grain bowl salad with greens and cranberries

Grain bowls! Let's hear it for the grain bowl. 

I'm almost positive that the phenomenom of the grain bowl came from a millennial piling a whole bunch of shit that they found in the back of their fridge into one bowl and posting a picture of it to Instagram. I'm also pretty positive that this trend completely engulfed me and I've been loving a good grain bowl ever since.

Random ingredients added to a bowl and labeled as trendy when really it's just leave-less salad and typically priced at like $18 million dollars? Sold, to the sucker in the back! (me)

Truthfully, grain bowls can get very high maintenance very fast. You'll see people add all sorts of things, that if you were making it all from scratch, you'd ultimately be making like 14 different meals at once and it just doesn't make much sense. 

High maintenance grain bowls should be the product of leftovers, and leftovers only.

Do not disrepectful the art of the simple grain bowl with your maple crusted brussel sprouts or your chipotle baked chickpeas.

I feel very strongly about this and will get into a phsycial altercation if necessary.

So, if you need quick somethin'-somethin', put that can of garbanzo beans to use with this super simple power salad -- *ahem* grain bowl -- one of my favorite weekday lunches that whips up in less than 15 minutes! 

couscous + chickpea salad with greens and cranberries

you'll need: (measurements not included because this is super customizable)

- 1 box of couscous, cooked and cooled (I used whole wheat because it's what I had on hand)

- 1 can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)

- 1/2 lemon, sliced

- 1-2 dollaps fresh basil pesto

- dried cranberries

- chopped walnuts

- scallins

- parsley

- salt + pepper to taste

how to:

Boil 1 + 1/4 cups of water in a pot on medium heat. Pour in the dry couscous and immediately stir, cover, and remove pot/turn off the flame. Allow to sit untouched for about 5 minutes, then give it all a good fluff using your sharpest fork. Set aside.

While the couscous is setting, get your other ingredients together. Drain and rinse your canned chickpeas, chop up some cranberries, walnuts, scallions, parsley, and whatever else you feel like throwing in! Go wild.

Add cooked couscous + some chickpeas to a bowl and squeeze on some lemon juice. Toss in the rest of your ingredients and finish it with a dollop or two of fresh basil pesto (recipe linked!)