Every Sunday I prep 8 bowls for the week for grab and go lunches Monday – Thursday. If I don’t do this, my husband inevitably ends up eating 2 Kind bars for lunch. Not good for him, and probably not good for his co-workers.
This is a Fall variation with a kale and quinoa base, topped with roasted butternut squash and carrots, pickled onions, and rotisserie chicken. The dressing a creamy, spicy Tumeric Tahini Sauce. Everything is topped with a scatter of fresh mint and parsley and hemp hearts.
This can easily be made vegan by substituting chickpeas for the chicken.
Why it fuels
- Turmeric contains the curcumin which decrease inflammation and can help with recovery and injury prevention.
- Tahini is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which increase oxygen delivery to the heart. It also has high amounts of magnesium and phosphorus for increased bone density and injury prevention.
- Hemp hearts are full of omega-3, omega-6 and are a fantastic plant-based source of protein – they are 30% protein.
Ingredients
For the dressing
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1/2 – 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 2 tbsp. tahini
For the salad
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 cup diced butternut squash
- 1 cup diced carrots (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Rotisserie chicken (or chickpeas)
Toppings
- hemp hearts
- chopped mint
- chopped parsley
- pickled onions*
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Toss the butternut squash and carrots in the olive oil and roast until soft and browned on the edges.
- Meanwhile, toss the kale and quinoa together and place in the bottom of 2 bowls.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together.
- Add the chicken or chickpeas to the top of the kale/quinoa. Then add the roasted veggies.
- Drizzle with the dressing.
- Top with pickled onions, hemp hearts, herbs, or any nuts, etc you’d like.
*I always keep pickled onions in the fridge. Simply slice a red onion and place in a saucepan with enough white vinegar to almost cover them, 1 tbsp. honey (or sugar), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Store in an airtight container for about a week or so.
Makes about 2 bowls.
