One-Pot Protein Bowl
(Oven Evasion continues!)
Hi there friends and Happy Friday! Welcome to our new subscribers, both free and paid. I’m so glad you found your way here.
It’s still Oven Evasion Month. Because we are in the throes of California’s hottest month of the year, I’m avoiding anything that involves heating up the kitchen or turning on the oven.
Have you missed any of the other oven evasion recipes? If you haven’t tried Fresh Vietnamese-style Summer Rolls, Waffle Iron Zucchini Frittatas, or the plush No-Bake Fridge Cake yet, please do so asap!
The last installment of our Oven Evasion series is next week, if you can believe it. You can look forward to a fresh West Coast salad with a zippy dressing.
Before we get too much further, let’s take a sneak peek at September. I know, it’s hard to believe the “-ber” months of autumn are on their way.
What’s Ahead in September
Do you remember our 4-Week Cooking Habit from this past spring? You know, the entire month that was menu planned with recipes and shopping lists? We will be doing this again in September.
What does this mean?
Every Friday in September, you, dear subscriber, will receive a menu plan! Each week’s newsletter will include a menu plan with recipes and a shopping list.
Free subscribers continue to receive one recipe weekly as well as the menu plan.
Paid subscribers have access to all the recipes, the menu plan, and a printable shopping list.
The line up of dishes that we are going to cook together next month is looking yummy-licious. I can’t wait to share it with you!
How to Make a Protein Bowl
This week we are talking about protein bowls. They are an easy way to throw together a balanced meal with proteins, grains, and veggies. Just pile the cooked ingredients into a bowl and eat! Because these are an assemble-your-own affair, peeps can add more of what they like or leave out what they don’t.
The components of a protein bowl include:
Protein - chicken, pork, fish, or beef cut into bite sized pieces. Plant proteins like tofu, tempeh, and seitan are also good options.
Grain - rice, quinoa, farro, quick cooking barley, freekeh, among others.
Veggies - produce like bok choy, broccoli, carrots, onions, squash, or zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces.
Garnishes - chopped fresh herbs, drizzly sauces, or other toppings.
Something so wonderful about protein bowls is that you can adapt the flavors to suit what you like. Popular protein bowls employ East Asian, Indian, Latino, and Mediterranean seasonings and ingredients.
Another great thing: it’s easy to customize the bowls to any dietary needs. So they can be adapted to be vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free.
This week’s recipe makes things simple by cooking everything in one pot. Normally, the components are cooked separately and assembled at the end but here everything cooks at the same time. It is kind of a “set it and forget it” recipe using just a rice cooker.
What if you don’t have a rice cooker? This can also be made on the stovetop using a large saucepan or Dutch oven. You will need to monitor the heat so that the rice does not scorch on the bottom.
This week’s recipe is for paid subscribers.