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wheat couscous, but it tends to not be as versatile; I usually have to limit it to Middle Eastern or Mediterranean flavors. And if I’m feeling irreverent I’ll get crazy with kasha, millet, or barley.

A good tip when rocking the bowl on a weeknight is to put on your grain to cook the instant you walk through the door. Don’t even take your jacket off! Don’t even pet your cat! If your significant other tries to kiss you hello, push him or her aside and get thee to the kitchen. Once the grain is going, you have some breathing room to settle in and relax, then prep all the other additions to your bowl.

The bean: Well, I’m a chickpea girl through and through, so my little garbanzo angels get the most play. But I do vary my bean. Popular favorites are: black-eyed peas, pinto beans, black beans, azuki beans, du Puy lentils, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. The canned-or-homemade question? That’s really up to you. When I am not creating a bean dish per se; rather, just eating them in all their minimalist glory, I prefer to simmer my own beans. There’s nothing more nurturing than a pot of beans simmering on the stove top. But that isn’t always possible or practical, so oftentimes, when I come through the door famished, I rinse off some beans and throw them in the mix. If the rest of the food is warm, the beans don’t necessarily need to be. But if you do want to warm them up, toss them into the steamer for a minute or two after you steam your veggies.

The veggie: Refer to the steamer info in the veggie chapter (page 85). Steaming just makes the most sense for a bowl. Really, the flavor is coming from the sauce, so keep everything as simple as possible.

The sauce: This is the fun part! I try to have sauces or dressings prepped in advance. Because the recipes in this book are so healthy and low in fat and calories, with many of them you can use a double serving if you like things super saucy. Some of my favorite all-around sauces are Green Goddess Garlic Dressing, Sanctuary Dressing, Silky Chickpea Gravy, Carrot-Ginger Dressing, and Caesar Chavez Dressing.

Then there’s the actual bowl. Can you eat your bowl on a plate? No! Well, maybe. But part of the fun of bowls is the actual bowl. It’s a casual meal, so pick oversize bowls that you can fit on your lap or take outside to eat on the porch or fire escape. They should have plenty of space for filling with veggies and tossing around your ingredients as you see fit. I love ceramic bowls, either vintage ones or yuppy ones from Crate and Barrel.

Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.

—Lao Tzu

BOWLS To Go

Because all of the ingredients taste great at room temperature, bowls make an excellent lunch to go. You can either pack all the elements bento box style, in individual compartments, or just place everything but the sauce in Tupperware. The sauce, of course, will go in a little container. If you store your lunch in the fridge, take it out about an hour before you’re ready to eat, just to get the chill off it. Mix together, pour the sauce on, and bon appétit!

Mexicana Kale Bowl

Brown rice, black beans, steamed kale, steamed sweet potato, Red Velvet Mole (page 134), chopped fresh cilantro

Supergreen Bowl

Quinoa, steamed kale and broccoli, edamame,

Green Goddess Garlic Dressing (page 26), chopped fresh parsley and chives

Peanut-Lime Tempeh Bowl

Quinoa, steamed broccoli, sauteed tempeh, Peanut-Lime Dragon Dressing (page 34)

Nori Bowl

Brown rice, steamed broccoli, azuki beans, Carrot-Ginger Dressing (page 52), shredded nori.

Mediterranean Bowl

Bulgur, roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, Caesar Chavez Dressing (page 43)

Romesco Bowl

Quinoa, white beans, grilled zucchini, Romesco Dressing (page 47)

Vegan Bowl

All the bowls are vegan of course, but this one is especially so: brown rice, baked tofu, steamed kale, Caesar Chavez Dressing (page 43)

Soba Bowl

Soba noodles, steamed broccoli and zucchini, black beans, Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette (page 21)

Gravy