My summer has already been off to a fast start with minimal lazy days to occupy my time. First it was my husband’s family reunion down at the beaches in Delaware and then we turned around and had our annual Fourth of July weekend up in Lenox, MA to see the James Taylor concert with our good friends. Always a great time.
The food though, oh the food. With two long weekends in a row, no kitchen to cook out of and extra large groups of people to coordinate, choices become severely limited. Have you been to Rehoboth Beach? It was my first time on a boardwalk. Funnel cakes, monster size french fries, ice cream, you name the junk food, it was there. I did manage to find a veggie burger on our last day – a total triumph!
On vacation you sometimes need to bend the rules a little bit, but when I get back home I go right into action. I want greens from my garden, lots of them, I want whole grains and I want superior protein, be that beans or an amazing piece of salmon.
Of course it has to taste good too. And look beautiful in a bowl.
Sometimes it is called a Buddha Bowl. When I was younger there was an old school health food restaurant that made a Planet Bowl. Call it what you will, this meal fits nicely in a bowl and is so nourishing. The only requirements is that it contains tons of vegetables, usually brown rice or quinoa (your choice) and a great protein. All topped with a Lemony Miso Tahini Dressing (very cleansing). It feels so healthy and good that you will want to make this after every decadent food weekend.
After my first weekend away I made my Bowl with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, quinoa and chickpeas. This go around is a bit different, though I made the same dressing. Steamed brown rice, tons of sautéed kale, watercress and dandelion (good for your liver) along with grilled salmon. My greens are going gangbusters in my garden at the moment and I need to use them up.
I wanted to simply sauté my greens with some extra virgin olive oil and a healthy dose of chopped garlic. A sprinkle of coarse sea salt and pepper, and done!
I had already made the brown rice earlier in the day and while the salmon was grilling (again, simple with salt and pepper), I made the Lemony Tahini Miso Dressing. Tahini, which is sesame seed paste, and miso, are two great for you ingredients. Sesame seeds are a concentrated source of copper, manganese, calcium and magnesium. One thing I especially love about miso is the beneficial bacteria it contains – so good for your stomach and intestines. You can easily find both of these ingredients at Whole Foods or a health food store.
By the way, this is a delicious sauce to make extra of. You can use it as a salad dressing, on steamed veggies and over all sorts of grains. Yum!
After I made my dinner tonight, I decided it should have a new name, the Green Palette Bowl. Enjoy and feel good!
Green Palette Bowl
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 pound salmon, grilled, or other protein
4 bunches of greens such as kale, collards and/or dandelion, chopped and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Lemony Tahini Miso Dressing
1/3 cup tahini
2 tablespoons white miso
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup warm water
Directions
- Make the greens: in a large sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it burn. Add the damp greens with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and continue to sauté until the greens are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing: In a blender or mini food processor, add all the dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- In a bowl add the sautéed greens. Top with 1/2 cup of brown rice and the salmon (if using). Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy.
