As more and more people cut gluten from their diets, it gets to be more difficult for book club hosts to figure out what to serve their guests. One answer: rice. Rice is naturally gluten free, and it’s easy to add vegetables and meat to it to make a tasty, easy dish to prepare. Here’s a recipe I frequently make at home:
Rice Bowl with Meat and Vegetables
Serves 5 to 6
- 4 eggs, boiled and cut into ¼” slices
- 2 cups medium-grain rice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 lb. ground pork or turkey
- 2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce, divided
- 1 piece fresh ginger, about 4 inches long, peeled and grated
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 1 lb. fresh asparagus, with woody ends trimmed off and cut into 3” pieces
- 2 tbsp, vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
In a medium saucepan, bring rice, salt and three cups of water to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit.
In a large bowl, mix pork or turkey, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. ginger and ¼ cup water. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tbsp. oil over medium high heat. Cook meat mixture about 5 minutes, or until meat is well done. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
Return saucepan to heat and add 1 tbsp. oil. Sauté remaining ginger, garlic and green onions for 3 minutes. Add asparagus, 1 tsp. soy sauce, and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and cook about 3 minutes so asparagus stays crisp to the bite.
To serve, ladle rice into the bowl. Top with meat mixture, asparagus and boiled eggs. Ladle pan juices from asparagus on top.
Other vegetables you can substitute for asparagus include green beans, broccoli, baby bok choy and spinach.
