Meatless Okinawa Taco Rice
Okinawa Taco Rice is a Japan staple, but here it gets a meatless and whole foods update. It’s a quick dinner that comes together in just a few minutes.
So this might be hard to believe, but this is a Japanese favorite. There is a heavy U.S. military presence in Okinawa, the southern-most islands of Japan, and the fusion of Japanese ingredients and Tex-Mex cravings were combined to create this fabulous dish.
It’s traditionally made with ground beef, but I wanted to lighten up the palate a little by making it vegetarian. So I took it a step further from what’s expected of Japanese cuisine and made with with black beans to replace the beef, and used brown rice to replace the white. The trouble with whole grains and legumes is that they hold a great deal of anti-nutrients that make them basically indigestible to our bodies unless they are treated properly. The way they’ve been prepared for centuries until the last 50+ years or so.
So if you’re making this recipe, I recommend using leftovers from a previous batch of properly prepared beans and rice.
*to learn how to cook beans properly, look here. For brown rice, go here.
It’s a great way to use up leftovers, and it’s quick, easy, super tasty, and nutritious. Enjoy!
- 2 cups cooked black beans
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter, preferably grassfed
- 1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter, preferably grassfed
- 3 cups cooked short grain brown rice
- 2 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, preferably grassfed, grated
- 1 head romaine lettuce, sliced thinly
- 4~5 small tomatoes or 2 large ones, diced
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Bring the beans, soy sauce, butter, garlic, cumin, honey, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let simmer until the beans are coated in the sauce and the water has mostly evaporated. Remove rom heat and set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, swirling to coat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the rice in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and cook until the cheese is melted and the rice on the bottom has a golden brown crust. Remove from the heat. Add the beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and scallions over the top. Scoop out of the skillet and serve immediately.
Cheri
June 1, 2017
Another winner!!!! I have shared the link with all my cooking kids since making this tonight. Big hit with the group that was here. Thanks so much Lillian
Lillian
June 4, 2017
Oh Hooray! I’m so glad you liked it! It’s always such a compliment to have you like my food:)