Umami Veggie Bowl

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You have likely heard of, and maybe used, the new delivery service called “Skip the Dishes” that started in Saskatchewan. (kinda cool) It is a savior for the average teen this day and age. Actually, who am I kidding, it’s great for adults who just want a break sometimes from cooking dinner! Basically, you get a craving for your favorite restaurant food, you find them on the APP, order your meal, et voila, it shows up at your door! It’s like a delivery service for those restaurants that don’t have their own drivers.

So, Skip the Dishes has it’s good points and it’s bad points… The good, is if your teens are home alone, they can order something healthy (there are many plant-based options) like Mucho Burrito, Freshii and Made in India. This offers them an alternative to the constant ordering of cheese laden pizza! Ugh. The downside is that unless you are ordering a bunch of food, between all of the fees and driver’s tip, it can get really expensive for one meal! I have also learned that they take 25% commission from the restaurant so it might be better to support your favorite restaurant by going there in person.

My youngest daughter loves the Umami Bowl at Freshii (she and I both), and last time she ordered one to our door it cost $24. Yikes. Nothing like teaching your kids the value of money when you make them pay for their own Skip the Dishes order! Teeheehee!

So, after that happened, I decided it would be fun to try to recreate Freshii’s Umami bowl. (Especially the sauce, because that is really the key component.) For those of you who don’t know what the heck Umami is, it is described as the fifth basic taste (savory) along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is usually associated with meat or broth and often with monosodium glutamate. (yuck, yuck and yuck)

A few weeks ago I bought an Umami sauce at the Veg-Fest, as a friend recommended it. When I really looked at the ingredients and saw the crazy amount of oil in it, I decided it would be a lot healthier to make my own. So, following the ingredients on the label, I started experimenting.
I even did a blind taste test on some rice with my daughter and she prefered my sauce! Win! So, now there is a jar of it in the fridge that can be enjoyed poured over any mixture of foods you have on hand. It can take leftover foods from blah to delish in seconds. Just place them in a bowl and pour on a few spoonfuls of sauce and you have a meal! The sauce should last for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge as there are no animal products in it to make it go bad.

The Benefits of Mushrooms

According to Dr. William W. Li, MD, as found in his book, Eat to Beat Disease, “Mushrooms are fungi that grow in bacteria rich soil and possess their own microbiome. They contain bioactives like beta-glucan that are antiangiogenic and activate the immune system. Mushrooms are also excellent sources of dietary fiber, which acts as a prebiotic.”

Antiangiogenic Foods:

When a food is antiangiogenic, it helps stop tumours from growing their own blood vessels.  It is helpful to consume antiangiogenic foods to inhibit cancer tumor growth. Some other antiangiogenic foods are: cherries, blueberries, kale, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), garlic and green tea. For a longer list from the website Chris Beat Cancer, and for a TED Talk by Dr. Li about foods that help to fight cancer, click here.

This Umami Bowl recipe contains 4 antiangiogenic foods!
-mushrooms
-carrots
-soybeans
-cabbage

Prebiotic and Probiotic Foods:

There is so much talk lately about prebiotic and probiotic foods. Both are important, yet they are different. Here is a helpful article to understand the difference.
Prebiotic foods are foods such as vegetables and fruits that have indigestible fibre in them. This fibre becomes the food for the bacteria in our gut.
Some examples of these foods are: beans, oats, legumes, onions, garlic, asparagus, bananas, kale, walnuts and berries.

Probiotic foods are the live bacteria that are found in certain foods or supplements.
Some examples of probiotics are: kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and unpasteurized fermented vegetables.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it becomes an easy go-to for your family! If you make it, please come back and leave a comment.

Umami Veggie Bowl

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Serves: 4-5 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• Bowl Ingredients:
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 3 cups mushrooms sliced and stir-fried with garlic salt and steak spice
• 1 cup frozen edamame beans, thawed
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium sliced cucumber
• 1 red pepper diced
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• Sauce: 
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard (any kind you have)
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos
• 4-5 drops of liquid smoke (optional but really adds to the flavor)

Instructions

1. Prepare ingredients for the bowl.  Cook rice, mushrooms and chop other vegetables. 
2. Add all sauce ingredients to a blender or Magic Bullet.  
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Add cooked rice and other ingredients to 4-5 bowls. Spoon sauce over ingredients. 
5. Keep sauce in the fridge in a jar for at least a couple of weeks. (If it lasts!) 

www.thevibrantveggie.com