How To Create The Perfect Plantpower Bowl

Molly Shea
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A tasty combination: curly kale sautéed and drizzled with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, quinoa mixed with brown rice, yams, and black beans all smothered in tahini green sauce and sprinkled with Celtic sea salt or crumbled nori flakes. (Photo: Maclay Heriot and Ginny Guzman)

In The Plantpower Way, out Tuesday, vegan ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll and chef Julie Piatt share their tips and recipes for healthy, plant-powered living and eating. From super-powered recovery smoothies to smothered enchiladas, the recipes from this husband-and-wife team pack nutrients and flavor. Chief among those is the One Bowl, made by combining grains, greens, legumes, and more to build a quick, healthy, and balanced meal.

Below, Julie shares how to build a One Bowl, plus the recipe for tahini green sauce.

One Bowl

Creating a one-bowl meal is a really great way to get nourished and healthy. We go through stretches in our house when these are coming out of the kitchen on a daily basis for weeks on end. Primarily macrobiotic, they are a staple in our household and they keep our teenage boys fueled and happy. These dishes are made up of five general categories of ingredients: a legume, a grain, a green, a whole food, and a sauce. The possibilities are endless! Most of the elements can be made ahead of time so assembly takes just minutes. Use sprouted beans to lift the nutritional value. One bowls are perfect for lunch or dinner.

Step One: Layer on the Legumes
• Black beans
• Adzuki beans
• Mung beans

All of these bean varieties will easily sprout over a three-day period. I like to make a fresh pot of cooked sprouted beans and store them in the fridge for up to three days. Adding a large piece of kombu or raw seaweed to your pot will add great flavor and nutrients to your beans. Also, adding in the Mexican herb asafoetida, turmeric, ginger or black pepper helps manage gas with beans. Never add salt during the cooking process — instead, sprinkle a large-grain Celtic variety over the top of your meal just before you eat it.

Step Two: Good Grains
• All colors of quinoa
• Millet
• Short grain-brown rice
• Exotic black or red rice
• Kelp noodles (grain substitution)

My first choice is quinoa: a high protein seed. It’s easier to digest than grains and packed with nutrition. Millet is low on the glycemic index and a fantastic multipurpose, gluten-free grain. However, short-grain brown rice is also nourishing. Feel free to mix quinoa and rice together for a textured blend. Black and red rice varieties add a more exotic feel to the dish. If you have problems digesting grains, use kelp noodles, quinoa, or millet.

Step Three: Get Your Greens
• Dinosaur kale
• Curly kale
• Swiss chard
• Spinach

Get your greens on! If you are steaming (perfect for weight loss) or sautéing with a very small amount of coconut oil, double the quantity of greens you think you need as they will reduce down considerably. Alternatively, skip cooking your greens altogether and instead lovingly massage some miso dressing into your raw kale.

Step Four: Add in More Whole Foods
• Yams
• Bananas
• Avocados

These should be virtually untouched. I simply bake the yam whole and cut it in half. Lightly sauté bananas sliced long in a very small amount of coconut oil. Avocado? Just slice a few wedges and add.

Step Five: Probiotic Kraut
You can make your own kraut by following our recipe in The Plantpower Way, or you can try out the newest versions at your local farmers market. Some varieties we enjoy are beet, ginger, spicy carrot, and traditional caraway seed.

Step Six: Pick Your Sauces & Toppings
• Nut cheeses
• Tahini Green Sauce (recipe below)
• Gluten-free tamari
• Fresh lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Celtic large grain sea salt
• Cinnamon
• Sesame seeds
• Pepitas
• Freshly grated ginger
• Freshly grated turmeric

Tahini Green Sauce

A lighter version of hummus, this lemony sauce is pure bliss on your plate. The nutritional yeast provides a nice boost of B vitamins and a substantial amount of folic acid along with its cheesy taste.

Ingredients
• 4 tablespoons raw organic tahini paste
• 1/8 cup nutritional yeast
• Juice 1 small lemon
• Celtic sea salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill (optional)

Preparation
1. In a high-powered blender or food processor, add in the ingredients and blend.
2. If you keep the blender going for a couple minutes it will automatically heat your sauce, or you can transfer into a saucepan to warm.

Reprinted from The Plantpower Way by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company. Copyright 2015, Rich Roll and Julie Piatt

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