I honestly cannot believe I’ve never made a real life sugar skull out of veggies before. It was so much fun!
With Halloween and Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) approaching, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about skulls, food and vegetables.
So, feed your skull with this vegetable, lentil and rice sugar skull! Feel free to change up the veggies to what’s available in your kitchen. The palate is yours to create!
Similar to last week’s sushi roll, this rice includes the addition of tapioca starch to give the skull shape some staying power.
Mounds of cooked red lentils add the perfect amount of color to the edge along with protein and iron!
Put any extra veggies, not used in the decoration, into a separate bowl. You will add this in later.
Once you’ve admired the skull an appropriate amount of time, slide it into a bowl along with the extra veggies and spices. Mix with a spoon until everything is combined.
You could skip the skull, but what fun would that be?
Vegetable, Lentil and Rice Sugar Skull (vegan)
Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories: 218 - Fat: 5 g - Fiber: 8 g - Protein: 12 g - Vitamin A: 17% - Vitamin C: 33% - Calcium: 5% - Iron: 17% - Zinc: 19% - Selenium: 26% - Potassium: 20% - Copper: 30% - Vitamin K: 49% - Folate: 47% - Vitamin B6: 194% - Thiamin (B1): 254% - Riboflavin (B2): 226% - B12: 50%
The hulkified B vitamin quantities are thanks to the nutritional yeast and some of the veggies but mostly the nooch.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon corn starch or tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup cooked red lentils
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 6 small crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small carrot, sliced
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- about 1/2 cup of loose baby spinach
- sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- tamari or salt to taste
- salsa (optional)
Instructions
- Place the rice and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, when boiling, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes - until water is absorbed and rice is soft. Remove from heat and stir in corn starch and lemon juice until well mixed. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool.
- Once cool empty rice onto a cutting board or large serving plate and form into a skull. Use a tablespoon to place mounds of lentils around the edge and continue decorating with vegetables. For example, I used spinach and tomato halves in between the lentils on the outside of the skull. Avocado and black olives for the eyes, a carrot for the nose, green onions for the mouth, mushroom and avocado for the cheek hollows, and beads of sriracha for decoration. Be creative and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- Place any vegetables that don't get used into a bowl. Once you've admired the sugar skull, empty it into a large bowl along with extra vegetables and spices. Stir until evenly mixed and enjoy!
If you make this, I would LOVE to see a picture! Tweet me @meeshfelt or post it on the Feed Your Skull facebook page.
Would you like to see more sugar skulls in the future?
xoxo
LOVE THIS!!!!
Thank you Penni!
This is amazing!!
Thank you Carrie! 🙂