Please enter the email you’re using for this account.
Grain bowls are a staple meal at my house and this is our family’s spin on a traditional grain bowl. This bowl is particularly special because it is my daughter’s favorite (“Cha Cha” is her nickname!). What I love the most about grain bowls is that you can easily prepare most of the ingredients ahead and have leftovers for days (switch up the sauce to change the flavor, if desired). This savory and satisfying bowl is filled with tons of fiber from the quinoa, chickpeas, potatoes and kale, and the plant diversity will help fuel your digestive health and keep your “good” gut bugs happy. If you are working on reintroducing foods into your diet, this recipe offers a lot of flexibility for adding in smaller amounts of ingredients or foods that you may not have previously tolerated.
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
juice of 1 lemon (or approximately 1/4 cup [60 milliliters] Tuscanini Lemon Juice)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch (1.3-centimeter) cubes (approximately 4 cups [525 grams])
4 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup (85 grams) quinoa (see Notes)
1 cup (240 milliliters) water
1/4 teaspoon salt
15.5-ounces [439-grams] Tuscanini Chickpeas (see Notes)
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Pereg Cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) avocado oil
4 cups (268 grams) chopped Tuscan kale, stems removed (see Notes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) avocado oil
juice of 1 lemon (or approximately 1/4 cup [60 milliliters] Tuscanini Lemon Juice)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) warm water
1/4 cup (60 milliliters) Haddar Baracke Tahini (sesame paste)
1 bunch Italian parsley, cleaned and chopped
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).
To make the marinade, in a small bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, salt, pepper, turmeric, lemon juice and oregano.
Spread the sweet potato cubes evenly across a baking sheet. Nestle the chicken thighs between the sweet potatoes and then pour the marinade over the chicken and sweet potatoes. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius) with an instant-read thermometer and the sweet potatoes are tender. Let cool slightly, then chop the chicken and remove the skin if desired.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the quinoa with the water and salt according to the package instructions.
For the chickpeas, drain, rinse and dry the chickpeas with a paper towel. Add the avocado oil to a medium sauté pan over medium heat and when it is warm, add the chickpeas. Season with the salt, pepper and cumin. For added spice add the chili powder. Sauté until fragrant, approximately five minutes, then set aside in a bowl.
In the same pan (with chickpeas removed) prepare the kale. Add the avocado oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the kale and sauté until wilted, two to three minutes. Sprinkle with the salt. Remove from the heat and set aside in a bowl.
To make the tahini sauce, in a small bowl, whisk the avocado oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, water and tahini until creamy. Add additional tablespoons (15 ml) of hot water one at a time if necessary to allow tahini to mix well.
Assemble the bowls by layering the quinoa, kale, sweet potatoes, chicken and tahini sauce, and finish with a sprinkle of the parsley if desired.
Reprinted with permission from The Healthy, Happy Gut Cookbook by Dr. Heather Finley. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Becca Sue Hicks. Purchase on Amazon.
How Would You
Rate this recipe?
Please log in to rate
Reviews