Grain Bowl Recipes

GRAIN BOWLS - 3 WAYS

Steps:

• To cook the brown rice, add the brown rice, 1 ¼ cups water and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes until all the water is evaporated. Remove from heat, but keep the pot covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.
• To cook the farro, add the farro, ¾ cup water and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes until all the water is evaporated. Remove from heat, but keep the pot covered for 5 minutes. Drain any excess water, if any, fluff with a fork and serve.
• To cook the quinoa, add the quinoa, ¾ cup water and salt to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until all the water is evaporated. Remove from heat, but keep the pot covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.
• To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor. While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle the oil until completely emulsified and combined. Adjust the thickness by adding more oat milk or water. And taste to adjust for more salt.
• To assemble the grain bowls, place the desired ingredients together in a bowl, drizzle with the garlic cilantro sauce and enjoy at room temperature or cold.

EASY GRAIN BOWL

Steps:

• Go to Seasoned Quinoa to make the quinoa, or follow the other whole grain recipes listed above. The quinoa takes about 25 minutes total, so use the cook time to prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince the garlic. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but before it browns. Add the chickpeas, smoked paprika, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 2 minutes until warmed through.
• Make the Tahini Sauce. (Or, try Lemon Dill Sauce or Creamy Cilantro Sauce.)
• Slice the tomatoes in half. Slice the cucumber. Slice the red onion.
• Place the quinoa and chickpeas in the bowl. Add the fresh veggies and drizzle with the sauce. (Meal prep notes: You can make quinoa, chickpeas, and dressing in advance: quinoa stores refrigerated 5 days and chickpeas store 3 to 4 days, and the dressing stores 1 month.)

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE GRAIN BOWLS RECIPE WITH LENTILS AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• In a non-stick pan or skillet, heat 2tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the sliced zucchini and saute on both sides until tender. Remove zucchini with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Season lightly with salt.
• Add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Close the lid tightly, and give it a good shake. Set aside for now (but shake again before using).
• Divide the cooked farro, lentils, and chickpeas equally among four dinner bowls (it'll come to 1/2 cup of each per bowl). Add cooked zucchini, tomatoes, shallots, avocado slices, parsley, and kalamata olives. Season lightly with salt, pepper and more za'atar, if you like. Drizzle a bit of the dressing on top (about 2 tbsp per bowl). Finish with crumbled feta, if you like.
• Serve at room temperature or warm, if farro and pulses were just cooked. It's best to mix the ingredients in each bowl to allow the dressing flavors to infuse. If you have a bit of dressing left, serve it alongside.

ROASTED VEGGIE GRAIN BOWL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• First, make the quinoa. Add the rinsed quinoa and water to a medium pot. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. This will yield about 3 cups; I used a heaping ½ cup per bowl.
• Next, make the sauce. Combine the pepitas, garlic, kale, cilantro lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, water, and maple syrup or honey in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Then, roast the vegetables. Place the parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower on one large baking sheet. Place the broccolini on the second baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper, toss to coat, then spread evenly onto the sheets. Roast the parsnips/Brussels sprouts/cauliflower 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Roast the broccolini for 10 to 12 minute or until tender. When cool to the touch, chop up the broccolini stems.
• Assemble bowls with a scoop of quinoa, the roasted vegetables, about ¼ cup chickpeas, and a scoop of sauerkraut and top with pepitas. Drizzle with the sauce. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve. I assembled these components into 2 bowls (although the whole recipe will make 4) and saved the leftovers for tomorrow's dinner - stay tuned!
• Store the extra sauce, quinoa, and remaining chickpeas in the fridge.