Restaurant-Style Bowls Made at Home
Bowls are fantastic because they require assembling and not that much cooking.
Bases: Brown rice, farro, barley, spelt, quinoa, Israeli couscous, rice noodles, ramen noodles, zucchini noodles or shredded cabbage
Proteins: Fish, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, lentils, beans of all types
Un-cooked vegetables: spinach, Romaine, collards, kale, shredded cabbage, shredded Brussels sprouts, shredded carrots
Toppings: sesame seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped peanuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, bleu cheese, parmesan cheese
Dressings: Asian Sesame, Almond Butter Turmeric (Trader Joe’s), Garlic Tahini, Traditional Olive Oil and Balsamic, Olive Oil and Lemon (Greek), Yogurt, Cucumber and Cilantro Dressing (like a Green Goddess)
Start by deciding upon your base. To reduce carbohydrates, reduce or eliminate the serving which tends to be a carbohydrate. A low carb base is shredded cabbage or zucchini noodles.
Choose your protein. This can be meats, seafood or beans.
Look in your refrigerator and use up those vegetables that are on their way to going bad.
Pick a favorite topping for flavor or crunch. This is where big flavor cheeses and crunchy nuts work well.
Avoid sugar-coated nuts and crunchy junky toppings made with refined flours.
Pick a favorite dressing. Homemade dressings pack a bigger flavor and I have several dressing recipes on my website.