I like Panera. Really, I do. And when the new Autumn/Winter menu is back with Turkey Chili, I am a happy lady.
But lately, Panera has gotten expensive. REALLY expensive. And sometimes I look at the offerings and think to myself "That looks like something I can make at home for a lot cheaper."
Case in point: the new Warm Grain Bowls.
I love an easy bowl meal as much as the next person. But the Panera bowls? Well, they may look like a healthy alternative, but let's look a little more closely. The Baja Grain Bowl with Chicken has a whopping 31 grams of fat, 80 carbs, 1340 mg of sodium, and almost 700 calories.
I can do better. And I did.
Here's what I started with:
This quinoa blend cooks up in about 5 minutes in the microwave, and it's packed with good fiber and protein for only 3.5 g of fat per serving.
Southwestern Warm Grain Bowl
1-2 cups of rotisserie chicken, diced
1 package southwestern quinoa blend
Salad mix (I used a spring mix with spinach)
Salsa
Dollop of Greek Nonfat plain yogurt (about a quarter cup)
squeeze of fresh lime
fresh chopped parsley
Possible add ons: feta cheese crumbles, diced grape tomatoes, avocado slices
Layer salad in bottom of bowl. Toss quinoa with chicken. Add quinoa mix to top of salad greens. Add salsa, yogurt, squeeze of lime, and any toppings. Enjoy!
This really is a much healthier alternative, packed with protein and fiber and low in fat and calories. I think I will try a Mediterranean bowl next time!
These bowls are a great way to incorporate the end of the season tomatoes!
Look at the size of that tomato! It's six inches across and weighs in at two pounds! This stripey variety is an heirloom tomato, and when you cut it, it almost looks like a peach inside. So pretty and delicious, too!
My favorite tomato, though is the Sun Gold. These little beauties can be harvested from June to October! Making a salad for dinner? I go outside, pick a dozen, and I'm good to go. They produce so many each day!
They look like strings on a pearl necklace. Pretty!
Do you know what is NOT pretty?
Aaack! Tomato worms! I once quit vegetable gardening completely because of these monsters. But I'm much more sensible now. When I found a few in my garden, I walked indoors and told Sam "We need to burn down the garden now. The house will probably catch on fire, too, but that's a risk I'm willing to take."
ha ha ha!
It turns out I just cut them off the plant, threw them in a bucket, and threw them into the creek for some big crane or heron to eat. Problem solved! I haven't seen them again, luckily. Hoping I can make it to the end of harvest season without another sighting.
I probably should not end a food and recipe post with a photo of something that disgusting, right?
I know! How about a nice glass of locally made hard cider?
Ah. Much better!
Blessings on your weekend, cafe friends!
Yum, I love grain bowls and use black beans instead of chicken to keep it mostly plant based. We have Cafe Yumm, a semi-fast food restaurant chain, in Oregon which uses a special sauce with their Yumm bowls. They sell the sauce at their cafes and in organic sections at the grocer but your Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
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