I first met gomasio at a vegetarian restaurant, where it lived in the sort of jar used for Parmesan in pizza joints. It was on the condiments table, by the tamari, nutritional yeast, and hot sauce. Restaurant devotees make a meal of their simple brown rice and vegetable side by piling on the condiments—and the gomasio is like magic dust that adds toasty sesame goodness. This variation features the traditional sesame, plus chia and hemp, which endow the condiment with protein, good fats, and nutty flavors. Once you have a jar of gomasio in the fridge, you will be able to make a bowl of grain and simple steamed veggies much more interesting.
Yield: 5 servings (about 10 tablespoons)
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon coarse salt
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, swirl the sesame seeds to toast. In a couple of minutes they will become fragrant and oily and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Place the sesame seeds in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and pulse to grind finely. Add the chia, hemp, and salt and pulse to mix and barely crack the hemp.
Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of spices and nuts and is usually used as a dip for bread. The incredible flavoring power of this easy-to-make condiment should not be reserved for pita breads alone, but allowed to roam free over your grain-based bowls. A spoonful or two of this potent topper can transform a plain bowl of rice into an exotic treat.
Yield: 7 servings (about 1¾ cups)
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup pistachio nuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorn
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a sheet pan, spread the hazelnuts and toast for 15 minutes. Toast the pistachios and sunflower seeds on another sheet pan for 10 minutes; transfer to a bowl or large measuring cup.
Take out the hazelnuts, then use a heavy kitchen towel to rub off the skins. Transfer to the bowl with the pistachios and sunflower seeds.
Put the coriander, cumin, and peppercorns on the sheet pan and toast for 10 minutes, then transfer to a spice grinder. Pulse to grind to a coarse powder, then scrape into a small bowl. Grind half the pistachios, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts at a time, grinding one half powdery and the second half chunky. Transfer back to the bowl, add the paprika and salt, and mix well. This keeps for a couple of weeks, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
These spicy-sweet strips are addictive. It’s easy to eat half the jar with a cold beer. This recipe gives you a fantastic way to enjoy the mineral-rich sheets of nori, which are typically used to wrap sushi rolls, as a crackly, flavor-packed topper for your bowls.
Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot sauce)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
6 sheets nori
1½ tablespoons chia seeds
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a cup, stir the tamari, canola oil, brown rice syrup, gochujang, and sesame oil. On two sheet pans place four sheets of nori. Use a pastry brush to paint the nori with the gochujang mixture, sprinkle with about ½ tablespoon of the chia, then flip the nori and paint the other side and sprinkle with ½ tablespoon chia.
Bake for 5 minutes, then take out and turn over the nori; bake for 4 minutes more.
The nori will shrink and become darker. It will be flexible when you take it out, but will become crisp as it cools.
Continue with the remaining nori, gochujang mixture, and chia.
When the sheets cool, use kitchen scissors to slice across the width of the sheets into ¾-inch-wide strips. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
If you like gomasio, or have ever used a spice mix or seasoned salt, then this condiment is for you. It’s a nut and seed powder infused with the sunny flavors of Provence. A protein-rich base of seeds carries fragrant, flavorful herbs and lemon zest. It is a one-jar solution for enlivening a plain bowl of rice and vegetables.
Yield: 6 servings (about ¾ cup)
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse salt
In a large skillet, spread the pumpkin seeds and rosemary, and place over medium-high heat. Shake the pan and swirl until the seeds start to pop.
Dump the pumpkin seeds into a bowl. In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds, swirling until the seeds are fragrant and popping.
Combine the pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, thyme, lemon zest, and salt in a spice grinder and pulse to a coarse grind. Transfer to a clean jar and cover tightly, refrigerate, and use on top of bowls for up to a month.
Want to make a bowl of oats wildly decadent? Want to make a rice and vegetable bowl more interesting Try these sweet, spicy, crunchy pecans as a topper. This topper is excellent on breakfast and dessert bowls, with some fresh fruit, or used to complement Breakfast Fruit Salsa (page 22).
Yield: 8 servings (2 cups)
2 cups pecan halves
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread parchment paper on two baking sheets with rims.
Put the pecans in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, stir the honey, brown sugar, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Pour over the pecans and mix well to coat. Spread the pecans on one of the pans, reserving the second.
Roast for 10 minutes, stir, then roast for 10 minutes longer. Take out the hot pecans and quickly transfer to the reserved pan, using a spatula to separate the nuts. Let cool.
When completely cooled, store in a tightly sealed container for up to a month.
Coconut “bacon” is a vegan work-around on the bacon front, and it’s genuinely tasty enough to deserve its own fan base. It’s not terribly convincing as a bacon replica, but it’s so chewy, smoky, and slightly sweet that you will love showering it over a bowl.
Yield: 8 servings (about 2 cups)
Coconut oil, for pan
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups coconut flakes
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread coconut oil on a sheet pan with a rim.
In a large bowl, combine the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir to mix well, then add the coconut flakes and toss to coat.
Spread the flakes on the oiled sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then stir, moving the flakes that are close to the edges to the center. Bake for 10 minutes longer.
The flakes will seem flexible and soft until they cool. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to a month.
Streusel is the magical crumble that adorns pies and the occasional muffin, making them ever so irresistible. This recipe allows you to make a hybrid of both a really decadent streusel and a more healthful granola, all loose so you can put it where you want it. Redolent of cinnamon and brown sugar, this crumble makes an everyday breakfast bowl into a Sunday brunch fare; or use it on a bowl of dessert and you will be reminded of pie.
Yield: 8 servings (2 cups)
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, almonds, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix well.
In a cup, stir the butter and vanilla. Drizzle the butter mixture over the oat mixture and toss to mix well.
Spread the oat mixture over the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir, turning the mixture so that the outer edges are moved to the center. Bake for 20 minutes longer. Cool the pan on a rack.
When completely cooled, transfer the streusel to a tightly closed container or zip-top bag. This keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
Sprinkle ¼ cup over breakfast or dessert bowls.
If you add some gentle chili spice to breakfast, you can actually increase your metabolism, even before that first cup of coffee! Sweet and tangy stone fruit and peppy green kiwi make a fresh and juicy salsa, just sweet enough to charm your sleepy palate. A bowl of creamy grits or rice, fruit salsa, and a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream would be a dreamy way to wake up.
Yield: 4 servings (about 2 cups)
2 large plums or peaches, chopped
2 large kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
¼ cup fresh spearmint
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch salt
Mint sprigs
In a medium bowl, combine the plums, kiwi, spearmint, and jalapeño.
In a cup, stir the lime juice, honey, and salt. Drizzle over the fruit in the bowl and toss to coat.
Sprinkle mint sprigs on top.
This keeps for a couple of days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Kimchi has gone from an obscure Korean food that you could only find by visiting an Asian market to a staple that is sold at many conventional grocery stores. Part of its popularity is due to the delicious tangy, spicy, umami-rich experience it brings. The other part is the probiotic bacteria that flourish in the unpasteurized, refrigerated kimchi, just waiting to take up residence in your belly. Great taste and good health poured over a bowl of grain and veggies means you just can’t lose with kimchi.
Yield: 6 servings (¾ cup)
⅓ cup kimchi, drained
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons kimchi juice
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable stock, or more if needed
Pack the kimchi into the measuring cup, draining the juice back into the jar. Put the kimchi and tahini into a processor or blender and process until smooth. Add the kimchi juice, tamari, sesame oil, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of stock and process until smooth. If it is very thick, add a tablespoon more of stock or kimchi juice, to taste.
Transfer the mixture to a jar, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let stand at room temperature for a day or two to let the probiotics ferment the mixture a little.
Cover tightly and chill for up to 2 weeks.
True Mexican mole sauce takes hours to make, but this fast and easy sauce has much of the same charm, with way less work. I have received reports of entire batches of my pepper sauce being eaten with a spoon. That’s one way to go, but I like to drizzle it over bowls of grain with native Mexican vegetables like corn, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. Pick a protein and you have a meal.
Yield: 10 servings (1¼ cups)
2 medium chipotle peppers
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 large roasted red peppers (¾ cup)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons molasses
½ ounce 70% cacao dark chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon salt
Soak the chipotles in the pineapple juice until softened. If your chipotles are very dry, warm the pineapple juice in a pan or the microwave to speed the softening. Seed and chop the chipotles and put in the blender with the pineapple juice.
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring until the garlic is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and stir for a minute, then transfer the contents of the pan to the blender. Add the roasted peppers, tahini, oregano, molasses, melted chocolate, and salt and process to a smooth purée.
Transfer to a jar or storage tub and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Black garlic, like kimchi, is a Korean food that is seeing a wave of love in the United States. It’s made by holding whole garlic cloves at around 140°F for about a month or so. This simple process ferments the garlic, and it turns sweet, tangy, and, yes, black. The resulting cloves are deeply flavorful and provide a mysterious and wonderful base for this sauce. Drizzle it over any bowl where umami and Asian flavors would be appropriate.
Yield: 8 servings (½ cup)
10 cloves black garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled
¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce or tamari soy sauce
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
Put all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Sometimes, you want smooth. This creamy pink sauce is a snap to make. Drizzle it over any bowl that needs a little protein and Italian flavor, thanks to the tangy flavor of chèvre (goat cheese). Pour it over a bowl of farro or barley, with veggies and beans, and you have a great meal.
Yield: 6 servings (3 cups)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces goat cheese
½ cup fresh basil leaves, slivered
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir until they sizzle, then reduce to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, lowering the heat as the onions soften.
Add garlic and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, salt, and pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
Transfer the onion mixture to a food processor or blender and add the goat cheese. Process until smooth and well-mixed.
Transfer mixture to a pan to keep warm, or transfer to a storage container. Stir in the fresh basil.
Tightly covered, this keeps for up to a week.
Basil pesto is the sweet song of summer, but arugula pesto is a perfect winter melody. Arugula is sold as salad greens, for a fraction of the cost of fresh basil, so you can enjoy its herbal, slightly nutty taste without breaking the bank. Pistachios and a bit of yogurt make this pesto creamy and substantial, and add protein and nutrients that you don’t get from just using olive oil.
Yield: 10 servings (1¼ cups)
2 ounces arugula (2 cups)
¼ cup shelled pistachios
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ounce Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup yogurt, plain (not Greek)
In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the arugula, pistachios, garlic, Parmesan, and salt. Process to a finely ground mixture.
Drizzle in the olive oil and add the yogurt, then process until smooth.
Scrape out and serve, or store in a tightly covered container for up to a week.
If you enjoy buttermilk dressings and cream sauces, this cashew sauce is for you. Instead of dairy, the soft white meat of the raw cashew can be puréed into a velvety, creamy delight. Vegans and cheese lovers alike will adore the richness of this savory sauce and will pour it over all sorts of bowl combos.
Yield: 6 servings (1½ cups)
1 cup raw cashews
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup water (more if needed)
Soak the cashews in cool water for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Drain the water and place the cashews and garlic in a blender. Blend to mince, scraping down as you go. Add the rice vinegar, Dijon, salt, nutritional yeast, and water and process until very smooth.
It should make a pourable sauce, but if it is very thick, add water a tablespoon at a time to thin it to the desired consistency.
Transfer to a storage container and keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
