We hungry people love our bowls of food.
Grain bowls, for instance. In recent years, grain bowls have become the favorite lunch of white people with disposable incomes. Belonging to the first half of that demographic, I also enjoy bowls of grain but do not enjoy the arm and leg required to pay for said bowl of grain.
So I started making my own. Turns out, we’ve been getting totally ripped off by grain bowl connoisseurs. Here’s a little secret I’ve figured out: it’s pretty much just grains and vegetables. All things that can be found with the bare minimum of effort at your local grocery store.
Also, if you make your own grain bowl, you can ask the chef (you) to add anything you want without being judged! I’m thinking cheese and maybe something crispy and fried??
Come on now, you’re eating a bowl of GRAINS and VEGETABLES. Let’s boldly dare to add some pizzaz.
The haystack onions give this dish the nice crunch it deserves. I may be biased, but I think it pairs well with creamy avocado, blue cheese, and roasted sweet potatoes. Also, it never hurts to throw in some greens for color (green is the best color, after all) and added nutritional value.
This recipe makes more haystack onions than you’ll need, but not more than you’ll want (see what I did there??). If you’re going to go through all the trouble of heating up oil, you might as well make enough to snack on.
Vegan? No problem. Just leave out the cheese. If you’re part of the sensible half of the nation who doesn’t like their cheese so moldy it’s blue, swap it for feta.
Side note: Does any feta cheese company have the slogan, “It’s always betta with feta”? Because that would be priceless. Feta companies, you can use that if you pay me one million dollars and a lifetime supply of your finest cheese.
Enjoy your bowls of tasty food!
Haystack onion quinoa bowls
Ingredients
For the bowls
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1.5 cup vegetable stock (optional)
- 2 large sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
- 5 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup feta/blue cheese
- 1 cup kale, stems removed and chopped
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For the haystack onions
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 1 cup oil, for frying
Instructions
For the bowls
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Toss together sweet potatoes, 1 tbsp oil, and garlic powder and arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes and sprinkle with salt.
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Cook quinoa according to package directions, replacing water with vegetable stock (if desired)
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Combine kale with 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt. Massage until the kale turns a brighter shade of green.
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Mash avocado with fork and add salt and pepper to taste.
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Whisk together remaining lemon juice and garlic. While whisking, add in remaining olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with quinoa.
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Divide quinoa between two bowls. Divide the rest of the toppings between the bowls. Serve immediately.
For the haystack onions
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Whisk together milk and apple cider vinegar in a wide, shallow dish. Add onions and let soak for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Heat oil in a skillet (cast iron works best) to a medium heat.
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Combine flour with paprika and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Take a handful of onions from the milk mixture and shake off excess liquid before putting in flour.
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Once all onions are added to the flour, mix well with dry hands, shaking off excess flour for onions.
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Cover a plate with paper towels, set aside.
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Use an onion to test if the oil is hot enough by seeing if it sizzles. If it does, add a handful of onions to the oil, making sure it isn't too crowded. Once golden and crisp on one side, flip onions over with tongs
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Once golden and crispy on both sides, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove onions from oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the onions are cooked.
