Grain bowls

[Farrar]

So, I'm like, really good at making salads. I like that I can look at the ingredients I've got and make a really good salad that is harmonious and perfect and that most people who will eat a salad will eat. 

I'd like to level up my grain bowl skills to match my salad skills. Like, I'd like to be able to look at the random veg in the fridge and be like, yes, these things with this topping and this sauce will be grain bowl.

But... I can't seem to break out of the recipe mold. Every time I make one for myself, it's just meh. Like, I'm eating a grain bowl right now that used up carrots and brussels sprouts and some tomatoes that I needed to use up. And I roasted them and put it over some pearl couscous blend that I had and made some sauce and then was like, okay, this needs something else and I made some toasted nuts... but somehow it didn't quite come together. Like, I'm eating and enjoying it, but it's not harmonious.

Any grain bowl tips? I think one of the things that holds me back is that I don't like vinegary things. Because vinegar is very strong for me. Way too strong. People be like, "oh, but THIS vinegar is so mild" and they're always wrong. 

[Drama Llama]

I feel like there needs to be a mix and match cook book that says “pick one or so of these grains . . .”  And this sauce . . . And any of these vegetables but not this . . .

[Drama Llama]

Also I am really bad at salads so if you have recipes to share . . .

[Faith-manor]

Do you like tahini? I often have a bed of greens with quinoa and hummus, Greek yogurt and tahini plus whatever veggies I want to use up.

Infused oils with a different acid like lemon juice can work well for a variety of veggies.

 

[Farrar]

2 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Also I am really bad at salads so if you have recipes to share . . .

Here is my number one salad tip: Cut the salad more. I feel like most people don't chop their salads enough. A salad that's giant pieces of vegetables is not easy or pleasant to eat. I find this especially perplexing in restaurants. The last salad I got at a restaurant was pieces of lettuce bigger than my footprint and cherry tomatoes that were double the size of a normal cherry tomato uncut. Like, how is anyone supposed to eat and enjoy that easily? Bah.

[Farrar]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Do you like tahini? I often have a bed of greens with quinoa and hummus, Greek yogurt and tahini plus whatever veggies I want to use up.

Infused oils with a different acid like lemon juice can work well for a variety of veggies.

 

I'm meh on tahini. Not anti, but not pro either... Same with yogurt, honestly. It's okay. The kids don't really like it so I rarely make a yogurt sauce.

[Farrar]

The two grain bowls I feel like I've mastered are:

Yellow rice and black beans with some combination of the following:
fresh salsa or jarred salsa
sweet corn
sauteed peppers and/or onions
guac or sliced avocado

Spanish rice and sausage or chicken with some combination of the following:
sauteed spinach, kale, or other chopped greens
roasted or blistered tomatoes
Sauteed peppers and/or onions
cheddar cheese

I feel like the ones that are basically copycats of Texmex type food are easier. But I'd like to be more veggie intensive. And expand the flavors and options. 

[Drama Llama]

I make what my kids call “fake Cava”.

Brown rice and black lentils 

Red pepper hummus

Feta

Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts and whatever

Pickled onions

Cucumber tomato salad 

Some kinda left over spicy meat 

[Faith-manor]

7 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

I make what my kids call “fake Cava”.

Brown rice and black lentils 

Red pepper hummus

Feta

Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts and whatever

Pickled onions

Cucumber tomato salad 

Some kinda left over spicy meat 

That sounds yummy!

[Harriet Vane]

My instinct is to say if you hate vinegar (and thus no pickled items in your grain bowl), perhaps a splash of lemon or lime instead to bring brighter notes? I feel like most of my grain bowls have something pickled and something specifically umami, and similarly, a mix of crunchy and not-so-crunchy textures.

[Rosie_0801]

My two favourite congee toppings are:

 

Bashed radishes marinated in kecap manus. (Flatten with a knife blade. Somehow they're not so good sliced.)

Sliced cucumber marinated in soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil.

[JessieC]

Try this tahini sauce from an NYT recipe. It's great for grain bowls!

 

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tahini

[Lady Marmalade]

My favorite grain to use is farro.  The texture is fantastic, and it also absorbs flavor remarkably well.    My favorite farro bowl meal is roasted broccoli and chickpeas, tossed with feta cheese and either a lemon or sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.  This is good warm or cold out of the fridge.

[DawnM]

Following as I am trying to get in more grains and vegetables, but I love sauces and would love several recipes to go with the grain bowls.   I just can't have vinegar, which is a huge detriment.

[Haanz]

The Lazy Genius has a really good Food in a Bowl series from a few years ago. There's a transcript of the episodes if you'd rather read than listen.

[Minerva]

I like a little avocado in my grain bowl. That bit of good fat notches things up. Also fresh herbs. Even weird combinations of fresh herbs can make a bland grain bowl yummy. 

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, Haanz said:

The Lazy Genius has a really good Food in a Bowl series from a few years ago. There's a transcript of the episodes if you'd rather read than listen.

That is really good.

From the transcript:

Quote

Option one: toppings are avocado and corn cut off the cob, and your sauce is a spicy salsa. You get crunchy, creamy, sweet, spicy, great textures. So yummy. Option two: toppings are diced cucumber and pickled ginger from the jar which is one of my dinner bowl secret weapons, and your sauce is yum yum sauce. So you get a bright crunchy freshness from the cucumber, a spicy bite and some pretty color from the pickled ginger, and a cream mild sweetness to bring it all together. Option three: toppings are sautéed diced onions and peppers and chopped peanuts and your sauce is a carrot-ginger dressing from a bottle, like the kind you get at the Japanese steakhouses. Crispy, crunchy, spicy, tangy, and sweet. Option four: toppings are roasted sweet potatoes and black beans from a can, and your sauce is bottled barbecue sauce. Finish with a little cilantro or a squeeze of lime to add some freshness and brightness on that one. Option five: toppings are diced cherry tomatoes and black olives, and your sauce is legit pasta sauce from a jar. It’s like a pizza bowl. Even sprinkle Parmesan on top. You see how it doesn’t have to be super complicated? Two toppings and a sauce on rice and meat. Done. So many possibilities just there.

 

[Farrar]

I also found this as I was looking tonight and a lot of these combinations are appealing to me:

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/grain-bowl-toppings

I really like farro. I should use it more... I tend to default to rice, couscous, or occasionally quinoa.

[Rosie_0801]

5 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I really like farro. I should use it more... I tend to default to rice, couscous, or occasionally quinoa.

If you've got an Indian grocer nearby, consider rice and split mung bean congee. The beans add extra nutrition with no extra effort.

[Elizabeth86]

9 hours ago, Farrar said:

Here is my number one salad tip: Cut the salad more. I feel like most people don't chop their salads enough. A salad that's giant pieces of vegetables is not easy or pleasant to eat. I find this especially perplexing in restaurants. The last salad I got at a restaurant was pieces of lettuce bigger than my footprint and cherry tomatoes that were double the size of a normal cherry tomato uncut. Like, how is anyone supposed to eat and enjoy that easily? Bah.

Yes!

[KungFuPanda]

On 4/14/2022 at 8:24 PM, Farrar said:

I'm meh on tahini. Not anti, but not pro either... Same with yogurt, honestly. It's okay. The kids don't really like it so I rarely make a yogurt sauce.

I think grain bowls benefit from either richer, heavier sauces like tahini or yogurt OR zingier, spicier sauces that tend to have vinegar. You don’t LIKE those sauces. I also think the texture of the grains demands a little more crunch to balance it out. 
 

Maybe you’d like a greek salad with a lemony dressing and feta to season the grains? Roasted chickpeas could give you extra crunch. I also think a grain salad wants more fresh herbs than you typically use in a chopped salad. It’s like you have to really amp up your normal salad to flavor the bland grains. Do you like tabbouli? Tabbouli was a grain salad before grain salads were cool. 🤣

[math teacher]

I recently ate a rice bowl at Chipotle that was the best ever!! I'll try to look at their menu and see if I can remember what all was on it. It was seriously good.

[Eos]

Seconding all the lemon juice lovers.  I put a serious amount of lemon juice with my grains/bowls and it's so good.  It goes all directions - with soy and ginger, or salt and crushed garlic and olive oil, or cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes.

[Farrar]

37 minutes ago, Eos said:

Seconding all the lemon juice lovers.  I put a serious amount of lemon juice with my grains/bowls and it's so good.  It goes all directions - with soy and ginger, or salt and crushed garlic and olive oil, or cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes.

Okay, this sounds amazing. I should do THIS. All those things would probably make it better. I think I'm just traditionally sauce averse because I don't like vinegar things or sour cream or mayo things. But I should just up the amount of sauce I put on a grain bowl. When the recipe tells me what to do, I think I'm better at trusting the amount.

[importswim]

On 4/14/2022 at 7:42 PM, Baseballandhockey said:

I make what my kids call “fake Cava”.

Brown rice and black lentils 

Red pepper hummus

Feta

Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts and whatever

Pickled onions

Cucumber tomato salad 

Some kinda left over spicy meat 

My DH loves Cava! Thanks for typing this out.

 

I usually just look on menus online to figure out combinations to make at home. DH likes some of the Sweetgreen bowls as well so I've gone on there for some ideas. 

[KungFuPanda]

I am way to suggestible with food. I HAD to have a grain bowl today and I blame this thread. Mine has long grain and wild rice, spring mix, veggies, olives, hummus, chicken, and a feta dressing. I think seasoned grains are important, even if you’re just cooking rice in chicken stock.   
 

I really like Cava but my son never wants to go. He is not a person who EVER craves a salad. Salad just happens to him. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by KungFuPanda

[Clarita]

Is a "grain bowl" something more than I have a grain and I put whatever else I made for dinner on top of it??

I've been on a polenta, and quinoa kick. Trick is to make them with broth then I wouldn't want to taint it with any sauce. As easy pairings I start with the culture that tends to eat that grain and cook that food for dinner. Then as we eat it the family might envision other pairings with the grain.

[Acadie]

I love chermoula sauce on Middle Eastern or North African inspired grain bowls. You need to like cilantro. This is my favorite recipe but I add more lemon, less oil, and more cilantro (like half a bunch for a double batch). Whir it up with the immersion blender. It's yummy on everything. Some recipes add fresh ginger, cumin and parsley. 

I agree with pps that something creamy like cheese, avocado or nut butter, something crunchy like nuts, seeds, shredded raw veg, fried onions or jalapeños, and some kind of acid (mostly lemon and lime-based dressings because vinegar doesn't agree with one kid) often make a good bowl. 

I recently discovered Trader Joe's crispy fried jalapeños--omg!

Chermoula dressing

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

½ teaspoon ground cilantro

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch cayenne

[KungFuPanda]

1 hour ago, Clarita said:

Is a "grain bowl" something more than I have a grain and I put whatever else I made for dinner on top of it??

I've been on a polenta, and quinoa kick. Trick is to make them with broth then I wouldn't want to taint it with any sauce. As easy pairings I start with the culture that tends to eat that grain and cook that food for dinner. Then as we eat it the family might envision other pairings with the grain.

I’m over here thinking it’s a loaded salad with a grain added, but since you asked the question I’m not so sure. 😬

[Grace Hopper]

The pickled ginger is a great idea, I’m going to try that!

I’m guessing you find rice wine vinegar too strong? 
 

When I’m in bowl mode I look over the menu for local restaurants I like. That usually gives me lots of ideas. 

[Kanin]

I like crunch in my bowls, like seeds or nuts. Pistachios are good! I read a recipe recently that had maple caramelized walnuts in it that looked really tasty. I also like to put fruit in salads, like really crunchy apple cubes, grapes, grapefruit pieces, etc. 

I'm going to try out that tahini dressing tonight! Yum!

[Amethyst]

I too am suggestible so I decided to make fixings for a couscous bowl. But now I’m worried about the dressing. I want this to be healthy so I want to avoid any more oil. Here’s what’s going into it, and I need suggestions for a sauce or dressing (or maybe vinegary thing) to bring it all together:

couscous

Roasted veggies(broccoli, red peppers, zuke, onion)

Tofu marinated in soy sauce

walnuts

Do I need something else? I’m hoping to take this to work for lunch tomorrow (if we’re not snowed out❄️)

[mathnerd]

3 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I too am suggestible so I decided to make fixings for a couscous bowl. But now I’m worried about the dressing. I want this to be healthy so I want to avoid any more oil. Here’s what’s going into it, and I need suggestions for a sauce or dressing (or maybe vinegary thing) to bring it all together:

couscous

Roasted veggies(broccoli, red peppers, zuke, onion)

Tofu marinated in soy sauce

walnuts

Do I need something else? I’m hoping to take this to work for lunch tomorrow (if we’re not snowed out❄️)

Do you like Greek yoghurt? I make a Dill, EVOO, lemon juice, garlic and low-fat Greek yoghurt sauce for my grain bowls and it tastes a lot like ranch and is healthier.

[Amethyst]

3 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

Do you like Greek yoghurt? I make a Dill, EVOO, lemon juice, garlic and low-fat Greek yoghurt sauce for my grain bowls and it tastes a lot like ranch and is healthier.

Ooh ok. I have plain greek yogurt, garlic, and evoo at home. I only have dried dill. And not much fresh lemon (like 3 wedges maybe). But plenty of (embarrassed) bottled lemon juice. 

[mathnerd]

40 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Ooh ok. I have plain greek yogurt, garlic, and evoo at home. I only have dried dill. And not much fresh lemon (like 3 wedges maybe). But plenty of (embarrassed) bottled lemon juice. 

That should work well as I use dried dill most of the time because I don't feel like heading out to the grocery store for a few items!

To this, I optionally add some pepper, sour cream, white wine vinegar, finely chopped scallions and parsley if I have these items on hand and omit them if I don't. You can play with it until it suits your preference.

[KungFuPanda]

1 hour ago, Amethyst said:

I too am suggestible so I decided to make fixings for a couscous bowl. But now I’m worried about the dressing. I want this to be healthy so I want to avoid any more oil. Here’s what’s going into it, and I need suggestions for a sauce or dressing (or maybe vinegary thing) to bring it all together:

couscous

Roasted veggies(broccoli, red peppers, zuke, onion)

Tofu marinated in soy sauce

walnuts

Do I need something else? I’m hoping to take this to work for lunch tomorrow (if we’re not snowed out❄️)

I’d do a ginger-garlic-sesame dressing and some crunchy chow mein noodles for croutons. 

[73349]

I tend to look at the big ingredients of the grain bowl (grain, veg, protein) and ask myself what cuisine I could slant it to with spices/sauce/nuts/fruit.

Corn, black beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc. - guacamole (or I would do salsa if I liked it); possible bonus: roasted pineapple.

Combo that could be slanted Mediterranean - garlic, olive oil, lemon, thyme; possible bonus: pomegranate.

Combo that could be slanted to Southern US - heat the beans in barbecue sauce; possible bonus: watermelon or peaches, or pecans in cooler weather.

Rice & veg that could be construed as East Asian - sesame, lime, ginger; possible bonus: peanuts, orange slices.