I've been on a mediterranean kick lately. Can you tell with my Mediterranean Toast and now this Quinoa Bowl? I have always been a fan of Mediterranean and Greek inspired dishes. I think it's the mix of savory, salty, and the bright bold flavors that go along with it. This bowl starts out with a simple cooked quinoa on the bottom and goes from there. It's light enough to enjoy as a simple dinner and yet hearty enough to have as a filling lunch.
For this bowl, I kept it traditional with fresh tomatoes, zucchini and lemon. To get some salt in there I added greek olives, feta, and of course those artichoke hearts. The avocado is there for some smooth creamy healthy fats that you can use along with the lemon juice as a dip/spread/dressing for everything else. And... who doesn't love avocado anyway?
I'm completely in love with this bowl as a lunch. If I were going to make it into a dinner, I might add a few slices of grilled chicken to give just a little more heft, but for the most part it's a pretty substantial meal on it's own.
Now, I served mine as more of a cold 'salad' style bowl. But you could also leave the quinoa warm or hot if you wanted too. It's pretty versatile in that way. If you leave it cold like a salad, this would really make for a great 'meal prep' sort of lunch, with the avocado being the only thing you would really have to keep separate to add just before eating.
If I were to be so bold, I would say that this is one of my most favorite 'power bowls' so far. It's truly full of everything that I love. The only thing that I would do different next time might be to add a pinch of capers.
This bowl is packed with flavor, but if you're needing an extra boost you can always add a bit of this White Wine Vinaigrette. I used a little in my quinoa when I cooked it to give it just a little more flavor, but a touch of any of your favorite dressing (or not) if you want is fine too!
Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls
TheSkinnyFork.com
The Skinny:
Servings: 1 • Size: 1 Prepared Bowl • Calories: 342.2 • Fat: 13.3 g • Saturated Fat: 0.9 • Carb: 44.8 g • Fiber: 8.6 g • Protein: 13.1 g • Sugar: 3.2 g • Sodium: 676.4 mg
Ingredients:
1/2 C. Dry Quinoa
1/4 Medium Zucchini, Sliced & Halved
5 Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, Halved
1/2 Medium Avocado (I mashed mine and used it as a sort of 'dip'.)
1 Quartered Artichoke Heart (Mine were from a can, jarred in water.)
4 Pitted Mixed Olives
1 Tbsp. Fat Free Feta
1 Lemon Wedge
Directions:
Cook and allow the quinoa according to package directions and be sure that it's cooled.
Place the quinoa at the bottom of the bowl and build it up from there however you would like with the 1/4 Medium Zucchini, 5 Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, 1/2 Medium Avocado, 1 Quartered Artichoke Heart, 4 Pitted Mixed Olives, 1 Tbsp. Fat Free Feta.
Use the lemon wedge over the whole thing.
Serve right away and enjoy!
