Believe it or not, we don't always eat beautifully plated meals that take an hour to prep and an hour to cook. We are so stinkin busy. Good busy. But busy. In my perfect world, I would menu plan daily. But, while some may think it is - that is not my life. I really don't know how many do it with little ones. It seems that most of my days are swamped minute-to-minute. Not complaining - I'm honestly not sure I would have it any other way.
That said, if I called Mo and told him I couldn't cook one night or for a whole week - he is the type of man who, while he would much prefer I cook, would kindly understand and offer to pick something up. Ultimately though - we really don't like to eat out. I mean, we certainly enjoy it from time to time on special occasions, or to try a new restaurant. But on the whole, we just feel better when we eat at home. So, I really try hard to make it a priority.
Not every day is minute-to-minute but man, I definitely had one of those days earlier this week - I had my own workout at 6am, showered and out the door by 8am to start with my one-on-one Personal Training clients - a break at noon for a quick Almond Milk Latte (my favorite!) and some Tuna Salad for lunch, a talk for my dear friends Nutrition class at El Centro, on to a 2:45pm meeting, followed by a 3:45pm appointment and then I still had to figure out what we were going to have for dinner that night. I was tired, it was getting chilly outside (FINALLY!!! I swear, Texas has the most confused weather!) and I wanted something that tasted like I'd been making it all day - you know, comforting and warm but I also didn't want anything heavy. Welcome to the mind of a woman! So complicated! 😉 But hey! At least we know what we want! So, after all of this discussion in my head, I landed on a bowl and just decided to fill it will all the things that sounded good. And I give you the birth of my Smoky Paleo Bowl.
I put ground bison in ours - if Mo were not going to be home, I probably would have left that out and gone meatless. But, I live with a half-caveman, so bison it was! Feel free to use any protein you'd like or leave it out altogether - it will be just as de-lish!
This bowl comes together in 30 minutes or less and tastes like you've been working on it for a few hours. It is light but comforting and definitely filling!
I hope you enjoy!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, spray with a little cooking spray and pour cauliflower rice onto the pan and spread out as evenly as possible. Drizzle with a little olive or avocado oil, a few pinches of sea salt, smoked paprika, coriander and ½ tsp turmeric. Toss well to combine. Place in the oven to roast for 10 minutes; toss and then turn your oven off and leave the “rice” in the oven until ready to serve.
While the cauliflower is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in bell peppers with a pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – approx. 5 minutes. Add in zucchini, squash and mushrooms, stir to combine, cover and steam for 5 minutes.
Uncover and push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and add in the ground protein to the center of the pan. Break the protein up and cook, stirring occasionally, until protein is cooked through – approx. 5 minutes. Season mixture with chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, black pepper and sea salt to taste. Toss well to combine.
Add greens to the skillet and mix to combine. Cook until the spinach has just wilted, approx. 2-3 minutes.
To serve, start with some of the cauliflower rice in a bowl and top with protein/vegetable mixture. Garnish with options above, if you’d like. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, spray with a little cooking spray and pour cauliflower rice onto the pan and spread out as evenly as possible. Drizzle with a little olive or avocado oil, a few pinches of sea salt, smoked paprika, coriander and ½ tsp turmeric. Toss well to combine. Place in the oven to roast for 10 minutes; toss and then turn your oven off and leave the “rice” in the oven until ready to serve.
While the cauliflower is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in bell peppers with a pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – approx. 5 minutes. Add in zucchini, squash and mushrooms, stir to combine, cover and steam for 5 minutes.
Uncover and push the vegetables to the sides of the skillet and add in the ground protein to the center of the pan. Break the protein up and cook, stirring occasionally, until protein is cooked through – approx. 5 minutes. Season mixture with chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, black pepper and sea salt to taste. Toss well to combine.
Add greens to the skillet and mix to combine. Cook until the spinach has just wilted, approx. 2-3 minutes.
To serve, start with some of the cauliflower rice in a bowl and top with protein/vegetable mixture. Garnish with options above, if you’d like. Enjoy!
