As much as I love to chef up a good meal, I also (often) lack the motivation to do so – especially after a long day!!
Sometimes I just want to throw together a meal in 5 minutes & call it a day! But it can be difficult to find meals that are fast & also healthy & filling. This one though… this one is a go-to, a staple.
I went through a phase a couple of years ago, a rice bowl phase. Whether I was eating out or making food at home, 9/10 times, it was going to be a rice bowl… idk when or why this phase ended, but I’m officially back on the rice bowl train!
Rice bowls truly are the GOAT of lazy girl dinners – the versatility, the ease, the quickness, not to mention delicious & nutritious… you honestly can’t go wrong!
The main reason rice bowls are so convenient is because you can prep all of the ingredients beforehand & store them in your fridge. This way, you can just throw them into a bowl & eat!
Rice Bowl Constitutes
The Base
You can choose any grain you like for the base, or if you feel like something lighter you can sub out the base for greens entirely. I typically go with a quinoa or jasmine rice for my base, but choose whatever you desire!! Some other grain options are farro, barely, spelt, bulgur, brown rice, & wild rice.
The Veggies
I like to load my bowl’s up with whatever vegetables I have in my fridge. Typically, this will be spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, jalapenos, & avocado. Other additions that work really well are mushrooms, banana peppers, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, & broccoli. Again, throw in whatever you like!
The Protein
For the protein, I almost always go with my spicy soy marinade tofu that I’ve prepped ahead of time so I can just reheat it in my air fryer for a few minutes & throw it on. If I don’t have tofu on hand then I’ll go for a black bean, white bean, or chickpea. I do follow a plant-based diet but some other protein options would be chicken, salmon, prawns, or steak. Make use of whatever you have & alter the recipe to your likings!
The sauce
There’s endless options for how you want to dress your bowl. Depending on how I’m feeling, I’ll either go for a quick homemade salad dressing or a generous drizzle of spicy mayonnaise, & sometimes, just a nice dollop of hummus & some hot sauce does the trick! Use whatever suits your needs.
To be totally honest, I’m more of a “dash of this” & a “generous splash of that” type of chef than I am a “follow the recipe” chef, so these measurements are estimates at best. But the process is pretty straightforward – dish up your base & then add whatever toppings you fancy, sit down & try not to inhale it in 5 minutes.
Ingredients:
+ 1 cup quinoa (or any other grain)
+ ½ cup chopped spinach
+ ⅓ cup chopped bell peppers
+ Handful of diced tomatoes
+ Diced jalapeno peppers (based on spice preference)
+ ½ an avocado
+ ¼ block spicy soy tofu (or any protein)
+ Roasted seeds/nuts or roasted chickpeas (optional topping for added crunch)
Dressing:
+ 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
+ 2 tbsp EVOO
+ ½ freshly squeezed lemon
+ 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
+ 1 tbsp honey
+ 1 tsp salt
+ ½ tsp ground black pepper
+½ tsp ground garlic (or garlic powder)
Spicy soy tofu:
+ 2 tbsp soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
+ 1 tbsp sesame oil
+ 1 tbsp maple syrup
+ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
+ 1-2 tbsp sriracha (depending how spicy you like it)
+ 2 cloves garlic, minced
+ 1 tsp paprika
+ 1 tsp onion powder
+ 1 tsp black pepper
Quinoa prep:
Get that quinoa on the stove & cook it however your package tells you. Try to keep it from cooking too long & being mushy. I normally cook my quinoa at the beginning of the week & store it in the fridge so it’s ready to go whenever.
Salad dressing:
Throw all the ingredients into a little mason jar & shake until mixed. Drizzle across bowl & devour! Tip: Use a mason jar to mix the salad dressing so that you can store any leftover dressing in the fridge for next time!
Spicy soy tofu prep:
Drain & press extra firm tofu to remove excess water. I have yet to purchase a handy tofu press (for whatever reason) so I wrap my tofu in a paper towel or a tea towel & place it underneath something heavy for about 30 minutes to an hour, typically it’s under a cast iron pan but whatever you can find in the kitchen will work! Just make sure it’s not too heavy as this can cause your tofu to bulge on the sides. I like to cut my tofu block into 2 skinny halfs before pressing & then into cubes before marinating. Mix the ingredients together in a container & marinate the tofu for at least 30 minutes (I marinate my tofu overnight so that it can absorb as much flavor as possible). Air fry at 390 F for 15-18 minutes.
So, there you have it! A quick & easy, nutritious meal that requires minimal effort or skills making it the perfect go-to when you’re having a lazy day! Or maybe you’re just not much of a cooker, either way, I hope you try it out & let me know how you like it!
xx,
hh
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