One of the most fun things about the new bowl craze is the opportunity for creative fun. As I was pondering what to make for dinner last evening, I decided to make a bowl out of stuff I already had in my pantry and fridge. As it turns out, I was able to make a bowl with a coherent theme: Mexican.
I’ve read a few recipes for burrito bowls. The one I made last evening incorporated elements of some of these, but also included my own ideas. I wanted to include a veggies that aren’t typically a part of burrito bowls, so I added broccoli and delicata squash. Because I added spices to the beans and quinoa, plain avocado and unadulterated tomatoes seemed like better garnishes than guacamole and salsa. Plus, I wanted to feature my ultrasweet homegrown Isis Candy tomatoes.
In general, bowls include grains, beans, veggies and condiments. Feel free to make your own based on what you like. For example, instead of quinoa, you could use rice or millet. You could include different types of beans. You could roast different veggies. Instead of tomatoes and avocado, you could add salsa and/or guacamole. Have fun with it! But if you want to follow my recipe, here’s what I did.
Meatless Monday: Burrito Bowl
For the quinoa:
- 1-1/2 cups quinoa
- 3 cups veggie stock or water
- 1/2-1 teaspoon chipotle powder to taste (Confession: I accidentally dumped a substantial but unknowable amount of chipotle powder into my quinoa, so I can’t offer an exact measurement. Fortunately, it turned out fine.)
- salt to taste
For the beans:
- 2 cans beans (I used black and pinto beans)
- 1-3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- salt to taste
For the roasted veggies (feel free to use whatever you have available):
- 1 small delicata squash, unpeeled, seeded and cut in 1/2-inch chunks
- 1 cup of chopped broccoli
- corn, cut from two cobs
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt to taste
For garnish:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 avocado, sliced
- lime sections
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve. Bring the water or stock to a boil and add quinoa and chipotle powder. Reduce the heat and simmer until done, about 20 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion. Stir on and off for a few minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, coriander and salt. Sauté for another few minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the beans with their liquid. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until ready to use.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash in a mixing bowl, pour in a teaspoon of olive oil and stir to coat. Add a little salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven. After 5-7 minutes, pull out the baking sheet and add the broccoli and corn. Roast for another 12-15 minutes until done.
- Chop the tomatoes and avocado and set aside.
- When the quinoa and veggies are done, arrange servings of the quinoa, beans and quinoa in a wide bowl. Place the chopped tomatoes in the center and top with avocado. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the whole thing.