Chef Jen from Food Shift shares her “Choose Your Own Adventure Bowl” guidelines on how to use an assortment of vegetables, proteins, and sauces that you already have at home to build a plant-based bowl. Making use of what’s in your kitchen helps to reduce food waste at home, and encourages us to get creative in the kitchen. Whether it’s a burrito bowl, teriyaki bowl, or even a veggie burger bowl–you can tailor the recipe to your tastes and choose your own eating adventure!
Choose Your Own Adventure Bowl
Yield: 4 Bowls
Use this template to create a nourishing and flavorful meal with the ingredients you have on hand. The guidelines give you ideas of how to start with starch as a base, an assortment of protein, vegetables and sauce and leaves the creativity up to you and your taste preferences. There are tons of possibilities!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 - 4 cups cooked starch
- 2 cups cooked protein
- 4 cups (or more) fruits and vegetables, choose at least 2
- 4 cups greens
- 1 tsp (or more) spices (optional)
- ¼ - ½ cup condiments or sauces
- ¼ cup next level additions (optional)
- 1 Tbsp chopped herbs (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Divide cooked starch among 4 bowls. The starch can be served warm or cold.
- Top each bowl with protein, fruit and/or vegetables and greens. Add spices while cooking proteins, vegetables or greens, if using.
- Drizzle bowls with condiments or sauce.
- Sprinkle each bowl with next level additions and herbs as a garnish, if using.
A few ideas to get you started but remember, this is your own adventure!
-
Burrito Bowl: Brown Rice, Black or Pinto Beans, Shredded Cabbage, Avocado, Salsa, Pickled Jalapeno, Cilantro
-
Teriyaki Bowl: White Rice, Tofu, Broccoli, Carrots, Bok Choy, Pineapple, Ginger, Green Onions, Teriyaki Sauce, Sesame Seeds
-
Burger Bowl: Roasted Potatoes, Veggie Burger, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Pickles, Ketchup/Mayo Drizzle
-
Southern-Style Bowl: Grits, Red Beans, Cooked Greens, Onion, Bell Pepper, Diced Tomato, Cayenne, Parsley
Bowl ingredients (starter list):
|
Starch |
Protein |
Fruit & Vegetables |
Spices |
Greens |
Condiments & Sauces |
Herbs |
Next Level Additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
White or Brown Rice |
Beans |
Cucumber |
Ginger |
Arugula |
Salsa |
Cilantro |
Olives |
|
Wild Rice |
Lentils |
Tomatoes |
Red Pepper Flake |
Lettuce |
Hummus |
Parsley |
Nuts & Seeds |
|
Roasted Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes |
Tofu |
Pineapple |
Cayenne |
Collard Greens |
Soy Sauce |
Basil |
Pickled Vegetables |
|
Couscous |
Eggs |
Onions (any color) |
Chili Powder |
Kale |
Teriyaki Sauce |
Mint |
Fermented Vegetables (kimchi, sauerkraut |
|
Quinoa |
Edamame |
Bell Peppers |
Curry Powder |
Spinach |
Pesto |
|
Avocado |
|
Barley |
|
Corn |
|
Chard |
Salad Dressing |
|
|
|
Pasta |
|
Carrots |
|
|
Mayonnaise/ Ketchup |
|
|
|
Polenta or Grits |
|
Broccoli |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green Beans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mushrooms |
|
|
|
|
|
Food Shift is a Chef Partner of Stop Food Waste. Learn more about Food Shift and their programs to rescue surplus food that would otherwise waste away in landfills and utilize it to fuel their social enterprise kitchen.
*This video was filmed for a virtual Earth Day event celebrating the inspiring work of youth activists in our community. The kickoff event featured local artists, activists, and school champions along with Chef Jen's inspiring cooking demo. Explore the Leftover (Re)Imagined Bingo Card for more inspiration and guidelines on how to incorporate Re-spicing, Re-ducing and Re-imagining your ingredients into your next meal!
More ideas to help make the most of your leftovers:
