Bowls, Bowls and More Bowls

LET'S GET COOKING!

Let’s be honest, food simply tastes better when served in a bowl. Other than waffles, pancakes, or cauliflower pizza (which is my most recent obsession), all food should be consumed in a bowl. I mean, bowls have this Je ne sais qouis about them that simply outranks food served any other way. As a lover of all meals eaten in a bowl I obviously found it very appropriate to share 3 bowl recipes with you, which could technically mean Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. 

These 3 bowls are pretty much on repeat every week for me, and they’re not only amazingly delicious (which is the most important), but they’re also very easy to prepare, easy to cook for one or more, and pretty healthy & nutritious. I assure you that once you finish reading this post, you’re going to want to make these three amazing bowl dishes ASAP. 

All recipes have the measurements for 1 person. Yah guys I cook for one, and I love it! But if you’re having people over and want to treat them with these delicious meals just adjust all measurements. 

P.s - My fave to cook for when I have friends over are the Zucchini Noodles. Pair them with a light Sauvignon Blanc or if you want something richer a good bottle of Chardonnay and you got yourself an outstanding host mention. 

BREAKFAST 

OATMEAL & PROTEIN MUGCAKE WITH GREEK YOGURT 

I have been a fan of mug cakes for a while now. I mean, they’re super fast and easy to make, they don’t necessarily require a lot of ingredients and they’re delish! Also, if you’re not the biggest fan of microwaves, I am pretty sure that these will taste even better if baked in the oven. I wake up starvingggg and would rather wait 1 minute than 15 for my food to cook… but that's just me. 

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp coconut flour 
• 1 tbsp oats 
• 2 tbsp protein powder (I'm slowly transitioning to plant based because whey has not been very nice on my gut lately, but if you’re ok with whey, @questnutrition Salted Caramel is bomb)
• 1 tsp maca Powder 
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 stevia packet
• pinch of baking powder 
• pinch of salt 

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Take a mug and spray with some coconut oil, remove the excess oil with some kitchen paper. Pour the mix in the mug and take to the microwave for 1 min! Voila, Done! If done in the oven I would guess aprox 12-15 min at 375 but this is me just thinking out loud because I’ve never tried it in the oven tbh. 
• Once you have your cake out, place in a bowl and slice so it’s prettier on the plate. 
• Next comes my favorite part… toppings!!! I top mine with greek yogurt (looking into non dairy alternatives for yogurt, any suggestions?), @purely_elizabeth dark chocolate sea salt granola, @lilys_sweets_chocolate sugar free chocolate chips, almond butter, bananas, blueberries, strawberries and honestly anything else that your heart desires! Top if off with some maple syrup and coarse sea salt and you’ve got breakfast heaven!! 

LUNCH

THE EVERYTHING BOWL... RAINBOW BOWL? IT IS VERY COLORFUL :) 

This is seriously my favorite go to meal for lunch. It’s pretty filling to keep me going throughout the day. I’m no nutritionist or expert on food but I would say it is very nutritious and healthy, packed with the best protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and veggies. It’s also pretty easy to have all the ingredients prepped ahead, and the mix of flavors makes this absolutely delicious. May I also add that the color of the different ingredients seriously just makes this bowl pop, thus the rainbow bowl. The ingredients to this bowl offer the perfect mix of salty and sweet and I promise you will be left wanting to eat this every single day. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Arugula & spinach mix for the base 
• Poached/grilled chicken 
• 1/2 Avocado
• Grilled sweet onions (the picture shows fermented onions I got at Whole Foods)
• Sautéed brussel sprouts 
• Oven roasted rainbow carrots 
• Oven roasted sweet potatoes 
• Goat cheese 
• Pepitas 
• 1 tbsp hummus (I buy mine at Whole Foods. Go creative and try different kinds: Original, Lentil, edamame, Beet…props to you if you want to make your own)
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast (or however much you want really because this thing is ridiculously awesome)
• Salt & Pepper to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

• Let’s start with getting all the food prepped! Once you got everything cooked and ready, it’s pretty much up to you how to assemble everything in the bowl. 
• For the chicken - I’m going to be honest with you, for a moment there I was terrified of cooking chicken but then I found the best way that didn’t really scare me, and that was poaching it! To poach the chicken place the seasoned chicken breast (I use salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder on mine) in a pot. Cover with water and place on high on the stove until water starts boiling. Once the water starts to boil, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 20-25 min. Once the chicken breast are done let them rest & cool down and you can store in a container for future use. To reheat, I use a pan on low heat with some ghee and cut up the chicken breast into strips. 
• For the brussels- Steam in a steaming pot, or if you don’t have a steaming pot put them in the microwave for 2 min until tender. Once they’re done, sauté on a pan with ghee until they start to crisp. For seasoning just use salt and pepper. 
• For the carrots - Pre heat oven to 375. Clean the carrots and place on baking sheet with avocado oil, salt, pepper, and paprika for a bit of a kick. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the carrots become tender, sweet and with a light crunch. 
• For the onions - Slice into thin slices or “julienne” I believe the proper name is. Heat a pan on medium heat, one the pan is hot place onions. Once the onions start to cook pour some water in the pan and move the onions around, add a packet of stevia and keep steering. Let water evaporate and continue to cook the onions until golden brown. For an extra burst of flavor add some ghee while cooking. 
• For sweet potatoes - Pre heat oven to 375-400. Clean and cut the sweet potatoes into thick rings. Place on baking sheet with avocado oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. 

Once everything is cooked, the best part comes! I love plating my food nicely because I feel as if I’m treating myself. Start with the fresh spinach and arugula mix as your base and then start to assemble all the cooked foods in the bowl. Top if off with avocado, goat cheese, pepitas for crunch and 1 tbsp of your chosen hummus. Now its time to dig in! Obviously once I start eating there is nothing better than mixing everything together and experimenting all the flavors and textures that your bowl has; or maybe you’re one of those weird people who just likes to keep everything in its place, no judgement, just ENJOY!

DINNER 

ZUCCHINI NOODLES IN AVOCADO PESTO W/CHERRY TOMATOES & CHICKEN/SALMON

As I write this section of the post I am seriously salivating, no kidding. Ok, so not only have you had 2 amazing meals, but you’re about to have one of the very best ever! Seriously. The secret to this recipe is in the pesto. I wish I could say that I authored this recipe but I got it from an Instagram account I follow (@cool_turefood). When I saw it, I couldn't wait to try it ASAP. One of the things that I really like about this recipe, is that it leaves the zucchini noodles raw. Up until this point I had always cooked the noodles on the stove with some tomato sauce or ghee and they had always turned very mushy. Keeping them raw, keeps the crunch to the noodle and the pesto just smooths it out. LOL weird to explain but get to it and try it and you’ll understand what I mean. Also, if you’re simply not a fan of cold dinners, heating up the protein (this being chicken or grilled salmon, or anything really) will warm up the noodles a bit, once served. 

INGREDIENTS:

For pesto - 

• 1/2 Avocado
• 2 tbsp greek yogurt - this wasn’t in the original recipe I believe, but makes it more tangy and delicious 
• 1 tbsp pepitas 
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
• Basil leaves (don’t really know how to measure these… I guess to taste)… no such thing as too much basil 
• Salt and Pepper to taste 

Other - 

• 2 zucchini spiralized  - or if you're lazy like me buy them already spiraled at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods 
• Cherry tomates - cut in half 
• Grilled Chicken Breast or Salmon fillet (tastes great with both, but the salmon definitely amps up the flavor)
• More pepitas for topping 
• Goat cheese 
• Basil leaves to garnish 

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Pesto - 

• Put all your ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth. C’est fini! Always check for flavor and make any adjustments according to taste.  

For the Chicken - 

• Refer to lunch section where I tell you how I cook and have chicken breast always in my fridge ready to heat up. To heat up, I suggest cutting the chicken breast into thick slices and grilling with ghee. 

If you decide to go for Salmon - 

• This is my go to way to cook the salmon: Preheat oven to 375, and season your salmon with some salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and Dill.  Wrap in Aluminum foil and cook for 15 minutes. 

For the Noodles/ To serve -

• Since we’re leaving them raw they really don’t need anything done. Once you have your pesto done, incorporate the noodles and mix until evenly covered. Then mix in the cherry tomatoes and stir so they’re all mixed in the “pasta”.
• Once you have your noodles ready, place at the bottom of your bowl. Top the noodles with either your grilled chicken or salmon. Sprinkle some more pepitas for crunch and because it looks nice:). Add some goat cheese (believe me this is the best cheese to add), and finish off with some basil leaves for decoration. 

Now…. time to eat! believe me when I say you’re going to have this dish on repeat ♥

I hope you all enjoy and get to cook all of these three amazing recipes right away! Let me know if you have any feedback or if you have any delicious recipes to share with me! 

Remember,  Love Yourself Always. 

XO,

Maritza