Greens and grain bowls are my go-to weeknight dinners. They are so simple, hearty, and maybe most importantly can be repurposed for lunch and stretched into a number of tasty meals. The roasted cauliflower in this recipe pairs perfectly with the nutty, garlicky grains (an idea I borrowed from 101 cookbooks). Heidi’s method adds so much flavor to the grains that I may never eat them any other way! You can really use any type of grain here. I love using mixed grains and I often pick up Whole Food’s Super Grains for this recipe (it’s a mix of white quinoa, red quinoa, millet, and buckwheat).

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt

Coconut Almond Quinoa

  • 1 cup mixed grains (white, red quinoa, buckwheat + millet)
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Arugula Salad with Lemon Shallot Dressing

  • Arugula, a few large handfuls
  • ½ shallot, minced
  • White balsamic vinegar
  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon
  • Salt + pepper
  • Avocado slices, for topping
Method

Roast the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, shallots, red pepper flakes, and a bit of sea salt. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes on the middle rack, turning halfway. Once it’s tender and golden brown, remove from the oven.

Cook the grains: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil then add 1 cup of mixed grains. Cover and simmer for 18 – 20 minutes. While the grains are cooking, heat gently toast the almond slices in a skillet. After about a minute or so, add the coconut flakes to the skillet. Smash the garlic with the salt into a chunky paste, and add that to the skillet as well. Cook until the almonds and coconut are deeply golden, accented with flavor from the garlic. Stir about half into the grains once cooked.

Dress the greens: Mince the shallot and put it in a small bowl. Cover the shallot with some white balsamic vinaigrette (lemon works here, too), a pinch of salt, and let sit for 5 – 1o minutes. This will help draw the sweetness out of the shallot. Add lemon and a hearty drizzle of olive oil to the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss about half with the arugula, and save the other half to drizzle over the bowls.

Assemble the bowls: Place a large handful or two of arugula into each bowl, and top with the coconut grains, roasted cauliflower, some slices of avocado, more of the toasted almond + coconut flakes, and a drizzle of the tangy lemon dressing. Enjoy!