Ever since I met Marissa, I started making what I call “power bowls”. I don’t know if I heard that phrase somewhere or if I just made it up, but it’s a fitting term for what they are: a big ol’ mix of nutritious foods thrown into a bowl.
Let me back up. When I was commuting into NYC I’d find myself getting home at 8:30-9PM and wanting a quick and healthy option for dinner. So, I’d throw whatever I had in the kitchen into a bowl and sauté it, steam it, boil it, mix it, whatever needed to be done to make it edible. Since I know many, many people are in similar “I have no time” situations, I figured I’d start sharing some of my go-to power bowls.
Here’s Brendan making his own version of a power bowl. In our old, huge kitchen that I miss dearly. Wah.
I know, I know, I’m not supposed to be a food blogger. This is Kara Runs, after all. I just know how important healthy, clean eating is to a balanced lifestyle and I want to show that no matter how busy you are, it can be done. And it can be cheap. And it’s not as big of a hassle as one might think. For the longest time I didn’t focus on clean eating at all (although I thought I did) and I noticed so many positive changes when Marissa taught me that I basically knew nothing. I mean, my friends still make fun of me for starting fires trying to boil water. TWICE. Seriously, I’ve always been the worst cook ever. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t really need a recipe; it’s all about trial and error.
ANYWAY.
First up:
Mexican-Inspired Power Bowl
1. Grab a pan.
2. Throw in some coconut oil.
3. Sauté the below. However much of each is up to you – you can cook for one or cook for two. (RHYME!)
- Fresh kale (I throw the full leaves in. I know some people like, chop it and massage it or whatever…I don’t and I don’t notice a difference. You could also use spinach or any other green.)
- Chopped tomatoes (I usually chop a variety of veggies on Sundays and store them in separate containers in the fridge so they’re easy to grab for meals throughout the week.)
- Chopped onions
- Chopped garlic
- Cilantro
- Black beans
- Chopped peppers
- Olives
- Jalapeños
- Avocado
When the kale looks wilted and everything is sufficiently heated, transfer it all into a bowl. (It’s really not science. Do what feels right.) Toss with some cumin, chili powder, red pepper (if you want a little spice), salt and pepper and then a sprinkle of colby jack cheese. Once I had some leftover elbow noodles and added those into the sauté as well. Delish if you’re looking for a little bit of a bigger meal.
Voila! A max 10-minute meal with greens and veggies and lots of deliciousness.
What’s your easy “I got home super late from work” go-to meal?
Oh I love making meals like that, especially with avocado. All that stuff is so delicious together.
You had me at Jalapenos. Yum!