My husband loves when I make what I call “Rainbow Bowls”. Tasting Table made a really great info-graphic on how to create a balanced bowl based on macrobiotic principles with several variations to keep your palate happy. We love making this type of dish for dinner and having heaps of leftovers for lunches during the week. Make a quick bowl of dressing like this Sunflower dip to spoon on the top and you’ll be surprised at just how delicious macrobiotic can be.

My own variations for macro-bowls include some traditional Chinese medicine changes, naturally, like adding chicken/egg/beef/fish for those who are not vegetarian or need extra protein; adding different greens like collards/kale/chard for extra heartiness and iron; religiously garnishing with gomasio or sesame seeds/nuts; and adding a sour flavor for total balance like pickled beets/cabbage or sauerkraut.

These bowls are always so colorful and vibrant - they never fail to put me in a good mood. They leave me feeling light, satisfied & energetic… Isn’t that what food should do in the first place?

Gomasio (or gomashio) is one of those things I cannot live without. I literally shake it onto everything: salads, cooked vegetables, blanched greens, rice, sweet potatoes, beans, on top of sauces, and even on corn on the cob. It gives such a great little crunch and the perfect amount of salt for flavoring. You can buy a couple different “blends” of gomasio - especially from Eden Organic Foods - the traditional gomasio is just toasted sesame seeds mixed with sea salt, but I prefer the one that has dried seaweed flakes in the mix as well. Cause, why not? Next time you are at your natural foods store, pick up a jar and see what kind of meals you can jazz up throughout the week. I can almost guarantee that it will soon prove to be a necessity. ♥