recipe can be modified to include other víveres or starchy vegetables available at your local grocery store, non-starchy veggies, and grain sources. You can serve this with additional protein too such as a hard-boiled egg, baked chicken, fish or pork loin.

Servings: 6 servings

Individual Portion: 1 cup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon achiote powder or turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, divided

¼ teaspoon ground oregano

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium batata or sweet potato, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch wedges

1 medium malanga root or yautía or taro root, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch wedges

1 medium onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, unpeeled and chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 (15 oz) can pigeon peas (gandules), drained/rinsed

3 cups cooked brown rice

Arugula and avocado for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, combine spices to make a seasoning blend.

3. In a large bowl, combine chopped batata, malanga, onions, carrots, broccoli, olive oil, and ¾ seasoning. Mix until well-combined.

4. Spread veggie mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Conserve bowl used to mix vegetables. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. During last 15 minutes of baking, add pigeon peas to conserved bowl and sprinkle remaining ¼ seasoning blend to pigeon peas. Add pigeon peas to baking sheet and cook for additional 15 minutes.

5. Remove cooked veggies from oven once browned and cooked well.

6. Create grain bowl by layering arugula on bottom, followed by re-heated brown rice, and cooked veggies. Add arugula and sliced avocado for garnish.

Nutrition Facts: Serving size: 1 cup | Calories: 380 | Total Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 414 mg | Total Carbs: 70 g | Dietary Fiber: 13 g | Sugars: 3 g | Protein: 17 g

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