Super Freaking Healthy Grain Bowl

Saurkraut?
Sprouts?
Quinoa?
Miso-lemon-tahini sauce?
Kale... massaged with FLAX oil?

I mean, really.. can you get any healthier than this??

Probably not.. unless you live off of wheatgrass, sprouts and bee pollen.. but then again, if you do, you might have issues. 

I had a couple glasses of wine beforehand.. it's all about balance..

I've been eating pretty darn healthy lately. You know.. lots of avocado, fruit, greens, sprouted and cultured foods and MORE avocados.  This meal was no exception.

Grain bowls are the way to go: Grain+ vegetables+ protein+ sauce+ add on's.

This time around I chopped up some kale, mixed it with a splash of flax oil and a pinch of salt and mixed it with my hands until tender. Then, I topped it with some cooked quinoa, shredded carrots, saurkraut, tamari almonds, lemon-miso-tahini sauce and some peashoots.  My bowl weighed roughly five pounds and I ATE. IT. ALL.

You can get really creative here based on what's seasonal and readily available.

The healthy grain bowl template:

First, pick a grain:

Quinoa
Millet
Rice (brown, forbidden rice, wild rice etc..)
buckwheat

Next pick some vegetables:

greens (kale, spinach, collards, chard)
broccoli
cauliflower
carrots (raw or cooked)
beets (raw or cooked)
cooked sweet potato
green beans
snow peas
asparagus
cabbage
bell peppers

Get your protein on:

lentils or beans
tofu
tempeh
nuts
seeds

Add some sauce:

lemon tahini sauce
peanut sauce
chimmichuri
pesto
guacamole or smashed avocado
charmoula
chutney
flax/olive or other nut oil


Throw in some add on's (aka fun stuff)

fresh herbs
cultured vegetables
pickled vegetables
nuts and seeds
sprouts
salsa
hot sauce
sea vegetables

See where I'm going here?

You can keep your grain bowl as simple as you want (steamed vegetables and rice with some peanut sauce) or if you're feeling creative, you can make something a bit more elaborate (chopped kale, cooked millet, corn and black bean salsa, avocado, fresh lime, pumpkin seeds and sprouts)

Now go buy a big ass bowl and start filling it with some healthy goodies.

Butternut and root vegetable soup

It may look like baby food.

It's not.

It's soup.

Soups are one of my favorite fall/winter time dishes.  Throw a bunch of vegetables/ beans in a pot. Add some stock. Cook it while you snuggle on the couch, drink wine and facebook stalk people from your past.

In no time you'll have a bowl of piping hot deliciousness. 

This soups has fall written all over it.  Look closely.

Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips... some stock and a little onion and thyme.

The great thing about soups is that they can be made with whatever you have lying around the house.  I just happened to have all of these vegetables on hand. Don't like parnips, leave 'em out. No broccoli, so what.. I just added it to bump up the nutritional content.

Butternut and root vegetable soup (serves 2-3)

2 c. butternut squash
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 large parsnip
1 medium potato
3 medium carrots
1 small onion, diced
1 c. broccoli floretts
vegetable stock (or broth)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. dried thyme, or more to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Peel the carrots, potato, sweet potato, parsnip and butternut squash and cut into 2 inch pieces.  Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and sautee 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the carrots, sweet potato, potato, parnip, and butternut squash, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add enough vegetable stock to just cover the vegetables.  Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes). Add the broccoli, turn off the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.  Scoop vegetables, along with a little bit of the cooking broth into a blender and blend until creamy, adding additional broth if the soup seems to thick.  Pour into a separate soup pot, and repeat with the remaining vegetables. You may not use all of the broth, depending on how thick you like your soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and reheat if necessary.

Roasted Roots

Yup. Fall is officially here.  When squash, apples and brussel sprouts push out the corn, zucchini and peaches I know it's time. 

I'm breaking out the red wine, drinking cider and eating apples like they are going out of style, and trading in light summer dishes for more hearty comfort foody delights. 

Root vegetables are in abundance right now... potatoes, parsnips, turnips, rutabeggas, along with squash and pumpkins.

Not only are they nutrient dense, but they are cheap, filling and they can kick around the house without dying or rotting in a couple days which is nice with my erratic schedule. 

You can mash 'em, make soup, throw 'em in a salad, or roast 'em up (my preparation of choice).

Roasting concentrates the sugars and makes them taste like candy.

Not really candy. But, they taste dee-licious.


Roasted Roots (serves 6 as a side, 3 as a main)

2 medium carrots
1 large parnip
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 medium yukon gold potato
1 medium turnip
1 medium rutabegga
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. fresh chopped rosemary and/or thyme
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425.
Peel all your vegetables and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (try to make them all around the same size so they cook evenly). Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with rosemary and/ or thyme. Season with salt and pepper.. I would go with 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. black pepper to start (you can always add more later when the roots are fully cooked). Spread onto a sheetpan and bake for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender and lightly browned. 

* you can use any type of root vegetable you like... beets (golden or red) or butternut squash are also super tasty.

* this is great as a side dish. I decided to make it the star of the show and served it with some roasted brussel sprouts and quinoa 'cause that's how I do.