Because I'm always cooking for one, I'm not very into making elaborate dishes. I'm self-taught in all the "cooking" I do and I don't usually invest tons of time in making myself a meal. To me, it's just important that it's healthy and tastes good! That's where I came up with my "meal in a bowl" concept.
Usually at the beginning of the week I'll make a large batch of some type of grain (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and refrigerate what I don't eat that night. Often times for dinner during the rest of the week, I'll heat up the grain and mix in whatever vegetables are on hand. I'll usually steam things like carrots, squash, or zucchini, or add raw ingredients like avocado or cherry tomatoes. For extra protein, I add in nuts or seeds (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.) Then I top it off with a drizzle of olive or toasted sesame oil. It makes an incredibly satisfying and filling meal! You can also add fresh spices like basil or cilantro.
This bowl was made with brown rice, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and toasted sesame oil.
This meal is extremely easy because you really base it on whatever you have around. There are hundreds of variations and they're all great. It makes for a well-balanced meal of complex carbs, healthy fats, protein, and vitamins and nutrients from whichever vegetables you choose.
Next time you want something easy, give this a try!
Experiment with your food,
Emily
Peacocks
Out of curiosity, where do you buy pumpkin seeds? I never see them around, but I might just be missing them.
1hmmmm that looks so good. I'll do something similar also because hubby and I eat different things.
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2If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
I shop primarily at health food stores that usually have big bins of things they sell in bulk which usually include various kinds of nuts and seeds. I buy the pumpkin seeds raw and toast them myself. I'd imagine larger grocery stores sell packaged bags of raw pumpkin seeds, maybe near the containers of nuts and such?
3That does look very tasty!!
4Mmm. That looks yummy. Are ya much on tofu or seitan? That's something I'd add to this dish, some marinated tofu.
5I don't eat tofu because I'm soy intolerant and there is a lot of conflicting health evidence on concentrated man-made soy products. I am a pretty big fan of seitan, although I only have it on occasion. Both are good ideas if they're usually a part of your diet, though, and will definitely add a hefty amount of protein!
6Thanks for all the good ideas! Other healthy eating blogs have recipes with meat and cheese, being a vegetarian it's hard to find good recipes! Keep up the good work! =)
7You're very welcome! I'm glad to be a help.
8Redhot--
9Emily, I love the pic of the meal you made. It looks like a dish that should be shown in a magazine. Thanks for the info.
10I just joined your group ~ and I love your insight/recipes already!!
11I have a question . . . you said you refridgerate already cooked grains, etc. ~ I've heard that changes their nutritional value/sugar/starch content . . . do you know if that's true??
Thanks for your time!
Thanks so much, pink4444.
I have not heard this about refridgerating cooked grains. It seems inevitable anyway; naturally you're going to cook more than one serving at a time and there needs to be a way to save the rest. I don't think it's much to worry about... you'll just want to eat the grains probably within a week of being refridgerated.
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