Yay! I love combining healthy ingredients to a make a quick and easy delicious plant-based dinner.
Eliminating or reducing eating animal protein is not difficult.
After all, many foreign countries eat much less animal protein than we do in the United States and their cultures have some mighty tasty recipes using beans, vegetables, and grains.
The recipe that I am sharing today is really quick and simple. It is made with a base of rice (white, brown, or basmati), topped with chopped tomatoes and chopped avocado, seasoned with lime, salt, pepper, sesame seeds and cumin seeds, and a can of drained chickpeas for protein.
My husband likes white rice so I made white rice this time because this meal was for him. A healthier version would be to make the identical recipe using brown rice.
I make my rice in the Instant Pot which needs about 10 minutes to pre-heat before cooking and then 12 minutes to cook. The rice comes out just the way we like every time.
Tomato and Avocado Salad Topping
2 cups raw rice, cooked
2 large vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
or 1 container of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped (Florida style or Haas avocado)
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 small lime
1/4 cup of chopped parsley or cilantro
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups of raw rice cooked (white, brown, or basmati)
I can of drained chickpeas
Directions:
Layer the cooked rice, chickpeas, and tomato avocado salad mixture in a bowl starting with rice on the bottom. Add seasonings and dig in.
If you want more vegetables eat with steamed broccoli.
My Notes and Shortcuts:
1. The rice can be made the day before and just assembled
2. Rice can be made in advance and frozen in packets. . How I freeze my own rice packets (link). Remove from freezer as needed for cooked rice
4. Big Shortcut:
You can buy white or brown rice already cooked in most Chinese restaurants. Just bring it home and assemble for this quick and easy delicious meal.