While traveling in Aruba for my big 40 celebration my husband was looking for something to eat before boarding the plane back home. Like me, he looks for the healthier option and came across a spot that had these power bowls. All looked really yum but he went with their Mediterranean bowl as we both love us some european inspired food! Ever since then he has been asking me to recreate it at home so this week we decided to meal prep it for our lunches together. Simple ingredients and it really didn’t take long to put everything together.
The base is quinoa which I cooked the day before so it was ready to measure out. I love Trader Joes Organic tri-color quinoa but any brand will do. Then we topped it with chopped red onions, baby cucumbers, kalamata olives, artichokes and sprinkled feta cheese on top. We also ended up adding in fresh spinach leaves and cherry tomatoes (not pictured though) as an after thought because well why not! My husband will be adding in grilled chicken to his bowls. I think shrimp or hard boiled eggs would go great too! I am counting the quinoa as my plant protein for this bowl.
You could use any dressing that is your favorite but I made a roasted red pepper sauce that really married all the ingredients together deliciously! Just pick up a jar of roasted red peppers or from the mediterranean bar at our local food store (or even roast your own!) along with 2 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, S&P and some silvered almonds. Blend well together until a smooth creamy sauce is formed. I portioned out some into a small mason jar (in pic above) to bring with me to work. The remaining ingredients I left in a bigger mason jar for my husbands half. I love mason jars for storage and they are so cheap to find at your local craft store!
These grab and go bowls are great for meal prep! I purchase them from Amazon and use them often! Sunday’s is when I plan and prep my lunch for the week and prepare these bowls. This way in the morning before work I literally just grab & go! No excuses! You know what they say, fail to plan – plan to fail. I will also grab an apple to go with my power bowl. I love the crunch and sweetness after my lunch – satisfies any sweet cravings that I might have.
Over the years meal prep has been an integral part of my success to keeping those unwanted pounds off, saving money by cooking at home, knowing your ingredients and staying away from making impulse food decisions. It is a win win all around! New to meal prepping 101? Why not start with giving these bowls a try and see how it goes! Message me if you need ideas or guidance – I love to meal prep!
Love this recipe? Comment and share with your friends – tag me on IG too! Would love to see your creation!
Mediterranean Power Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup olives - chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion - chopped
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 can artichoke hearts - drained and chopped
- Fresh spinach leaves - optional
- Diced tomatoes - optional
- Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1 jar roasted red peppers - drained
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- sprinkle red pepper flakes optional
- S&P to taste
- Blend together in food processor until smooth.
Instructions
- For each bowl divide evenly cooked quinoa (I used 1/2 cuwith olives, red onion, cucumbers, feta, artichokes and spinach, and tomatoes if using.
- Add in chicken or other protein or keep separate if you want to heat it up before adding into bowls.
- Keep red pepper sauce separate until ready for consumption - then drizzle on.
- Mix everything well and enjoy!!
xo-cherise
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