Rooted in Balance

Spicy Veggie & Rice Bowl

Last night's leftovers easily transformed into today's lunch. I removed the taco shells and made rice and black beans the base of the bowl. Some bell pepper, onion, and corn added more flavor for the next layer, but the star of this bowl was the spicy cauliflower, mushroom, and pecan crumbles. I finished the bowl by topping it with a cilantro lime slaw, tomatoes, guacamole, and salsa.

I definitely added a little too much chili powder and cayenne pepper last night, and the flavors had only intensified by lunchtime. But I couldn't resist all the plant-based goodness of this bowl. Thankfully, the slaw and tomatoes added a refreshing, cooling balance for the spice.

Fries w/ Avocado & Blue Agave Sriracha Sauce and Creamy Avocado Salad

Friday meals go one of two ways.
1. I'm excited for the weekend, and I spend hours in the kitchen creating something new.
2. I make something edible so that I can sit down and relax.

This plate definitely fell into the latter category, but I can never go wrong with homemade fries. Plus, I had a bunch of avocados that had to be used.

First, I made a creamy avocado sauce by blending avocados, plant-based mayo, oat milk, and seasonings. I drizzled the sauce over the fries along with a squeeze of blue agave sriracha sauce. Then, I mixed leafy greens, sweet peppers, and avocado chunks into the remainder of the avocado sauce. Simple and delicious

How does your Friday dinner look?

Vegetable & Grain Bowl

This week's bowl is inspired by my love of bowls from Cava and Yafo Kitchen. I combined a bunch of my favorite things from each restaurant and added my own twist. I'm already looking forward to making this again with even more ingredients because that's the beauty of making it homemade.

• rice • black lentils • roasted broccoli • harissa chickpeas • cranberry carrot salad • kalamata olives • tomatoes • cucumbers • crispy eggplant • hummus • garlic dip • lemon basil vinaigrette •