Dishfunctional Designs: healthy

Thursday, January 13, 2022

Make It At Home: Roots Bowls Copycat Recipe

When my daughter arrived home from college for Christmas break she raved to us about her new favorite food that she had found while at college - Roots Bowls.

Famous from the Roots restaurant chain, these filling bowls are full of fresh, healthy ingredients and an amazing mix of bright flavors. Unfortunately there are no Roots restaurants anywhere near our home, but she was determined that we recreate her favorite Roots bowl at home...and we did!

Although it may seem that there are a lot of different ingredients needed to create this bowl, you probably already have many of them at home, and everything actually comes together pretty quickly. Plus, if you make a lot, you get a few meals out of them. I encourage you to try out this recipe, you won't be disappointed! Here are the directions...

You will need:

Fresh kale
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 cups raw)

Brown rice
2 fresh avocados

16oz bag frozen corn

15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

Olive oil

Red onion, chopped

White vinegar
Pita chips

Feta cheese, crumbled

Lime juice
Chipotle Tabasco sauce

Cilantro lime dressing or marinade
Spices: coriander powder, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin seeds, salt, pepper

Wash and chop 3-4 cups of fresh kale and place into a bowl. I chop mine so the pieces are on the smaller side. Drizzle the kale with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil and massage the oil into the kale. Set aside.

Prepare 1.5 cups of uncooked dry brown rice according to package directions and then set aside. This should make 3 cups of cooked rice.

Pit, peel, and dice two fresh avocados, transfer into a bowl and set aside.

Prepare corn by charring in oven:

Pour a 16 ounce bag of frozen corn onto a large baking sheet with a lip. Drizzle the corn with a little bit of olive oil (about one tablespoon,) then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the corn on the baking sheet in an even layer and broil for a just a few minutes to lightly roast the corn. It should look just slightly brown in just a few areas. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and then transfer the corn into a bowl.

Open a can of black beans, rinse, drain, and put into a bowl.

Dice a small red onion, transfer to a bowl and then add about four tablespoons of vinegar. Put on a lid and shake to coat. Set aside. (good to do this a few hours before for the best effect.)

To prepare the chicken:

Prepare the spice rub by mixing these spices together in a small bowl (note: we use Indian spices but standard spices can work as well) These measurements are appropriate, you can use a bit more or less according to your tastes. We like it a bit on the spicy side:

1 T Coriander powder

1/2 T spicy chili powder

1 T Oregano

1 T Garlic powder

1 T Paprika

1T Cumin seeds

Dash each of salt & pepper

Cut 3 halves (about 2.5 cups uncooked) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1" to 1.5" pieces and place into a large bowl.

Toss the mixed spice mixture with the raw chicken pieces until thoroughly coated.

Using a medium to large sized pan, add a drizzle of olive oil, heat to medium, add the chicken, and cook, stirring sparingly, until cooked through. You want to try to brown the chicken without it becoming too wet, so stir only occasionally so that the pieces get a chance to cook evenly, but allow to lightly char in areas. Total cooking time: about 6-8 minutes

Once chicken is cooked, assemble all ingredients in bowls as shown in photos.

Also assemble these items:

Cilantro lime marinade or dressing

Lime juice from a bottle or 1 to 2 limes, quartered

Pita chips, lightly crushed

Crumbled feta cheese

Chipotle flavor tabasco sauce

To assemble:

In the following order, add all of the ingredients into a large bowl with a lid, adjusting the amounts to your personal tastes. This makes one generous serving:

A handful of kale

A scoop of rice (about 1/3 cup)

A scoop of corn and black beans (about 1/4 cup of each)

A spoonful of red onion

A scoop of cooked, seasoned chicken

A few pieces of sliced avocado

A sprinkling of feta cheese

A small handful of lightly crushed pita chips

Drizzle the above with 1-2 teaspoons of lime juice
Add a shake or two of chipotle tabasco sauce

Dress with about 2-3 Tablespoons of cilantro lime dressing or marinade

Add the lid to the bowl and shake well until completely coated, then transfer to an individual serving bowl. That's it! Enjoy!

My Favorite Summer Omelette: Cheesy Tomato Omelette

What's better in the summer than fresh homegrown tomatoes? Not much else if you asked me! I love them in homemade BLT's with lots of real mayo and pepper, and I also love them in a breakfast omelette.

Never made one before? Omelettes don't have to be intimidating - they're actually easy to make and you can also be creative with what additions of fillings you use.

My favorite omelette right now is a cheesy tomato version, one I like to call my summer omelette. Sauté some fresh veggies - I use tomatoes, onion, and peppers (I add fresh jalapeño for a little bit of heat) add a bit of cheese if you're a cheese lover, and you will be rewarded with the most delicious breakfast ever- I promise.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

a generous splash of milk (about 5 T. milk)

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt
1/4 t. crushed dried oregano

1 small fresh tomato, chopped

1/2 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1/4 chopped red, orange, or yellow pepper (optional)

1/4 of a small onion, chopped (about 1/4 c raw)

1 ounce sliced cheese of your choice (cheddar or Monterey jack work great)

1/2 t. butter

cooking spray

frypan with lid

Directions:

Chop the tomato, onion, and peppers. I don't seed my jalapeños, because, why bother add them if you're going to remove the heat? I use them because I love the heat, so if you don't, then remove some of the seeds or skip them completely.

Spray a small frypan with cooking spray and sauté the veggies until soft.

Prepare the egg mixture: in a bowl add the two eggs, milk, oregano, and a generous twist or two of fresh ground pepper and salt. Whisk together well until completely blended.

Slice the cheese and set aside. Heat your frypan on medium heat and add the butter and allow to melt and spread over the bottom and sides of pan (use a spatula to help spread the butter if needed.) Once the butter starts to brown it is time to add the eggs to the pan.

Carefully pour the egg mixture into the hot pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow the egg to cook. Don't turn up the heat or you will overcook your eggs. Instead, add the lid to the pan to help the top of the eggs cook. Check occasionally for doneness with a fork. There should be no liquid eggs on top once they are cooked through. If you are in a hurry, you can use a large spatula to flip the eggs over in one fell swoop, but they should be mostly cooked before you attempt this!

Next add your cooked veggies to one half of the omelette, then add the cheese.

Fold the other side of the omelette over the veggies and cheese and allow cheese to melt for a minute. Use a spatula to slide the omelette from the pan to your serving plate. Top with additional ground black pepper and serve!