Green Grain Bowls

One of my favorite segments on late night TV is when Jimmy Fallon writes his Thank You notes. He has a way of saying everything I believe but never knew I was thinking.

In my never-ending quest to be "hip" and "cool," I came upon the idea of grain bowls. Grain Bowls can be whatever you want them to be. The best way to sum up this mysteriously tasty but good for you concoction, is through a Jimmy Fallon-style thank you:

Thank you, Grain Bowls, for being a salad without the lettuce. 

After all, that's what they are. Every element of a really good // tasty // filling salad is right here, in one bowl, and it is not weighed down by just a bunch of soggy leafy greens. Oh no, quite the opposite.

In my grain bowl research (very official blogging business, don't worry about it), I learned there are some essential elements to a perfectly composed grain bowl. I also learned that the grain bowl is yours and yours alone, so you should make it and change it in a way that will make your taste buds sing. 

First, you need a grain. Or a grain mix. I, personally, detest quinoa (see above: reasons I am actually not "hip" despite my quest), so my ideal grain bowl tends to begin with brown and wild rice, barley, or farro. A protein is also recommended, as this will keep you full for hours. Rotisserie chicken, albacore tuna, or chickpeas tend to have priority at my grain bowl party. Robust veggies fill out our bowl, and leave just a little room for a handful of fresh leafy greens (though, remember, no salads here). We are almost there. A sauce or dressing cannot be forgotten, as it will bring everything together in a flavorful marriage good for your body and your soul. Toppings, too, because we need texture, interest, and salt. I'm thinking nuts, cheese (<3), seeds, avocado and a snipped herb or two.

So there you have it. That's how it's done. And that's how I created these Green Grain Bowls last week. I LOVE this recipe and re-made it a few days later in bulk for a week of delicious work lunches. What isn't to love about a brown and wild rice blend + roasted broccoli and brussel sprouts + rotisserie chicken + fresh spinach + a pistachio parsley pesto + diced avocado and pistachios and feta cheese? *insert prayer hands emoji here*

Now we can finally get excited about what's hanging out in our lunchbox! 

Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice Soup

A few days ago, I was sitting eating my lunch and thinking about dinner. This isn't a weird thing, as I am often thinking about my next meal while I'm already eating. It's a normal and healthy relationship I have with food, and I hope you do it too.

During this lunchtime dinner brainstorming session, I realized I had a couple of cravings. One craving was for curry - a rich, spicy stir-fry with red curry paste and coconut milk cascading over a bed of rice. I think I get this craving from time to time because we live near a really great Indian restaurant and I often get whiffs of delicious food walking through the neighborhood with my pup. Anyway...craving number two was a craving for a warm, steamy bowl of soup! Chicken soup, in particular, because the Boston winter seems to finally be creeping around the corner and snow flurries are becoming fairly regular around here and surely the only way to stay warm was with a big pot of chicken and rice soup.

All of this back and forth of what to eat for dinner that night actually, and probably not surprisingly, led to a pretty happy meal that was the best of both worlds. This recipe for Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice Soup is just what we need to keep us satisfied. The flavors are complex and exciting, which makes this a chicken soup worth remembering!

To amp up the curry flavor, this soup has two sources of that wonderful spicy, smokey, earthy taste - curry powder and red curry paste. Both are very easy to find in grocery stores with larger Asian offerings. The spice is intensified because, before adding chicken broth and coconut milk to our stock pot, we saute the curries and a small can of tomato sauce with our chicken and vegetables. You will immediately get a whiff of the wonderful flavors that will take over every bite of this soup!

Grab your favorite cuddle buddy, a big blanket, and a hearty helping of this soup - winter's got nothing on us!

Clementine Chicken and Broccoli

I have a weakness, and it's Chinese take-out.

Those delightfully salty dishes that are tucked so kindly in little cardboard cartons, anything and everything fried up to golden brown perfection.

Put down the phone. You do NOT need Chinese take-out tonight!

Last night's meal was a little bit of an accident, but a fun and tasty one at that! We are trying really hard to clear out most of our perishables in the kitchen in preparation for our holiday travels.

One thing I had an abundance of was clementines. I absolutely LOVE clementines, they are smaller and sweeter than oranges, and worlds easier to peel. I can eat 3 or 4 in one sitting. I just can't stop!

Now, even though I can house a whole lot of celementines at once, I find that no matter how hard I try, some of them always get mushy and go to waste. This is probably because you can only buy a big wooden carton of them at the store. Well, waste not friends!

I took a bunch of celementines and mixed them up with chicken, broccoli and spinach to create a fun twist on one of my favorite chinese food dishes--orange chicken!

It was lighter, not nearly as greasy, and not smothered in some kind of mystery sauce. But it was flavorful and fun and extremely simple to make!

I followed some of my own rules on how to build a better stir fry and built flavors on top of one another. It starts by steaming broccoli in water and celementine juice.

Then I use a very special clementine olive oil (O brand) to sautee the broccoli until golden brown. Toss in the chicken and wedges from 2 or more clementines.

Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, more clementine juice, and spinach thicken up the dish just a little bit; a plate of brown rice begs to be topped with the stir fry! Quick, and flavorful, and hearty, and delicious.