Tahini Kale Macro Bowl

Sometimes (or really, most of the time) after a long workweek, all I want to do on a Friday night is open up a bottle of wine, put on cozies (technical term for yoga/sweatpants and a top), and lounge around my own apartment. I'm not sure if this is a sign of me getting older - but the moments of pure "me" time are supremely appreciated.

Derek had plans to go out with the guys so I made my own plans which consisted of wine, cheese, a book, a cheesy TV show that I had recorded (cough cough...The Bachelor) and a simple but healthy meal. Perfection.

Recently I had been looking back at some of my older blog posts and I realized two things:

1. Many (most) of my pictures were terrible. Sorry, there's nothing I can do about that now. Chalk it up to bad lighting and a bad camera - and possibly a bad photographer as well.
2. I used to eat so many more "Katie meals" (as I referred to them) which typically consisted of a meatless conglomerate of delicious and healthy grains and vegetables.

So when I had my solo night in - I took full advantage of returning to MY comfort food and prepared a fabulously healthy bowl - largely inspired by a dish I love at a local vegan restaurant - Native Foods. Their version uses: "Grilled Native Tempeh atop steamed kale, brown rice, creamy ginger sesame sauce, tangy sauerkraut and onions. Garnished with gomasio and green onion and served with a crunchy cucumber seaweed salad on the side." However, I always substitute tofu for Tempeh and quinoa for brown rice.

My homemade version added in a few additional substitutions/additions proving that this type of "goddess bowl" if you will, can really be adjusted to your own tastes and preferences and is simple to create if you think of it as, generally: 

• Grain base (quinoa, brown rice, rice, couscous, etc.)
• Sauteed greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, etc.)
• Vegetables (cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, avocado, etc.)
• Protein (tofu, egg, shrimp, chicken, etc.)
• Dressing (your call! though I really like a dressing with a bit of richness from tahini or avocado to bring together the elements of the dish)

Mix it all together and - voila! - you have a delicious, hearty and healthy meal. 

Tahini Kale Macro Bowl (inspired by Native Foods' Sesame Kale Macro Bowl )

serves 2 (approximately)

Ingredients/Directions

Quinoa

• 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and dried
• scant 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth

In a medium pot set over medium-high heat, add the quinoa and let it "toast" for about 90 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from burner (but keep the lid on) and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers 

• 1 medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seed scooped out, thinly sliced 
• 1/4 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp black sesame seeds
• pinch salt and pepper

Combine sriracha and the following 6 ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into a bowl with sliced cucumbers. Stir to mix. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Steamed Kale

• 1 head dino (lacinato) kale, ribbed and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 2 tsp salt
• water

In a large pan with a lid, add enough water to cover the base and rise about 1/2 inch up. Add the salt and garlic clove. Bring to a boil. Add the kale leaves and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Baked Tofu

• 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed for 20 minutes and then cut into strips about a 1/4 in. thick
• olive oil 
• salt 
• pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Lay tofu on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip them over and do the same for the second side. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden but not dried out, flipping halfway through.

Roasted Portobello

• 1-2 large Portobello caps, sliced into 1/2 wide pieces
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Preheat oven to 400 (you can cook this along with the tofu). Drizzle portobello slices with olive oil and massage to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove from oven and add salt and pepper.

Tahini Lemon Dressing

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp water (or more to achieve desired consistency)
• 1/4 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• pinch of cumin and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine. Add more water if mixture is too thick.

Additional Ingredients

• Sauerkraut 
• Kale Micro Greens

To assemble, place quinoa in a bowl, add steamed kale. Top with sauerkraut and portobello. Add tofu and cucumbers. Pour dressing over. Top with kale micro greens.

This is certainly not a recipe that needs to be followed with precision. Add whatever ingredients you like! Though I will strongly recommend adding the sauerkraut as it adds a fabulous dimension to the dish with its briny crunch. That, along with the rich tahini dressing and refreshing cucumber (and everything else) really creates a party in a bowl.

Speaking of party - I do have to give a nod to my companion for the evening. This wonderful bottle of Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma County Zinfandel Blend. This is NOT the type of Zin that drops a fruit bomb and then quickly departs. Those are typical of the low-end Zinfandels. At $23.99 this is certainly not "high-end" but does distinguish itself from the fruit bombs by adding a nice backbone to it with smooth lingering tannins. I would call this the perfect Friday night-in wine.

Cheers!