I love all things earthy, but I’m also in love with the bounty of the sea. When they all come together in one big bowl, it’s a miracle meal. Add chopsticks and a couple glasses of wine, and this mung bean salad becomes a food-inspired game of Operation.
Filling bowls like this one make me feel wholesome, healthy and complete. Having ventured to many macrobiotic cafes over the years, I have come to realize that some of the best balancing meals are those that incorporate hearty green vegetables, root vegetables, beans, grains and seafood. This Earth and Sea Bowl serves up a variety of nutrient-dense ingredients. Feel free to modify the various components to create your own macrobiotic meal.
Earth and Sea Bowl 4 servings
1 cup dried mung beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped spinach
1/3 cup hemp seeds
1/3 cup sunflower sprouts
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to coat
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. halibut fillet
1 lb. sea scallops
2 large sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch slices
1 bunch asparagus
• Prepare mung beans according to package instructions and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Add garlic, cucumber, spinach, hemp seeds, sunflower sprouts and parsley.
• In another small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the mung bean mixture and stir well. Set aside.
• Prepare a grill for direct heat.
• Lightly coat the halibut, scallops, sweet potatoes and asparagus with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Grill the sweet potato spears, flipping every 15 minutes until lightly browned. Add the asparagus and grill until browned and slightly crisp, about 7 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the vegetables and set aside.
• Grill the halibut about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes until it reaches desired firmness. Remove from the heat, slice the halibut into 4 equal pieces and set aside.
• Grill the scallops 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and grill another 2 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.
• To assemble the bowls, divide the mung bean salad evenly between 4 deep bowls. Top each with grilled sweet potatoes, asparagus, scallops and halibut.
This article appears in May 2014.