Southeast Asian Inspired Rice Bowl

I think this dish has its origins in Vietnam, but I am not 100% sure about it. So much for research. Anyway, it has a complex texture and flavor profile.  I marinate the meat overnight to give it an extra boost. This is one of my favorite dishes. I use Bok Choy for this dish, but you can use broccoli instead.

Ingredients:

1 cup (250 mL) jasmine rice

16 ounces (450 g) ground pork sausage (can substitute ground turkey)

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) China cinnamon

2 teaspoons (10 mL) soy sauce, divided evenly

2 tablespoons (30mL) sake

2 whole star anise

2 whole cloves

3 teaspoon (15 mL) coconut oil

16 ounces bok choy, chopped

1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) lime juice

cilantro and green onion to garnish

Cooking It:

Combine the pork sausage, salt, sugar, cinnamon, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon (5 mL) soy sauce, sake, star anise, and cloves in a bowl. Stir to mix the ingredients. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.

Prepare the jasmine rice according to package instructions. As an extra spicy option, you can add one finely chopped clove of garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of siracha sauce to the rice and stir.

In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of the oil. If you can not get coconut oil, you can substitute vegetable oil. Add the pork sausage mixture. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is cooked thoroughly, about 15 minutes.

In a separate skillet, heat the remaining oil. Add the remaining soy sauce, ground ginger, and lime juice and stir. Add the bok choy and cook for 10 minutes.

Once all the components are ready, get a bowl to serve it. Put the rice on the bottom. Top it with the meat and the bok choy. Garnish with green onion if desired.