Rice Bowls are very easy to make and the ingredients are dictated by one’s individual taste and desire to use up odds and ends, such as items that will go bad if you don’t use them quickly-- like ripe avocados that will get mushy in a day or two, or carrots in the crisper that you forgot you had. Making the bowls with an inventive combination of foods is what it’s all about. The more colorful, the better.

Speaking of using up odds and ends and being inventive, there’s a documentary on msnbc called "Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story" about food waste and food rescue. It really opened our eyes to how much food is wasted. First rule, serve reasonably sized portions and make a “clean plate”. Second rule, eat all the leftovers. Leftovers are not a problem in our home. We love foraging for them to eat for lunch the next day. We never throw leftovers away and this goes way back. When I (Vivi here) was a kid, feeling full before my plate was clean, would play a game with my father. I would step on his foot, his mouth would open, and I would feed him what was left on my plate. We called him “the human garbage pail”.

Here are some suggestions: If you do weekly shopping trips, meal plan ahead and stick to your shopping list -- then use everything you buy before your next shopping trip. Or, shop daily and only buy what you need for the day. Rescue food by buying imperfect looking produce that no one else will buy. For instance, pick the slightly bruised bananas. They usually get tossed. Use up your perishables before buying more food, and keep them in the front of your fridge (out of sight, out of mind). Create an “eat me first” bowl for foods that will go bad quickly. Use your freezer for the foods that you can’t eat right away. Don’t discard foods that are past their “sell by” date. Those dates are about freshness, not safety -- they are perfectly fine to eat.

Makes 4 bowls, ready in an hour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 cup of cooked brown rice
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 brick of extra firm tofu
1-2 tsp organic miso paste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp sriracha
1/2 tsp honey

Pickled Carrots
2 tbsp white vinegar
½ tsp sugar
2 carrots
enough water to cover carrots in jar

1 thinly sliced avocado
2 scallions
chopped peanuts

Cut sweet potatoes into approximately 1 inch cubes. In bowl, toss with curry powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and oil until coated. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until the cubes are golden brown, tossing the cubes once or twice while baking.

Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes or rectangles. In a medium size bowl, whisk the miso, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, and honey together in a bowl. Add the tofu and toss gently to coat. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes - flip cubes over after 15 minutes.

While sweet potatoes and tofu are baking, combine vinegar and sugar in a jar. Add ribboned carrots to the jar, and then add enough water to cover the carrots. Close jar and gently shake so ingredients are mixed together. Assemble all ingredients in bowl, adding the rice, avocado, scallions and peanuts. Use liquid from pickling jar for your rice bowl dressing. Season to your liking with salt and pepper.