Quarantine Cooking: Bowls For The Win

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

-Virginia Woolfe

You guys. Raise your hand if you have cooked 27,398 meals in the last 8 weeks. PLUS SNACKS. These four boys of mine seem to think they need three meals a day every…single…day. I actually truly love cooking and even my energy and idea reserves are running low (she types in quiet house while family is literally snarfing down at In ‘N Out this very minute…). No shame here people.

For those nights when you just can’t face the prospect of a 15 ingredient recipe, but also don’t want to order take-out, BOWLS are here to save your life and here is why:

• Flexible: CHECK
• Easy: CHECK
• Budget Friendly: CHECK
• Kid Friendly: CHECK
• Clean-Out-The-Fridge Friendly: CHECK

Here is your basic formula:

Grain + Protein + Sauce

And here is your method: Open your fridge. What needs to be used up? Open your freezer. What defrosts quickly? Open your pantry. What random cans are hiding in the back?

Now think about what kind of food you gravitate to. Greek, Italian, Chinese, traditional American, plant based. There are endless combos here. The KEY is the sauce. It pulls everything together and transforms a few random ingredients into an actual meal.

Throw in a few veggies if you want or a bagged salad on the side and you’re DONE!

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

ITALIAN

Grain: Who doesn’t love noodles if they’re being honest? Besides basic wheat noodles, there is an option for virtually any kind of noodle you could think of these days! Banza (garbanzo bean), rice and quinoa (my fave from Trader Joe’s) or even zoodles (zucchini noodles). Leftover polenta, faro and risotto are great whole grain options that bump up the nutrition level.

Protein: Ground beef is beloved for a reason. It’s cheap, easily obtainable, cooks up quickly and freezes well. Ground sausage kicks the flavor up a notch, or you could even use white beans for a vegetarian option. Anything goes here though – if you have leftover meat from a roast or rotisserie chicken, use that!

Sauce: We all have a jar or two of spaghetti sauce hiding in the back of the pantry, and if you don’t, you should. Alfredo sauce, pesto or even extra virgin olive oil + grated parm all work here and in any combination! Pink sauce is especially fun and yummy (half and half spaghetti or marina and alfredo).

ASIAN:

Grain: Rice is the obvious go to here. We always make two batches of rice so we can use leftovers for rice bowls, fried rice, or breakfast rice (with cinnamon, honey, butter and milk). Cooked rice freezes really well too. Soba noodles, rice noodles and ramen noodles are great to have on hand to mix it up.

Protein: Again, nothing is easier than shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover roast chicken. Any kind of ground meat works here too, or use tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian option. Salmon is amazing with rice and teriyaki for a seafood option!

Sauce: I usually go super basic with equal parts soy sauce + toasted sesame oil + rice vinegar. Even faster are bottled Asian flavored sauces. Teryaki sauce is kid friendly and readily available. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby (and I sincerely hope you do), they have some super yummy choices that really up the flavor ante like Sweet Chili Sauce or Green Dragon Hot Sauce.

MEXICAN:

Grain: Mexican flavors have long been my go to for rice bowls. Fritos are fun for a kid approved choice. Not technically a grain but in my experience they won’t complain!

Protein: Leftover taco meat or grilled steak are great because they are already seasoned and so provide an additional layer of flavor. Switch things up with shrimp and as a bonus, it cooks up quickly. Crack open a can of black beans or pinto beans for the easiest option. Lengua (cow tongue) anyone??

Sauce: There are so many delicious Mexican inspired sauce choices, from as basic as mixing sour cream + salsa to jarred enchilada sauce or salsa verde. I will put in a plug for Pioneer Woman’s homemade enchilada sauce which I make at least monthly. It’s super simple and the flavor is definitely better than anything from a store shelf!

The Lazy Genius has an excellent podcast all about bowls, and some great ideas for rice and ground beef bowls here. If you don’t already follow Kendra, she’s fantastic for teaching basic cooking concepts.

So there you have it! If you take anything away from this, you’ll start making extra of anything you’re already cooking so you have lots of yummy leftovers that you can repurpose and on one will ever know (wink, wink).

Do you have any go to bowls at your house? Let us know in the comments!