I'm obsessed with breakfast grain bowls, those meals-in-a-bowl that have an air of West Coast hippie and are more about foraging in the fridge than actual cooking. Once you master the basic formula, you'll never ask yourself "what's for breakfast" (or lunch) again. Now it's just a bowl with everything you love in it.

1. CHOOSE YOUR GRAIN

Just use leftover grains/beans/legumes from last night's dinner, or make a big batch on the weekend to feed off of all week long. If you've been curious about a new grain variety, look at the grain bowl as an opportunity to try it. Hearty, flavorful grains like quinoa, sorghum, amaranth, millet, or black rice are all great here. As are beans and lentils. You can always cook your grains (and beans/lentils) in lightly salted water, but you can also add more flavor by simmering it in chicken or vegetable broth.

2. USE A RAINBOW OF RAW AND COOKED VEG

Load up your grain bowl with your favorite raw, roasted, steamed, or even leftover vegetables—the more the merrier. Think about texture here - you want a good balance of crunchy raw vegetables (I love radish) and some heartier roasted fare (roasted root vegetables are my go-to). Greens, raw or sautéed, are always a great addition. Think about color, too—you'll get the most nutritious bowl with a rainbow of vegetables.

3. PUT AN EGG ON IT

Unlike most dishes, meat isn’t the star here. Grain bowls don't need a ton of protein to be completely satisfying. Usually, an egg is the only extra protein you need. Poached, sunny-side up, or soft-boiled—they all pair well with grain bowls, thanks to that luscious runny yolk.

4. USE LOTS OF SAUCE

Be generous with your sauce - it’s truly what holds your grain bowl together. Douse your bowl anything from tamari soy sauce or tahini to straight up sriracha or hot sauce (which always pairs perfectly with an egg). Don’t underestimate the potential of adding salsa, hummus, guacamole (or anything you might dip a chip into). And another crazy idea? Mix a couple of your sauces together—sometimes, they just taste better that way.

5. FINISH WITH SOMETHING TANGY AND CRUNCHY

Just one or two final ingredients really help your grain bowl pop. I usually go for something with a bit of acid and some kind of crunch. That can be anything from feta and kimchee to sprouts and roasted seeds to crunchy seaweed sheets and a squeeze of lime. Let your intuition steer the way here—no breakfast bowl can ever be wrong (no matter how weird).

This post was originally created for EPICURIOUS - see the feature here!

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was filled with the usual binge-baking and food-hoarding, just as I like it. Never have I purchased so much food all measured in pounds. Two pies, six dishes and 7 guest later, we had Thanksgiving.

WILD MUSHROOM GRAVY (Gluten-free)

1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, diced

3 cups cremini mushrooms, diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, diced

1 1/2 cups porcini mushrooms, diced

1 1/2 cups oyster mushrooms, diced

3 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons marsala wine

1 tablespoons butter (reserve 1T)

3 springs thyme, de-stemmed

3 sage springs, minced

3 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon maldon sea salt

1. Combine butter, mushrooms and shallots in a large skillet. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes before adding the marsala wine and herbs. Continue cooking this mixture until reduced. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, add tablespoon of buter and flour. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes before adding broth and salt. Once broth heats up, add mushroom mixture.

3. Add tapioca starch in small amounts and stir well. Cook over low-medium heat and reduce for 15-20 minutes. Once mixture thickens, either serve warm or puree using a hand blender until desired texture.

ROSEMARY AND CHESTNUT STUFFING WITH LEEK, FENNEL AND MUSHROOM (Gluten-free)

1 carton baby bella mushrooms, diced

1 leek, sliced thin

1/4 cup fennel, diced

6 slices millet bread, cubed

6 slices other gluten-free bread (see note*)

2 large carrots, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

5 shallots, minced

1 cup chestnuts, halved

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 sage leaves, minced

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

4 sprigs thyme, de-stemmed and minced

Maldon sea salt to taste

1. Add cubed bread to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle bread with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until golden and toasted.

2. While bread toasts, combine butter, garlic, shallots and leek until softened. Then, add carrots, celery, fennel and mushrooms to the mixture. Cook over medium heat until tender.

3. In a large bowl. combine toasted bread and vegetable mixture with chestnuts, broth and seasoning. Mix well and add to deep baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and tender.

*I used Gluten-free Girl’s homemade brad with rosemary for the 2nd bread in this stuffing. I would also recommend something from Udi’s Ancient Grains line.

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD, GARLIC AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

(Gluten-free / Vegan)

7-8 cups brussel sprouts, sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Maille Old-style Mustard (or other whole-grain mustard)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 lemons, juice and zest

3/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon maldon sea salt

1. To make the dressing: combine garlic, lemon, oil, salt, mustard and vinegar in a mason jar and shake well. In a large bowl, combine dressing with sliced brussels. Mix well and spread evenly on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until crispy and browned.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH BROWN BUTTER, SAGE, ROSEMARY AND THYME

(Gluten-free)

1 celeriac, skinned and cubed

1 large bunch of carrots, diced

3-4 parsnips, cubed

4 cups pumpkin or kabocha, cubed

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 sprigs rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped

4 sprigs of thyme, de-stemmed and chopped

4-5 sage leaves, minced

4-5 tablespoons of butter

Maldon sea salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add butter to saucepan and cook over low-medium heat. Cook until the butter smells nutty with brown flecks.

2. Add all prepared vegetables to extra-large baking sheet. Drizzle brown butter evenly (make sure to scrape all the brown bits out!) and top with fresh herbs. Season with sea salt and bake for 45-50 minutes or until softened and tender.

MAPLE, CRANBERRY & SWEET CHERRY PIE WITH WALNUT, OAT CRUMBLE (Gluten-free)

Crust (Adapted from Artisanal Gluten-free Cooking):

2 1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s)

6 tablespoons butter, frozen

2 teaspoons apple cider vineegar

1/3 cup cold water

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon maldon sea salt

Whisk together flour and salt before grating 1 stick of butter into the mixture. In another bowl, mix together egg, water and vinegar. Make a well in the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until dough forms. Divide into 2 pieces and chill for 30 minutes.

Filling:

3 cups cranberries, whole

4 cups frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained

1/3 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cranberries, cherries, vanilla and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add starch, brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Take dough out of the oven. Roll out and form crust into a greased pie dish. Add filling to pie crust and set aside.

Topping:

1/2 cup gluten-free oats

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used sorghum)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

6 tablespoons butter, frozen

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine walnuts, oats, almond meal and flour in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Grate in frozen stick of butter. Drizzle in maple syrup and combine until crumbly. Add mixture to the top of pie and bake for 45-50 minutes at 375 or until crust is browned and fruit is bubbling.

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE AND PEAR PIE WITH ALMOND CRUST (Gluten-free)

Crust: (Adapted from La Tartine Gourmand)

2/3 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum

6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Pulse first five ingredients together in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until crumbs form. Then, add egg and water until dough comes away from the bowl. Divide into 4 flour-dusted balls, cover in syran wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Filling:

2-3 large honeycrisp apples, sliced thin

2 large bosc pears, sliced thin

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

Once dough is chilled, roll out and for crust in a greased pie pan. Fan out pears and apples in an overlapping “galette style”. Brush melted butter as you set the fruit, drizzling in granulated sugar evenly over each layer. Reserve a small amount of butter for the crust and coat with brown sugar. Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is browned and fruit is bubbling.

Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoon maldon sea salt

Cook the sugar and water together over low heat until dissolved. Add butter and bring to a low boil. Continue cooking at a low boil until mixture turns a deep, brown color. It may take a while, but be sure the heat isn’t too high as it will be ruined if it begins smoking. Stir is sea salt. Once pie is baked, drizzle caramel topping over pie and top with more sea salt.