Super bowls: Beef-up your grain bowls with these mix-ins

"Bowl foods" are the ultimate in personal mix-ins. Too much dressing, not enough, too much lettuce – the control is yours. And there is nothing better than getting to see everything you are eating, all at once, laid out like some kind of VIP smorgasbord (or should that be smorgasbowl?).

Yes, there is a bit of prep involved but these four bowls travel well (aside from the poached eggs which you can omit), last for lunches for the next few days, and the dressings and marinades all keep in the fridge. They truly are the gift that keeps on giving.

Black pepper and kaffir lime beef bowl with coconut rice and salad

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade (makes approx. 1.5 cups)

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

3 tbsp roughly chopped ginger

3 long red chillies, deseeded, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped

3 eschallots, peeled, roughly chopped

2 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed

4 to 6 kaffir lime leaves, deveined, roughly chopped

2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

5 tbsp sweet soy sauce

5 tbsp soy sauce sauce

600g steak (such as eye fillet)

For the salad

1 baby cos lettuce, rinsed, sliced

1 cup bean sprouts, washed thoroughly

½ red onion, very finely sliced

½ cup each Vietnamese mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, mint leaves

200g brown basmati rice

360ml coconut milk

150ml chicken stock

lime cheeks and salted peanuts, to serve

METHOD

1. To make the marinade combine all ingredients in a blender and blitz to a runny paste-like consistency. Add half the marinade and the steaks to a ziplock bag or in a bowl (ensure meat is covered generously) and set aside for at least 30 minutes (leftover marinade freezes well or can be used to marinade any other proteins).

2. Meanwhile, for coconut rice, bring coconut milk, rice and stock to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Keep checking on the rice and if the liquid is evaporating too quickly, top with water, a tablespoon at a time. Remove from heat and stand until required.

3. Add the sliced baby cos lettuce to each of the serving bowls. Add the remaining salad ingredients to a bowl and toss quickly to combine before plating next to the chopped cos.

4. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. Strain the steak from the marinade (reserving marinade) and cook to your liking, turning once. At the very last minute, add the remaining marinade and reduce until sticky – this will take around one minute – watch carefully so it doesn't burn. Rest the steaks then slice.

5. Add the sliced meat and coconut rice to the serving bowls, spooning over any leftover marinade from the frying pan onto the steak. Top salads with peanuts (if using) and lime wedges and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Sweet potato and kale bowl with quinoa, coriander tahini dressing and crispy chilli-lime chickpeas

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sweet potato (about 350g) peeled and sliced into 2cm thick rounds

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup tri-coloured quinoa

2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

2 purple carrots, peeled into strips using a mandolin or peeler

juice of 1 lime

½ head small leaf kale, rinsed, leaves separated

1 ½ avocados, hulled, sliced

For the coriander tahini dressing (makes approx. 1 cup)

⅓ cup tahini

⅓ cup smoked almonds

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp parmesan

¾ cup loosely packed coriander leaves

2 tsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic, chopped

¾ tsp chilli powder or to taste

½ tsp paprika

For the roasted chilli-lime chickpeas

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained thoroughly

2 tbsp olive oil

zest of 1 lime

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp garlic salt

½ tsp pepper

To serve

2 tbsp salad seed mix

microgreens, dill, parsley, coriander

lemon wedges

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. To make the chilli-lime chickpeas toss chickpeas with olive oil and seasonings, then spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 30 min, removing from oven and tossing half way through cooking. Remove and set aside to cool completely (leftover roasted chickpeas will last for one week in a tightly sealed container).

3. Spread the sweet potato rounds onto the same baking tray – it does a great job of mopping up any leftover flavourings from the chickpeas. Season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until starting to caramelise and cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Gently simmer the quinoa in the stock for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 10 minutes to steam and fluff-up.

5. For the coriander tahini dressing add all ingredients to a blender and blitz to combine. If the dressing is too thick, add a tablespoon of water and blitz again. Continue until desired consistency is achieved.

6. Place the kale on a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 5 to 7 minutes before seasoning generously (you want the leaves to be just crisp).

7. To serve, add the quinoa to each bowl. Top with slices of sweet potato, then the chickpeas, sliced avocado, shredded purple carrot and crispy kale. Generously squeeze over some fresh lemon or lime, and top with salad seeds and any additional herbs. Dollop over the dressing and serve.

Note: Keep dressing separate if not eating immediately, and dress salad just before serving. Leftover dressing will keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Serves 4

Soy and chilli pulled pork, coconut brown rice, pickled pineapple and greens

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade

120g palm sugar, grated or crushed

125ml (½ cup) kecap manis

80ml (⅓ cup) fish sauce

2 tsp finely grated ginger

2 star anise, crushed

1 pork tenderloin or fillet (120g per serve)

For the pickled pineapple

100ml apple cider vinegar

1½ tbsp castor sugar

juice of ½ lime

¼ pineapple, peeled, chopped into generous bite-sized pieces

½ tsp ground coriander

For the herbed coconut rice

200g brown basmati rice

360ml coconut milk

150ml chicken stock

¼ cup Thai basil leaves, finely chopped

¼ cup Vietnamese mint leaves, finely chopped

Greens

1 bunch broccolini

olive oil for brushing

1 cup sugar snap peas, steamed

To serve

fresh coriander, mint, Thai basil, Vietnamese mint, coconut cream, fresh pieces of coconut

METHOD

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the pork tenderloin and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the pickled pineapple by combining the vinegar, sugar, coriander and 25ml water in a bowl; season to taste and stir until sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple pieces, stirring to coat, then cover and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

3. For the coconut rice, bring coconut milk, rice and stock to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes. Keep checking on the rice, and if the liquid is evaporating too quickly, top up with water, about a tablespoon at a time. Once cooked, remove from heat, and stand until required. Once cooled, stir through the finely chopped herbs.

4. Heat a nonstick char-grill pan over medium heat, remove pork from marinade (reserving the marinade) and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and almost cooked through. Set the meat aside to rest.

5. Pour remaining marinade into a saucepan and place over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until reduced. Using two forks or a knife and fork, pull apart the pork meat and add to the saucepan of reduced marinade, turning quickly and cooking until pork is glazed and sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.

6. For the broccolini heat a grill or barbecue to high heat, brush broccolini with oil, and grill, turning occasionally, until charred and tender (4 to 5 minutes). Combine in a bowl with the steamed sugar snap peas.

7. To serve, place some pickled pineapple to each bowl. Add some herbed coconut rice and the steamed greens. Arrange the pork meat, then top with coconut cream, fresh coconut and any extra herbs. Serve immediately.

Note: If not serving immediately, assemble the bowl but do not add the coconut cream until ready to serve.

Turkish poached egg, baharat spiced cauliflower, loaded hummus and lentil-quinoa salad

INGREDIENTS

½ head large cauliflower, cut through the stalk into 4 thick slices

1 tbsp baharat spice mix

1 tbsp olive oil

For the lentil and quinoa salad

1 cup tri-coloured quinoa, cooked according to packet instructions

½ cup French-style lentils, cooked according to packet instructions

1 tbsp pomegranate molasses

For the loaded hummus

1 cup hummus

½ punnet (125g) strawberries, sliced

½ punnet (125g) cherry tomatoes, diced

few sprigs of dill and flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

For the Turkish poached egg

1 cup plain full-fat Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp finely chopped dill

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 eggs

splash of white vinegar

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp Aleppo pepper (or chilli flakes or smoked paprika)

micro herbs to serve (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 170C.

2. For the cauliflower, rub the spice mix and oil generously into the cauliflower slices then place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast until golden brown (12 to 15 minutes), turn and roast until tender (a further 8 to 10 minutes).

3. For the lentil and quinoa salad, add the quinoa and lentils to a bowl with the pomegranate molasses and stir to combine. Season generously then set aside.

4. For the loaded hummus add the strawberries, tomatoes and herbs to a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.

5. For the Turkish poached eggs prepare the yoghurt base by stirring the yoghurt, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and add splash of vinegar; using a slotted spoon, swirl water to create a whirlpool. Crack 1 egg at a time into a bowl and slide egg into water; poach until the white is firm but yolk is runny, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towels to drain.

6. To assemble, place a dollop of poached egg yoghurt mixture in the centre of each bowl. Top with an egg. Place a dollop of hummus next to the egg and top with the strawberry, tomato and herb mixture. Add a spoonful of the lentil-quinoa salad.

7. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir in Aleppo pepper and salt; drizzle over the egg, yoghurt and grains. Season generously, scatter with micro herbs (if using) and serve warm.