Complete meal bowls are one of the country’s hottest culinary trends in restaurants and at home, and for good reason.
Time-strapped diners can dig into proteins, carbs and veggies in the comfort of one tidy dish, and there’s no end to the combination of ingredients within.
Rice, noodles or whole grains form the base. Colorful grilled, sautéed or steamed vegetables come next. Proteins like grilled meats, smoked tofu or spicy beans add another layer of flavor and texture. Punchy sauces, snipped herbs and hot peppers create delectable finishes.
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Bowls are also the perfect interactive dinner: a DIY bowl bar sprawling with freshly prepared elements appeals to all ages and could be the next Taco Tuesday. And bowls made from healthy leftovers like grilled veggies and cooked rice or quinoa are one of the easiest lunches around.
Tips for creating your own bowls
• For the base, try cooked brown basmati rice, udon or rice noodles, quinoa, barley, wheatberry or farro.
• Reconstituted dried peppers chopped fine provide heat and umami in spicy taco bowls.
• Slivers of scallions or Vidalia onion and fresh herbs provide a fresh, crunchy finish to any bowl.
• For an Asian-inspired bowl, create an easy sauce with chicken stock spiked with lime juice, a little fish sauce and soy sauce.
• Texture is key. To softer ingredients like rice, beans and avocado, add shredded cabbage or pickled vegetables.
• Create a veggie bowl using roasted sweet potatoes as the base, garlicky sautéed spinach and grilled squash and peppers. Top with cranberries, nuts and chevre.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Ominivore’s Journey. Reach her through hungryforlouisiana.com.