Made with raw fish, usually tuna or marinated salmon, the most common (poke) bowl is made up of mango, rice and avocado. To the delight of those who love it, today, there are brands dedicated to creating your own custom bowl. To prepare it yourself, differently, and vary its flavors with each meal, here are the basic rules and some ideas for ingredients to include in a bowl.
Bowl, poke bowl and buddha bowl, what’s the difference?
Between bowl, buddha bowl and poke bowl, to distinguish them, everything depends on the composition. If it is based on raw fish, it is a poke bowl, the original recipe, straight from Hawaii, which launched the bowl trend today. However, as soon as the bowl is composed of 100% vegetarian foods, it will be a buddha bowl. Otherwise, it will be a bowl.
The bowl or the rule of three
The bowl is the complete, healthy and balanced meal of the summer. It changes from salads based on green salad, since it has a particularity: it is more substantial, is prepared with a cereal base and is served in a bowl. It is ready very quickly since it only requires assembling raw or already prepared ingredients, and is served warm or cold. What makes a bowl a successful bowl? It respects the rule of a perfectly balanced plate: a starch, a protein and vegetables at will. Here is the guide to prepare your own bowl.
The base
The bowl is often prepared using rice. To change from the classics, consider replacing it with black rice or quinoa for a crunchy bowl, or lentils for maximum fiber (and protein).
The protein
Tuna (crumbled or whole), salmon (marinated or in a block), shrimp, egg hard, chicken, vegetable strips, tofu, Falafel or legume (such as Chickpea), protein intake is essential to make a bowl properly. By adding a greater or lesser quantity of these foods, you make a meal that is more or less protein-rich (depending on your needs), and therefore ideal for athletes who would like to change from traditional meals.
The vegetables
The favorite step: add everything you want. Of course, in a measured way, since, ideally, a bowl should contain up to 4 vegetables. Otherwise, on the palate, we risk getting lost. Add some cucumberof the radish in thin slices, green beans costs, eggplants Or zucchini grilled, but, edamame, Cherry tomatoesheart ofartichokes, mushrooms, Marinated Peppers, beet Or spinach… whatever you like! As the bowl is the recipe that gives free rein to the imagination, adapt it to the seasonality. In autumn or winter, for example, replace the grilled eggplant with roasted butternut squash. For an exotic touch and to transcend the whole, add a sweet ingredient, such as a fruit such as mango or thepineappleor even melon or of the watermelon (in winter, replace them with Kiwi !).
The “extra” ingredients that transform everything
While the salad is seasoned to finalize it, the bowl, for its part, is further embellished. So we don’t just think about the seasoning, but also the crunch, the sweetness and the marriage of flavors.
The choice of sauce
To combine the flavors of these ingredients, serve the bowl with a Vinaigrette for a classic flavor; a peanut sauce for consistency; or soya sauce (salty or sweet, your choice), otherwise tamari sauce if you are gluten intolerant (yes, soy sauce contains gluten!).
Fresh cheese: a touch of sweetness
Of course, what would a bowl be without cream cheese ? The touch of cheese makes the bowl infinitely more delicious, brings freshness and can be replaced by vegetable cheese according to preference.
Herbs: to enhance
Herbs, such as chive, mint Or coriander will enhance the whole thing. For a divine result, consider sprinkling them on the cream cheese.
Seeds and oilseeds: the crunch
Thanks to their crunchiness, seeds and oilseeds are a game changer. A nice handful of grenade, pumpkin seed or of sesameor even peanuts Or cashew nuts will bring an incomparable crunch (and taste). Choose pomegranate for its sweet note, squash for its note close to chestnut, or cashew nuts for sweetness.
Hummus: the key ingredient to tie it all together
The least commonly thought of element: adding a tablespoon or two ofHumus, eggplant caviar Or vegetable puree ! The interest with the texture of these products is that they “bind” the ingredients together, and vary the sensations in the mouth.
Lemon: the hint of acidity
Once the bowl is ready, slide a quarter of lime or yellow in the bowl. The opportunity to pour a little zest when the desire comes to you and give some pep to this bowl of vitality!
In a bowl, everything is placed side by side, with one purpose: to mix everything together.
