Tamari Beet Bowl w/ Fried Mushrooms & Avocado
Crisp, buttery mushrooms. Sweet & salty beets & purple cabbage. Bright wilted spinach. Tangy kraut and creamy avocado and cherry tomatoes sweet like sunshine. I like to think of this beet bowl as decadent simplicity. It's an every day sort of meal. It's easy to prepare and a pleasure to dig into. This is the sort of plant based meal that regularly comes out of my kitchen. Flavorful and fresh, loaded with good nutrition, cooked in whole fats and including lots of iron & protein-rich greens.
In the Summer its like my body wants plants and only plants. The exception being eggs the morning after a night of lots of wine and fireworks and cartwheels in the dark. Other than that, gimme some greens. Most of the time I try to eat something green at every meal.
I made this after a traditional ashtanga yoga class (Logan calls it "yoga church") when my bod was hella tired and my appetite was on fire. I sometimes don't have time to eat before yoga because I don't eat 2 hours before class. So if I wake up late the most I'll down is a small superfood smoothie. Or nothing. Except coffee. Always coffee.
Yesterday was one of those days when I didn't eat anything. Ashtanga really develops a lot of heat in the core of the body. So, yeah, my stomach was on fire when I got home. Somehow I managed to make this without scarfing a load of hummus and chips before hand. If I don't take measured steps to cool my system down I will EAT EVERYTHING. Part of that is my naturally fiery appetite and part of that is my body like she didn't eat breakfast SHE'S STARVING quick turn on the volcano so we don't diiiiiiieeeeeee.
But this bowl was worth waiting around for. I love the interplay of tamari, maple syrup, and coconut oil with earthy-sweet beets. It results in this salty/sweet/buttery/earthy flavor combo that makes me flavor-drunk.
In case you're wondering, I drank a pitcher full of mint water and whole watermelon juice (fruit + rind juiced together) after lunch. It's a great way to cool down bonfire belly.
- 1 cup mixed mushrooms, sliced evenly (I used lions mane but I think shiitake and oyster both do nicely)
- 1 tablespoon sauerkraut or pickle brine
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- pinch salt
- 1/2 large beet, sliced evenly (a little more than 1 cup)
- 1/4 chopped purple cabbage (about 2 cups chopped)
- 3 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 3 large handfuls spinach
- handful sweet golden cherry tomatoes
- 1 large avocado
- sauerkraut, to your liking
- Place a large cast iron pan over medium high heat. When the pan is good and hot, add the mixed mushrooms and spread them out evenly on the pan so they each have room to lay flat.
- Dry-fry for up to 10 minutes, flipping the mushrooms with a spatula occasionally to brown them evenly on both sides. Press on the mushrooms with the flat side of the spatula as they soften with the heat to help release water. Dry-fry until little water is left in the mushrooms.
- Add the sauerkraut / pickle brine and coconut oil, stirring the brine & oil into the mushrooms and arranging the mushrooms again so they each lay flat.
- Cook further until the mushrooms are crisp.
- Remove the mushrooms from heat and sprinkle a little bit of salt overtop.
- Add the beet slices and cabbage to the hot pan. Add the tamari, vinegar and maple syrup and cover.
- Cook about 10 minutes on medium high heat, until the beets are fork tender and the cabbage is softened.
- Add the spinach and cover (as best you can), cooking the leaves down another 2-5 minutes -- just until they're wilted and bright green.
- Add the beet/cabbage/spinach mixture to a medium bowl along with the mushrooms and toss to combine.
- Serve topped with cherry tomatoes and slices of avocado. Add sauerkraut to your liking.
- Enjoy!