Wednesday’s Dinner: Busy Bowls

Well, tonight I almost—almost!—broke down and ordered sushi. Because frankly, I was exhausted. First I stayed up late last night creating practice exercises for my tutoring students, then this morning I started on a new writing project for a client, and finally I tutored all afternoon, after which I battled rush hour traffic to run errands on the way home.

You know, the usual.

But I simply couldn’t forsake the 5-night dinner challenge. So I’m back with another plant-based dinner, and it’s about as fast and easy as they come: Busy Bowls! (So-called because they come together in about 20 minutes, which makes them perfect for jam-packed nights when you’re dangerously close to throwing in the towel on healthy eating.) They’re my own personal spin on the “Buddha Bowl” recipe in Kris Carr’s book, Crazy Sexy Diet. (If you’ve read Monday’s post, you’re not having deja vu; I just really love that book!)

Busy Bowls

I almost hate to call this a recipe, because all you have to do is lightly steam the veggies, toss with the other goodies, and serve. Also, since you can substitute whatever vegetables or grain you have on hand, these bowls are a great way to use up odds and ends in the fridge.

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Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2 bowls

Calories 587 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 c cooked brown rice or other whole grain millet works well
• ½ head cauliflower OR ½ head broccoli OR 1 bunch broccolini OR 2 heads baby bok choy chopped into florets/pieces
• 2 large carrots sliced
• 1 big handful snow peas about ¼ lb
• ¼ c finely diced sweet onion
• 1 c cooked beans rinsed and drained (navy beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans all work)
• 3 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or soy sauce substitute optional
• ½ avocado chopped
• fresh basil or cilantro for garnish optional

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Instructions

 

• Steam the cauliflower (or other cabbage-family vegetable), carrot slices, and snow peas until just crisp-tender. (You’ll want to add the snow peas a little after the other vegetables since they cook faster.)
• In a large bowl, toss the steamed veggies with sweet onion, beans, and ground flax seeds.
• Add 1 cup of cooked rice to each bowl. Add half of the veggie mixture and ¼ chopped avocado to each bowl. Top with soy sauce, fresh basil, and/or fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

Nutrition facts calculated with unsalted white beans and 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce per bowl.

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 22gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 681mgPotassium: 1691mgFiber: 26gSugar: 11gVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 204mgIron: 6mgMagnesium: 246mg

Keyword gluten free, low fat, vegan

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

True to the week’s menu, I served with a baby greens salad topped off with tahini dressing.

What do you do for dinner when you’re tired, but don’t want to order takeout? I’d love some more suggestions!