Nicki Sizemore - Build-a-Bowl: 77 Satisfying & Nutritious Combos: Whole Grain + Vegetable + Protein + Sauce = Meal

I dont know about you, but for me the dinnertime scramble is real. Whether you have a job or kids or both, it can be a struggle to satisfy the desire to eat something vibrant and delectable without having hours to spend in the kitchen. After my second daughter was born, I had less time than ever, but I didnt want to give up on my commitment to feeding my family well. Oh, all right; thats a lie. In truth, I didnt want to give up my desire to eat good food every night.

My mission is to help you make homemade, healthy, freaking delicious meals any day of the week, and this is the easiest way I know how. Heres the lowdown:

Grains + Vegetables + Protein + Sauce + Garnish = Superpower Meal

Im no mathematician, but that formula might just win you the Nobel Peace Prize (at least from your family). Each recipe in this book is a complete, balanced meal, meaning theres no deciding what to pair with the entre or scrambling to make side dishes. With plenty of options for customization, the recipes appeal to different palates and lifestyles. Perhaps best of all, every meal comes together in less than an hour if you have a batch of precooked grains at the ready (more on that later).

The world is now at our fingertips with regard to food selection, with a wider availability of produce, herbs, spices, nuts, and grains than ever before. The recipes in these pages draw on influences from cultures near and far.

Im a texture and flavor fanatic. As a trained cook, I spend my days developing an array of recipes for articles, clients, and my website, From Scratch Fast, but my hands-down favorite way to eat is to throw a bunch of different ingredients into one bowl over a bed of grains, then drizzle everything with a quick sauce. The contrast of warm, cool, crunchy, soft, salty, and sweet is pure magic its simple home cooking at its most exciting. And yet, at the same time, its pure comfort. One-bowl meals have nourished cultures around the world for centuries, from European breakfast porridges to Korean rice bowls to Andean quinoa stews. Grain bowls are in our DNA.

But weve come a long way since the time of our ancestors. The world is now at our fingertips with regard to food selection, with a wider availability of produce, herbs, spices, nuts, and grains than ever before. The recipes in these pages draw on influences from cultures near and far from Mexico to Thailand to the Middle East to Italy to Korea to my own backyard garden using easy-to-find supermarket ingredients. are brightened up with a quick cabbage slaw and a creamy chipotle sauce.

For finicky eaters (ahem, such as my two girls, Ella and Juniper), several of the recipes can be broken down into individual components to pick and choose from, burrito barstyle. So while 3-year-old Juni inhales the with gochujang sauce, while I go for a bigger serving of sesame carrots and kimchi.

And while James and I prefer to layer everything together in one bowl for the ultimate expression of flavors and textures, Ella and Juniper insist that theyll die if their broccoli touches their meatballs. With the exception of the fruity breakfast bowls and the soup and salad recipes, their meals are served in little bundles on plates, with the sauce on the side for dipping. Thats okay, too.

About that sauce: The easiest way to transform an ordinary meal into something spectacular is to drizzle it with a creamy, garlicky, herby, or spicy sauce. But let me assure you that sauces dont have to be complicated or timely affairs. The sauces in this book from a come together in minutes, can often be made well in advance, and usually dont require the stove. Some recipes dont even need a sauce at all; in those cases, a drizzle of hot sauce or a spritz of citrus juice does the trick. While Ive paired the sauces with specific dishes, you can also mix and match them in a choose-your-own-adventure style of eating.

Now back to those grains. Whole grains are my secret weapon for throwing together quick and healthy weeknight meals. Not only are they inexpensive and highly nutritious, but their mild flavor is also perfect for soaking up sauces, vinaigrettes, and dressings. Perhaps most important, they can be made weeks or even months ahead of time, as can many other components of these recipes (woot woot!). With a batch of cooked grains waiting for me in the refrigerator or freezer, dinner feels like its already started, even if I havent done a thing. According to my calculations, that means Im 76 percent more likely to make dinner on exhausted evenings than resort to take-out pizza.

In these pages, youll find everything from rice to quinoa to millet to Khorasan wheat (Kamut) and more. Most of the grains are considered ancient grains, which are superfoods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Luckily for us, they are all now widely available and easy to cook. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!

I hope you enjoy this book, and I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your questions and comments (and photos!). And, as always, happy cooking!

Grains + Vegetables + Protein + Sauce + Garnish = Superpower Meal!

• Choose your grains: start with about cup of grains (make the grains in big batches ahead of time for quicker meals).
• Add two or more vegetables: combine different textures and colors, both cooked and raw, using seasonal produce when possible. Or use fruit!
• Pick a protein: opt for a lean protein, such as beans, eggs, poultry, grass-fed beef, lamb, fish, seafood, tofu, or cheese.
• Drizzle with a sauce: a vibrant sauce or a drizzle of hot sauce or citrus juice ties everything together and takes the bowl from ordinary to extraordinary.
• Finish crunchy and bright: a smattering of something crispy (such as nuts or seeds) provides a pop of texture, while fresh herbs brighten up flavors.