I’ve found that my current, very busy stage of life limits the amount of time and energy I have for planning and preparing family dinners. As you probably know, feeding my family nutritious meals is very important to me, so when my husband gets home from work and I tell him we have to get carryout or go out, I feel like a failure. So to limit this feeling of failure, I’ve been throwing together various forms of power bowls or Buddha bowls — whichever you prefer. My go-to is typically a burrito bowl, but I put this Mediterranean power bowl together the other night and loved it so much that I had to share!
The great thing about power bowls is that they combine several elements of flavor, texture, and nutrients into one bowl to create a complete meal. Very little cooking is involved, and the flavors are complemented by a sauce or dressing that goes with all of the ingredients. In this case, I stirred together a simple vegan tzatziki sauce using cashew yogurt, dill, lemon, and garlic.
To make dinner come together even more effortlessly in the evening, you can make almost everything ahead of time, even a day or two in advance if needed. The only part I’d leave until right before serving is the roasted potatoes so they’ll be crispy. The grains, chickpeas, cucumber tomato salad, and tzatziki can be made ahead. Just reheat the chickpeas and grains (or eat cold like a salad!), add a spoon to the serving bowls, and let everyone create their own Mediterranean power bowls.
I used store-bought pita chips because we had them in our house after an event. They do contain oil and salt, so it would be better to make your own by toasting pita bread, or by simply serving your power bowl with whole-wheat pita bread on the side.
- Greek Lemon Chickpeas:
- ¼ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 15.5-oz can chickpeas, drained
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Tomato & Cucumber Salad:
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeds discarded
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegan Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 cup vegan plain yogurt (I like Forager cashew yogurt)
- 1 Tbs. fresh dill, or 2 tsp. dried dill
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. lime juice
- 1 Tbs. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. black pepper
- Roasted Potatoes:
- 1 large Yukon gold potato or 1 medium sweet potato, diced
- Salt and pepper
- Etc.:
- 4 cups watercress, baby spinach, arugula, or other leafy greens of choice
- 2 cups cooked grain of choice (I chose brown rice)
- Pita chips or pita bread
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
- Crumbled vegan feta (optional)
- First, prepare the cucumber tomato salad. Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Cover and place in fridge while you get the rest of the bowls ready.
- Preheat oven to 415 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Next, make the Greek lemon chickpeas. Heat a splash of water in a small pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5 mins. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, taste for seasoning, and heat until warm. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover to keep warm.
- Toss diced potatoes with salt and pepper and spread out onto the lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 mins, toss, then roast about 10 more mins, until the edges are golden and crispy.
- While the potatoes are in the oven, whisk together the tzatziki sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- To assemble to Mediterranean power bowls, place a large handful of greens and about ½ cup of grains in the bottom of each bowl. Then add heaping spoonfuls of chickpeas, cucumber tomato salad, and roasted potatoes. Add crumbled pita chips or wedges of pita bread, vegan feta, tzatziki sauce, and a lemon wedge to each bowl, if desired.
My family really enjoyed these Mediterranean power bowls! All of the flavors complement each other well, and so do the various textures. Since almost everything reheats well, this dish makes great leftovers! I turned my leftovers into a fantastic salad for lunch the next day. You could also stuff them into a pita pouch for a nutritious sandwich. YUM!
Enjoy!
♥ ♥ ♥
Also try my Cuban Harvest Bowl!
Leave a Reply