At their core, heavenly grain bowls are the perfect way to transform heart-healthy grains, beans, greens, and veggies into an easy-to-make, easy-to-store, and easy-to-eat meal. Customize your own by choosing one item from each of the categories below or follow the directions to create one of our very favorite iterations.
Grain ideas: brown rice, farro, couscous, quinoa, wheat berries, or a mixture
Veggie ideas: raw veggies and/or cooked veggies like lettuce, kale, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes Beans or legumes: black beans, lentils, kidney beans, cannellini beans
Sauce or dressing ideas: sriracha, honey mustard, lemon vinaigrette, pesto, harissa, salsa Crunchy toppings: crushed nuts, seeds, fried shallots
Garnishes: sliced avocado, sprouts, herbs
ASIAN-INFLUENCED HEAVENLY GRAIN BOWL
The Dressing:
1⁄4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1⁄4 cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
The Bowl:
3 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice or a combination of both
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce or chopped spinach
1⁄2 cup cooked black beans or chickpeas
HEARTY BARLEY AND KALE BOWL
2 cups cooked barley
1 cup thinly sliced, loosely packed kale
1⁄2 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
5 to 6 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
2 cornichons, cut into small dice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 to 4 basil leaves, sliced thin
1 pitted date, diced (optional)
In a bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together.
Portion out grains into five bowls, then top each bowl with avocado, tomato, greens, and beans.
Drizzle each with dressing.
Combine all the ingredients – except date and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
If you like a salty/sweet contrast, add the date; if you want something purely savory, simply omit it.
The Blue Zones Kitchen fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100. The Blue Zones’ food tradition is going the way of the dodo bird, thanks to the encroachment of the American Food Culture.
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