Grain bowls are a fun way to upgrade your salad game and incorporate a variety of whole grains into your diet. These Asian inspired bowls feature not one but three ancient grains; a colourful array of veggies; spicy chicken, shrimp or brussel sprouts (to suit the omnivore, pescatarian and vegan/vegetarian alike); and a creamy ackee tahini dressing. Umami bombs in every bite, you’ll definitely want to give this bowl of goodness a try!

Wholesome-three-grain-bowls-with-ackee-tahini-dressing,-topped-with-spicy-shrimp,-chicken-and-roasted-brussels-sprouts-saute

Let’s start with the sauce!

Creamy-ackee-tahini-dressing-with-black-sesame-seeds

Ackee Tahini Dressing

Tahini is made by grinding roasted hulled sesame seeds, the result is creamy and delectable. With the addition of ackee we have a gorgeous, silky base dressing to which garlic, lemon juice and black sesame seeds are added. It does a really great job of marrying everything in the bowl together and helps to cool the palate from some of the spice.

Ackee-Tahini-Dressing-for-Grain-Bowls

Speaking of spice! If you love sriracha but have never tried sambal oelek, you are missing out. I can’t get enough of this stuff. It’s not smack you over the head silly hot, but rather a sweet, flavourful heat. Love spicy fried rice? Sambal oelek will be your new best friend; combined with garlic, ginger and a splash of tamari it becomes a flavourful saute sauce.

Tossed with chicken for the omnivore:

Three-grain-bowl-with-Ackee-tahini-Dressing-topped-with-Spicy-Chicken-Saute

Shrimp for the pescatarian:

Three-grain-bowl-with-ackee-tahini-dressing-topped-with-spicy-shrimp-saute

And roasted brussel sprouts for the vegan:

Vegan-three-grain-bowl-with-ackee-tahini-dressing

Sub rice with ancient grains for variety

Next up, the grains.

I used sorghum, farro and quinoa, you could use just one grain or as many as you like. Personally, I think using more than one creates a more texturally interesting dish. Plus the Bob’s Red Mill section at my local store had so many options that I couldn’t just choose one 😊

Farro,-quinoa-and-sorghum,-ancient-wholegrain-goodness

Grains are easy to prepare and you only need to keep one thing in mind and that’s ratio. Each grain has a different ratio of grain to water (or stock or even juice); once you know this, the cooking method is simple:

  1. Bring the grain and liquid up to a boil
  2. Reduce heat and simmer covered till done (the cooking time varies depending on the grain, for example: quinoa takes about 15 to 20 minutes whereas sorghum can take upwards of an hour).
Quinoa,-farro-and-sorghum-an-ancient-grain-combo-for-a-healthy-nutrious-salad

If you’ve gotten your ratio right, you shouldn’t have to drain any excess liquid off as the grain will absorb it all. You may find that you like certain grains to have more of a bite to them in which case you would use less liquid. If you prefer the grain to be softer you would add slightly more liquid. Just experiment with it till you find what works best for you.

Three-ancient-grains,-sorghum,-quinoa-and-farro-tossed-with-rice-vinegar-and-olive-oil-form-the-base-of-delicious-grain-bowl-with-ackee-tahini-dressing

Finally, feel free to mix and match the veggies you use to top the bowl, aim for a mix of colours not only is it beautiful to look at but it’s also the best way to ensure you get a wide range of nutrients.

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts below. If you try any of the recipes be sure to snap a pic and #amazingackee across social media so I can see your posts. As always, thanks for stopping by, till next time.

[lt_recipe name=”Ackee Tahini Dressing” servings=”About 2 cups” prep_time=”5M” total_time=”5M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”Creamy delicious dressing simple and easy to make. ” print=”yes” image=”http:////\/\/amazingackee.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Creamy-ackee-tahini-dressing-with-black-sesame-seeds-for-three-grain-bowls-350×200.jpg” ingredients=”1/4 cup Tahini;1/2 cup Parboiled (or canned) Ackee;Juice of half lemon;2 to 3 cloves Garlic, finely grated;Salt to taste;Sugar, optional, to taste;1/2 to 3/4 cup Water;3 tbsps Black sesame seeds, optional” ]Blend together all ingredients except for the sesame seeds starting with the smaller amount of water.;Add more water to achieve desired consistency.;Taste and adjust seasoning.;Stir in black sesame seeds before serving.;Keeps refrigerated for 3 days.[/lt_recipe]

[lt_recipe name=”Spicy Saute Sauce” servings=”Enough for 1lb/454g” prep_time=”5M” cook_time=”10M” total_time=”15M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”Sambal oelek gives this spicy saute sauce a flavourful kick. It’s great on veggies, meat and fish” print=”yes” image=”http:////\/\/amazingackee.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Wholesome-three-grain-bowls-with-ackee-tahini-dressing-topped-with-spicy-shrimp-chicken-and-roasted-brussels-sprouts-saute-350×200.jpg” ingredients=”2 tbsps Pure sesame oil;2-3 cloves Garlic, finely grated;1 tbsp Ginger, finely grated;2 tsps Red pepper flakes, optional;2 tbsps Sambal oelek;1lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs or Peeled and deveined shrimp (previously seasoned with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley) or Roasted Brussel Sprouts (tossed with salt, pepper and oil and roasted at 425F for 20 minutes);1 tsp Brown sugar;1 tsp Cornstarch;1 tbsp Tamari (or soy sauce);3 tbsps Water” ]Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, tamari and water then set aside.;Heat sesame oil in a wok or frying pan (*note if you use a non stick frying pan you can use half the amount of oil);Add garlic and ginger to oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes till they soften and become fragrant.;Add the red pepper flakes and sambal and cook another minute.;Add the chicken, shrimp or brussel sprouts (whatever you’re using). In the case of the chicken and shrimp, cook till just about done and the brussel sprouts till warmed through.;Rewhisk the cornstarch slurry and add to wok/pan. Cook for 1 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens, toss well to coat.;Enjoy![/lt_recipe]

[lt_recipe name=”Three Grain Bowls with Ackee Tahini Dressing” servings=”4 to 8″ prep_time=”10M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”These grain bowls are packed with nutrients. They feature a spicy saute topping with mixed veggies, three ancient grains and a creamy ackee tahini dressing” print=”yes” image=”http:////\/\/amazingackee.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Creamy-ackee-tahini-dressing-with-black-sesame-seeds-for-three-grain-bowls-350×200.jpg” ingredients=”Assortment of vegetables, cut or shredded as desired for topping;1 Recipe Ackee Tahini Dressing;1 Recipe Spicy Saute Chicken, Shrimp or Roasted Brussel Sprouts;4 cups Cooked grains, warm;2 to 4 tbsps Rice Vinegar;2 to 4 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil;1/4 cup Cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, optional” ]Prepare the grains: toss together the warm cooked grains with rice vinegar and olive oil starting with the smaller amount and adjusting according to your taste. Mix in the cilantro if using.;Assemble bowls: Put prepared grains in the bowl and top with the saute and assorted vegetables.;Serve with ackee tahini dressing;Enjoy![/lt_recipe]

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