Thai Peanut Bowl

Well, unfortunately you cant tell by the picture, but there is Brown Rice and Fresh Spinach in there. I had something similar to this at Choco Canyon Organic Cafe last summer, and loved it. There is a scoop of Brown Rice, fresh chopped Spinach(from my garden!!), Sauteed Veggies, and a lovely, Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce. Topped with Toasted Sesame Seeds and chopped Scallions, I even outdid myself with this one! Alex was telling me This is called a Swimming Rama in the Thai restaurants.(I'm sure mine is better ;)

Brown Rice
3 Cups Veggie Stock
2 tsp. each Onion & Garlic Granules
Salt&Pepper
1&1/2 Cups Brown Rice

Combine Stock and Spices and bring to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Turn down, cover with a lid and let cook till all the water is absorbed, about 30-35 minutes.

Sauteed Veggies
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Yellow Crook Neck Squash
A Few Broccoli Florettes
2 Large Carrots
 Honestly, you could really use whatever veggies you had laying around that needed to go. Or whatever veggies your family likes to eat. Chop all in med size chunks and saute lightly in a little cooking oil. Salt & Pepper

Chopped Spinach

So when Alex got home from work I was telling him my plan for dinner. About how I had had this dish last summer and was really excited to have recreated it with things we already had in the fridge. I was however, bummed that we did not have the fresh spinach layer. He looked at me like I was crazy and said, Uh, what about the fresh spinach from the garden? Good lord, I had forgotten about that! I am obviously still stuck in winter mode, and forgot we have some food growing in the front yard! I planted said spinach last fall, and really, kinda forgot it was out there. It had started to sprout when Alex put the hoops over the garden, But has gone crazy the last few weeks! The leaves I cut and used for dinner last night were all the size on my entire hand! It was really "thick" for spinach and tasted great! The amazing taste and extra nutrients from home grown veggies never ceases to amaze me. For this dish I left the pieces a little large, they will wilt slightly from the heat on the other cooked ingredients.

Thai Peanut Sauce
1 Cup water
1/4 Cup Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter
1-2 Tbs Braggs Liquid Amino Acids, or Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tsp. each Onion and Garlic Granules(You could also use these fresh, lightly sauteed )
1/2 to 1 Tbs. Honey
1-2 tsp. Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce or other Chili Sauce

Combine water and Peanut Butter in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium heat till combined, stirring constantly (I may have learned that one the hard way!) Once combined add remaining ingredients. Reduce on low heat until it reached the consistency you want for your sauce. You can always add more water if it gets too thick. Salt and Pepper!

So to serve, I used a large Ice Cream scoop to dish the rice. Then sprinkled with chopped spinach. Layer on the veggies, the heat will slightly wilt the spinach. Drizzle on the sauce, and sprinkle with seeds and scallions. If you had Peanuts on hand..a few chopped would be great on here also. As soon as I have more hand sized spinach leaves, I will for sure be making this one again!