Nourished Yogini Bowl

I recently completed a New Year Renewal 14-Day Holistic Cleanse with Vidya Living & I highly recommend it if you're looking for a reset. It was wonderful & such a nourishing & gentle way to “cleanse” ~ no “fasting” in the usual sense of the term, no deprivation, no starving oneself. Just an easing into a cleaner, simpler, gentler way of eating.

With each cleanse experience I always take something away, be it a recipe, a ritual, or a self-care practice. And while I had so many takeaways from the Vidya Cleanse, one of my favorite discoveries was Claire’s Yogi Bowl, which was in our recipe book, as well as on her blog. It follows the simple formula of – a green, a grain, a roasted veggie & a delicious sauce. This is a formula I’ve used myself in the past, but for some reason, the combination of brown rice, roasted sweet potato, kale, & ginger tahini sauce really hit the spot. I found myself craving it every day for lunch & it was so quick & simple to put together that I did eat it for lunch – for days on end. But of course, after days on end, one does crave a bit of variation, so I started to make simple modifications – swapping out the brown rice & adding quinoa, sometimes using curly kale & other times lacinato, & switching up the sauce. I also like the addition of pepitas for crunch & daikon sprouts for an extra boost. The roasted sweet potato, however, is always the constant! Sweet potatoes are the most grounding & nourishing food – absolutely perfect, especially in winter.

NOURISHED YOGINI BOWL Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan (Adapted from Vidya Living) Recipe Type: Salad, Bowl, Meatless Main Cuisine: Vegan

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Tahini Sauce:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup tahini

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• ¼ – ½ cup of water

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest

• ½ tsp sea salt

Salad:

• 6 leaves lacinato kale, washed & cut into ribbons

• 1Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small sweet potato, cubed & roasted

• ½ cup cooked quinoa

• 1 Tbsp gomashio

• Generous sprinkle of raw pepitas

• Handful of sprouts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the sauce: Combine oil, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, water, & sea salt in a blender. Blend until smooth & creamy

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Wash and cut sweet potato into 1″ cubes, toss in olive oil, and sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 375.

3. While roasting, prepare the kale by washing well, removing stems & tearing leaves into small pieces. Place in a bowl & drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on top. Use your hands to massage oil into the kale leaves, making them soft & tender.

4. Once tender, remove the sweet potato from the oven.

5. To serve, scoop ½ cup of warm quinoa on top of the massaged kale. Top with roasted sweet potato, a healthy heaping of lemon-tahini sauce, a big sprinkle of gomashio, pepitas & a handful of sprouts.

What I love about this dish is that many of the components can be prepared in advance, so you can put together a quick & healthy meal in a flash. Bulk cooking on Sundays is a habit I am trying to create these days. Not only is it a relaxing & enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, but it also helps keep me on track for the week! This makes my mornings a breeze, as all I have to do is put the contents of my salad in a container, grab a piece of fruit, or some hummus & veggies & lunch is ready!