These Rainbow Rice Bowls are so simple, quick, delicious, and beautiful! And almost every ingredient is a fertility-boosting superstar. The many colours indicate a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients including beta-carotene, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and lycopene, to name just a few. The high fiber content of these selected vegetables also assists in binding to excess estrogen and cholesterol in the body and safely removing them. You can think of this whole meal as gentle detoxification.
The Miso Tahini Sauce is where the fertility benefits of this meal really shine. Every ingredient has an alkaline effect on your body pH. This is important for fertility and overall health because enzyme activity (the catalyst of every chemical reaction in your body) is most efficient in a slightly alkaline environment. There is so much acidity in our lives from stress, pollution, medications, meat, dairy, grains, caffeine, and sugar that we need to offset that acidity with alkaline foods like this Miso Tahini Sauce. Further, cervical fluid that is acidic is hostile to sperm.
You may have heard that soy products should be avoided in a fertility diet because of the estrogen-mimicking properties. This is true, however, miso is very different from other soy products and can be a great addition to your fertility diet. Because it is fermented, miso provides friendly bacteria to enhance the immune system and improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. It’s also an inexpensive, easily digestible form of complete protein.
This recipe uses black “forbidden” rice which is beautiful, and full of antioxidants, but feel free to use brown rice, quinoa, or even soba noodles.
(Serves 2)
Rice Bowl Ingredients:
1 medium carrot, shredded
½ cup pea shoots or sunflower sprouts (or other sprouts), chopped (not pictured. Alas, I had no sprouts the last time I made this!)
1 purple radish, grated (or use 2 regular radishes)
½ a bunch of broccolini (or broccoli), chopped into 1-inch pieces and then sliced lengthwise
1 cup red (purple) cabbage, shredded
1 Tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup black “forbidden” rice + 1 ½ cups water for cooking
Miso Tahini Sauce:
Blend the following ingredients in a blender until smooth…
¼ cup organic miso paste
¼ cup tahini
1.5 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled & chopped
1 inch chunk fresh ginger root, peeled & chopped
1 teaspoon dried, ground turmeric (or fresh turmeric root, available at some health food stores)
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup water (plus more if necessary while blending)
You will have more sauce than you need for the Rainbow Bowls, so store the rest in a jar in the fridge for up t o 2 weeks and use as a salad dressing, veggie dip, or drizzle on steamed veg & brown rice.
Directions:
Rinse and strain rice well in a sieve under cold tap water. Then bring rice & water to a boil, reduce heat to minimum and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
Heat coconut oil and a splash of water in a pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and broccolini to the pan and stir. Add tamari and sauté until veggies are just lightly cooked, about 2 minutes.
Divide the cooked rice between 2 bowls and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of the Miso Tahini Sauce. Top with the sautéed cabbage & broccolini, and then sprinkle with fresh shredded carrots, radishes and pea shoots or sprouts. Drizzle with another 2 Tablespoons of the Miso Tahini Sauce and serve. Add more sauce while eating, if necessary.