Do Power Bowls Give me Super Powers?
Unfortunately, eating a power bowl will not give you the ability to fly or shoot lasers out of your eyes. What they will do is give you an endless variety of quick meals for the entire family (picky kids included)! The family will definitely think you have some kind of superpowers when they see how quick dinner comes together, along with being truly mouth-watering.
Components of a Power Bowl
In my opinion, a Power Bowl should include:
- A handful of grass from the backyard. We are slowly evolving (devolving?) into cows, so we better start acting like it.
- Bark off of the nearest tree. Gotta keep your jaws strong!
- The largest beetles you can find. You won’t find a better protein source!
JUST KIDDING!!! I really had you going there for a minute, didn’t I? If you do end up trying that combination and it happens to be delicious, let me know.
In all seriousness, I believe a Power Bowl should ACTUALLY include:
- 1-3 different kinds of vegetables. I definitely encourage you to experiment with various combinations here. Maybe even two different cooking methods as well, such as roasting and sauteing?
- Some kind of grain as a base. You would be surprised at how many different healthy grain options there are besides white rice! Examples include bulgur wheat, quinoa, and couscous (just to name a few).
- If you are trying to lower your carbs, you could even try cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
- A protein. There are many protein sources out there, such as beef, chicken, and fish. You could even go a vegan route and include beans!
- A homemade vinaigrette. Yes, I said homemade Martha. The basic components of a vinaigrette are acidity, oil, sweetness, salt, and other flavorings. The variety is almost endless here. If you need some inspiration, click here for my 3 favorites!
Oftentimes, Power Bowls are created in my kitchen with any leftovers I may have in the fridge! This is why I love to try out several different recipes I come across. This gives you leftover components to experiment with in your Power Bowls.
In the recipe at the end of this post, I walk you through one of the best Power Bowls I have made this year. It utilizes veggies (I always have a large assortment of veggies to use/experiment with in recipes), an Herbed Couscous, Smoked Salmon, a homemade Teriyaki Sauce, and Roasted Purple Potatoes.
If you haven’t tried purple potatoes yet, what are you waiting for?? 😉
Here is the smoked salmon recipe I make. The smoker isn’t absolutely necessary, but the brining is (in my opinion). If you don’t have a smoker, feel free to pan-fry the salmon, or even bake it. Say goodbye to dry, boring salmon!
Below, I also decided to include several other delicious Power Bowls. I make Power Bowls for the family once a week or so, and each time is different. That gives you an idea of how endless the variety can be, so feel free to get creative in the kitchen!
If you haven’t checked out my previous post about Saving a Failed Dish, check it out! With creativity comes mistakes. These mistakes are what mold you into a polished chef in the kitchen!
Cajun Shrimp, served with sliced leek, diced dried figs, roasted purple potatoes, as well as a sliced tomato (season your tomatoes folks!) and a handful of chopped bibb lettuce. I served this dish overtop bulgur wheat (I promise that’s a real food), then drizzled it with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Leftover diced ham (from Thanksgiving), mixed into some seasoned jasmine rice, as well as sauteed peppers, onions, and cherry tomatoes. I served this dish over a bed of arugula, then topped it with some pumpkin seeds and fresh parsley. I threw some sliced cucumber on the side for good measure.
Blackened Striper, served with refried black beans, sauteed peppers and onions, as well as whipped feta (check out the simple recipe here). I served this dish overtop quinoa, then topped it with some micro cilantro and a drizzle of avocado crema.
Fajita seasoned flank steak served with homemade refried black beans, corn, sauteed peppers and onions, roasted sweet potato and carrots, and avocado slices. This was all served overtop brown rice and drizzled with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
Rotisserie chicken mixed with black rice, avocado, carrot, sweet onion, and gruyere cheese. I also served it with a slice of toasted homemade pumpernickel bread.
Seared Scallop Power Bowl, with sauteed leek, roasted carrots, and tomatoes served over bulgur wheat. I also topped it with micro cilantro, as well as a drizzle of my homemade Creamy Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette (see my recipe here).
In Conclusion
I believe a Power Bowl should become a part of any home cook’s weekly culinary arsenal. This will allow you to use up some of the leftovers in your fridge, as well as allow for some creativity in the kitchen. Over time, you will learn what foods do and do not go together.
I have included a link to a book (picture below) I have used in the kitchen too many times to count. It’s called “The Flavor Bible,” and will help avoid some creativity mishaps!
If you are new to Power Bowls, give the recipe below a try. You will be hooked for years to come!
Smoked Salmon Power Bowl
Ingredients
Herbed Pearl Couscous
- 1.5 cups Dry Pearl Couscous I used Tri-Color
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1.5 cups Water
- 4 tbsp Fresh Oregano minced
- 4 tbsp Fresh Mint minced
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Roasted Purple Potatoes
- 2 cups Mini Purple Potatoes halved
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Power Bowl
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Diced Yellow Onion
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 4 cups Cooked Herbed Pearl Couscous
- 10 Ounces Cooked Salmon cubed; I used a smoked salmon (link to recipe in post).
- 1/3 cup Finely Shredded Parmesan plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup Homemade Teriyaki Sauce recipe in notes
- 2 Eggs lightly beaten
- 2 cups Roasted Purple Potatoes
- 1/2 Cucumber thinly sliced
- Fresh Parsley minced; for topping
- Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
Roasted Purple Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the potatoes, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and sea salt. Toss to coat and add them to the baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, remove, flip the potatoes and bake for 10 minutes more or until they are crispy and cooked through.
- Reduce oven temperature to 200ºF to keep warm.
Herbed Pearl Couscous
- Sauté couscous in oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
- Add water and cook according to package directions.
- Toss couscous with oregano, mint and zest; season with salt and pepper.
Power Bowl
- Heat oil and butter over medium heat until melted and combined. Add onion, cooking for 5-8 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Then add the couscous, parmesan, and Teriyaki sauce. Once heated through, add the salmon for 1-2 minutes more.
- At this point, move all of the food to the sides of the pan, creating a circle in the middle. If the pan seems dry, consider adding 1-2 tsp additional butter to the pan. Add the eggs and roughly scramble. Once scrambled, toss everything together.
- For each individual bowl, start with a handful of arugula in the center. Then add a generous serving of the salmon couscous mixture overtop arugula. Add roasted potatoes on side of the bowl, and optionally top with cucumber, parsley, and/or grated parmesan.
Recipe Notes
Recipe Notes
- Click here for the best Teriyaki Sauce I have made. You won't regret it. 🙂
- Feel free to experiment with different herbs in the recipe(s). These are just the ones I had on hand. You could even use dried.
- You don't have to use purple potatoes. I just like the flavor, as well as the aesthetic.
- If you can't find pearl couscous, you can use regular couscous. Make sure to follow the package instructions for cooking though, as they will differ.