Healthy

Meal Prep Monday: Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing

8/21/2017 08:05:00 AM

Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing
Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing

Good morning! I couldn't be more thrilled to be posting this new Meal Prep Monday today! It's been over two weeks since my last post, which I'm sure must be a record absence for me. But I'm back! Woohoo! It's been hectic at work, and I've been pulling really long hours, so I've been super exhausted in my downtime. Lots of things that make me feel happy and productive have had to take a back seat - you know, blogging, cooking, the gym, socialising, even laundry and the dishes. (Not that I enjoy doing the laundry or the dishes, but it is a nice feeling when it's all done and the house is clean!) It is easier said than done, but during busy and stressful periods it's more important than ever to eat well and take care of yourself. And with that in mind, let me present to you today's meal prep: Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing.

The idea from this meal prep actually came from a very lazy dinner we had one particularly stressful day. The amazing Sandra knew that I couldn't even think about choosing a recipe to cook, nor face a pile of dirty dishes, but should still eat nourishing food and not just a kebab and chips, so she bought some fab takeaway from Purple Peanuts for us to eat. (My usual is the tuna onigiri with mixed salads and their amazing sesame dressing). She also saw that they sold the dressing in a bottle, so she picked one up for me! Yay!

It was this nourishing meal (and the bottle of delicious salad dressing) that inspired me to make yet another nourishing meal for the week ahead. We've got loads of green veggies, with fresh baby spinach leaves, and tasty roasted broccolini and kale. A base of roast sweet potatoes provides carby comfort, fibre and vitamins, and harissa roast chickpeas add texture, protein and spice. And of course, the roast sesame dressing brings everything together deliciously. I also just realised it's vegetarian! Vegan, in fact. Gluten free! Yeah! Satisfying so many dietary requirements!

Purple Peanuts is a great little Japanese cafe-slash-restaurant in the CBD near Southern Cross Station, but Japanese roast sesame salad dressing seems to be pretty widely available at Japanese and Asian grocers. (I believe the ubiquitous Kewpie is the most popular brand).

Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing
Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing

Let's start with the crisp harissa chickpeas. You may remember the crisp chickpeas from my previous Meal Prep Monday: Rainbow Romesco Salad. This time, I added a teaspoon of fiery harissa to them, and they were even more delicious!

Crisp harissa chickpeas
Crisp harissa chickpeas

And now the roast veggies. Obviously, kale, broccolini and sweet potatoes all take different amounts of time to cook. I started by roasting the sweet potatoes alone for 10 minutes, then added the broccolini for a further 5 minutes, then finally adding the kale for another 5 minutes. One tray, less washing up.

Roast kale, broccolini, sweet potato
Roast kale, broccolini, sweet potato

Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing
Sweet potato and kale bowls with crisp harissa chickpeas and sesame dressing

I was worried these bowls might be a bit too light, but they were definitely filling. They made a great sustaining lunch for a busy work week. Of course, if you have a bigger appetite than me, you could easily scale these up, add brown rice, or add more protein in the form of, say, a hardboiled egg or some grilled chicken. However, I don't think anything needed to change. I gotta say, I was pretty pleased that I managed to make what was essentially a bowl of vegetables taste so delicious. Those harissa chickpeas are the bomb. I want them with everything now!


Roast Sweet Potato, Broccolini and Kale
Cut 2 small sweet potatoes into 2-cm chunks. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 200C for 10 minutes. Cut 1 bunch of broccolini into half crosswise. Add to the tray with the sweet potato, drizzle with olive oil and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add a few handfuls of kale leaves to the tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Crisp Harissa Chickpeas
Drain 1 x 400gram tin of chickpeas and place on a baking tray. Add 1/2 teaspoon of harissa and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and stir to coat. (This is easier if you use your hands, but for the love of God, wear food gloves!) Bake at 200C for 20-30 minutes, or until crisp. Set aside to cool completely.

To assemble the bowls...
Divide the roast sweet potato, broccolini and kale between 4 serving containers. Divide 60 grams baby spinach between the containers. Add the crisp harissa chickpeas. Drizzle over Japanese roast sesame dressing to serve.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below! Tag me on Instagram @sarahcooksblog and hashtag #sarahcooksblog

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3 comments

  1. What a great healthy recipe to try, looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for the share!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What temp do you cook the veggies?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the heads-up! It's 200C. I've updated the recipe now. :)

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