Very rarely do I follow a recipe when I make a salad or a bowl. It’s usually a combination of whatever vegetables I have on hand, which often depend on whats in season and looks good at the grocery store, with some form of greens and/or rice, beans or another form of protein, and a delicious sauce. Also, despite making most of my meals at home, I rarely food prep. My “food prep” is buying bunch of vegetables and making large batches of them whenever I get around to cooking them. For example, if I decide I want to roast mushrooms for my dinner, I will roast more than I need and use the rest in lunches over the course of the week. Same goes for dressing, I’ll make a salad dressing or two over the weekend and use them over the course of the week.
Ever since reading The Woman Code by Alissa Viti, I’ve been trying to incorporate foods that support my body during each phase of my cycle. As women, there are five hormones that change in quantity over the four phases of our cycle creating four distinct phases that affect how we feel physically and emotionally. What I learned in reading this book, is that there there are foods, and lifestyle, choices that I can make to support what is happening in my body and optimize each phase of my cycle. It truly is a fascinating book, I highly recommend it for both men and women!
With fall bringing an abundance of delicious winter squash (I have an ongoing love affair with delicata squash) and the arrival of monthly visitor…I was inspired to create a bowl that was seasonal and full of nourishing ingredients like seaweed, wild rice, adzuki beans and mushrooms. In The Woman Code, there’s a great “Foods For Your Cycle” that is categorized by cycle phase and food type (vegetable, legumes, meat etc.) that I reference and often use as inspiration when I’m cooking for myself. Book aside, regardless of whether you’re a guy or a gal, this recipe is full of delicious whole food goodness, simple vegetable preparations and one of my favorite dressings that can be used in any salad or bowl.
P.S. I swear this is not an ad for The Woman Code, I genuinely think it’s a great book!
Fall Wild Rice Bowl with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1-2 leaves curly kale, de-stemmed and steamed
- 1 handful of salad greens
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup cooked wild rice*
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup adzuki beans**
- 1/3 cup dried arame, soaked and drained
- 1/4 cup roasted mushrooms
- 5 slices of roasted delicata squash
- 1/4 – 1/2 avocado (optional)
- sliced zucchini, steamed (optional)
- 1 red radish, thinly sliced (optional)
- fennel, thinly sliced (optional)
- small handful micro greens (optional)
- Garlic Tahini Dressing
*I typically cook make this in the pressure cooker according to the directions for wild rice. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook according to the directions on the package.
**I try to cook these in the pressure cooker as well, otherwise I use Eden Organics canned beans.
Directions
- Cover half of bowl or plate with steamed greens and garden mix. Fill the rest of the plate with arame, wild rice, and adzuki beans.
- Top with additional ingredients and dress generously with Garlic Tahini Dressing.
- Devour.
Roasted Delicata Squash
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash, cut in half length
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- salt + pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cover a baking sheet with a sheet of foil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on foil.
- Cut delicata squash in half length wise and spread coconut oil on each half (not skin side).
- Place squash face down (skin side up) on the pan where you sprinkled salt and pepper, and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is soft when you push it.
- When cool, scoop out the seeds and enjoy.
Roasted Mushrooms
Ingredients
- large handful crimini mushrooms, de-stemmed and quartered
- 1/2-1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss quartered mushrooms, avocado oil and salt and pepper until the mushrooms are well coated.
- Roast, on a foil lined baking sheet, for 10-15 minutes.
XO
-S
