Preheat your oven or airfryer to 400 degrees. While it’s heating, chop your kale and add to a mixing bowl. Massage with lemon juice and sesame oil.
Chop a kabocha squash and arrange on a parchment lined baked tray face down. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Once cool, chop into cubes and serve as is or pop in the oven or air fryer for 10 minutes if you want a crispier consistency. Add 1/2 cup to each bowl and save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge. You will have a lot of extras, these will come in handy for weeknight dinners when you don’t feel like cooking!
Chop your lotus root into thin strips. Air fry or bake half the batch and sautee the other half in tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos) and sesame oil. Alternatively, you can choose one method over the other.
Cook brown rice according to package instructions. As soon as it’s done, mix in rice vinegar then cover the rice to keep the steam inside the pot.
Lightly your kale in the marinade or just enjoy it as is. If you decide to sautee it, only do so for 3-5 minutes on a medium heat. You want to preserve as many nutrients as possible, so make sure not to overcook it. Sprinkle the final product with red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Sautee your sliced water chesnuts in tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos) and sesame oil. I purchased my water chesnuts canned so they were already presliced, I find this to be the easiest option. Upon opening the can, make sure to rinse the water chesnuts well to remove all traces of the brine.
Prep the remaining ingredients - peel and dice your cucumbers, peel and shred your carrots, thinly chop your green onion, and chop your seaweed snacks into strips.
Arrange your bowl with the kabocha squash, spicy kale, brown rice, shredded carrots, diced cucumber, water chesnuts, and lotus root. Top with seaweed strips, chopped green onion, raw ginger, and sesame seeds.