Courteney Cox has been all about sharing her home cooking on Instagram recently, and her latest recipe sounds too good to pass up. In a recent video, the former Friends star reveals how she made a vegetable and protein bowl inspired by a dish served at a restaurant located in the Fred Segal department store. The simple recipe requires just four main ingredients: three vegetables and a protein, and that's about it. (Related: TikTok's Take On Healthy Candy Is a Spin On the Nestlé Crunch Bar)
"I have no idea how to make it, but I'm going to wing it," said Cox in the clip. Cut to shots of a slew of different vegetables and spices on the Cougar Town alum's counter. She gets started by chopping broccoli to steam with minced garlic, olive oil, low sodium soy sauce, and salt in a large covered sauté pan on the stove.
Cox also cooks ground chicken with olive oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and mild taco seasoning in another stovetop pan. Then, she dumps sliced mushrooms into the pan with the rest of her vegetables, including zucchini, at the end, noting that they should go in last "because they cook the fastest." (Related: All the Health Benefits of Zucchini, Explained)
Cox finally tastes her handiwork — nearly burning her tongue in the process. Even still, the results were "so good," she said. In case her video moves too quickly for you to keep up, the 57-year-old actress broke down the entire recipe for fans in the caption of her Instagram post, simply calling her dish "One protein, three vegetables." (She hilariously tagged the clip #courteneycoox.)
People cheered Cox on in the comments. "You totally pulled a Monica 👏," joked a fan, referencing her Friends character, who was a chef. "Your recipes are the best!!! 😍😍😍" said another.
The easy-to-make dish makes for a healthy, balanced meal, according to health coach Jessica Cording, R.D., C.D.N., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. "She's got protein, a variety of vegetables that are offering some fiber, minerals, and antioxidants — all of that is great," she explains. "The veggies offer a little bit of carbs, but for those who want or need more, there is absolutely room for a serving of a whole grain," Cording adds. You can include brown rice, quinoa, or a slice of whole grain bread, she suggests. (Psst: Here's Why Carbs Are Actually So Important for Your Workouts)
Cording gives Cox high marks for seasoning her food too. "That's really important for getting people to eat healthy foods," says Cording. "You need to season them properly so they're appealing." The recipe is also "very approachable," making it easy for other people to cook, she adds.
Another perk is that you can mix it up, depending on the foods you have in your fridge. "It lends itself really well to customization, so you can play with the ingredients and seasoning," explains Cording.
The only caveat is that there are two sources of sodium in this dish: the soy sauce and the table salt. "If you're watching your sodium intake, you might want to tweak the amount you use," says Cording. "But otherwise, this is a very well-balanced meal."
Head to Cox's Instagram page for all of the details on how to make her simple vegetable and protein bowl. It's just the thing for an easy work lunch or weeknight dinner.
Find Out How to Make Courteney Cox's Vegetable and Protein Bowl – Shape Magazine
