Recipe: Quinoa Bowl, Two Ways!
As some past post have spoken about, I prefer to eat mainly plant-based and gluten free. Once people hear that I usually get, “So what DO you eat?!”
Whelp, I am here to tell you there are TONS of amazing and yummy plant-based, g-free options out there…especially in this day and age. It is my goal to help show you this and share some simple recipes. I am kicking it off with my favorite go-to meal: quinoa bowls.
They are so simple, so versatile, and so delicious. I also love them because it was the first “meal prep” meal I mastered.
How do I prep it? Simple (yes, I used that word again)…
First grab your quinoa and pick your veggies. My go-to’s are kale, arugula, cucumber, radishes and sweet potatoes (I get these pre-chopped from whole foods because I like the small cubes and saves time). I make sure to have some healthy fats/cooking oils on hand like avocado and olive oil. Then some seasonings like lemon, turmeric, salt and I am recently into topping my bowl with pumpkin seeds for my omega-3’s. If you eat meat or fish, meal prep those and they can be added to the top of either bowl (see what I mean, super versatile!).
Then the prepping. I do this immediately when I get home from the store because I get busy and lazy and if I don’t, I won’t feel like cooking after a long day…
1. Make the quinoa and store the whole serving in a glass tupperwear container (glass is better for you and the environment and looks a lot nicer in your fridge).
2. Get your veggies ready. Chop the cucumber and radishes, steam the kale, bake your sweet potatoes (***or make these the night of your bowl if you prefer them not to be stored) and store all, once again, in glass tupperwear.
3. Make some bowls.
With the above ingredients and prepping, I am now armed to quickly make a raw, light quinoa salad bowl or a warm, soothing bowl.
Light Salad Bowl:
· Base ingredients: quinoa, arugula, cucumber, radishes, avocado
· Dressing: lemon and olive oil (pinch of salt if desired)
· Preparation time: 5 minutes
· Fill the bottom of the bowl with arugula and quinoa, put chopped cucumber and radishes together on top of arugula, cut open a half of avo, drizzle over entire bowl with lemon and olive oil, place lemon wedge on side to feel fancy and get the gram.
· MANGIA!
Warm Quinoa Bowl:
· Base ingredients: quinoa, kale and sweet potatoes
· Dressing: lemon, olive oil and turmeric
· Preparation time: I prefer my sweet potatoes fresh out of the oven, and they take about 40-60 min to bake, but other than that- this bowl takes 10 minutes
· Put your cubed sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil and bake on 375 for 40-60 min. After they have been baking for about 30-40 min - in a sauce pan, heat the cooked quinoa and kale in some olive oil. Once they start to get warm add on turmeric and lemon. Enough turmeric should be added so that the quinoa turns a yellow, orange color. Place the kale and quinoa on one side of your bowl, and top with pumpkin seeds. Put the sweet potatoes next to that to make it pic worthy.
· MANGIA!
Disclaimer: if you do not like turmeric, feel free to nix it and add another seasoning. BUT if you have yet to try it, give it a go because there are so many health benefits. The most commonly known being that it is anti-inflammatory, which we can all use!
Bon appétit!
With love,
Nikki