I became a bit obsessed with bowl dinners when I found these serving bowls this summer. They seemed perfect for an "all in one dinner". What I love about them is that I can put together a really appealing, very colorful dinner bowl and it's packed with good nutrition! They are so versatile. In the warm weather, you can use lettuce as a base and have a great salad with raw veggies. I've tried that in the colder months and find I really prefer a warmer bowl with rice or grains and sautéed or steamed veggies. In either case, I top them with any sort of protein that sounds good to me. We've used marinated grilled steak or chicken, salmon, meatballs- really anything you'd like.
What I love about my bowl dinners?
- The visual- They look so appealing and colorful. I love that.
- The nutrition balance is so great. Americans eat more protein in one sitting than we really should. With a bowl dinner, you would likely be splitting a chicken breast , or a steak between 2 bowls. You'll have lots of colorful veggies, and we all know that more color means more nutrients!
- You'll be getting lots of fiber with either a grain base, or lettuce - plus the veggies of course. We all need to be more conscious of fiber intake for heart and digestive health.
- You won't feel so full. I love that feeling. I love food, but I also love the idea that it's fueling me, and that's what a bowl dinner feels like- plus it's delicious!
- You won't have to shop for ingredients. Just open up your fridge and see what's there.
Fajita Bowls
Serve with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole- store bought, or homemade!
Marinade (save about 1 Tablespoon for the vegetables)
This marinade recipe comes from "The Food Lab" by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. It makes far more than I need for a dinner for two, so I store what I don't need in the refrigerator for a do-over. It goes together very quickly.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper
1 T chili powder (I use real mexican chili powder, so I use 1/2 this amount)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Use as much marinade as you need to marinate your meat of choice for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Sometimes I throw the meat and marinade in a bag and freeze it until I need it.
Cilantro Rice
Cook 1 cup dried brown rice with your normal method. Just before serving, toss in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 2 T lime juice, 1 T olive oil.....plus salt and pepper
Sauteed Vegetables
I used red, yellow and green peppers, and onions with just a bit of olive oil. Just before serving, put about a T of reserved marinade into the vegetables.
Barbecue the marinated steak, slice it, and let your guests layer the rice, vegetables and meat. We topped it with pico de gallo and guacamole!
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Marinade (save about 1 Tablespoon for the vegetables)
This marinade recipe comes from "The Food Lab" by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. It makes far more than I need for a dinner for two, so I store what I don't need in the refrigerator for a do-over. It goes together very quickly.
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper
1 T chili powder (I use real mexican chili powder, so I use 1/2 this amount)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Use as much marinade as you need to marinate your meat of choice for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Sometimes I throw the meat and marinade in a bag and freeze it until I need it.
Cilantro Rice
Cook 1 cup dried brown rice with your normal method. Just before serving, toss in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 2 T lime juice, 1 T olive oil.....plus salt and pepper
Sauteed Vegetables
I used red, yellow and green peppers, and onions with just a bit of olive oil. Just before serving, put about a T of reserved marinade into the vegetables.
Barbecue the marinated steak, slice it, and let your guests layer the rice, vegetables and meat. We topped it with pico de gallo and guacamole!
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