This salad is my version of the Big Bowl.
The Big Bowl is a concept I learned while working in a telemarketing room during college. The Big Bowl was Robert’s lunch and Robert’s dinner. Probably his breakfast, too – I was never there in the mornings and frankly we weren’t all that tight, so I wasn’t quizzing him about his morning meals.
I’m not sure where Robert is nowadays. He was a colorful individual to say the least, with not only a flair for the culinary but also a rap sheet. A lengthy one, in fact.
Anyway, the big bowl is precisely what it sounds to be. It’s a big bowl. Of food. A little bit of this, a little that. It’s a perfect place for leftovers to land and become something fancy for lunch the next day.
It’s also mildly comforting to sit cross-legged on the couch with that big bowl snugly ensconced in your lap, blindly shoveling its contents into your mouth while you watch Entertainment Tonight.
I think.
I’ve never done it before.
I prefer Access Hollywood. Mario Lopez with those yummy, little dimples.
This big bowl is my favorite version, particularly since it seems I always have random bits of rice leftover in the fridge. Any grain will do though.
I’ve got asparagus, yellow pepper, carrots, blue cheese, parsley, a bit of olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar in there, too. They’ve had a chance to meet and mingle. Perhaps they’ve had a few drinks. Maybe a few dirty dances. I dunno. I avert my eyes usually.
And while we’re on the subject, I usually toss in whatever leftover protein (steak, chicken, salmon, tofu, you get it) I can corral. It’s healthy. It’s easy. It’s huggable.
Huggable lunches. I like it.
Get on it.
Brown Rice Salad
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/3 cup carrots, diced
1/3 cup yellow peppers, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
10 stalks blanched asparagus, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl and chill until ready to serve.
