Power Up!

If anyone has ever gone to Sacred Chow in the village, may have seen their "Power Bowls" on the lunch menu, my mom's favorite. Now, I won't say "you must try it" (the restaurant, that is), because it isn't for everyone. It's vegan, but delicious nonetheless, in my opinion. The avid carnivore may shrug their shoulder, but it is great (I recommend the Orange BBQ Seitan Sandwich)! Anyways, the "power bowl" consists of 1 protein, 1 grain, and 1 vegetable. I decided to create my own "power bowl" for dinner tonight (albeit a meat version), in "honor" of Thanksgiving:

-Protein: Herb Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sweet & Sour Sauce
-Grain: Brown Basmati Rice Blend
-Vegetable: Garlic Sesame Wilted Kale

Herb Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sweet & Sour Sauce
-1 lb. ground turkey
-1 egg
-1/4 cup ketchup
-2 tbsp. mayonnaise (my secret moist maker!)
-1/4 cup cornflake crumbs (I usually just estimate, sometimes I add more if I need)
-4 sage leaves, finely chopped
-7 basil leaves, finely chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 onion
-1.5 cups finely chopped kale or spinach (or frozen spinach, thawed & liquid squeezed out)

-Prepare the rice according to package directions (I use Rice Select Whole Grain Royal Blend. Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley is an excellent choice as well). Make sure to do this first, because it takes ~45 minutes for brown rice to cook.

-Prepare the cranberry sweet & sour sauce (adapted from Spice & Spirit):
-In a bowl or measuring cup, add a can of jellied cranberry sauce & break up with a fork, and then put into a 3 quart saucepan with 1 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 tsp. lemon juice, & 2 tbsp. water. Let simmer covered. Add a little more water if you want it thinner.

-Saute the onion & garlic until golden, and add the kale or spinach until wilted. Let cool.
-In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg, add ketchup, mayonnaise, cornflake crumbs, sage & basil (they impart amazing flavor into the meatballs) & kale mixture (make sure it's not too hot off the stove or it can "cook" the egg & the meat). Add the ground turkey and combine with your hand, just until incorporated (don't over-mix). Let sit for 10 minutes.
-Heat up a large saute pan with vegetable oil (thin layer). Form the meatballs & add to the pan. I make them fairly small, and I get around 25-30. Saute 3 minutes on medium-high heat and then flip each meatball and saute other side for 3 minutes. Then cover the pan and let cook 10 minutes on medium-low.
**This method makes a golden "crust" on the meatballs. If you don't have time for this step, just add the meatballs directly to the sauce & simmer for about an hour**
-Stir the sauce, & add more water if it's lumpy. Add meatballs to the sauce, and let simmer for 10 more minutes. **You can also just serve the meatballs directly out of the saute pan & pour the sauce over them**

Garlic Sesame Wilted Kale (you can make this all at once -onion, garlic, kale- & reserve some for the meatball mixture. Kale can be substituted for spinach here too)
-1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
-Pinch of salt
-2 tbsp. sesame seeds
-1 tsp. sesame oil

-Saute onion, & garlic in olive oil or cooking spray. Once golden, add the kale (or whatever greens you use) & a pinch of salt. When slightly wilted, add the sesame seeds & the the sesame oil (you can use the sesame oil to saute in, but I like to add it right at the end)

-Put the rice in the bottom of a dinner bowl, and add some meatballs on the right side, & the kale mixture on the left side. If that's not a power bowl, then I don't know what is!!!

I've always grown up on hearty multi-course dinners thanks to my amazing cook of a mom (i.e. salad, a protein, a vegetable, & a starch/grain), and I try to cook the same way, as best as I can, because that is what I am used to. I like a variety of textures on my plate, so this "power bowl" is just a new spin on the variety of a meal- layered in a bowl as opposed to portioned out onto a plate! I hope you enjoy.

Be creative & create your own power bowl
E