“Delicapple” Black Rice Bowl with Balsamic Glaze

If you could caramelize autumn, this rice bowl is what it would taste like. The delicata squash, Granny Smith apple, and red cabbage has a deep brightness that’s both novel and familiar, exotic and homey.

Despite its beauty and complexity, this dish is easy: chop and roast your produce; cook a batch of black rice; combine LAFF crumbles with balsamic glaze…stir it all together.

Ingredients (Makes enough for 2 massive bowls)

The heap of delicapple will shrink to about an eighth of its initial size as the veg and fruit caramelizes in the oven.

3 delicata squash 1-2 Granny Smith apples ¼-½ head of red cabbage 1½-2 cups of LAFF protein crumbles 2-4 tablespoons of Balsamic glaze (I used Nonna Pia’s) 1 cup black (“forbidden”) rice (I used Lotus forbidden rice) Sea salt Cooking spray (or oil)

Method (Chop + Roast + Stir + Assemble)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil (or line with parchment paper).

Wash produce.

Start with the delicata squash. Cut off the ends. Halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the squash into thin crescents (the width of 2-3 stacked nickels). Scatter the crescents on the baking sheet.

Move onto the Granny Smith apple(s). Quarter the apple and remove the seeds. Slice the apple into pieces that are slightly thinner than the delicata crescents (the width of 1-2 stacked nickels). Scatter the apple slices on top of the delicata crescents on the baking sheet.

In the final dish, you can’t see the green of the apples. But Granny Smith tart-sweetness will glimmer on your tongue.

Finally, take care of the cabbage. Cut off the end of the cabbage. Remove the white core, if you wish. Cut the cabbage into slabs, then cut the slabs into relatively large hunks (the size of a matchbox car or jewelry box). It’s okay if the cabbage leaves separate into smaller sections—you’ll just need to stir more often during the roasting process. Scatter the cabbage on top of the apple slices and delicata crescents. Spritz the top of the delicapple mixture with cooking spray, and sprinkle on sea salt.

Roast for 48-60 minutes, stirring every 12 minutes (at least). When you stir, add more cooking spray and sea salt. The delicapple is finished when everything is starting to caramelize.

After you’ve put the delicapple in the oven, start cooking a batch of black rice based on the package instructions. Once the rice is going, add 1½-2 cups of LAFF protein crumbles in a sauce pan over low heat. Drizzle 3 tablespoons (or more) of balsamic glaze over the crumbles. Stir well to combine, and continue stirring until the crumbles are warm. Remove from heat.

When the food is all finished cooking, have fun arranging the components in bowls. I like rice on the bottom, protein crumbles in the middle, and delicapple on the top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. I ate my rice bowl with a spoon. Steve went with a fork.

Notes and Tips

Worried about tummy troubles from the red cabbage? Use just ¼ of a head of cabbage and add an extra apple. (You can also peel the apples.)

Black rice is nutrient rich with more protein, fiber, and iron than other types of rice. It’s purple-black color comes from an antioxidant called anthocyanin. Anthocyanins help prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. You can substitute other types of rice in this dish, but the nutty-fruity-chewiness of black rice tastes perfect to me.

Farm fresh produce makes all the difference in this meal. Now that I’ve had apples from Glade Farm Growing, I’m in my Granny Smith era.

The links provided above are intended as resources, not advertisements. I’m linking to products that I used but am not sponsored by other companies. I’m trying to sell LAFFkitchen protein crumbles, of course, but do not make money or receive discounts/products from other food businesses.

Steve can split an apple open with his bare hands. I cannot. And now you know one reason we’re called LAFFkitchen.