Kale Salad Balance Bowl

Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!

Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!

Balance bowls, buddha bowls, nourish bowls…call them what you want, but what’s not to love about a heaping bowl of wholesome and nourishing food?  This bliss bowl has me pretty much obsessed, I could eat it every day!  Prep the ingredients once for multiple meals all week long!

Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!

I sound like a broken record, but stock your refrigerator with healthy food and you will eat healthy food!  This one was easy to adapt for kids as well, I simply roasted a small tray of sweet potatoes without the harissa as it is a bit spicy.  You can mix and match the ingredients as you please.  Throw in tofu instead of beans, sub crunchy romaine for kale, butternut squash in place of sweet potatoes…get creative with it!  I had cooked quinoa lingering in the fridge, so I threw that in too.  You pretty much can’t go wrong!  To optimize the nutrition of your bowl make sure it contains leafy green veggies, clean protein and lots of color!

Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!

My go-to black bean recipe is this one here, made in the crockpot!  Super simple and way better than canned beans!  I seasoned the roasted sweet potatoes with powdered harissa, which is blend of cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic and sea salt.  If you don’t have powdered harissa, season sweet potatoes with a dash of each or just add cumin and sea salt which would taste great as well!

Recipe adapted from Food52

Kale Salad Balance Bowl
 
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Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the roasted sweet potatoes:
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (~1½ cups)
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon powdered harissa
  • sea salt to taste
For the sweet tahini dressing:
  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons Bragg's Amino Acids (or tamari/soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons agave (or maple syrup)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon miso paste
For the salad:
  • 3 cups kale, destemmed and chopped
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • 1 cup cooked black beans (or canned beans, rinsed and drained)
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons dried fruit such as cranberries or raisins
Instructions
Roasted Sweet Potatoes:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss cubed sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, transfer to a baking sheet and sprinkle with powdered harissa and sea salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Sweet Tahini Dressing:
  1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until well combined and emulsified.
Salad:
  1. In a bowl, drizzle kale with olive oil and add a dash of sea salt. Use hands to massage kale until well coated with oil.
  2. Add beans, massaged kale and roasted sweet potatoes to a bowl. Toss in cooked quinoa and a few dried cranberries if desired. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

The recipe for the sweet tahini dressing makes roughly 1 1/2 cups, store in an air-tight container for later use!

Kale Salad Balance Bowl with black beans, harissa roasted sweet potatoes and sweet tahini dressing for a balanced dinner in a bowl!

meatless monday meal ~curried quinoa and black bean stew~

I’m trying to get this recipe to you in between taking care of a sick husband and a stir-crazy toddler…envious of me right now???

Didn’t think so!

Ok, here it is!  My new “go-to” stew!!!

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s a really easy recipe to throw together…literally, just throw it together!  Feel free to modify, if you don’t have shallots, use an onion.  If you don’t have quinoa, try brown rice.  If you don’t have almond butter, use peanut butter.  No coconut oil?  Use olive oil!  I’m pretty sure this recipe is fool-proof!

Curried Quinoa and Black Bean Stew ~vegan, gluten free~

Curried Quinoa and Black Bean Stew

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 shallot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons curry powder

4 cups veggie broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

large handful fresh cilantro

2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

sea salt and pepper

-In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat.

-Add shallots, garlic, celery, carrot, ginger and saute until fragrant.

-Next, add broth, water, sweet potato, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, curry powder, quinoa, almond butter and bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft and quinoa is cooked.

-Add black beans and spinach, cook until spinach is wilted.

-If needed, add more water.  Season with sea salt and pepper as needed

-Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

bbq sweet potato and black bean burgers

Here is another recipe that is healthy and cheap!

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive!!!  Canned beans can be found for under $1.00 a can or you can make your own for even less!  These homemade black bean burgers are not only less expensive than beef, but they are much healthier for you too!

While it would be ideal if everyone ate more vegetarian meals, I know a plant based diet isn’t for all.  However, by replacing just one meal a week with a vegetarian option you will decrease your risk of developing diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Also, recent studies found that those who eat a mostly plant-based diet live a longer life!  (You can read more here)  Not only will your body thank you for eating meat-less meals, but so will the planet!  It is estimated that the beef industry is responsible for 1/5 of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.  Slow down this trend by trying out these burgers tonight!

BBQ Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers ~vegan, gluten-free, grain-free~

BBQ Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup flax seed meal

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (preferably a brand that does not use high-fructose corn syrup!)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for frying

BBQ sweet potato and black bean burgers ~vegan, gluten free, grain free~

~Fill a medium pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Add sweet potatoes and cook until tender, drain and let cool.

-In a small skillet, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and place over medium-low heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent.  Remove from heat and let cool.

-In a food processor, add black beans and cooled sweet potatoes, pulse a few times until “mashed” but not pureed.  Remove from food processor and place in a large bowl.

-Add onion/garlic mixture, flax meal, bbq sauce and salt.  Mix until well combined.

-Using your hands, form into burgers.  (using about 1/4 – 1/3 of mixture for each burger)

-In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Place burger in skillet and let cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or crispy and warmed through.

~These burgers can be served on a salad or as a sandwich!  Top with avocado, salsa, cheese and/or sprouts, enjoy!~

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