There is one thing that has become a go-to dish at our house for an easy, quick lunch or dinner. I call them Rainbow Bowls (RainBowls!). My favorite thing about this dish is the versatility. You can literally use anything you have around to create a bowl of warm grain, topped with a variety of raw and cooked vegetables and condiments. This week I did Red Quinoa Rainbowls topped with all sorts of veggies and some leftover red beans, drizzled with flavorful sesame oil, shoyu, gomasio, and red chili flakes. I love the contrast of a warm meal that still has some refreshing crunch to it.

You can make these bowls with more than just quinoa, of course. Brown rice, forbidden black rice, millet all work great - even soba noodles. Top with any chopped veggies you have leftover in the house: tomato, carrots, green beans, cabbage, greens, cucumber, onion, mushroom, bok choy, broccoli, and so on. Choose a variety of COLOR to make your rainbowl pop! Rainbow bowls are my homemade version of Korean Bi Bim Bop, which I love more than almost anything, and they are also a fun way to get the family involved in the kitchen, make an assembly line and have everyone just pick and choose what they want as toppings. Arrange toppings in a circle atop your chosen grain to make a beautiful color wheel of vegetables. :)

Red Quinoa Rainbowl with Egg:

1 Cup red quinoa

Purple cabbage, chopped

Mushrooms, chopped

Carrot, chopped

Green onion, chopped

Red kidney beans, cooked (rinse first, if from the can)

Cilantro

1 farm fresh egg, cooked over easy-medium

Tamari or shoyu

Toasted sesame oil

Gomasio mixture

Red chili flakes, dried

Cook quinoa and let cool for a few minutes. Portion into large bowls and top with chopped veggies, beans, and any herbs you choose, arranging them in a circle around the grain. Drizzle with shoyu, sesame oil, and shake on some gomasio and chili flakes. Top with egg and serve!

1 c quinoa, once cooked, should be enough for 4 servings or more.

* I play around with toppings like I said, this is just one example of options. Also crumbled tempeh is great on top instead of egg, or any leftover meat you have in the house. Use sriracha sauce for a kick; or any favorite salad dressing would do the trick for pickier eaters.