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Tag: vegetarian main dish

Golden Bowl Recipe – with vegan and gluten free options

We are in the middle of very strange times now with regards to food shopping. Can you maintain a healthy, whole food, based diet while hunkering down at home? Check out this recipe for an easy and delicious dinner that you can customize to suit even your pickiest of eaters. The golden sauce hits on savory, sweet, salty, and garlicky notes, and it’s golden hue brightens up any winter day. I did add some sour cream and shredded cheese to my bowl, but you could easily sub non dairy cheese, or just leave these off to make a vegan version.

Start with your favorite grains (I used brown rice, but feel free to sub quinoa, bulgar, or even a short pasta like orzo), add your choice of beans, greens, sliced avocado, peppers, a handful of cilantro, sliced olives, then top it with the sauce. I used canned beans, but you could for sure use dried beans. The hardest, or most time consuming part of this is the prep, so if you slice your veggies and cook your beans and rice ahead of time, you will have a quick and easy supper ready in minutes. Feel free to adjust the ingredients based on your tastes and what you currently have on hand.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Golden sauce ingredients

 

Golden Bowl

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 can (or about 2 cups) cooked black beans
  •  3/4 can (or about 1 cup) cooked garbanzo beans (you will use some of these in the sauce recipe below…)
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp of tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 bunch of kale, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 handful of cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp sliced black olives
  • 1 Tbsp golden sauce (see below for recipe)
  • Optional toppings: 2 Tbsp sour cream, and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese

 

Golden Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup cooked garbanzo beans (save the rest of the can to use in the bowl)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • juice and zest from one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp of nutritional yeast
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup water

To make the sauce: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If you make it ahead and store it in the fridge it will thicken a little. Add more water, and shake it up, to thin it if needed. I ended up with a pourable salad dressing type consistency.

 

Directions:

  1. Prepare golden sauce (you can do this up to three days ahead)
  2. Cook rice as directed.
  3. Saute kale for a couple of minutes in coconut oil, then add tamari.
  4. Warm beans.
  5. Assemble your bowl: layer about 1/4 cup rice, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/3 cup garbanzos, 1/4 of the cooked kale, 1/4 of the sliced avocado, 1/4 of the sliced peppers, 1 tsp olives, and as much cilantro as you like. Drizzle a spoonful of golden sauce on top, add your (optional) sour cream, and cheese, and serve! This will make 2-4 bowls depending on your appetite, so just about perfect for a family of four.

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

One of my ladies sent me this recipe for baked sweet potatoes. It is one of her family’s favorite recipes (even the kids eat it!). As I LOVE sweet potatoes, I was eager to try it out. It is simple, and aside from the smoked paprika – which I found at QFC – the ingredients are fairly straightforward. You really do need to use smoked paprika, it imparts and smoky but not too spicy flavor. In fact I’ve been adding it to everything from rice, chicken, beans…

Check out this recipe and let me know what you think.

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • 3 Large sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise into wedges (4-8 wedges each, depending on the size of your potatoes)
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes, divided
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup plain (unsweetened), full fat yogurt
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 green peppers, trimmed, and thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and grease both pans with one tablespoon of olive oil.
  3. In a large bowl, mix honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper flakes. Toss yams in the honey mixture and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika and salt, to taste. Toss chickpeas in olive oil and spices.
  5. On the first baking sheet, spread yams out on in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until nicely toasted underneath. Flip wedges over and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Turn the oven to broil and cook for one final minute, to crisp and brown the edges.
  6. On second baking sheet, spread out chickpeas. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, rolling around once or twice so that they cook evenly, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside.
  7. While your veggies are roasting, mix yogurt, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and lime juice together in a small dish, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Arrange sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a platter. Drizzle with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with onions, and remaining pepper flakes, and serve!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Looking for a meatless main dish?  Here is a hearty option the whole family will love.  Most of these spices can be found at the grocery store or definitely at the Asian market.  The tomatoes, spinach, ginger, turmeric, garlic and onions all help detoxify the body and are part of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry:

  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 Large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 inch of fresh ginger root, finely chopped
  • 1 Green chili, seeded and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp curry paste
  • 2 Tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tsp Turmeric
  • 8 oz can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 Green or Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 ¼ cups vegetable stock
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 8 oz fresh spinach
  • 14oz can of chickpeas
  • 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • brown rice

Heat Olive oil in a large heavy pan and cook the chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and chili over gentle heat for five minutes, until onion has softened but not browned.  Stir in the curry paste, ground cumin and turmeric and cook for one minute.

Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, red pepper, tomato paste and stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.  Check the peas to see if they are tender enough.  Stir in the spinach and cilantro and let them wilt.  Spoon into serving bowls, sprinkle with the Graham Masala and serve with rice or naan.