Half-Bowl? Three-Quarters Bowl? Semi-Bowl?

For those of you from Portland (Oregon),  you have probably heard of Whole Bowl (an amazing food cart that serves up a healthy lunch for only $5.00).

It was a favorite lunch spot for me, but since I left Portland,  I have not stopped craving the stuff.  I came up with a home variation that is pretty close.  It's at least good enough to tide me over until I am back in Portland again!

Ingredients:

Base:

1. 1 cup dried or canned black beans (if dried soak overnight in the fridge)
2. 1 cup short or long grain brown rice (soak for at least 30 minutes to help with digestion of nutrients)
3. Taco seasoning or cumin, paprika, garlic powder, chili pepper and black pepper
4. 1-2 inch piece of Kombu seaweed (this will go in with the beans while they cook)

Toppings:

1. Salsa
2. Cilantro
3. Shredded cheddar cheese
4. Black olives
5. Sour cream (not pictured on mine, because I don't like it)
   
6. Avocado (ditto)
   
7. Sweet Chili Sauce (this could contain gluten, so eliminate if making gluten free)
   

Secret Sauce (my lazy version):

1. 1/4 cup regular hummus
2. 1 Tbs nutritional yeast (this is a great ingredient for vegans to include in their diets because of the B vitamins it contains)
   
3. 1/8 tsp garlic powder
4. 1-2 Tbs lemon juice
5. 1/8 tsp curry powder 

"Yummy Sauce" (from what I have been told this is very close to the sauce Whole Bowl uses)*:

 SERVES 8 , 4 cups

• 1/2 cup canola oil (preferably cold pressed)
• 1/2 cup almonds (for a creamier sauce, use almond flour)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (available at Whole Foods grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas or garbanzo beans, cooked
• 1/4 cup soybeans, cooked (not green edamame beans)
• 1/2 cup filtered water (important for flavor)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1-2 garlic cloves (small to medium size)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro

1. In a blender or food processor blend almonds beans and oil.
2. Add all other ingredients and puree until creamy smooth.
3. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for one hour.
4. Don't cover to tight, remember the yeast.

*Yummy Sauce recipe from http://www.recipezaar.com/Yummy-Sauce-297251

Directions:

•  Soak beans overnight in a bowl of water in the refrigerator.  Keeping the beans cool, helps to stop fermentation.  You can change the water a couple of times while the beans are soaking.  This helps eliminate some of the oligosaccharides which are hard for our systems to digest.  
• After soaking the beans overnight add about 4 cups of fresh water to a pot on the stove with the beans.  Add a piece of Kombu seaweed to the pot.  After cooking, you can remove this like a bay leaf, or cut it up to include in your beans.  I pulled mine out (it doesn't look too pretty).
• Simmer beans for 1-2 hours.  I cooked mine for a little over an hour.
• While the beans cook, start the rice.  You can follow the directions on the package.  Add taco seasonings (1/4 of packet, or the spices listed above).
• Once the beans are finished drain and add back to the pot.  Add salt, pepper and salsa to the beans.  You can add additional cumin or other seasonings.
• While the rice and beans cook, prepare the toppings and secret sauce.  If following my version, just mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Once the rice and beans are finished.  Place a scoop of rice in your bowl, then layer with beans, top with secret sauce, cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives, cilantro and sweet chili sauce.

~It's not Whole Bowl, but it's pretty dang close! ~

*to make this vegan, don't add cheddar cheese or sour cream.