Things in Bowls Vol. 4

Here's the latest edition of Things in Bowls. These are just some of the easy meals we've been loving at our house lately and I hope it gives you some new ideas to try out! If you want to check out the previous Things in Bowls posts for even more ideas, you can find them all in one place here. If you're new to Things in Bowls, I provided a little more description of the series and why I started it in Vol. 1.

Southwest Orzo Salad

We made this for a cookout we went to earlier in the summer and again when my mom came to visit for the evening. It's easy to put together and makes a ton of leftovers, which are great for quick lunches. I used a whole box of orzo (8 oz) instead of just 1.5 cups and we added avocado to each bowl after serving so it didn't get brown. I also didn't add red onion because I don't love it. We've eaten this with steak and chicken at dinner and, when having the leftovers at lunch, I usually have some sort of cheese with it for added protein + fat.

Vegetable Fried Rice

This is nice for a quick meal but works best if you have something else to go with it, especially if you don't add the scrambled eggs (I usually don't because I don't really like eggs). I also at least double the amount of carrots and peas listed in the recipe and I skip the oyster sauce because I don't know when else I would ever use that.

Stuffed Shells

It may not look pretty but this has become a part of our regular dinner rotation. I use maybe 2 cups of spinach instead of 4 cups and use ~1 teaspoon of dried oregano instead of 1 tablespoon fresh basil for the filling. I also don't measure the sauce but I think I use more than what the recipe states. This one takes a little more prep but then you get some downtime while it bakes. I've put this together over lunch before so all we had to do was bake it in the evening and that worked well.

Red Beans and Rice

I have had this recipe saved for quite a while and finally got around to making it - I think I was afraid that it wouldn't have enough flavor? Not at all the case. We really liked this and plan to keep making it! We're out of cayenne and bay leaves so I used a pinch of red chili flakes (I'm not a big fan of spicy foods) and skipped the bay leaves. I also skipped the thyme and parsley because we didn't have them.

Coconut Tandoori Chicken

This is absolutely a new favorite. I made it in the Instant Pot but used the slow cooker setting on high for 4-5 hours. I also used chicken breasts because I prefer the flavor over chicken thighs. Yes, the measurements on the spices in the recipe are correct and the end result is delicious. We had it over rice but I think it would be great with naan too!