In Praise of Bowl Food

 Hello there. How are you?  I hope you are getting along ok.

I confess, I plot ways of getting S. to eat more vegetables (breakfast cereal being his favourite food group) as he is my favourite human and I'd like to keep him around for as long as possible. The way to manage this feat, has been via recipes the cool kids refer to as "bowl food". 

Bowl recipes connote more than the vessel they are served in. A bowl constitutes a complete meal in one, that is a grain or starch, a protein, and one or more servings of vegetables served all in one, though not necessarily jumbled together.  My favourite renditions of these dishes are topped with sort of tasty sauce which,  like the rug in the Big Lebowski, "tie it all together".

Recently, I did some mild rejigging of a bowl recipe from one of my favourite culinary sources, America's Test Kitchen. The results were met with resounding enthusiasm. I thought it prudent to share as I have never understood people who hoard favourite recipes. Why do that? 

The beauty of the bowl concept is that flexibility is a given.  Vegetarian? Swap the fish for tofu or tempeh!  Don't like fish? Use seared chicken or steak.  Sub in kale, swiss chard, or arugula for  spinach.

  

While I can be finicky  about the importance of adhering to recipes as they are written (I think it is a good idea to follow a recipe exactly if you are making it for the first time), with bowls, one can make substitutions without compromising essential flavors. This can be helpful if you have fussy eaters among your household. During the pandemic, ingredients have been somewhat scarce, so flexibility has become an essential part of our meal plans.

We were unable to obtain sushi grade tuna when we prepared this dish. If you are fond of fish, a roasted salmon filet subs in nicely for the tuna. 

Listed below are suggestions to allow you to customize your bowl (including vegan/vegetarian options). Preparation is minimal so it is weeknight appropriate.  If you do try it, please let me know what you think.   

                                                           POKE BOWL (serves 2)

2 (4 to 6 oz) tuna steaks 1 inch thick

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp plus one tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp honey

5 oz spinach (or greens of your choice)

1 mango, peeled and thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Optional: 1 to 2 cups cooked rice (we used jasmine but basmati, black or brown rice would all work equally well)

Optional: Toasted sesame seeds (a tbsp or two)

1. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tsp of oil in 10" non-stick skillet over medium high until barely smoking. Add tuna and sear to preferred doneness. Transfer to cutting board. Cut into 1" pieces. Set aside (if using salmon you can either pan fry your filet or bake it in the oven).

2. Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and honey. Drizzle in remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and whisk until combined. Toss greens with half of vinaigrette to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide greens among serving bowls. Top with fish, mango, avocado and a mound of rice.  Drizzle with remaining sauce. Serve.

Suggestions for customization:

A crumble of nori would not go amiss here.

Up the nutrition quotient with grated carrot.

Toasted sesame seeds add flavour, nutrition and textural contrast. 

Instead of mango: Use orange segments

If you are vegan or vegetarian, substitute fish with smoked or pan fried tofu or fried crumbled tempeh

If you like the bowl concept, and you want to try something similar, I have a suggestion or two. The aforementioned folks of America's Test Kitchen have created a book entitled "Bowls, Vibrant Recipes With Endless Possibilities".   I am circumspect about the number of cookbooks I purchase but I have not regretted buying this book. The recipes within are regularly in my repertoire. Leftovers make healthy lunches. 

If you reside within Victoria, you could try borrowing this title from the public library for inspiration.  If you are a bowl fiend already, you may wish to purchase the book, as it offers a myriad of possibilities.

When it comes to recipe blogs, I confess I do not have expansive knowledge. I tend to cull from a carefully selected cadre of treasured, eminently reliable sources (more on this in a future post). 

However, bowled over by bowls (see what I did there?) and seeking inspiration, I stumbled upon young and prodigiously talented recipe developer Tieghan Gerard, and her website Half Baked Harvest. 

Gerard has published a number of cookbooks with mouthwatering photos for inspiration (try borrowing one of her books from the library).

 

I made note of this sheet pan recipe, which I will be preparing later this week. 

I thought, pre-emptively, I would share a link, though I cannot yet vouch for the finished result. Part of the appeal is the chipotle sauce, part is it is another meal with starch, vegetables and protein all in one as meal planning is easier when one does not have to come up with a panoply of side dishes. Not that I mind that, but some days, we all could use a little extra help.  

Nutritionists recommend eating oily fish (rich in omega fatty acids and nutrients) twice weekly, hence, I this is why another fishy feast is on the menu this week at Casa Bailey.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chipotle-salmon/

That is all for now. Take care everyone!  If you try the poke bowl, let me know what you think in the comments. xx