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!

rainbow kale slaw

Memorial Day is almost here, the beginning of BBQ season! Here is a crowd pleasing, colorful and healthy salad to serve…Rainbow Kale Slaw!

Rainbow Kale Slaw ~vegan, gluten free~

Adapted from the famous Whole Foods recipe, which is often served at their salad bar, but making it on your own is a lot cheaper! There are too many nutritional components of this salad to list, but just based on the array of colors there is no questioning how healthy it is for you! Kale salads are a great dish that you can make ahead of time, they will hold up in the refrigerator for a while prior to serving. In fact, they even get better with time!

Rainbow Kale Slaw ~vegan, gluten free~

rainbow kale slaw
 
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Rainbow Kale Salad, perfect to serve at summer BBQ's! makes 6 servings
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale, destemmed and chopped thin
  • 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded
  • 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
  • ¼ cup red onion, thinly chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Add kale, cabbage, orang segments, red onion, red bell pepper, pumpkin seeds and cilantro to a big bowl.
  2. Whisk together orange juice, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and evoo. Drizzle on top of slaw and mix well to coat.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour to enhance flavors and soften kale. Enjoy!

Rainbow Kale Slaw ~vegan, gluten free~

 I recommend using a flatter leafed kale, something like lacinato kale.  It makes for an easier time cutting into thin strips.  The dressing is a citrus dijon balsamic vinaigrette, but a peanut sauce would also taste wonderful!  Next time!

Rainbow Kale Slaw ~vegan, gluten free~

I’ve been into pumpkin seeds (A Super Seed!) lately and here’s why:

~Rich in the minerals iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus

~Good source of B vitamins

~High in monounsaturated fat and protein

~Improved prostate health for all the men out there!

~Taste great and adds a healthy crunch to salads and cereal 

Check out this article from Science Daily on the Nine Superfruits and Super Seeds to add to your diet!

green goddess balance bowl

One of my most popular posts to this day is the Balance Bowl, a healthy meal made easy.  Here is a spring version, the Green Goddess Balance Bowl!

Green Goddess Balance Bowl ~vegan, gluten free~

In similar fashion to the original Balance Bowl, this bowl contains the following ingredients to make a perfectly healthy, balanced and healing meal:

1.  Grains:  Quinoa is the base of this bowl.  However, you can use brown rice, millet, farro, barley or baked sweet potato rounds instead!  These whole grains are complex carbohydrates, which give your body the fuel to run at its best!  They are also full of fiber to keep your digestive track running smoothly!  Ladies, aim for at least 25 grams of fiber per day and men, aim for 30 grams per day!

2:  Greens:  Greens, especially from the cruciferous vegetable family are powerful detoxifiers.  They have been proven to support both phase I and phase II of the detoxification process needed to eliminate the build up of toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis.  For best results, aim for at least a cup a day!

3.  Protein:  Veggie protein sources include nuts, seeds, beans, tofu, lentils and certain grains such as quinoa, which contains all essential amino acids.  Many veg heads fall short in the protein category and can become protein deficient.  A teacher of mine once said “you have to earn the right to be vegan.”  Meaning that you need to work really hard to maintain adequate protein status.  It is important to vary your veggie sources of protein to obtain all essential amino acids.  This balance bowl brings in protein from hemp seeds, quinoa, kale and walnuts!

4.  Healthy Fat:  Not only will healthy fats keep you full and satisfied, they will make you beautiful inside and out!  Especially the famous Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids, which are needed for healthy skin, hair, joints, heart health and brain function.  Some veggie sources are hemp seeds, avocados, walnuts, chia seeds and greens.  Read here for a more depth explanation into why they are needed and how they are converted in the body!

5.  Flavor:  Why bother if it’s not flavorful!?!  The dressing I used on this Green Goddess Balance Bowl is keeping with the green theme…basil, lemon and hempseed pesto!  The recipe makes extra to use on avocado toast, salads, grains or soups!

Green Goddess Quinoa Balance Bowl ~vegan, gluten free~

green goddess balance bowl
 
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Makes 2 large portions
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved
  • 1 packed cup kale, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ avocado, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons walnuts
  • For the Hempseed Pesto Dressing:
  • 2 cups packed fresh basil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, around 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  2. Drizzle brussel sprouts with olive oil and add a pinch of sea salt. Roast on 400 until slightly browned and crisp.
  3. Add chopped kale to a small bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of sea salt. Massage until kale is coated with olive oil.
  4. To make Hempseed Pesto Dressing:
  5. Add basil, hemp seeds and lemon juice to a food processor. Blend while slowly adding olive oil, scraping down sides as needed. Flavor with sea salt and pepper.
  6. Arrange bowls with quinoa, brussels sprouts, kale, avocado, walnuts and drizzle with desired amount of pesto dressing.
  7. Enjoy!

 Green Goddess Balance Bowl ~vegan, gluten free~