A "DREAM BOWL" of Healthy Goodness

                                                             Think of the fierce energy
                                                     concentrated in an acorn! You bury 
                                              it in the ground, and it explodes into an oak! 
                                                             ~George Bernard Shaw


I came across a delicious vegetarian dinner idea in the 2015 February issue of Bon Appetit. The best part of this recipe is it can be changed each and every time you prepare it, depending on what's in your cupboard and which greens are ready to come out of your garden (or off the grocer's shelf). The first time I made this dish I used sliced kale bruised with a nice quality apple cider vinegar. I added cooked forbidden rice and red quinoa as the grain element. Next came the roasted sweet potato cubes, a sprinkling of toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and finally a handful of browned tofu squares. I stirred together a simple vinaigrette and served in a bowl large enough to hold every last ingredient. 

My most recent rendition of this dish included the same kale as the base with sprouted salad seeds thrown in for good measure.

Bruised Kale with Salad Sprouts

I cooked half a cup of farro and adzuki beans and roasted a couple of sweet potatoes.

Adzuki Beans, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chopped Avocado

Needing more healthy fat in our diet, I decided to add chopped avocado and sauteed tempeh instead of tofu. The original recipe called for topping with sauteed Halloumi cheese. Yes, I know that would be scrumptious. I also think a poached egg would stand in wonderfully. 

Crunch was added with toasted sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, but any nuts or seeds would work just as well.

Toasted Sunflower, Sesame and Pumpkin Seeds

Finally, I followed the recipe for Turmeric-Tahini Sauce as called for by Bon Appetit (instead of using a basic vinaigrette thrown together at the last minute).

Turmeric-Tahini Dressing

To make this dressing, whisk 1/4 cup tahini, 3 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 T. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper and 1/4 cup water until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

These incredible ingredients have fed us for two meals this week. A little toasted sourdough bread on the side would be a great addition! Bon Appetit!