Hello there!
Introducing myself as a new contributor to the Root Radical food scene and hoping to live up to the delicious legacy of folks who have provided so much inspiration to me these last couple of years!
My name is Jackie, I use she/they pronouns, and I actually work part time at Root Radical! I think my official title is Greenhouse Gal – you’ll find me slingin’ trays, bustin’ out soil blocks, and carefully seeding the transplants that become all the incredible food we enjoy. Getting to watch those seeds emerge into transplants, go out to the field, and return as ingredients is a special privilege I don’t take for granted.
For my first recipe on the blog, I’m keeping it fairly simple with something I’ve made over and over again each time I collected a winter share from Emily this season! These bowls are warm, filling, deliver diverse nutrients and are SUPER customizable. The recipe I’ll list uses bulgur and tofu, but on the same night I cooked this, my partner used rice and chicken dumplings instead! Sub in preferred grains, proteins, or leafy greens and dress it up with drizzles of honey or balsamic glaze if you desire! I’d love to hear about the magic you make!
Warm Root & Grain Bowls
Customizable, nutrient diverse bowls of goodness that highlight bright carrots and beets!
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach (or leafy green of choice)
- 1 cup bulgur (or grain of your choice)
- 350 grams extra-firm tofu (or protein of choice)
- 3-4 beets
- 5-6 carrots
- 4 tbsp goat cheese
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- oregano
- thyme
- salt & pepper
- microgreens for garnish!
Instructions
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Prep work: If you don't have an air-fryer, preheat your oven to 375. Wash and trim stems from your spinach. Peel and chop your beets into dice-sized cubes. Slice carrots into ½ cm disks. Drain and then press the moisture out of your tofu, then slice into small cubes and pat dry with a paper towel.
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Get your root veggies going: if you have an airfryer, toss your beets and carrots into it at 390 for 8 minutes. Add a minute or two if you chopped them bigger or like them more crispy. If you don't have an air-fryer, toss them in oil and spread on a parchment covered pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until fork-tender.
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Grain time! Bulgur (also called borghol) can be sold in various levels of coarseness, so please check the package instructions. I usually buy rice-sized grains, and cook by mixing 1.5 cup of boiling water with the grain and allowing it to simmer, partially covered, for 6-10 minutes, until the water is absorbed.
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Protein power: Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan. Add in your tofu (the trick to getting a really nice crispy texture is to make sure the surfaces of the tofu pieces are completely dry before adding to the pan, so don't skip the paper towel). Season with your favourites, but in this recipe I mixed about 1/2 a teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and about 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Tofu is a flavour sponge, so if you want to add a sauce or dressing, this may be a place to get creative! Cook, mixing and turning, for 5-6 minutes, or until all sides reach desired crispiness.
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Assembly: As your ingredients come together, it's time to plate! Lay down a bed of spinach, add your grain, beets, carrots and protein. Add a dollop of goat cheese, and top with microgreens. Now it looks beautiful, so snap a photo before you mix it all together and enjoy!
