Easy Grain Bowl Food

EASY GRAIN BOWL

Steps:

• Go to Seasoned Quinoa to make the quinoa, or follow the other whole grain recipes listed above. The quinoa takes about 25 minutes total, so use the cook time to prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince the garlic. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but before it browns. Add the chickpeas, smoked paprika, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 2 minutes until warmed through.
• Make the Tahini Sauce. (Or, try Lemon Dill Sauce or Creamy Cilantro Sauce.)
• Slice the tomatoes in half. Slice the cucumber. Slice the red onion.
• Place the quinoa and chickpeas in the bowl. Add the fresh veggies and drizzle with the sauce. (Meal prep notes: You can make quinoa, chickpeas, and dressing in advance: quinoa stores refrigerated 5 days and chickpeas store 3 to 4 days, and the dressing stores 1 month.)

HERBY TAHINI GRAIN BOWL

Steps:

• For the grains: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the wheat berries or farro and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, until nutty smelling. Carefully add the water along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook according to package directions, until tender. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the grains to sit for 10 minutes, still covered. Drain any remaining water, if needed. Season with salt to taste and a glug of extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer to a resealable container and set aside.
• For the herby tahini: Combine the basil, cilantro, parsley, garlic and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to chop. Add the lemon juice, tahini, honey, cumin, cayenne and 4 tablespoons of water and blitz into a smooth and pourable sauce. If the sauce is a bit thick, add in the remaining tablespoon of water and blend to combine. Season to taste with salt and transfer to a resealable container.
• For the garnishes: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Carefully lower in the eggs and cook for 7 minutes for a jammy center or up to 12 minutes for a hard-boiled yolk. Remove the eggs from the boiling water, run under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel the eggs and set aside in a resealable container.
• Season the boiling water with salt, add the edamame and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and transfer to a resealable container.
• Toss the radishes with the vinegar and transfer to a resealable container.
• If prepping for the week, place the lids on the containers and transfer to the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To assemble, spoon the wheat berries or farro into a bowl or container and top with the greens, green onion, vinegary radish, edamame, cabbage, avocado and a halved egg. Top with some cilantro or basil, a good helping of the herby tahini sauce and a sprinkle of za'atar.