Powerbowls Can Be a Suppertime Surprise!
Are you short on time and cringe at the thought of spending what energy you have left making dinner? We all know if we don’t plan ahead, making dinner can be a bit overwhelming and time consuming. This is where the concept of POWERBOWLS comes to play. You simply use leftovers or basic pantry ingredients to create one dish meals...Powerbowls!
This approach to making good use of leftovers has been around for a while now. Who knew getting dinner on could be so simple? And speaking of simple, here’s a standard method used by Powerbowl aficionados the world ‘round to put together a delicious meal. Just arrange one item from each list in a large-ish bowl, and voila, dinner is served.
GREENS: spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, etc.
COOKED GRAINS: brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, etc.
LEGUMES: black beans, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, etc.
STEAMED or RAW VEGETABLES: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.
SPROUTS: broccoli, sunflower, clover, mung bean, etc.
SPICES: cumin, ginger, dill, rosemary, garlic etc.
SAUCES/DRESSINGS: miso dressing, peanut sauce, tomatillo sauce, salsa, etc.
ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS: nori, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, baked tortilla strips, ripe plantain slices
For instance, for a Mexican Powerbowl (sounds like a south-of-the-border cousin to the Super Bowl, doesn’t it?) all you need is some lettuce (Romaine is always good), some cooked brown rice, a bit of cooked vegetables, black or refried beans, a little salsa and the proverbial avocado. Place all these in a pretty fashion in a large bowl and season with a little smoked paprika and chipotle powder or a smidge of cumin, and you’ve got a tasty dinner.
One of my favorite Powerbowls uses leftover salmon. I pair it with cooked rice, steamed broccoli, cooked sweet potato slices, sauteed mushrooms, and sesame seeds sprinkled over all. Whether the salmon is heated or cold, doesn’t matter. I’ll top it with a little ranch dressing. This is a delicious combo.
Another delicious approach is chunks of leftover chicken, cooked rice or quinoa, steamed broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts (halved), and slivered almonds sprinkled over it all. Heat through and top it off with a little aged balsamic vinegar. This is a healthy meal.
Another terrific Powerbowl used diced cooked sweet potato, drained cannellini beans, thin radish slices, red onion, sprouts, and avocado slices. A little ranch dressing over all and wow!
The beauty and fun of a Powerbowl is the lack of need of a recipe. The one hesitation to a Powerbowl meal is the risk you’re taking—you might not like the combination you’ve created. But I look at it this way, if I like the ingredients individually, I’ll most probably like them together. What the heck, give it a try on those nights when you’d rather change a flat tire than fix a meal. You could be in for a yummy suppertime surprise!
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This approach to making good use of leftovers has been around for a while now. Who knew getting dinner on could be so simple? And speaking of simple, here’s a standard method used by Powerbowl aficionados the world ‘round to put together a delicious meal. Just arrange one item from each list in a large-ish bowl, and voila, dinner is served.
GREENS: spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, etc.
COOKED GRAINS: brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, etc.
LEGUMES: black beans, red beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, etc.
STEAMED or RAW VEGETABLES: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.
SPROUTS: broccoli, sunflower, clover, mung bean, etc.
SPICES: cumin, ginger, dill, rosemary, garlic etc.
SAUCES/DRESSINGS: miso dressing, peanut sauce, tomatillo sauce, salsa, etc.
ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS: nori, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, baked tortilla strips, ripe plantain slices
For instance, for a Mexican Powerbowl (sounds like a south-of-the-border cousin to the Super Bowl, doesn’t it?) all you need is some lettuce (Romaine is always good), some cooked brown rice, a bit of cooked vegetables, black or refried beans, a little salsa and the proverbial avocado. Place all these in a pretty fashion in a large bowl and season with a little smoked paprika and chipotle powder or a smidge of cumin, and you’ve got a tasty dinner.
One of my favorite Powerbowls uses leftover salmon. I pair it with cooked rice, steamed broccoli, cooked sweet potato slices, sauteed mushrooms, and sesame seeds sprinkled over all. Whether the salmon is heated or cold, doesn’t matter. I’ll top it with a little ranch dressing. This is a delicious combo.
Another delicious approach is chunks of leftover chicken, cooked rice or quinoa, steamed broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts (halved), and slivered almonds sprinkled over it all. Heat through and top it off with a little aged balsamic vinegar. This is a healthy meal.
Another terrific Powerbowl used diced cooked sweet potato, drained cannellini beans, thin radish slices, red onion, sprouts, and avocado slices. A little ranch dressing over all and wow!
The beauty and fun of a Powerbowl is the lack of need of a recipe. The one hesitation to a Powerbowl meal is the risk you’re taking—you might not like the combination you’ve created. But I look at it this way, if I like the ingredients individually, I’ll most probably like them together. What the heck, give it a try on those nights when you’d rather change a flat tire than fix a meal. You could be in for a yummy suppertime surprise!
Alice Osborne
Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
Sources:
- www.delish.com
- www.lovingitvegan.com
- www.flavourandsavour.com
- www.cheerfulchoices.com
- www.jz-eats.com
