Spicy peanut veggie and grain bowl
Grain bowls make for customizable, inexpensive, and tasty meals.
Mealtime can be a fun family activity, especially when it involves customization! Grain bowls are perfect for this, allowing everyone to personalize their creation based on their preferences. Another bonus: grain bowls are batch-cooking friendly, and leftover ingredients can be repurposed for salads or wraps later in the week.
Here's a breakdown of the key components for building a delicious grain bowl:
Base: Choose a whole grain like quinoa, bulgur, wheat berries, or brown rice.
Greens: Sauteed or raw options like beet greens, chard, kale, or spinach work well.
Roasted veggies: Consider adding roasted brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or butternut squash for a hearty element.
Protein: Add protein power with options like garbanzo beans, lentils, black beans, tofu, chicken, or fish.
Crunch: Incorporate some raw veggies or fruits for a textural contrast. Jicama, apples, water chestnuts, or pomegranate seeds are all great choices.
Toppings: Don't forget the finishing touches! Sprinkle on some roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts or pecans, or your favorite nuts and seeds for extra flavor.
Dressing: Drizzle your dressing or sauce on top instead of tossing it with all the other ingredients to maintain texture.
This basic guide offers endless possibilities! With hundreds of variations, there's something to please everyone. Set out all the ingredients and let your family create their own unique grain bowls. Have fun experimenting with different flavors and combinations.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry farro
- 1 cup water
- 4 cups broccoli, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 4 cups chopped kale (or any leafy green)
- 1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (more if desired!)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup carrot, shredded (about 1 medium-sized carrot)
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
Directions
- In a medium-sized pot, add dry farro to 1 cup of boiling water and stir. Simmer on medium-low heat until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro.
- While farro is cooking, heat the oven to 425 F. Chop the broccoli into 1-inch uniform florets. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli with the oil, salt, pepper, and sesame seeds, and mix well. In a large roasting pan lined with parchment paper or cooking spray, spread out the broccoli mixture. Bake until well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- In a dry pan (or coated with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of olive or avocado oil), sauté the kale or other greens on medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until cooked. (Skip this step if you prefer raw greens.)
- In a small bowl, mix the peanut or almond butter, rice vinegar, reduced-sodium soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha sauce, and water. This dressing can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Assemble the bowl in layers: Spoon the grains in first; then add greens; top with roasted broccoli, shredded carrots, shelled edamame, and chopped celery; and then sprinkle on the roasted peanuts. Drizzle with dressing.
Nutrition information (per serving)
- Calories: 530
- Total fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 58 g
- Dietary fiber: 13 g
- Total sugars: 10 g (includes 3 g added sugars)
- Protein: 24 g
Note: Nutrition information does not include cooking oil for the greens.