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Inspiration for my plant lover's mighty Macro Plate
This dish was inspired by the Macro Plate from Souen, a small collection of Macrobiotic restaurants in NYC, which have had a cult following since the early ’70s. During my summers as an intern in NYC and the year I lived there for a work assignment, Souen was a the perfect combination of healthy (predominantly plant-based) food, Asian flavors (always my favorite), and a modest price point ($9.25 for the Macro Plate). I was a regular there, and I shed a tear when I heard it was closing after almost 50 years in business.
The Macro Plate might change a little depending on the season, but it always consisted of brown rice, steamed greens, beans, and hijiki seaweed and a choice of a delicious sauce. Ever a “sauce person,” I always had to get two. I’ve recreated the beautifully balanced carrot ginger and umamilicious miso tahini sauces – and I definitely recommend one or both to accompany this meal.
Options for making your plant lover's mighty Macro Plate
When I replicate this at home, the composition usually varies, so this is a flexible recipe. I always include a grain (brown rice or quinoa), and some of my favorite components include: tofu, carrots, broccoli, kabocha squash, carrots (all steamed), sauteed shiitake mushrooms, prepared hijiki seaweed salad, and kidney or pinto beans. I go for an array of color and at least one item that’s high in protein.
The fastest and most simple version is to stick to one grain (quinoa is quickest) and one steamer basket of veggies. If you’ve got some extra time or can get creative with your meal planning, I love adding a skillet of shiitake mushrooms or a side of prepared hijiki salad (see “Basic Hijiki no Nimono” recipe from Food52).
To make this Whole30 and Paleo compliant, you could use kelp noodles instead of a grain. To make this Keto friendly, heavy up on broccoli and kale, skip the beans, have a small portion of squash, and use shredded dried seaweed instead of the hijiki salad.
Ingredients
Reminder: you only need 1 scoop of grains and 3-4 other components to make a beautiful and satisfying Macro Plate (I recommend having one item that’s high in protein – e.g. tofu or beans). You do not need all of the items below. The first section (up to the Note will require one pot for your grain and one large pot with a steamer basket).
- 3 cups cooked rice, quinoa or kelp noodles (prepared according to package instructions)
- 3 large carrots
- 3 large crowns of broccoli
- 2 bunches of kale, chopped
- 1 kabocha squash, sliced in 1/2 in sections (delicata is another option that's easy to slice)
- 1 package of extra firm tofu
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2 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans
- *Note: the following will add extra time:
- Optional & extra time: 2 cups prepared Hijiki seaweed
- Optional: Sauteed shiitake mushrooms (2-3 cups when uncooked)
- Avocado oil (for sauteed shiitakes)
- Optional: toasted sesame oil (for sauteed shiitakes)
Plant lover's Macro Plate: putting it together
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Step 1 - prep vegetablesThoroughly clean vegetables and chop into bite sized pieces.
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Step 2 - cook rice or grain of choice
Follow package directions to prepare your grain or GF substitute of choice
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Step 3 - Sautee mushrooms (no mushrooms? Skip to step 4)If you're including mushroom, add drizzle of avocado oil and a splash of water to a saute pan and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir to keep them from sticking. Meanwhile, start your steamed veggies.
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Step 4 - steam veggies (not mushrooms)Add cut veggies to steamer basket (EXCEPT greens) and steam for 5 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure they don't get over-cooked. Note: If you're including mushrooms, I prefer to saute them.
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Step 5 - add tofu and greensAfter steaming your dense veggies for 5 mins, they should be getting very close to being done (fork tender and still vibrant in color). Remove anything that's perfectly cooked. Then add your chopped greens and tofu, place lid back on and steam for about 1 minute until greens are slightly wilted but still bright green.
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Step 6 - assemble plant lover's mighty Macro PlatesAssemble Macro Plates with a portion of each vegetable, scoop of grain, and if applicable - beans, sauteed mushrtooms, or tofu. Note: this time I steamed my kale in the covered skillet after my mushrooms cooked but I would have used the main steamer otherwise. See note under Tips & Other Options.
Serve with Beautifully Balanced Carrot Ginger Sauce and / or Umamilicious Miso Tahini Sauce. If you don’t time for either of those, a drizzle of timari, coconut aminos and rice vinegar would be great.
Difficulty:
Easy
Time:
40 minutes*
Servings:
4
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Tips & other options
Watch your veggies: The most tricky thing about this meal is to monitor your veggies closely. Err on the side of al-dente so that you don’t over-cook them.
Meal planning: This meal doesn’t requires a ton of hands-on cooking time, but making the grain and washing and chopping the vegetables adds up. I find it a big help to carve out some time on the weekend to do a lot of veggie prep or make a big batch of quinoa or brown rice for multiple meals later in the week.
Look for veggies that you can use for multiple meals – e.g. can you prep broccoli or carrots that are steamed for the mighty Macro Plates one night and roasted as a side for a different night? Or steam extra veggies that can be saved for salad topping or a stir-fry later int the week?
Using the right gear: You’ll need a large pot, like this 6-QT Stock Pot from Five Two.
If you’re making sauteed shiitakes, I love the 12-in Covered Stainless Skillet, also from Five Two. Once the mushrooms are cooked, I move them to the side of the pan, pile in the kale, and cover the pan for 1-2 minute for a very quick steam. 
You can also turn your stockpot into a steamer with one of these beautiful ceramic steamer sets.