You wanna know the secret to turning a bunch of random ingredients a cohesive dish that’s extremely satisfying and sounds way fancier than it really is? Throw them all into a bowl and title it “*insert country of origin and names of main ingredients here* bowl.” For example, Korean spicy tofu bowl, or Mexican taco bowl.
This may or may not scientifically proven, but I would attest that just about everything tastes better out of a bowl and eaten with a spoon. Obviously the spoon isn’t always practical, unless you’re me and use it for everything from cereal to chicken, but there aren’t many things that can’t be put in a bowl. Doing this makes it way easier for flavors to mingle and for juices/sauces to say contained instead of dispersing across a plate.
So here I am to share some of my favorite bowl combinations. I won’t be writing any full recipes because they’re pretty self explanatory and there’s no standard way to prepare everything. You can cook the ingredients in whatever way is the most convenient for you, but feel free to message me if you have any questions about the way I do it.
I’ll update this as I continue to dump other random ingredients into bowls and call myself a chef for it :).
Asian-Style Salmon and Broccoli Bowl
Base: steamed broccoli tossed with soy sauce (can add any form of rice)
Main: salmon cooked in soy sauce (hack: I use Trader Joe’s salmon burgers)
Toppings: sriracha, toasted sesame seeds
Other ideas: garlic, cauliflower, fried egg, kimchi, mushrooms, carrots, purple cabbage, onion
Chicken and Goat Cheese Bowl
Base: spinach sautéed with garlic
Main: chicken breast seasoned with salt & pepper and cooked on skillet; goat cheese heated on skillet for less than 30 seconds
Toppings: none, this is freaking delicious
Other ideas: tomato, olives, zucchini, sweet potato
Miso Tofu Bowl
Base: cauliflower rice tossed with soy sauce
Main: spinach and tofu sautéed with miso paste (optional: garlic)
Toppings: sriracha, toasted sesame seeds
Other ideas: broccoli, fried egg, kimchi, mushrooms, carrots, purple cabbage, cucumber
Salsa Chicken Bowl
Base: corn sautéed with onions and adobo seasoning
Main: chicken cooked with salsa and spices
Toppings: avocado/guac, cheddar cheese/Mexican cheese blend, sour cream
Other ideas: brown rice, cauliflower, peppers, zucchini, cilantro
(You can find my official recipe for this bowl here.)
Shrimp in Pumpkin Butter Sauce Bowl
Base: broccoli (optional: rice)
Main: shrimp cooked in my pumpkin sauce (pumpkin puree, white wine, chicken broth, garlic, onion, butter, salt, pepper)
Toppings: honestly didn’t add anything else, but roasted zucchini, spaghetti squash, or Brussels sprouts would all go well here
Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Bowl
Base: roasted spaghetti squash
Main: over easy or fried egg
Toppings: avocado, red pepper flakes
Other ideas: diced tomato, goat cheese, sautéed spinach, Trader Joe’s everything seasoning