The 1 Dollar Healthy Rice Bowl

black beans

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: canned chickpeas

Lentils are lower in calories and provide similar protein.

avocado

🥗Healthier: mashed peas

💰Cheaper: sliced cucumber

Mashed peas provide creaminess with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is a budget-friendly cooking oil.

cilantro

🥗Healthier: parsley

💰Cheaper: green onions

Parsley offers a fresh flavor at a lower cost.

Wash the rice by placing it in a large fine mesh sieve set over a large bowl, fill with water, agitate, pour out the water, and repeat one to two more times.

Lightly drain the rice and place it into a rice cooker.

Add 3 cups of water to the rice, perform a finger test to ensure the water level is correct, close the cooker, and turn it on.

In a small pan, add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2.5 tablespoons of white vinegar, stir and heat until dissolved, then cool slightly.

Mix in 2 tablespoons of sriracha, 3/4 cup of smooth peanut butter, and 1 clove of grated garlic, whisk together.

If the sauce begins to seize, whisk in 1/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch until smooth.

In a small pot, combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of white vinegar, and 3.5 tablespoons of honey, bring to a boil and reduce for 1 minute.

Make a slurry by combining 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water, whisk until dissolved.

After simmering the sauce, add about 3/4 of the slurry, stir, and let boil for 30 seconds until thickened, adding more slurry if necessary.

For soft boiled eggs, bring a pot of water to a boil, reduce the heat, add 4 whole eggs, and boil for exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds.

Remove the eggs from the water and place them into an ice bath for about 5 minutes.

Gently crack the shell and peel the eggs under a light stream of water, then cut in half.

Slice cucumber into coins or cut in half and slice lengthwise for fine slices.

Julienne 1-2 large carrots and toss with lime juice and sesame oil until evenly coated.

Halve, quarter, peel, and slice the avocado into quarter-inch slices, optionally seasoning with flaky salt and lime juice.

Cut 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and skewer them onto wooden skewers, yielding about 6-8 skewers.

Lightly grease the chicken with spray oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, using a conroe yakitori style grill if available.

Grease the grill and place the skewers on it, cooking for about 5-10 minutes, turning every minute until cooked through with a nice char.

Brush the chicken skewers with the glaze on all sides and caramelize over high heat, then remove from the grill to prevent burning.

Assemble the rice bowl by filling a bowl with rice, adding chicken skewers, carrots, cucumber, soft boiled egg halves, green onion, a dollop of spicy peanut sauce, and avocado.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary