The One With the Yumm Bowls

You know those days when you're out of food but you really don't want to go to the grocery store? Well, I had that sort of day last week. Fortunately for me, my dear friend Amy had shown me this amazing recipe that basically uses leftovers and pantry supplies. And now that I know that, I'm going to make sure the supplies are on my regular grocery list so I can make this whenever. Because it is good. 

Yumm bowls are basically anything you want to put in a bowl - think beans, rice, veggies, and any kind of meat you have. Or make it vegetarian since it is full of protein if you have it with Cuban Black Beans. The only necessary ingredient to Yumm bowls is Yumm Sauce from Cafe Yumm. (If you don't live in or around Portland, you can go to their website to order the sauce from their distributor. It's good - and versatile! You can use it for Yumm Bowls, obviously, but also as a spread for sandwiches.)

The first thing I put in my Yumm Bowls was Cuban black beans. They are ridiculously easy to make if you've got some canned black beans in your cupboard. Here's how I adapted this recipe:

Cuban Black Beans

• 2 (10 ounce) cans black beans
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

In a medium pot over medium heat, saute the onions in the oil. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute, being careful not to burn. Pour the liquid from on of the cans of beans over the garlic and onion and cook until everything is tender. Add the beans and liquid that remain. Add the cumin, oregano and salt and simmer for 30 minutes. If you'd like to add the vinegar, stir it in just before serving. 

So the things that were in my cupboards/fridge that ended up in the meal:

Yumm Bowls
(Serves as many as you like, depending on what you add)

• Cuban black beans (see above)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• Green onion, chopped
• Roma tomato, chopped
• Chicken, grilled and diced
• Tortilla chips for dipping

 You could also add:

• Avacado
• Red or green peppers
• Cucumber
• Olives
• Celery
• Anything you can think of

Prepare your bowls by starting with a bed of rice. Add a layer of Cuban black beans. From here, let people make their own - adding whatever veggies they'd like. Top it off with some Yumm Sauce and serve it with tortilla chips and you're good to go. (You can either dip the chips or crush a few on top of the sauce for a little added crunch without all the calories.)

 

There are several pluses to the Yumm Bowls:

1. Once you have the sauce, you can make just about anything into a Yumm Bowl.
2. Yumm Bowls are a great way to use leftovers - any meat or veggies hanging out in your fridge and careening towards their expiration date.
3. It's easy to keep the dry or canned ingredients (rice and black beans) in your pantry for rainy days. 
4. Kids like this - especially if they like dipping. And the sauce can disguise those veggies.
5. This meal is insanely cheap. Especially if you're awesome like my friend Amy and make the Cuban black beans from dry beans instead of canned.
6. It is easy to make this a crowd pleaser. Provide lots of veggie options and everyone can pick whatever they want to put in their bowl. 

Check out my "Linked and Featured" tab to see where I linked this recipe up!