Black Bean Power Bowl with Roasted Beets and Quinoa
Here’s a problem for you, my dear reader.
The definition of Power is the rate at which Work is done–to wit,
P = W/t (thank you, physics degree!)
Work is measured by the displacement of an object by a Force (no, not THAT Force. People.) For example, you might pull the leash of an excitable pup, push a coconut along a branch, or carry a flailing almost-toddler from his play mat (i.e. toy garden of awesomeness) to his high chair (a.k.a. torture device invented solely for the purpose of inciting misery and anger in small babies).
My question is: Why in blazes am I so tired after doing something that involves no Power at all?
See, when you’re carrying an object (like a plump Baby J) from point A to point B, you’re not technically doing any Work on the object! The force you exert is perpendicular to the direction of motion (here, gliding across the floor like a ballerina, as I often do), so no Work is done on the object. No Work, no Power (remember, P = W/t). In the last example above, no Work is being done on Baby J. No matter how tired you are after hauling that chunker around.
The physics of parenthood means foisting tasks onto other people is a piece of cake (” … But Peter, physics says that carrying Baby J through the grocery store will feel like no work at all … “)
Why did I go off on this tangent? Because of this month’s Recipe Redux theme.
Packed with protein, fiber and color, plant power bowls are trendy and delicious. Show us the healthy recipe that’s in your bowl.
POWER bowls. Yes, I went there.
A Power Bowl is a bowl packed with vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, a bit of crunch, and a sauce or dressing to tie it all together. It’s a nutritious meal-in-a-bowl that makes eating healthy as easy as tossing together a few delicious ingredients. Nothing fancy.
Sounds a bit like BEGG, actually. (Which you should totally check out, by the way.)
This Power Bowl is filled with brown rice, red quinoa, roasted beets, black beans, spaghetti squash, and seaweed (yes, seaweed). You can skip the seaweed, but you’ll miss out on the unique umami flavor it provides. My Bowl is topped with crumbled Parmesan cheese crisps and Sriracha dressing. Try these toppings, or add your own favorites. There are no strict rules with Power Bowls!
And if you eat enough of these Power Bowls, who knows? Maybe carrying around that heavy baby won’t feel so tiring after all.
[bctt tweet=”Power up your meal with a delicious & nutritious black bean #powerbowl #thereciperedux”]
Black Bean Power Bowl with Roasted Beets and Quinoa
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 spaghetti squash, halved with seeds removed
- 4 medium beets, greens removed
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup red quinoa
- 1 15-oz can black beans
- 1 cup seaweed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese crisps
- 4 tablespoons Sriracha dressing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place spaghetti squash cut side up on lined baking pan and bake for 45 minutes or until squash can be easily pulled apart with two forks. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before pulling squash into “spaghetti.” Set aside.
While squash bakes, wash beets well and wrap each beet with aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil in each packet, place on baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes or until beets are easily pierced with a fork. Cool for 15 minutes, then use spoon to peel beets. Chop into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
Also while squash bakes, bring 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan and add brown rice. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Rinse quinoa in fine-mesh strainer for at least 1 minute to remove bitter outer coating. Drain well. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cups vegetable stock to a boil and add quinoa. Lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from burner and allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with fork.
Rinse black beans in strainer. In four bowls, arrange spaghetti squash, brown rice, quinoa, beets, and black beans in separate sections. Top with 1/4 cup seaweed, if desired, and 2 tablespoons crumbled Parmesan cheese crisps. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon Sriracha dressing and serve immediately.
P.S. You bet I Update Your Plate-d this meal first:
P.P.S. Baby J enjoyed a deconstructed version of this Power Bowl #andhelovedit
P.P.P.S. Check out more Power Bowl recipes below!
[inlinkz_linkup id=657461 mode=1]
First time reader, stopped by from the reciperedux linkup. Next on my list is checking out what is “BEGG”. More power to you and your little baby chunker J! This looks delish!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I love that you roasted the beets first! Yum, Jessie!
Thanks, Cindy!
Your “physics” problem made me laugh…nothing is more tiring than carrying around a hefty baby! Other than carrying around a toddler, especially when they are asleep and dead weight in your arms!
Great recipe on this power bowl, sounds delicious!
We must have the strongest arms of anyone, ever *flexes bicep* 🙂
Your blog posts are always the best, Jessie! Always, always make me smile! 🙂
And you power bowl sounds fabulous – I truly love every single ingredient in it. I usually peel my beets and then roast them. I’ll have to try roasting them whole (I do hate that they are so messy; I always menage to get some red somewhere it shouldn’t be…).
I responded to your comment on my blog, but I’ll also send my response to you via your contact form.
Ahhh! I knew I should’ve picked up some spaghetti squash yesterday! This looks so good! :] I love that you added seaweed and sriracha! <3 I have a plethora of both of those! 😛
An amazing recipe and a physics refresher all in one…what more could I ask for! Seriously though, your posts always crack me up! And I LOVE the new look of your site…just beautiful 🙂
Thank you, Sonali!