4 Ways to Eat More Veggies + 3 Healthy Bowl Recipes (2024)

• Meat from 2 roasted chicken breasts diced
• ⅓ cup finely diced red onions
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh chives
• ⅓ cup finely diced celery
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup chopped roasted, salted cashews plus whole cashews for garnish if desired
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups lettuce
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 mango pitted, peeled, and diced
• 4 naan toasted and cut into wedges
• Lime wedges, for serving optional
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish optional

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, red onions, chives, celery, raisins, and cashews.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and lime juice. Stir the dressing into the chicken mixture until combined. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

• Serve the chicken salad on top of the lettuce along with the cucumbers, tomatoes, mango, and toasted naan. If desired, serve with lime wedges and a garnish of cilantro.

Recipe credit: Liren Baker, author of Meat to the Side: A Plant-Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate

For the Kale:

• 2 cups destemmed and chopped kale
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the Creamy Chipotle Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• Kosher salt

For the Bowls:

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 avocado pitted, peeled, and diced
• 1 cup quick pickled red onion (see recipe after this one)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 lime sliced into wedges

Prepare the kale:

• Place the kale, olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Massage the kale for 1 minute. It will shrink in volume. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare the sweet potatoes:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack placed in the center of the oven.

• While the oven preheats, place the peeled and quartered sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the sweet potatoes just until the edges give a bit to pressure from a fork, about 8 minutes. You don’t want to overcook them, or they could turn mushy.

• Drain the sweet potatoes and pat dry with a paper towel. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized pieces.

• In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder. Sprinkle the spice blend onto the sweet potatoes and toss to evenly coat. Scatter the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until browned and fork-tender.

• When the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, transfer to a bowl and toss in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

Make the creamy chipotle sauce:

• Place the yogurt, chipotle pepper, lime juice, garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt in a blender or small food processor. Blend or process until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Set aside until ready to assemble the bowls, or store in the refrigerator. The sauce can be made a day ahead.

Assemble the bowls:

• Fill serving bowls with the kale, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, brown rice, and avocado. Garnish with the pickled red onions, creamy chipotle sauce, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe credit: Liren Baker, author of Meat to the Side: A Plant-Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate

• ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

• In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until the sugar and salt have dissolved.

• Place the sliced onion in a jar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 1 hour.

• Serve immediately or keep refrigerated for future use. The onions will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe credit: Liren Baker, author of Meat to the Side: A Plant-Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate

For the Marinated Beef:

• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more to oil grill gates
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons minced red onions
• 1 1-inch piece lemongrass (from bottom third of stalk) pounded with flat of the blade of a chef's knife and minced
• 1¼ pounds top sirloin steak sliced into 2-inch pieces, ¼-inch thick

For the Cucumber and Carrot Slaw:

• 1 medium cucumber cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
• 1 cup shredded carrots about 2 medium carrots
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onions
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
• 1½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

For the Peanut Sauce:

• ¼ cup creamy, salted peanut butter
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon untoasted sesame oil unrefined
• Up to ½ cup boiling water

For Serving/Garnish:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 3 cups fresh or frozen edamame cooked and shelled
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage optional
• Black and/or white sesame seeds for garnish
• Lime wedges for serving

• Marinate the beef:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, fish sauce, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, Sriracha, coriander, and turmeric. Stir in the red onions, lemongrass, and beef, coating well with the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Make the slaw:

• In a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients for the slaw, stirring until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble the bowls. The slaw can be made a day in advance.

Cook the beef and assemble the bowls:

• If using wooden skewers and a grill, soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. You can also use stainless-steel skewers. Skewer the meat. Alternatively, you can use an outdoor or stovetop grill pan and skip the skewering altogether.

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Lightly oil the grates. Grill the beef for 4 to 5 minutes, turning periodically, until browned. Transfer to a plate to rest.

Make the peanut sauce and assemble the bowls:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, Sriracha, fish sauce, honey, and sesame oil while slowly drizzling in the hot water until you achieve your desired consistency.

• Distribute the rice among four bowls. Top with the beef, cucumber and carrot slaw, edamame, cabbage (if using), and a drizzle of peanut sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges and additional peanut sauce on the side.

Recipe credit: Liren Baker, author of Meat to the Side: A Plant-Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate