Herby Tahini Grain Bowl Recipes

Steps:

• Cook the barley in a medium pot in plenty of salted water until tender but still chewy, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and cool.
• In a food processor, combine the tahini, scallions, jalapeno, garlic, vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Process until you have a smooth, thick green dressing. If the mixture is too thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to thin to about the consistency of pancake batter.
• Combine the vinaigrette and cooked barley and mix to thoroughly coat the barley. You may not use all the vinaigrette. Set up two serving bowls. Evenly divide the barley between the two bowls. Top each with the olives, tomatoes and capers. Season with a pinch more salt and garnish with the cilantro.

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Grill the pineapple until well marked, about 2 minutes per side; let cool. Dice the pineapple and mix with the pico de gallo; set aside.
• Season the pork with salt, then rub with the chile powder and 1 teaspoon cumin. Grill, covered, turning every 4 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the farro and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the farro is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and let cool.
• Make the vinaigrette: Whisk the lime juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
• Divide the farro, spinach, cabbage and avocado among bowls. Thinly slice the pork and add to the bowls. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with the pineapple salsa.

Steps:

• Start with a hearty base of grains or cooked root vegetables or a mix of both.
• Add a generous serving of greens or other vegetables, cooked or raw, and a protein of some kind, anything from tempeh to a hard-cooked egg to chicken, lentils, black beans or a scoop of tasty hummus.
• Consider adding a little good fat: an avocado, a homemade dressing or just a splash of extra-virgin olive oil.
• Bump up the flavor and texture by experimenting with savory twists--a splash of tamari or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, perhaps a smattering of pepitas or sunflower seeds or any other crunch. It's up to you.
• In a blender, combine the garlic, mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and scallions and blend until smooth. The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 1/2 weeks.

Steps:

• To make the green goddess dressing, add the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and basil to a food processor. Turn on and pulse and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor on occasion.
• To build the grain bowl: Fill a bowl in sections, starting with the wheat berries, sweet potato and microgreens. Add the chickpeas, orange, sugar snap peas, avocado, radish, pickled red onion and pepitas in groupings between and on top of the base ingredients. Top with one-quarter of the dressing. Reserve the remaining dressing for another use.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the chickpeas with the curry powder, 1 teaspoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl. Place on one side of a baking sheet. Arrange the onions next to the chickpeas, then the sweet potatoes and lastly the mushrooms. Toss the onions, sweet potatoes and mushrooms with the remaining 3 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Bake until the chickpeas are a bit crunchy and the sweet potatoes are softened and starting to turn brown in a few spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, tahini and juice of half the lemon in a small bowl. Slice the remaining lemon into wedges.
• Divide the quinoa between two bowls. Arrange half the vegetables and avocado slices on top of the quinoa, leaving a space for the yogurt in the middle. Dollop the yogurt in the empty space and serve with the lemon wedges.