Fun Bowls

 

Buddha Bowl. Hippie Bowl. Power Bowl. But have you ever had a FUN BOWL?! It’s a choose your own adventure, but for cooking! Not only is it a quick and simple “recipe”, if you will, but the fun part is that it is based on whatever you have in your kitchen! There really is no need for measuring cups, timers, or  the “right” ingredients. 

How does one make a Fun Bowl?? 

There is no right way to do it, but here are some ideas for putting one together:

Pro tip! Choose a theme for your bowl: Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, Korean, Indian, Soul Food, Chinese, German, etc. 

  1. Start with your base (complex carbs) 

    1. Rice 

    2. Couscous

    3. Quinoa 

    4. Pasta/ Noodles

    5. Plantains 

    6. Potatoes

    7. Oats 

  2. Get your protein in 

    1. Tempeh

    2. Lentils 

    3. Chickpeas

    4. Tofu

    5. Beans

    6. Falafel or

    7. Any meat

  3. Pick your veggies

    1. Spinach/ Chard 

    2. Kale 

    3. Broccoli

    4. Bell peppers

    5. Green beans

    6. Carrots 

    7. Onions

    8. Cabbage 

  4. Add a dairy (optional) 

    1. Cheese

    2. Yogurt 

  5. Don’t forget the sauce

    1. Hummus

    2. Salsa

    3. Baba Ganoush 

    4. Tzatziki 

    5. Pasta sauce 

    6. Tahini sauce

    7. Salad dressing 

  6. Top it off

    1. Nuts

    2. Seeds

    3. Herbs

    4. Sauerkraut

    5. Kimchi

    6. Avocado

    7. Olives 

    8. Crispy noodles 

    9. Spice mixes (za’atar, dukkah, etc.)

The best part is that you can reuse the ingredients you use to make one bowl and with some slight adjustments, can make it a completely different bowl!  

This of course is not an exhaustive list of possible ingredients, but following the outline of complex carbs, proteins, veggies, sauce, and toppings will ensure that your bowl is delicious and nourishing. 

I included a recipe below to get your creative juices flowing...

YUMMY GORGEOUS GRAINS AND TAHINI LEMON “CREAM” BOWL

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the dry goods:

  • 1-1½ Cups made up of the following:

  • Brown basmati rice

  • Quinoa

  • Lentils

  • Barley

  • Green split peas

  • (Other options include: wild rice, red rice, black rice, spelt, kamut, red lentils, pumpkin or sunflower seeds)

For the seasoning/dressing:

  • ¼ – ⅓ Cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ Tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce

  • 1 ½ Tsp coconut aminos

  • Generous ½ tsp Bragg Amino Acids

  • A good sprinkling of sea salt

For the Tahini lemon “cream”:

  • ⅓ Cup quality tahini  (preferably organic)

  • 4-5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

  • ½ Tsp kosher salt

  • ⅙ Cup olive oil

  • Hot water

For optional toppings:

  • Toasted sesame seeds

  • Nutritional yeast

  • Cubed avocado

  • Sliced green onion

  • Any veggies that sound good

  • Freshly chopped cilantro, mint, basil or parsley

Directions:

For the grains:

Take out a clear drinking glass and begin to add the different grains, layer by layer, as if you were creating a desert-scape of colors. An average shorter drinking glass will measure out to be about 1 ½ cups. Don’t worry if it’s not exact. The only important thing is that you use double the amount of water as you do dry goods. (The reason I have you put the grains in a glass is so you can see how gorgeous they look raw).

Add the grains to a rice cooker. Add twice the amount of water as grains to the rice cooker. Turn the rice cooker on and make yourself useful somewhere else or take a catnap. 

*If you don’t have a rice maker, place grains into a pot fitted with a cover. Add twice the amount of water. Bring to a boil, then bring heat to low and cover until cooked. Check in on it after 20 minutes or so, and every so often to make sure it doesn’t need a little extra water to finish the cooking. It’s done when all ingredients are tender.

Once done, uncover and let breathe a few minutes. Add olive oil and stir. Add Tamari, Bragg, coconut aminos, salt and stir. (If you don’t have Bragg Amino Acids or coconut aminos, just use more Tamari or soy sauce. Don’t have Tamari or soy sauce? Add more salt.) Taste and adjust to your liking. You want them a little on the oily, sweet and salty side.

For the Tahini lemon “cream”:

Mix tahini, lemon, salt and olive oil in a small bowl. Add enough hot water until smooth paste forms (a few tablespoons to a ¼ cup. Amounts depend on the type of tahini.)

For assembly:

Add your yummy grains to individual serving bowls, top with Tahini lemon “cream” and add any of the optional toppings. Be grateful that such good food can live in your pantry for months on end and is so easy to make!

Have FUN tonight, create your own variations and please share on @yourlifenutrition

 
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