March 14, 2018
(last updated January 27, 2020) 
Happy Wednesday! The visit with my dear college friend that I mentioned on Sunday has been lovely so far, but I’m taking a quick pause to share the macro bowls from Power Plates.
The bowls chapter of the cookbook came together before any of the others, with recipes that I’d been thinking about for a long time. Since macronutrient balance is a theme of the book, and since macro bowls are one of my all time favorite meals, I knew I’d be including a personal take on the grain, bean, green, sea vegetable, and squash combination.
This is it. A little non-traditional (I can’t seem to get hijiki salad just right at home, no matter how hard I try), but I did my best to pay homage to a meal that’s the essence of nourishment in my mind. Hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as I do; in the year since I finished testing recipes for the book, it’s the bowl I’ve made most often.
Macro Bowls from Power Plates (+ a Giveaway!)
Author -Yields: 4 bowls
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 1 cup 200 g short-grain brown rice
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion green part only, very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon mirin optional
For the glazed squash:
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon mirin optional
- 1 pound 450 g kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
For the miso tahini dressing:
- 1 ⁄4 cup 60 g tahini
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger
- 1 ⁄4 cup 60 ml warm water, plus more if needed
For the bowls:
- 1 bunch curly kale stemmed and torn into pieces
- 11 ⁄2 cups 345 g cooked adzuki beans, or 1 (15-oz, or 425-g) can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup 240 ml fermented vegetables, such as kimchi or sauerkraut
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions. Drizzle the cooked rice with the sesame oil, then gently fold in the sesame seeds, scallion, and mirin.
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the squash. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the oil, miso, tamari, and mirin. Put the squash in a large bowl, drizzle with the miso mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Spread the squash on the lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, until tender and browning at the edges.
- Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until smooth. If it’s thicker than you’d like, whisk in additional warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.
- Before assembling the bowls, pour an inch or two (2.5 or 5 cm) of water into a medium pot and insert a steamer. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the kale and steam for about 3 minutes, until bright green and tender.
- To serve, divide the rice, squash, kale, and adzuki beans among four bowls. Top each with one-quarter of the fermented vegetables and drizzle generously with the dressing. Serve right away.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Power Plates, copyright © 2018 by Gena Hamshaw. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
I’m so touched by the support I’ve gotten for the book on social media, and if you’re already cooking from it, thank you. If you’d like a chance to win a copy and try some of the food out, I’m giving away three today! Enter below (US & Canada only) to win. I’ll choose winners one week from today.
Good luck! And I’ll see you this weekend for the reading roundup.
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Vegan Bowls
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Ingredients: Rice, Tahini
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: Oven, Stovetop
Ingredients: Rice, Tahini
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Leave a Comment
Is it better to eat this macro bowl right away or would it still be fine to meal prep and set aside the remaining 3 servings to eat within the next 3 days? Just wondering if ingredients will hold up in the fridge as it’s just me eating the bowl and it looks like more work to prepare one bowl at a time. Thanks in advance!
Great question! I would store the ingredients separately, then combine them when ready to eat.
Hello Gena, I love this power bowl recipe! The combination is so good. By the way, I prefer using Tamari rather than the soy sauce because it seems to add a full, savory, umami flavor to the dish. 🙂 Looking forward to more amazing recipes!
Not long ago i was thrilled to discover frozen seaweed salad! It’s exactly like the mix you get at any japanese restaurant, i just tossed it with a little sesame oil and soy sauce. I found it in the freezer ar H Mart (which also has some awesome tofu, the white kimchi is vegan, and there’s all sorts of tasty premade veggie banchan that are vegan)
Nice dish, it’s great that you showed them. It was very tasty! I have not eaten anything better lately. Thanks 🙂
This bowl looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
I’m very new to this and don’t really have any “bowl” recipes yet. I do make a wonderful sweet potato hash that uses so many ingredients and I eat it in a bowl. I’m looking forward to discovering more bowl recipes.
The Southwestern Sweet Potato Hash Brown & Black Bean Breakfast Bowl.
I’ve tried the Great Big Pot of Braised Beans & Kale and it’s my fav!
All bowl meals are great. Especially with leftovers.
That macro bowl looks absolutely delicious! I would love to cozy up with a bowl of nourishing goodness.
I love a classic kale, chickpea, grain & curry bowl. Browsed through the cookbook at a bookstore & would love to win. Putting in a purchase request for it at my local library also.
I’ve moved this book to the top of my “must buy” list! If I don’t win it here, I’ll be ordering it ASAP. The recipes I’ve already tried are delicious!
I don’t typically follow recipes when making bowls. It’s more a matter of what I have on hand. A good dressing, though, is a must. The one in this recipe sounds heavenly!
This dish looks really delicious!
I just wanna grab the POWER PLATES then try everything in it <3
I love bowl meals! Currently loving anything that involves quinoa and/or rice and toasted pine nuts.
Looks amazing! The miso tahini dressing sounds delicious!
Pretty much any bibimbap recipe is my favorite.
I love any ‘mexican’ style bowl!
I usually just use whatever I have on hand and what is fresh at my farmer’s market that week in my bowls. I love the variety!
One of my favorite bowl recipes is similar to this- a miso-tahini dressing with chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and spring mix. So simple yet satisfying!
So many options with bowls! I think my favorite is rice/quinoa with red lentil dahl, spiced and roasted sweet potatoes, wilted kale and pickled onions and cabbage.
Would love a copy of your book 🙂
Oh! And my favorite bowl food is my morning bowl of oatmeal. Topper with whatever I am feeling that day, but the same base each time.
nice fresh greens w/ roasted veggies on top.
I love salad bowls, with roasted root veggies, quinoa or brown rice, whatever fresh veggies I can find, and a tahini dressing to tie it all together.
Curling up with a bowl cupped in your hands is such a warm and yummy feeling, it almost doesn’t matter what’s in it! . Honestly I’m a big oatmeal lover, so a hot bowl of chai flavored oatmeal gets me every time. Congratulations on such an amazing book!
I love smoked salmon over a bed of rice with roasted vegetables!
Sweet Potatoes, Beet, Chickpeas, and Brussels Sprouts is my dream bowl
This is like all of my favorite foods in one bowl! Can’t wait to make it.
This looks delicious. I just found out about this book and website and am hoping to find some new ideas to share with our Meatless Monday group.
I am 14 weeks pregnant and have been hoping to crave something that is actually good for me. When this post came in last night I was already making plans to run to Whole Foods for the few things I didn’t already have on hand to make it today. I LOVE the combination of everything but the dressing was a bit off for me. I’m not sure if it was the mirin or maple syrup but I really enjoyed it all without the dressing. The sauerkraut and squash were flavorful enough on their own to not need any dressing. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I love a sushi bowl. Brown rice (or white, or whatever color), a carrot ginger-y dressing, avocado slices, tofu, seaweed. Mmmm… so good!
I would say like a cuban bowl
I love bowls with a combo of beans, rice or quinoa and lots of toppings like salsa, peppers, avocado , onions, etc.
Love making burrito bowls or soba noodle bowls… basically anything with tofu
Gena, what a beautiful ad quintessentially healthy bowl! I love all the ingredientso! It takes me back to many similar lunches and dinners. My love of seaweed in meals started with a carrot hijiki onion stir fry in Healing Wise. I’d put it over brown rice and sometimes add tofu. I also love making what I call “nori bowls” in which I tear up part of a nori sheet with nearly identical ingredients to what you are using here. I’m so glad your readers are getting introduced to these basics through your book and this post! And glad to hear you are enjoying your visit with such a good friend. xoxo
I love bowl based meals, and would love the ideas in the cookbook! Thank you for the recipes.
I love bowls with grains, a protein, greens, and roasted vegetables- I love the addition of kimchi or sauerkraut here!
I love bowl meals! My favorite is a combination of black beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, avovado, and kale.
Funnily enough, I had been planning on making this recipe today already! I’m loving the cookbook so far and am glad so many others are also!
Thanks! Love your recipes and thoughtful and kind attitude.
Everything tastes better in bowl form. Love this combo of ingredients!
I’m afraid my answer will seem kind of boring but I really like the simple brown rice and black beans combo with some form of tomato (fresh, canned, salsa) and whatever veggies I’ve got and served over some greens. Sometimes I like to throw in some tempeh or get fancy with some sort of sauce instead of just using spices but I love it because it always comes together so quickly and is a nice back up for whenever my husband and I are feeling lazy 🙂
I love the sound of this recipe though! I love your cooking style and I can’t wait to give it a try.
I recently got the book from the library and have so many recipes I want to try. I’d love to own a copy!
I love bowl style meals. One of my favorites includes quinoa, roasted veggies and peanut sauce
I’m a vegan newbie – been eating vegan for two months now and love the challenge of making colorful, flavorful, and healthy meals. One of my favorite bowls is your Southwestern Sweet Potato and Black Bean breakfast bowl. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! They all look so yummy!
It is so hard for me to pick one favourite bowl recipe! Isa Does It introduced me to bowls, and the Roasty Soba Bowl is still one of our favourites and one of the few recipes I repeat pretty frequently. It is so simple and tasty. But the pizza bowl and hummus bowl from that book are wonderful.
Also, basically everything from the book Whole Bowls. The harvest bowl, the spice route bowl, the banquet bowl – that book is so worth checking out and pretty easy to make vegan (it is gluten free and vegetarian)
I want this book so badly, I hope I win it so I can cook through and review sooner than later!
Anything with roasted sweet potatoes and/or with a thick spicy tomato-y sauce.
My favorite bowl meal includes a peanut red curry sauce, tofu and whatever veggies I have on hand. Tasty and quick!
Right now I’m really into salads (big, hearty salads can be a meal right?)…but I think I really need to make this tonight – yum! Thank you!
Not the traditional bowl, but I like almost anything with rice, sauce and veggies.
I like rice with beans, grilled tofu and chicken.
Favorite bowl meal recipe: cumin, cilantro, and lime brown rice with spiced black beans and any sort of veggies (sweet potato is always a favorite).
Hi. Favorite macro bowl is roasted cherry tomatoes & onions over short grain brown rice topped with chopped roasted almonds & kalamata olives
That dish looks so delicious and beautiful as always. My favorite bowl dish is noodle bowl with spicy sauce. 🙂
My favorite bowl recipe is a very simple combination of lentils, quinoa, avocado, and a green veggie all drizzled in tahini.
cauli rice!
My favorite bowls are anything Asian or Hispanic with all of their many flavors, but I also adore squash so this macro bowl looks awesome!
This is my favorite kind of bowl! The miso tahini dressing really makes it
I love a good Mexican style spaghetti squash bowl!
I’ve been following your blog posts for quite some time…well done you!
What gorgeous bowls…happy feasting!
Recently, my favorite bowl meal is a burrito bowl. I’ve made so many variations, but they all include brown rice or quinoa, black or pinto beans, fresh tomatoes, corn, red bell pepper, avocado, shredded romaine lettuce, cilantro, and often sliced sauteed zucchini and/or chili-roasted sweet potato slices…, generally with a lime/cilantro dressing, or sometimes a red enchilada sauce-type dressing. Mmm…
loving the bowels, have been following for some time. looking forward to the book.
When I get my weekly delivery of CSA veggies, I make a huge salad full of every vegetable. Having it delivered to my door has revolutionized by vegetable intake!
My favorite bowls have quinoa, roasted veggies and tahini dressing!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I’m only 2 months into the glorious world of veganism, and I have a LOT to learn. Especially when it comes to macro bowls! Thank you, Gena! Xo!
I always love your bowl combinations. Especially this one + tempeh added 🙂
As of now I don’t have a favorite bowl meal recipe but because of the fermented vegetables and glazed squash ingredients I’m hoping this one will become a fave. I love sauerkraut or kimchi. And also you write that for you this bowl is the essence of nourishment. You had me there. 🙂
I’ve been following you on Food 52 for a while and am looking forward to the new book! Thanks for giveaway.
It sounds weird….but I love putting waffles in bowls! I break them up into quarters and go wild with the sides/toppings–yogurt, seeds, fruits, jams, nuts, nut butters. It’s so much fun!
I love power bowls! I’m always making some different combination of grains, pickles, beans or tofu, veggies, and sauces. I love Mediterranean-styles bowls especially 🙂