Let’s face it, we have all had a night when we’ve been late home, been busy helping kids with homework or simply need to get a meal on the table before heading out to a midweek meeting, and there is no inspiration! Well, I have a tried and tested, quick and healthy recipe, guaranteed to stop you from reaching for the two-minute noodles.
If you have been scrolling through Instagram or watching any foodie shows lately you are sure to have heard of a Poké bowl - pronounced Poh-kay (rhymes with okay).
These are one of mine and my husband's favourite weekday dinners. Full of veg, flavour and super simple to put together. You can make these as fancy or as simple as you like.
Poké means to slice or cut. And this is pretty much as simple as these bowls are. Slice and cut a few veggies, cook some rice, and then make a sauce in a jar and voila you have a quick, nutritious and yummy dinner the whole family can enjoy.
Start with a base of rice. You could even use quinoa or couscous for something different. I use medium or short grain rice for these bowls and I will often cook mine in coconut milk to get that extra creamy flavour.
The next step is to prep whatever veg you have in the fridge. Spiralise some carrot, julienne some cucumber, slice some avocado, steam some broccoli, zucchini, green beans, thinly slice some capsicum or radishes, the options are endless. One veg we always have on hand is edamame. We buy the hulled edamame from Woolies in the freezer section. You can find it near the peas and beans. Pop it in a container with some water and microwave for a couple of minutes and it's ready to go.
Once you have prepared your veg it’s time to whip up a dressing. You can go with whatever flavour you feel like on the day. If you're a peanut butter lover then satay may be the flavour for you or if you prefer something with a little more zing, you could do a zesty orange dressing. We like a creamy dressing (used in the bowls pictured) with some coconut milk, soy sauce (use tamari if you are gluten-free or vegan), apple cider vinegar and sugar. Put all of the ingredients in a jar, lid on, then shake.
Now it's time to put it all together. Divide your rice between your bowls, top with your veg, then pour your dressing over. If you're feeling fancy you can add some lime wedges, pickled ginger, black sesame seeds (just because they add some contrast compared to regular sesame seeds), really anything goes. The only limit is what you have in your pantry. Get creative. Have fun trying different toppings and garnishes. If you're stuck for garnish ideas just google poke bowls and you will find plenty of fresh inspo.
*Hot tip - Let your kids assemble their own. I find that the kids are less likely to complain about dinner if they have had a hand in making it.
RECIPE
Coconut Rice + Edamame Poké Bowls
Ingredients
2cups brown rice
2tsp Garlic Powder
3cups Coconut Milk
Sauce -
2tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1tbs Sugar
2tbs Soy Sauce/Tamari
8tbs Coconut Milk
Toppings
1 Carrot, spiralised or peeled
1 Cucumber, spiralised
1 bag of hulled Edamame, steamed
1 punnet Blueberries
1 Avocado, sliced
Method
Cook rice with garlic powder + coconut milk.
Place all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake well.
Divide rice between bowls. Top with veggies. Pour sauce over.
Garnish with black sesame seeds and lime wedges.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beth is a self-professed foodie and vegetable aficionado! Her curiosity towards food began as her family grew and she desired to expand her knowledge about what they were eating and why. Beth formed a lifestyle for her and her family around experimentation of different types of food and after purchasing a dehydrator, the experimentation only continued, resulting in her business GATHER + ZEST, which sells a range of dried fruit products.