How To Build A Meal In A Bowl: Fridge-To-Face In 7 Steps

There are days for Ottolenghi tarts and gluten-free baking experiments and then there are the other 364 in which we're building bowls and smoothies based on just one equation: what's in the fridge. Elise Museles from Our Body Book is on the exact same page, and is dishing out perfect tips on building a meal in a bowl quicker and easier than ever... Creating simple and beautiful meals is my passion. I’m certainly not a gourmet chef. I don’t wield a knife like the culinary greats. I don’t care about the difference between bâtonneting & chiffonading. I’ve never spent years sweating it out as a sous chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The truth is… most of the time… I don’t even cook with a recipe. Collecting new ingredients and precisely following instructions is a complete drag. And, for most of us… not happening. Instead of feeling stressed & strained with my overloaded schedule, I decided to hop on life’s roller coaster and find a way to create nourishing meals that fit seamlessly into the day-to-day madness. The secret? A “no recipe” approach to assembling beautiful meals. All you need is to set aside some time to shop and then prep your food in advance. (I proclaim Sunday “kitchen fun day” – good music, good conversation, and lots of chopping, steaming, stirring, grilling and roasting.) When you arrive home exhausted, hungry and ready to eat throughout the week, all your food is waiting for you to be thrown together into a bowl. You’ll never have to wonder, “what’s for dinner” again. Here’s my simple guide to building balanced, nourishing and delicious meals in a bowl that will be your saving grace: Bowls are like the “little black dress” of meal planning. Your bowl is filled with staples like whole grains, protein, healthy fats and tons of veggies. Then you add a few key “accessories” to spice it up. To make sure that the bowls are balanced in flavor, texture and nutrition, choose at least one ingredient from each category. (Bonus points for going heavy on the veggies.) [olists num=1]

To get started and plan out your meals in a bowl, visit Our Body Book by clicking through here!

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Crostini Cuteness: Mint + Spring Pea Toasts

Whether you're hosting guests or just preparing an afternoon snack, these teeny tiny crostinis are the cutest way to take a bite out of the last couple weeks of spring. Our resident farmer Andrea Bemis of Dishing Up The Dirt whipped these up from Tumbleweed Farm's freshest produce - but you probably already have most of these ingredients on hand! Thick slices of fresh bread, fresh or frozen spring peas, cooling mint leaves, drizzles of olive oil and sprinkles of feta make these babies a huge hit when served at a pre-summer shindig with friends. Best part? They take 10-15 minutes tops to assemble from beginning to end. Now all you need to do is keep yourself from gobbling them up in two bites. Or, you know, not. When I fantasize about spring in the dead of winter I am always dreaming of my favorite flavor combination: peas and mint! Once our pea plants start producing I feel like a kid in a candy store. I joke with my husband that our peas will never make it into our member's CSA boxes because I have self-control issues and can’t stop eating fresh peas right off the plant. Nothing beats it! One of my go-to spring recipes to share with our customers are these simple spring pea crostini. Everyone says they are a huge hit when they prepare them for small gatherings. They celebrate the fresh flavors of the season and are a cinch to whip up. Peas, mint and radishes are all available at the same time, which makes shopping for them at your local farmers market pretty easy. I like to sprinkle the crostini with some fresh and local feta cheese for a little salty bite. Paired with a glass of crisp white wine and some good company and you are all set. Cheers to spring and all of the fresh bounty!

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The Anti-Aging Smoothie: Coconut Turmeric Bliss In A Cup

Shannon Vaughn is a former model and the founder of one of our fave skincare innovations - so basically, we'll follow any piece of beauty advice she gives. As the boss lady behind Pursoma, a line of clay detox baths so pure you could...well, bathe in them...she's big on cleansing from the inside out to get a runway-worthy glow. We are dying over the combo of ingredients in her beautifying and anti-aging smoothie recipe, which include but are not limited to: turmeric, maca, coconut, and cinnamon! Dreamy... I am a huge fan of turmeric smoothies. I especially love them with coconut oil, which is rich in healthy fats and helps to build collagen and keep my complexion glowing. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory, which helps with anti-aging. I love the following recipe. I freeze all the fruit when it’s ripe and this eliminates the need for ice.

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In The Shop: 21 TCM Essentials To Upgrade Your Summer!

Bring on the long dusky evenings, sun-kissed skin and salty hair. We're coming for you, summer. In The Shop this season, we're gathering pieces we know will be value adds for warm-weather workouts, long days in the sand, or for refreshing the beach vibes in your own home - no matter how far from the coasts it may lay. First on our shopping list is this Avocado Toast t-shirt by Private Party. We'd wear it any time of year, but, it's sleeveless, so, into the Summer Shop it goes. For the gym, we're willing to override our fixation with black leggings at least once a month to lighten things up with this white print bra and legging set from Koral Activewear. Super-sexy, comfy, and a refreshing change that'll have us inspired to head out into the heat to workout. Pack 'em up in your gym back with these herbal Yoga Towelettes and mat spray - they only seem non-essential til the end of your Saturday afternoon class in mid-July. You'll be thanking us. Another key for the summer heat is staying hydrated. We can't help but wax poetic once again about the Soma water filter and, for summer, it's more useful than ever. You can convert tap water to purer drinking water in a summer cabin or keep houseguests hydrated healthfully - and in the chicest way possible. Fill up this utlitarian-chic glass bottle to keep up with the h2o intake all day long. The Summer Shop has a homey feel to it overall. We'll be talking about travel and travel beauty picks throughout the season, but, really, these Shop picks are designed to help you live well at home. The outdoor lanterns are a gorgeous steal (every size is under $50!), the cold toddy will revolutionize the way you make afternoon brew, and the veggie spiralizer - don't even get us started on the veggie spiralizer! It will change your life. Browze through some of our favorite Shop items below and see the full Summer Shop here. Find something to upgrade your summer and let us know what you're loving!

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Chalait NYC: Put Matcha In Everything

Iced matcha. Matcha hot cocoa. But most importantly, matcha chocolate bars. Chalait in NYC is doing matcha all the ways. And after catching our eye all over Instagram we had to be sure this sweet and healthy hotspot made it to the pages of TCM. If you're not all that familiar with the powers of the powder, matcha is essentially ground green tea leaves - more intense in flavor and health benefits than the tea as an infusion. Get all the health and wellness details here. Chalait's sweet and simple shop esthetic lives well in their West Village neighborhood and their menu is killing us: miso butter avocado toast, matcha chocolate bars studded with goji berries and rose petals, and salads tossed in this fresh matcha-carrot-ginger dressing that's so good we want to bathe in it. You might have noticed, but we're all about using nutrient-dense ingredients - from green juice to superfruits - in all kinds of unorthodox recipes. Enjoy this dressing recipe and let us know if you're loving the matcha lattes as much as we are!

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Kelp Noodles + Kale Salad: Sweetfin Poké Is Fast Food Heaven

Full disclosure, the lunch spot we are now drooling over on command was once something we gave a sideways glance. Fast-food poké? How could this be a thing? We were slow to the draw after Sweetfin Poké opened here in L.A. months back, but once we stepped inside their gorgeous dining room we immediately changed our tune. Now we're happily lining up behind half the city each noon hour for fresh sashimi atop bowls of kale salad and kelp noodles. We honestly don't know what took us so long to get on board what is essentially our dream fast-food. Chef Dakota Weiss is driving Sweetfin's ultra-fresh menu serving sustainable "pole-to-bowl" (why not?) dishes we're obsessing over. We swiped this impressive poke recipe from the chef for readers to make at home. If you're looking for a kitchen adventure that fits the warming weather, we can't think of anything better...

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Meet Our June Guest Editors: The Founders of SoulCycle

For most of us, fitness will always live in that strange space between love and hate, teeter-tottering between hits to the snooze button and dreams of that perfect post-cardio glow.  On one hand, the discipline required to make it to any class these days is so notable, most of our instructors congratulate us just for making it into the room. Saying no to that second episode on Netflix or second late hour in the office, just to make time to sweat it out is a feat indeed. When Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice first met and decided to launch SoulCycle, they knew the struggle was real - and set out to conquer the situation once and for all. SoulCycle has since dazzled the fitspired from coast to coast with classes that feel experiential and engaging - and has changed the fitness landscape for good. The studios are inviting, yet sleek enough to make slipping onto a bike seems effortless, the classes are high-energy in a way that is actually heart-lifting, and the music - well, we all know the power of a good playlist by now. From East Hampton to West Hollywood, booking a bike in one of Soul's sold-out jam sessions has become a thing - and something of a cultural phenomenon.   This month, we're joining with Elizabeth and Julie for a month of Soul-ful summer fun. We'll be talking with the founders about their personal tips on wellness, sharing insights from top SoulCycle instructors, and offering readers a few very special SoulCycle and Pressed Juicery opportunities - from VIP rides to collaborative giveaways. Clip in and get ready for a summer of soul!  Dear Chalkboard Readers, We are soul excited to be your guest editors for June! Summer is a special time at SoulCycle, and this year we are getting ready for our best #summerofsoul yet. We can feel the ocean breezes blowing open the doors of our brand new Montauk studio… and our East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Watermill and Malibu studios are ready to go. We are busy putting together some awesome summer playlists that will be perfect for a long run on the beach. At night we are labeling our girl's T-shirts and getting them ready for (gulp) their first summer at sleep-away camp, and, of course, the steamy temperatures provide us with the perfect excuse to cool down with frozen yogurt (our addiction) at least twice a day. Perhaps the greatest thing about summer is the freedom to move our bodies outside with our friends! A swim in the ocean, a hike in the canyon, paddle boarding on a flat lake or an evening sunset walk with our kids. It is the best reminder that movement should be part of our lifestyle. SoulCycle was founded on the belief that fitness should be joyful. When we met in New York City nearly ten years ago, we were determined to find a fun, efficient alternative to the fitness routines that made working out a chore. We wanted SoulCycle to be something for people to look forward to, rather than just another item on the to-do list. Inspirational instructors, candlelit rooms and rock-star music make each 45-minute class a total "cardio party.” This month on The Chalkboard Mag, we're excited to share our healthy life strategies from snacks that keep us energized, to exercise routines that are guaranteed to put the fun back in your fitness. And look out for some fabulous SoulCycle and Pressed Juicery giveaways. We can't wait to kick off this summer with you! Love, Elizabeth + Julie

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