When it comes to building your own bowls- Cava or Sweet Green style- it’s all about making the most out of simple ingredients. You need a combination of textures: crunchy, chewy, smooth. And more importantly a mix of flavors: sweet, salty, refreshing, umami, bitter and sour (take a look at the flavor wheel below for some inspiration and if you like to nerd out about this stuff like me!). Lastly, it’s about mixing it up. Swapping out an ingredient or two and you get a whole new vibe.
Generally, my bowls include the following things:
- Greens: arugula, kale, mixed greens, romaine, spinach, collards, or beet greens
- Grains: rice, quinoa, farro, orzo
- Vegetables: the list is really too long here, but I usually like to include a combo of cooked and uncooked
- Protein: chicken, hard boiled eggs, or whatever is leftover from dinner the night before
- Optional, but oh so good:
- Cheese
- Nuts/Seeds
- Sauce/Vinaigrette
Below you’ll see a guide for cooking a variety of grains, vegetables, and nuts/seeds as well as my go-to roasted chicken recipe to help get you started. I also have a list of my favorite dressings below.
All the (Whole) Grains: Cooking Guide
A few rules of thumb:
- Generally, if I cook something with a rice method (adding water and rice, bringing to a boil, and then simmer until water is absorbed), I add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. It brings out just a touch of flavor and keeps the grain from being too dry.
- I usually do 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt) per cup of grain. It is SO crucial to season before you cook the grains, not after. It will not be the same!!
- When in doubt, follow the directions on the product- normally I’ve had good success with this if I’m not sure about the grain. The only time I’ve had issues is with banza pasta (which seems to overestimate the time needed to cook the pasta).
| Grain | Grain: Water Ratio | Cooking Time | Notes | |
| White Rice | 1 cup: 1.5 cups | 15 minutes + 10 minutes sitting with no heat | This is directly from the instructions on Lundberg Rice. I use it for all of my rice and find it to quite foolproof. | |
| Brown Rice | 1 cup: 2 cups | 30-45 minutes | Brown rice will always take longer, so just make sure you plan ahead if needed. | |
| Quinoa | 1 cup: 1.5 cups | 15 minutes | Cook just like rice. | |
| Whole Grain Farro | 1 cup: 2 cup | 30-35 minutes | This method is between rice and pasta. Keep the water at slightly above a simmer, but below a strong boil. | |
| Orzo | (cook like pasta) | 7-10 minutes (depends on brand/type) | Cook like pasta |
Roasting Guide: Veggies
A few rules of thumb:
- I usually use 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 pound of veggies. You can certainly add a bit more if you’d like (up to 2 tablespoons, past that and I think it’s too oily), but I’d refrain from adding less. The oil here isn’t just about the flavor, but it helps the vegetable brown. Without enough oil, the vegetables will be dry, not very crispy, and it’s very hard to get that browning/caramelization/char that is SO good.
- Similarly, I use 1 teaspoon diamond kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon sea salt) for 1 pound of veggies. I occasionally add black pepper and some think it’s equally necessary, but I’d argue that adding salt is so, so, SO critical. It’s the key to bringing out flavor.
- All of the times below are estimates. The biggest factor in determining time is the size of your cut/vegetable. Take carrots for example- if you keep them whole rather than slice them, you need to add more cooking time. In general, almost everything takes at least 20 minutes so when I’m not sure, I’ll just start for 20 minutes and then check and go from there. If you’re still not sure, check every 10 minutes until brown.
| Vegetable | Cooking Time | Ways to Cut |
| Carrots | 20-30 minutes | – keep whole (add 10 minutes to cooking time) – slice lengthwise into quarters – cut on bias |
| Broccoli | 15-20 minutes | cut into florets |
| Cauliflower | 35-40 minutes | – cut into “steaks” – cut into florets |
| Green Beans | 20-25 minutes | – trimmed (keep whole) – cut in half |
| Zucchini or Summer Squash | 15-20 minutes | – cut into planks lengthwise – cut on bias |
| Asparagus | 15-20 | – trim and cut off woody ends |
| Romanesco | 40 minutes | – cut into florets |
| Eggplant | 35-40 minutes | – sliced into 1/4” circles or cut in half lengthwise if using Asian Eggplant Salt beforehand to remove excess water (see notes above). |
| Winter Squash (Kabocha, Delicata) | 35-40 minutes | Keep peel on; slice in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Then cut into halfmoon slices. |
| Sweet Potato | 40-50 minutes | – Keep peel on (it’s nutritious!) – Cut into “fries” – Diced |
Proteins
There’s a variety of things you can do for protein, but here’s an easy and delish option! I highly highly recommend getting bone-in chicken for maximum flavor. I used to get just boneless and then started trying bone-in. Recently I went back to boneless for a recipe and it was just SO much drier and less flavorful I couldn’t believe it. Go for the bone. It’s generally the same price-point FYI.
Paprika Roasted Chicken
- 3-4 pounds bone in chicken (breasts, legs)
- diamond kosher salt (if using any other salt, use half the amount)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch cumin
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Generously season with kosher salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes (while you make the spice mixture).
- Combine garlic, paprika, chili powder, light brown sugar, cinnamon and cumin in a small bowl. Add in olive oil.
- Rub olive oil/spice mixture. all over chicken, including underneath skin (gently do this so you don't break the skin), followed by the spice mixture.
- Place in oven and bake until chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees at the thickest point and is fully cooked, about 30-35 minutes. Let chicken rest and cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting.
