Don't know if this is already out there, but wanted to share something I've sort of recently discovered and is a great time saver since unfortunately I'm only cooking for one and thus dgaf so long as its healthy and tasty.
It is inspired by Panera's "Mediterranean Quinoa Grain Bowl," but you have a lot of options (which I'll point out) and you can make a big pot once, and serve yourself multiple meal with only a couple minutes of prep time.
Ingredients:
0: A very large pot for mixing. If you can't fit it in your fridge you can always portion it out after mixing into smaller containers for storage. You will also need one or two medium size pots or a rice cooker, a sharp knife that can cut cherry tomatoes (serration helps) and either a large baking sheet and oven or microwave and dish for that (if you are veg you wont need oven/microwave except to reheat your meal).
1: Three to four cups of dry quinoa (usually the whole bag). Use a medium-large pot at least to boil it down as per the instructions on the box. I like to stir it a lot, you want to get all the water absorbed or evaporated, there should be no water at the bottom when it's ready. If you aren't familiar with quinoa, its a grain similar to rice but with more protein, fiber and other nutrients. It has a little bit of crunch to it.
2: (optional) Rice. Any kind, in any amount. Use your judgement or experiment. If you want to gain weight rice will raise the carb ratio. It has a different texture to quinoa so they actually go well together, but if you don't want to gain weight or prefer a higher protein ratio, use less or no rice.
3: one large can or two to four small cans of black beans. I rinse off the beans.
4. Two or three large cucumbers and two large containers of cherry tomatoes. Try to get an equal volume, but a little more cucumber is fine.
5. three or four large containers of Hummus. I know that sounds like a lot, but if you don't use that much you can always use it next time. Better to have it than run out, this is what provides most of the flavor - basically sauce of this dish. If you've never had it, hummus has the consistency of butter and is high in fat, however it is considered "heart healthy." It has a tangy taste and a lot of people use it as a dip or condiment for veggies or chips.
6. (optional if you're not a meat eater) two to three large packages of frozen grilled chicken strips (cubes are fine too), more if you're adding a lot of rice. It would be cheaper to buy chicken breast and cut it up yourself, but this is a "lazy man's" dish, I just get it pre-cut. Don't get "smoked flavor" just regular, I got that once by accident and it overpowered the meal and I did not like it. YMMV.
7. (optional) Olives, Feta cheese and Greek yogurt. These are in the original Panera dish (the latter two as condiments on top) but I don't use them, so you'll have to figure out that part on your own sorry!
Instructions:
Prepare the quinoa, rice and chicken as normal (I cook the chicken even if precooked) and add to the big mixing pot, along with the black beans and olives (if you like olives) and mix it all together thoroughly till blended. This is now ready to be stored.
When you want to eat, scoop your portion into a large steep-sided bowl and heat in the microwave a couple of minutes (or heat it another way and then put it in a steep-sided bowl - that's the important part).
While that's heating, dice cucumber and slice the cherry tomatoes into 3-5 pieces. You want about equal amounts of both, but I like a little higher cucumber ratio. I just eyeball it, but it should be enough to cover your bowl - maybe start with a dozen cherry tomatoes and equal it with the cucumber and see if that's enough.
Take the bowl out of the microwave and mix in the cucumber and tomato. My preference is to have some cucumber or tomato in every tablespoon full, but if you are trying to gain weight use less.
Add three or four heaping tablespoons of Hummus, and mix it in thoroughly - this is where using a bowl with steep walls really helps as Hummus is pretty viscous. Add more hummus if you need to based on portion size, but everything should be coated. There should be nothing in your bowl not caked in it.
Optionally, add Greek yogurt and feta cheese.
It is inspired by Panera's "Mediterranean Quinoa Grain Bowl," but you have a lot of options (which I'll point out) and you can make a big pot once, and serve yourself multiple meal with only a couple minutes of prep time.
Ingredients:
0: A very large pot for mixing. If you can't fit it in your fridge you can always portion it out after mixing into smaller containers for storage. You will also need one or two medium size pots or a rice cooker, a sharp knife that can cut cherry tomatoes (serration helps) and either a large baking sheet and oven or microwave and dish for that (if you are veg you wont need oven/microwave except to reheat your meal).
1: Three to four cups of dry quinoa (usually the whole bag). Use a medium-large pot at least to boil it down as per the instructions on the box. I like to stir it a lot, you want to get all the water absorbed or evaporated, there should be no water at the bottom when it's ready. If you aren't familiar with quinoa, its a grain similar to rice but with more protein, fiber and other nutrients. It has a little bit of crunch to it.
2: (optional) Rice. Any kind, in any amount. Use your judgement or experiment. If you want to gain weight rice will raise the carb ratio. It has a different texture to quinoa so they actually go well together, but if you don't want to gain weight or prefer a higher protein ratio, use less or no rice.
3: one large can or two to four small cans of black beans. I rinse off the beans.
4. Two or three large cucumbers and two large containers of cherry tomatoes. Try to get an equal volume, but a little more cucumber is fine.
5. three or four large containers of Hummus. I know that sounds like a lot, but if you don't use that much you can always use it next time. Better to have it than run out, this is what provides most of the flavor - basically sauce of this dish. If you've never had it, hummus has the consistency of butter and is high in fat, however it is considered "heart healthy." It has a tangy taste and a lot of people use it as a dip or condiment for veggies or chips.
6. (optional if you're not a meat eater) two to three large packages of frozen grilled chicken strips (cubes are fine too), more if you're adding a lot of rice. It would be cheaper to buy chicken breast and cut it up yourself, but this is a "lazy man's" dish, I just get it pre-cut. Don't get "smoked flavor" just regular, I got that once by accident and it overpowered the meal and I did not like it. YMMV.
7. (optional) Olives, Feta cheese and Greek yogurt. These are in the original Panera dish (the latter two as condiments on top) but I don't use them, so you'll have to figure out that part on your own sorry!
Instructions:
Prepare the quinoa, rice and chicken as normal (I cook the chicken even if precooked) and add to the big mixing pot, along with the black beans and olives (if you like olives) and mix it all together thoroughly till blended. This is now ready to be stored.
When you want to eat, scoop your portion into a large steep-sided bowl and heat in the microwave a couple of minutes (or heat it another way and then put it in a steep-sided bowl - that's the important part).
While that's heating, dice cucumber and slice the cherry tomatoes into 3-5 pieces. You want about equal amounts of both, but I like a little higher cucumber ratio. I just eyeball it, but it should be enough to cover your bowl - maybe start with a dozen cherry tomatoes and equal it with the cucumber and see if that's enough.
Take the bowl out of the microwave and mix in the cucumber and tomato. My preference is to have some cucumber or tomato in every tablespoon full, but if you are trying to gain weight use less.
Add three or four heaping tablespoons of Hummus, and mix it in thoroughly - this is where using a bowl with steep walls really helps as Hummus is pretty viscous. Add more hummus if you need to based on portion size, but everything should be coated. There should be nothing in your bowl not caked in it.
Optionally, add Greek yogurt and feta cheese.
4 years
