lf there’s one thing I miss about living in Toronto, it’s going to Fresh on Bloor Street for the best vegetarian bowls, burgers, wraps smoothies and quinoa-onion rings. So good is Fresh, my kids will eat anything and everything too.
Sadly I don’t have a Fresh in Florida, but I do have founder Ruth Tal’s cookbook ReFresh featuring my favourite Green Goddess Bowl.
On a bed of brown rice, it features a medley of delicious, digestion-friendly ingredients, including nori, ginger and broccoli, topped with high protein, grilled tempeh.
I know what you’re thinking – that’s all? Not quite! Its savoury tahini sauce and simple sauce really elevate this bowl to heavenly heights. Trust me on this! One bite in, and you’ll see what I mean. For lunch or dinner, it’s a delicious option and stores well in the fridge for days after.
Now if only I could convince Ruth to open a Florida location!
From the Kitchen: Green Goddess Bowl
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt (this was too much salt for me – I’d suggest only 1/4 tsp, then add more as needed)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup tahini
Simple Sauce
1/2 cup tamari (not soy sauce)
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 inches ginger root, peeled and minced
4 tbsp lemon juice
The Bowl
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 bunch green kale, chopped
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped
1 package of tempeh, can be any brand or flavour
3 cups cooked brown rice OR cooked soba noodles
2 sheets nori, torn
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1/2 cup pickled ginger
Instructions
To make the tahini sauce:Put the garlic, parsley, salt and lemon juice in a blender or food process and pulse a few times.
Add the water and sesame butter, and run until smooth.
To make the simple sauce:
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Let simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Steam broccoli and greens until they are tender and bright green.
Lightly grill tempeh pieces in fry pan.
Prepare rice or noodles according to package directions.
Once all of your ingredients are ready:
Put 1 cup rice/noodles in a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tbsp tahini sauce. Place nori pieces on top.
Arrange the steamed greens and broccoli on the rice/noddles.
Add grilled tempeh pieces, and sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds on top.
Drizzle with 2 tbsp of simple sauce.
Garnish with pickled ginger (salt and pepper as you like).
Serve and enjoy.
Notes
If you're not into tempeh, you can leave out.Other protein options that go well include grilled chicken, steak or a poached egg.