Happy New Year!
How do you start off your year? If you are like 40% of Americans, you probably make resolutions to get focused on your health, exercise and generally start off on the ‘right’ foot. I used to think this was ridiculous, why not be on the ‘right’ foot all year long? However I’ve come around. Not to the resolution part per say but at least to the intention setting and really, using the New Year as a check in opportunity and to reset. Why not take the start of a new year as an opportunity to set a renewed focus on yourself and self care? I also think most of us use January as a time to say, wait I ate a lot more sugar, drank more alcohol and probably hit the gym less than normal in November/December. Why not get back into gear in January? This bowl will be perfect for this reset and to bring your focus to healthy, nourishing food.
I chose to pair this bowl that has, plant based protein, quality carbohydrates, gut friendly fermented foods and healthy fats, with a soundtrack that feels as inspiring as getting to the gym on January 1st. Flashdance, with its killer soundtrack, is a sure fire way to keep your energy and spirits high as you focus on resetting your year. Did you also know that 80% of resolutions fail by February? Use Flashdance’s high energy songs and lyrics to continue to guide your motivation past February. Take Maniac for example, “On the wire between will and what will be.” How do you turn what will into what will be?
Regarding food and resolutions to eat healthier, one key piece to staying on track is making sure that your food is filling, satisfying and has a mix of protein, slow digesting carbs and satiating heart supportive fats. This bowl (and many others like it) will be one way to make sure all of these needs are met.
I’m resetting my year with a renewed focus on meal planning, making sure I’ve got quality lunches, preparing my body for a 30 day yoga challenge and exploring a dry January. How will I judge success? Not by what I accomplish (or don’t) but by what I’ve learned from the experience and of course, how many times I listened to Maniac as inspiration for my gym workouts.
Spotify doesn’t have the full album available. A Youtube search can yield the full album if you don’t have access to it any other way.
Mediterranean-Inspired Bowl
Makes 4-6 servings (enough for dinner and a few lunches!)
Ingredients
- 2 purple or yellow sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tbsp of avocado oil
- 2 tbsp of zaatar
- 1 bunch of kale, washed
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
The following are estimates of the amount you will need to make 4-6 bowls. Adjust more or less of these to your taste.
- 2 cups of cooked bulgur
- 1/2 cup of sauerkraut
- 1/4 cup of pitted olives (kalamata, ideally), chopped
- 5-6 stalks of pickled rhubarb**, sliced
- 4 tbsp of hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup of tahina sauce*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and boil for 3-5 minutes to start the cooking process. They will not be done and will not be fork tender. Drain and place into a cookie sheet or baking pan. Drizzle the avocado oil on top and using your hands, mix well to coat. Sprinkle the za’atar on top, mix again and place into the oven.
- Roast the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and toss on the baking sheet. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until tender and just slightly crispy on the edges.
- While the potatoes are baking, remove the kale leaves from their stems, rip into bite sized pieces and pour the olive oil on top. Using your hands, massage the kale. Literally, give it a nice 2-5 minutes massage. This will make sure it is tender and an incredible texture for a grain bowl.
- In terms of active time, that is about it! Next, assemble.
- In a cereal bowl or slightly more shallow bowl, place about 1/2 cup of the grains, 1/2 cup of the za’atar roasted sweet potatoes and one cup of the kale so that the bottom of the bowl is covered. Next, top with sauerkraut, chopped olives, pickled rhubarb and hemp hearts. Drizzle the tahina sauce on top and enjoy!
Notes
I love this bowl! It is so versatile. If you don’t have the rhubarb, sub another pickled veg or even some sliced carrots or cucumbers. The key to this bowl is a difference in textures. The tender sweet potatoes, the slightly chewy bulgur, crunchy kale and even crunchier sauerkraut plus the heart healthy rich olives and protein from the hemp hearts.
The tahina sauce is directly taken from the Zahav cookbook. Michael Solomonov has his hummus recipe down pat and his tahina sauce is so delicious, I’ve been ruined for all other hummus and tahinas in the future. Here is a link to his hummus recipe. The tahina sauce is here also but to make it even easier: In a blender, combine 1/3 cup lemon juice, 4 cloves of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let mixture sit 10 minutes. Add tahini, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 tsp cumin, and blend until a thick paste forms. Add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water while blender is running, a little at a time, until sauce is smooth. You’re looking for a perfectly smooth, creamy sauce. It may freeze up momentarily while you add the ice water but should relax and smooth out. I often use a food processor for the first part and whisk in the tahini with the ice water myself. It is meditative to see it come together so magically.
The pickled rhubarb is from one of my previous blog posts. It has been such a treat to have the brightly flavored and colored rhubarb from the summer CSA during this winter. This will link you to the recipe: https://licoricepizzapie.com/2017/07/14/pickled-rhubarb-salad-the-far-field/
Frozen rhubarb will work just as well to pickle if you so desire. Remember the rhubarb won’t make or break this recipe as long as you add in a similar texture to replace it.