I know I'm not alone when I say that I start most weeks with a little promise to myself to eat well for the week ahead. And while good intentions can sometimes happily fall by the wayside, other weeks I go all in and I feel like this is one of those weeks. So I'm starting the week with a recipe that's on the healthier side of healthy. And I think it's fair to say that this recipe falls slap bang into the category of yummy healthy dinners. If you are not familiar with "bowl recipes" stop everything you are doing, pull up a chair and read on. The simple act of taking a few ingredients and putting them in a bowl instead of on a plate can work wonders. Eating a meal out of a bowl with just a fork can feel fuss-free and casual. It's like you can legitimately curl up on the sofa with a bowl in one hand and a fork in another and enjoy something tasty and comforting. Who needs a table?!
I build my bowl recipes around a grain or pulse and then add other ingredients for different flavours and textures. Most combinations can be tweaked depending on what ingredients you like or have handy. Today's bowl recipe is my version of a pretty healthy bowl with broccoli, quinoa, eggs and avocado all brought together with a sweet but hot soy dressing.
I regularly make some combination of a bowl recipe, but as it's usually a concocotion of leftovers from my fridge I never feel like they are blog-worthy. But then I made this last week and took a little extra time with thinking about the flavour and texture combinations and I'm pretty sure that this will be my go-to grain bowl for when I want something fuss-free, healthy and tasty. Obviously, I had to share it here ASAP.
A "bowl dinner" is a great option for when you want to eat healthy but aren't in the mood for a salad. And when making a bowl recipe, my number one tip is to think of it a little like you would a salad. Make sure to include some protein, healthy fats, vegetables and bring them all together with a delicious dressing and then to finish off your bowl, add a few crunchy toppings. For this recipe, I added a generous amount of honey to the dressing and it's totally worth it. It's delicious and hot and I could happily have it with most things.
Quinoa is my grain of choice for today's recipe. I am not kidding when I say that I really like the stuff. It's also got a decent amount of plant based protein which is a big plus for us vegetarians. If you don't like quinoa, substiute it for couscous or brown rice. The vegetable of choice is broccoli, just because it's perfect when cut into small florets and lightly steamed, adding a little crunch. Plus, I haven't been eating a whole lot of it lately, so I'm trying to add it to more dinners. I also used spring onions and radishes to top off the bowl. Some extra protein comes from the eggs and the healthy fats come from the avocado. The dressing is key here, as it's both sweet and hot and the perfect way to bring all the other ingredients together. You don't have to stick to the recipe rigidly. The best thing about this kind of food is that you can mix and match whatever you have and go all out. What's not to love?
Keep scrolling to see how this Quinoa Bowl comes together and as usual, let me know what you think x
Broccoli and Quinoa Bowl with Avocado and Soft Boiled Egg
Serves 2
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 eggs
1 ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
½ head of broccoli, cut into small florets.
Dressing
Juice of two limes
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 thumb ginger, grated
1-2 red chillis, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
Sea salt and black pepper
To Serve
1 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 radishes, trimmed and finely sliced
Small handful of fresh coriander leaves
1 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Method
To cook the quinoa, bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium size saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed by the quinoa and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove the lid and allow to sit for a few minutes, before fluffing the quinoa with a fork.
To make the soft boiled eggs, fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Lower the eggs into the water and cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and place in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them cooking. Once cool, remove the shell and slice the eggs in half.
Place the broccoli florets in a steamer and lightly steam for 5-7 minutes so they are tender but still crunchy.
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well.
Divide the quinoa and broccoli into two bowls. Top with the egg halves and half an avocado each. Top with sliced scallion, radish, chopped coriander leaves and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing and serve the remaining dressing on the side.
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