Mango and Tofu Rice Bowls

~Amanda~

Summer has sadly come to an end and fall is here! Almost everyone I talk to absolutely loves fall and quickly forgets about those favorite summer night meals and jumps head first into pumpkin spice everything (actually maple is an on trend flavor this fall too) and warm comfort foods. But I’m not ready for that yet – wait a week and I’ll probably be posting pumpkin and maple recipes left and right, but as of this moment, I am not ready! So as a goodbye to summer, I am sharing one of my favorite recipes that is great to eat on a warm night outside on the patio. Ironically enough, it’s also a favorite of mine to eat on a cold winter night snuggled up on the couch when I want something light, bright and refreshing to remind me of summer! Can you tell that summer is my favorite?! This recipe is inspired by one I found on one of my favorite food blogs, Love and Lemons. I tried it out for the first time years ago and over time I have made some changes here and there to make it perfectly mine with everything I love.

The base of any rice bowl is obviously rice and you can use any kind you prefer when making these bowls. I have made it with every kind (brown, white, wild, etc), but my all time favorite is coconut rice. I LOVE the flavor the coconut milk gives the rice and the thicker, creamier texture makes the dish feel a little more decadent without being super unhealthy – I usually buy the light coconut milk when I’m using it in rice to save on some calories. Definitely keep an eye on your rice when it’s cooking though, the coconut milk tends to boil a little bigger than normal and I have found myself with a mess to clean up from it more than once – whoops! Another reason to make coconut rice – my doggie Molly loves it just as much as me so she gets some of the scraps as a teeny treat :).

Now I know not everyone is a tofu fan and some cringe at the word because they think of this weird white stuff when they hear it, but I highly recommend everyone try it at least once, it’s so much better than you think it is! The first time Conor tried it was in this very dish and he was amazed by how much he enjoyed it and never has a complaint with I choose to make a dish with it instead of meat – as long as it doesn’t happen too often.Tofu is actually really good for you too; it’s naturally gluten-free and low calorie, it has no cholesterol and is a great source of protein, iron, and calcium. Many studies have shown it helps decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease and helps promote a healthy complexion and increased energy. Definitely worth trying it at least once, right?!

The other ingredients in the bowl are also all so good for you and low in calories. One of the best ways to tell if a meal is nutritious is by looking at how many colors it has – we’ve pretty much got the whole rainbow here, so I think we’re set! And obviously this rule applies to natural colors… none of that artificial stuff. To bring some warmth to the dish, I sauté purple cabbage with red bell peppers and mango cubes. I absolutely love the taste and texture of sautéed cabbage and adding sweet mangoes to it is the perfect complement. I also add several raw veggies to the bowl to bring in that crisp texture and brighter flavor; I love the pop of pink and peppery bite you get from the radishes, cool refreshing cucumber is a must, and almost no good meal is complete without that creamy avocado.

The final step is to make the sauce; I didn’t change anything about this sauce recipe from Love and Lemons because it is amazing and so simple. Start with coconut milk (again, I use light coconut milk to keep the calorie count lower) and creamy peanut butter. Then comes the tamari which is a form of soy sauce (some say it’s the real original Japanese soy sauce) that contains much less salt than traditional soy sauce and it’s naturally gluten free. Finally add some lime juice, siracha, garlic and ginger – YUM! Once you have all your individual components prepared, you’ll assemble your bowls; start with the rice as your base, add the sautéed cabbage mixture, veggies, tofu, and top with a drizzle of that delicious sauce. Your taste buds are going to be in heaven with all these amazing flavors coming together in your mouth and hopefully it’ll give you that summery vibe no matter what time of year you’re eating it!