Sweet Potato Shawarma Bowls

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Thanks to our love of cooking, one of the gifts we most often receive are oils and spices from our friends and family after they go on a vacation. Over the years we have accumulated paprika from Hungary, tzatziki blends from Greece, olive oil from Italy, and more red spices from the Middle East than we could possibly know what to do with. To try and keep things fresh in our kitchens, we made a resolution to start using all of these pantry items up! While it’s fun to save them from memories of our own travel, the truth is that items like olive oils really are meant to be used as oils go rancid and spices lose their flavor over time.

One of the spices that we acquired was a shawarma seasoning blend. We love these flavors and cook with them often, but rarely use this spice mix. To mix things up from the traditional chicken shawarma that we know and love, we decided to make these vegetarian sweet potato bowls. The bowls are filled with crispy chickpeas, an herby tomato and cucumber salad, and of course, sweet potato fries. Everything comes together with a homemade tahini dressing for a lunch or dinner that is exploding with tons of flavor. We promise that this dish makes healthy eating truly enjoyable.

Sweet Potato Shawarma Bowls

  • Servings: 4
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  A hearty and healthy vegetarian recipe that is bursting with shawarma flavors.

Base ingredients for the Bowls

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into large french fries
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
  • 1/4 cup shawarma seasoning
  • 6 cups lightly packed arugula or your favorite leafy green
  • 2 cups cooked farro

Ingredients for the Tomato Cucumber Salad

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Tahini Dressing

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup cold water (or more if you prefer a looser dressing)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Drizzle the sweet potatoes and chickpeas with the neutral oil and sprinkle with the shawarma seasoning and salt to taste. Toss well to coat. Lay the sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a large cookie sheet, making sure that there is enough room for the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to lay side by side in a single layer. If you need to divide amongst two cookie sheets, no problem. Bake the sweet potatoes and chickpeas for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the sweet potato fries with a spatula and toss the chickpeas; cook another 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and crispy on the outside.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the tomato and cucumber salad. Combine the ingredients (tomatoes – parsley) in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. Make the tahini dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients (tahini – 1/4 cup water) in a small blender. Blend to thoroughly combine and break down the tahini until it is nice and smooth. Depending on how you like the consistency of the dressing, you may add additional water to thin it to your desired consistency. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Make the bowls by layering 1 1/2 cups arugula (or other leafy green) and 1/2 cup cooked farro into each of four bowls. Divide the tomato cucumber salad, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas amongst the four bowls as well. Drizzle with a generous amount of tahini dressing to serve.

Tempeh Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce

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We love a good weekend of splurge eating but after a few days of decadence we like to reign it back a bit and get our health on track to start the week. Monday’s tend to be the day for clean eating in our houses, which means incorporating a lot of veggies to our menu. We make these “buddha bowls” in about a dozen variations, but we love this one for winter because of the hearty vegetable selection and creamy coconut peanut dressing. Getting in vegetables during the winter can feel like a challenge, but recipes like this- with heartier ingredients- make the challenge easier to achieve. As with all of our recipes, we encourage you to use what you have on hand and substitute ingredients in the bowl as necessary.

Tempeh Buddha Bowls With Peanut Sauce

  • Servings: 2
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One of our favorite winter vegetarian dishes, the peanut sauce cannot be beat!

Ingredients For The Bowls

  • 1 package tempeh
  • 1 tbs sesame oil
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs Sriracha or chili sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked farro or your favorite grain
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 3 cups cabbage coleslaw mix
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen edamame, thawed

Ingredients For The Peanut Dressing

  • 1 cup coconut milk + the thick coconut cream on the top of the can
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tbs peanut butter
  • 1 tbs Sriracha or chili sauce
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, and chili paste to the pan. Cut the tempeh into segments and add them to the pan. Sear the tempeh for about 5 minutes per side, or until it is heated through. Set aside and wipe the pan clean.
  2. Make the peanut dressing. In the same pan that you just cooked the tempeh, add the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté them for about 4 minutes, or until they are fragrant and starting to caramelize. Add the peanut butter, sriracha, and soy sauce to the pan. Stir to melt the peanut butter and then add the remaining cup of coconut milk. Whisk to combine all ingredients and let the sauce cook until it has thickened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Assemble the bowls. Layer the ingredients for the buddha bowls into two large serving bowls. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce and serve immediately.

Vegan(ish) Mexican Sweet Potato Grain Bowls

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We are back with another fun vegan(ish) recipe! We say vegan(ish) because we did add cheese to this recipe, but it can easily be omitted or substituted with a vegan alternative. One of the keys to eating vegan is attempting to reject the traditional concept that a meal needs to be “a protein, carb, and veggie”. It’s easy to feel stuck trying to fit that mold. Instead, we try to focus on changing the terminology to eating “plant-based”, where a meal can be made up of a bunch of different vegetables. This recipe has a bunch of different veggies and proteins that we bring together with a kick-ass, cilantro lime vinaigrette. These bowls are filling and really tasty; so much so that we promise that when you eat it you won’t be missing the meat.

Vegan(ish) Mexican Sweet Potato Grain Bowls

Makes: 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients for the Bowls:

  • 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups mixed grains (we used brown rice and farro but use what you have)*
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, patted try with paper towel
  • 1 tbs chili-lime seasoning (Tajin), divided
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 avocado, quartered
  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese (you can leave this off if you want the recipe totally vegan)
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • juice of two limes
  • 1/2 cup packed cilantro
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Lay the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs of the chili-lime seasoning. Toss to coat. Lay in a single layer and bake in the oven until tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the grains. Heat 3 cups of water to a boil and add the grains you are using with a pinch of salt. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
  4. Prepare the chickpeas by laying them on a second cookie sheet. Drizzle 1 tbs olive oil and the remaining 1 tsp chili-lime seasoning over top. Toss to coat and lay them back in a single layer. When the sweet potatoes have cooked for about 20 minutes, add the chickpeas to the oven. Cook for the remaining 10 minutes with the sweet potatoes.
  5. While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small blender. Blend until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. When the grains, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas have finished cooking, prepare the bowls for serving. Layer 1 cup arugula, 2/3 cup of the mixed grains, and 1/4 of the sweet potatoes in each of four bowls. Top each bowl with approximately 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/4 of an avocado, a few slices of red onion, and 2 tbs of crumbled Cotija. Divide the dressing among the bowls and serve immediately.

**You can buy frozen, pre-cooked brown rice or quinoa and save a step by just reheating to serve.

Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowls

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Tuck’s family has been on the road for about six weeks now, moving apartments every two weeks because baseball season likes to keep us on our toes! Part of the challenge of “settling” somewhere, even though we don’t know how long we are staying for, is buying the correct amount of groceries. If we buy too much we might have to throw away perfectly good food that just won’t make the drive. If we buy too little we are eating out every meal which gets expensive and old after a few days. 

To try and balance out these problems we try to make meals that mix the perfect amount of fresh ingredients with pantry ingredients that we have on hand. This grain bowl uses farro and chickpeas from the pantry and arugula, onion, and parmesan cheese to freshen things up. We’ve tossed the bowl ingredients with a creamy, garlicky lemon vinaigrette that gives some zing to ingredients that seem a little plain on the outside. What started as a solution to a packing problem is now a bowl we will have on repeat all summer long. 

Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl 
Makes: 2 entree servings 
Prep Time: 30 minutes    Total Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients For The Salad: 

  • 1 cup uncooked farro 
  • 4 cups lightly packed arugula 
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, cut into thin chunks  

Ingredients For The Chickpeas: 

  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
  • 3 tbs olive oil 
  • 1 tsp cumin 
  • 1 tsp garlic powder 
  • 1/2 tsp red chili flakes 
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients For The Dressing: 

  • 1/3 cup olive oil 
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon 
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced 
  • 1 tbs mayo 
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

  1. Heat a medium pot with 2+ cups water. Cook the farro according to package directions (anywhere from 10-30 minutes). If you have excess water, drain the farro and fluff it with a fork to cool it down. 
  2. While the farro is cooking make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and mayo in a small mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. If you are making the salad in advance refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to use. 
  3. After the dressing make the chickpeas. Make sure the chickpeas are drained and rinsed well. Gently pat them dry with paper towel or kitchen towel. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the 3 tbs olive oil and let it get hot before adding the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas, cumin, garlic powder, and red chili flakes. Season the chickpeas with salt and pepper and give everything a good toss to coat. Cook the chickpeas for about 5 minutes- they should be crispy but not rock hard. Remove the chickpeas from the pan onto a paper towel to keep them crispy and drain any excess oil. 
  4. Once all of the ingredients are prepped it’s time to make the bowl! Layer about 3/4 cup of farrow and 2 cups of arugula into each of two bowls. Add a bit of the dressing and toss. Top the bowl with the chickpeas, red onion, parmesan cheese, and the rest of the dressing. Serve immediately. 

Semi-Homemade Potsticker Salad Bowls

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If you know us personally, you know that we love dumplings something fierce. At any given time, you can venture to Tuck or Tate’s homes and find potstickers in the freezer. They are the ultimate answer to “oh crap, what is for dinner?!” We have created these Potsticker Salad Bowls by combining two of our favorite Japanese appetizers: potstickers and the house salad with ginger dressing. 

Makoto Ginger Dressing one of the only pre-made salad dressings that we will buy at the grocery store- the stuff is that good. You can find it at regular grocery stores (Publix, Wegmans, King Soopers/Kroger) in the refrigerated salad section. We’ve added romaine, shredded carrots, snap peas, and cucumbers to bulk this baby up with some vegetables and brown rice because Tuck and Tate have fathers that would never consider a lettuce-based salad a dinner. If you prep the salad ingredients while the potstickers are cooking in the pan, this dinner can be on the table in 20 minutes. 

Semi-Homemade Potsticker Salad Bowls 
Prep Time: 20 minutes    Total Time: 20 minutes 
Makes: 4 servings 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 package frozen potstickers (there should be about 20 in the pack) 
  • 2 tbs sesame oil 
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs sriracha 
  • 1/2 cup water 
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces 
  • 1 package frozen brown rice 
  • 1+ cups shredded carrots 
  • 1+ cups snap peas 
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 1 avocado, quartered and sliced 
  • 1 bottle Makoto Ginger Dressing 

Directions: 

  1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, and water to the pan- stir to combine the ingredients. Add the frozen potstickers to the pan, creating one even layer of potstickers. Cook the potstickers on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes- rotating every once in a while so that all sides of the potstickers are heated through. As the water evaporates and steams the filling, the oil and soy sauce will coat the outside dough and give the potstickers a crispy flavorful topping. 
  2. While the potstickers are cooking, cook the frozen brown rice in the microwave according to package directions. It doesn’t have to be scorching hot, just heated somewhere north of room temperature. 
  3. Assemble the salads by layering the romaine, brown rice, snap peas, carrots, and cucumbers. Top with the Makoto dressing. When the potstickers are finished cooking (starting to get crispy on the outside and the water has evaporated), remove from the pan and serve on top of the salads. Garnish with avocado and serve. 

* Please note our salad is not pictured with cucumber because we were so excited to cook, photograph, and then eat this recipe that we forgot to add them in the process. Sigh. 

Semi-Homemade Creamy Cauliflower Rice Bowls

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One of our favorite food trends of the last few years is the transformation of cauliflower into the ultimate substitute for carbs. Pizza crust, gnocchi, rice – you name it and you can find it on the shelf. We are fully on board with this movement and have used cauliflower rice as the base ingredient for this week’s recipe. Our semi-homemade creamy cauliflower chicken bowls take items that you can find at pretty much any grocery (riced cauliflower, pre-shredded kale and chicken sausage) and combines these ingredients through a quick cook to make an easy and healthy dinner. This recipe makes GREAT leftovers or can be used to meal prep for the week. Just cool the ingredients after cooking and reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to eat.

Semi-Homemade Creamy Cauliflower Rice Chicken Bowls

Makes: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb riced cauliflower (we used fresh but you can easily use frozen too)
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups pre-shredded kale
  • 1 package (12-16 oz) pre-cooked chicken sausage links, sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a pot, add the butter, cream cheese and milk over medium heat. Stir until the cream cheese is melted into the milk. Add the cauliflower rice and cook on low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the kale and cook the kale for 5 minutes until it is reduced. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  3. Re-use the same pan you used to cook the kale, and saute the chicken sausage on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until browned on both sides. You don’t need to clean the pan between use. Let the chicken sausage soak up any extra garlic and oil while it browns. 4. Put it all together by adding the creamy cauliflower rice to the base of your bowl. Top with the garlicky greens and chicken sausage and enjoy!

Detox Bowls

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After a long weekend of carb overload, it’s time to get the week back on track. We love a good “bowl” recipe at Tuck & Tate. We often find tasty flavor profiles and use what we have in the house to make it a weeknight dinner or lunch to take to work. This recipe is exactly like that. Take what you like of this recipe and change the things that don’t do it for you. If tofu makes you cringe, use a roto chick or leftover turkey if you’re still holding on strong with Thanksgiving leftovers. Here we talk you through making each of the ingredients from scratch, but if you don’t have time for that during the week, buy frozen cooked quinoa/ brown rice or pre-cooked beets in the salad section at the grocery store to expedite your cooking process. Keep the dressing recipe because that stuff is the bomb. It goes with literally anything you choose to put in the bowl and will keep all of your healthy eating dreams alive for another day. 

Detox Bowls 

Makes: 4 servings  

Prep Time: 35 minutes     Total Time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients for Bowls: 

  • 1 package firm tofu 
  • 1 tbs garlic powder 
  • 3 tbs olive oil 
  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into french fry wedges 
  • 3 large beets, peeled and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
  • 6 cups kale 
  • 2 cups quinoa 
  • 2 avocados, sliced 
  • 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips 

Ingredients for Dressing: 

  • 1/2 cup olive oil 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 3/4 cup packed fresh herbs- use what you have on hand, we used parsley 
  • zest and juice of one lemon 
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
  2. Cut the tofu into large, bite-sized pieces. Put the sweet potato wedges and tofu onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbs of the olive oil and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Put the beets into a pouch of foil so that they can be completely covered during the cooking process. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and place on the sweet potato cookie sheet. Cook for 25 minutes. 
  3. While the hearty vegetables are cooking, cook the quinoa. Bring two cups quinoa to a boil in a sauce pan with 4 cups water. Simmer on high until cooked through. If you end up with extra water, drain through a sieve as you would pasta. 
  4. Make the dressing. Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing. You can do this by hand or with a small mixer. The winner in the battle of man power over dishes to wash is up to you. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Assemble the bowl by layering the ingredients in the bowl. We usually start with the kale and quinoa and work our way through the ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy! 

Mediterranean Salmon Bowls

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At Tuck’s house, we know the struggle of trying to mix up the weeknight dinner routine so that we aren’t eating the same rotation of recipes week after week, all year long. “Bowl” recipes have become a frequent entree in our house for this reason. Once we have a concept in mind, we can mix and match the ingredients based on what we have in the refrigerator and what is in season. Tuck’s dad loves salmon so we try and eat it once a week but alter the flavors so the dinner menu doesn’t feel stale. This week, we did a Mediterranean Salmon Bowl since we are having gorgeous weather and raw vegetables still are appetizing. It’s quick and easy, can be made in 30 minutes. The leftovers make a great lunch on the go the next day, if you have any! 

Mediterranean Salmon Bowls 

Makes: 4 servings 

Cook Time: 15 minutes    Total Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients For the Dressing: 

  • 1/2 cup olive oil 
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried parsley 
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped 
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Ingredients For The Bowls:

  • 4 cups kale, stems removed and finely chopped like confetti 
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa 
  • 4- 6 oz salmon fillets
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • 2 tsp each, salt and pepper 
  • 1 small cucumber, diced 
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 385 degrees. 
  2. To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl with the exception of the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk well to combine. Continue to whisk the mixture while drizzling in the olive oil until it is fully absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.  
  3. To make the salmon, place the salmon on a cookie sheet that is covered with foil. Brush with 1 tbs olive oil. Season the salmon fillets with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake in the oven for 13 minutes for a medium cook. 
  4. While the salmon is cooking, prepare the bowls. Mix the quinoa and kale together in a large bowl. Toss with 1/3 to 1/2 of the dressing and mix well to combine. Place in four serving bowls. Top with the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and kalamata olives. 
  5. Once the salmon has finished cooking, remove it from the oven and let it sit for a minute on the pan. Use a knife to gently remove the fillet from the skin, and serve one piece on each kale and quinoa bowl. If you are planning to use any of the recipe for lunch the next day, let the salmon cool completely before adding to the bowls. Use the remaining dressing to drizzle over the salmon and bowl toppings.