Pomegranate Sweet Potato Rice Bowls with Roasted Maple Butternut Squash
Try this Pomegranate Sweet Potato Rice Bowls with Roasted Maple Butternut Squash recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Pomegranate Sweet Potato Rice Bowls with Roasted Maple Butternut Squash recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 45.4920661465571 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 8.14806458333549 g
- Fiber 8.24 g
- Protein 3.71536666666667 g
- Saturated Fat 1.07632162500039 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (237g)
- Sodium 89.0923593750971 mg
- Sugar 37.2520661465571 g
- Trans Fat 1.42737933333333 g
- Calories 255 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the maple syrup and half of the olive oil in the bottom of a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Place the butternut squash cubes in the bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss together to coat. Lay the butternut squash out on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until baked through and soft, and slightly browned.
- Meanwhile, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Rinse the mixing bowl used to season the butternut squash and fill with water. Slice the pomegranate into quarters and submerge it under the water and carefully remove the seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the white flesh will rise to the top. Scoop out the flesh with a slotted spoon and then drain the pomegranates into a colander and set aside. Save ¼ heaping cup of pomegranates and reserve the rest for future use.
- Next, peel and spiralize the sweet potato, using Blade D. Place the noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the rest of the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the sweet potato rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Cover the sweet potato rice and cook for 5 minutes, uncovering to stir occasionally and then let cook for 3 more minutes, uncovered, or until sweet potato rice reaches your preferred rice-like consistency. Stir in the goat cheese, remove from heat and add in the butternut squash.
- Divide the sweet potato into bowls and top pomegranates.
Traditional grain bowls rely on a foundation of dry, separate starches, but root vegetables behave differently when processed into small grains. Excessive moisture turns pulsed sweet potato into mush rather than rice, destroying the necessary bite. Pulsing spiralized sweet potato noodles in a food processor creates uniform pieces that mimic grains without becoming pasty.
High heat prevents steaming during cooking. Preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the butternut squash cubes caramelize in maple syrup rather than boil in their own juices. Roasting takes 35 minutes until the squash is soft and slightly browned at the edges. Meanwhile, submerging quartered pomegranates in a bowl of water allows the floating white pith to separate easily from the sinking seeds. Cooking the sweet potato rice in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes covered, followed by 3 more minutes uncovered, releases trapped steam so the texture stays tender yet firm.
Dairy-free adaptations work well here by substituting the crumbled goat cheese with toasted pumpkin seeds or tahini drizzle.
