How To Make Power Bowls & My Delicious Mediterranean Bowl

Food imitates life. (Scroll down!) After a historic week for our country, I wanted to make a dish that would celebrate the new direction our country is moving towards. A melting pot of nutritious ingredients and delicious flavors, the Power Bowl is one of my go-to’s for lunch or dinner. 

The best part about the Power Bowl is that it’s no fuss and super variable depending on what you have in your fridge and pantry. You can also switch up the components of a Power Bowl depending on your favorite foods, diet choices, and lifestyle/activity level.

Power Bowls are not only one of my personal favorites to make, but also tops the list with my clients who are trying to target specific goals. 

The Mediterranean Power Bowl pictured above was super easy to make and mouthwatering. Also a perfect make-ahead meal. You can find the recipe at the bottom of the page after you scroll down to see how I make the perfect Power Bowl.

Buon appetito!

Mediterranean Bowl

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients for the Marinade:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 lemon, zested & juiced (~3-4 Tbsp.)

• 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme or oregano leaves (may substitute 2 tsp. dried)

• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill, roughly chopped (may substitute 2 tsp. dried)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp. raw honey or maple syrup

• ½ tsp. sea salt

• ¼ tsp. black pepper

Ingredients for Bowl:

• 4 salmon fillets (1-1 ¼ lbs.) *I prefer using wild caught salmon. Sockeye works well here.

• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa*

• 4 cups romaine or mixed greens

• 1 cup sliced English cucumber

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

• ½ cup sliced red onion

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• ⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved

• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled, Vegan cheese works well also.

• 1 avocado, sliced or diced

Ingredients for Tzatziki:

• ½ cup grated English cucumber, squeezed to remove water*

• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

• 1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp. cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp. fresh dill (may substitute 1 tsp. dried)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ Tsp. sea salt

• ¼ Tsp. black pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place salmon in a shallow dish. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon and marinate for 15 minutes while you begin to prepare the rest of the ingredients. Save the remaining marinade for step 4.

3. When marinating time is up, place salmon, skin side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for 9-12 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. If needed, cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

4. In a bowl combine the sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and garbanzo beans. Toss with the remaining marinade. Set aside.

5. For the Tzatziki sauce, combine all of the Tzatziki sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix gently to combine. Set aside.

6. Assemble 4 bowls using the above photo as a guide. Place a handful of greens in each bowl. Divide the marinated cucumber, cherry tomato, garbanzo bean mixture amongst the bowls. Repeat with quinoa. Add a salmon fillet (skin should easily remove from fillet) to the bowls. Lastly, top with a big dollop of Tzatziki, crumbled feta cheese, pitted kalamata olives, and avocado.

NOTES

*To prepare quinoa: combine 1 part rinsed quinoa (½ cup) with 2 parts water (1 cup) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until quinoa absorbs all the liquid. About 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.