I crave rotisserie chicken often, but I found myself going to the California Chicken Cafe too often.

Until… I found out how to rotisserie my own chicken. This method works! It takes 3 hours in the oven. But you don’t mess with it at all. So you can do your work-from-home thing while it cooks.

Beware though, the aromas from the oven whet your appetite pretty good. It may distract you from your work.

I don’t think I’ll roast chicken any other way or outsource it out to the local chicken rotisserie spot anymore.

This now my preferred rotisserie chicken. (I love stories with a happy ending 😂)

Slow Cooked Chicken

Ingredients (for 4):

• 3 1/2-4lb. Whole Chicken (pasture-raised is best)

• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes)
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
• ½ tsp. Paprika
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.

2. In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.

3. Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.

4. Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.

Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me.

I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.

Effortless Rotisserie Chicken at Home

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Ingredients

  

Ingredients (for 4):

• 3 1/2-4 lb. Whole Chicken pasture-raised is best
• 1 lemon cut in half
• 4 medium garlic cloves minced
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
• ½ tsp. Paprika
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 F (yes 300 F- I know it’s low). Center the rack to the middle of the oven.
• In an oven proof pan, pie dish or cast iron, place the chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bag in the cavity of the chicken, if there is one and discard it. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves in the empty cavity of the chicken.
• Mix all the other ingredients except lemon in a small bowl or measuring cup. I do this with my fingers but you could do it with a fork. Then slather this herby butter on the chicken and get under the skin. It’s a messy job but it’s the only way to guaranteed it’s seasoned in and out.
• Place the whole chicken in oven for 3 hours. No need to touch that bird. At the end of 3 hours it should be fall apart tender. You can check it with a thermometer if you want, but it will most likely be very done. It should read 165 F. Let it rest 10 minutes or so before cutting it.

Notes

Dip some bread into the sauce and you’ll thank me.

I served it with tortillas, rice, beans and salsa.

Once again, ground turkey comes in for the win, for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

With just a few ingredients and the right spices, you can make a delicious dinner nobody will complain about.

I serve it with rice, beans, avocado, and salsa on the side so everyone is happy. Its a build-your-own taco kind of night.

Easy Turkey Tacos

Ingredients (for 4):

• 1 lb. Ground Turkey (I use 93% lean)
• 1 Tbsp. Avocado or olive oil
• ¼ onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ Fresno or jalapeño chile, chopped fine
• 1 small Roma tomato or half of a large one, medium chop
• ½ tsp.-1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp. Cumin
• ½-1 tsp. Salt

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat oil. Add turkey, onion, garlic, and chile. Sauté and break up turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula until cooked and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Then, add diced tomato, spices and salt and mix in. Mix for a couple minutes in the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed.

3. Heat tortillas and serve turkey, taco style with avocado, salsa and lime if desired. See recipe for pico de Gallo salsa here.

Easy Turkey Tacos

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Ingredients

  

Ingredients (for 4):

• 1 lb. Ground Turkey I use 93% lean
• 1 Tbsp. Avocado or olive oil
• ¼ onion chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ Fresno or jalapeño chile chopped fine
• 1 small Roma tomato or half of a large one medium chop
• ½ tsp.-1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp. Cumin
• ½-1 tsp. Salt

Instructions

 

Directions:

• In a large pan, heat oil. Add turkey, onion, garlic, and chile. Sauté and break up turkey with a wooden spoon or spatula until cooked and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
• Then, add diced tomato, spices and salt and mix in. Mix for a couple minutes in the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• Heat tortillas and serve turkey, taco style with avocado, salsa and lime if desired. See recipe for pico de Gallo salsa here.

This dessert came together because I was lazy, if I’m being honest. The oven was already on from dinner. So I just decided to throw the apples in there and let the oven do all the heavy-lifting.

The most work you have to do is peel the apples. After that there’s not much science to it, like other baking recipes. Sprinkle some cinnamon, sugar, etc. on top and sit back until it’s done.

You can easily make this for one, with just one apple. But, it’s really nice to make a couple at a time so you can have one for breakfast the next day. 😋

Serve it with vanilla ice cream or yogurt for something more. Otherwise, it’s a fruit dessert that’s nice and light.

You can even make it vegan with vegan butter if that’s your thing. It would come out almost as good.

The aroma of baking these beauties will just make it feel soooo homey, like you’re a domestic goddess.

Baked Apple Dessert

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 2-3 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Brown sugar or coconut sugar
• Sprinkle of salt (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. Walnuts or other nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a cast iron pan, baking dish, pie dish, or baking tray, place peeled and cored apples.

3. Place 1 Tbsp. of butter and brown sugar in the center of each apple (where the core was taken out). Sprinkle with cinnamon, evenly across apples. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on each, if using. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, add the walnuts around the apples. Place in the oven another 5 minutes or so, or until the apples are fork tender.

5. Wait a couple minutes or so until they cool down before serving. Tilt the pan, and spoon some of the caramelized butter on top of each apple when serving.

Baked Apple Dessert

The aroma of baking these beauties will just make it feel soooo homey and like you’re a domestic goddess.

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Ingredients

  

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 3 Granny Smith apples peeled and cored
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• 2-3 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. Brown sugar or coconut sugar
• Sprinkle of salt optional
• 2 Tbsp. Walnuts or other nuts

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a cast iron pan, baking dish, pie dish, or baking tray, place peeled and cored apples.
• Place 1 Tbsp. of butter and brown sugar in the center of each apple (where the core was taken out). Sprinkle with cinnamon, evenly across apples. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on each, if using. Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, add the walnuts around the apples. Place in the oven another 5 minutes or so, or until the apples are fork tender.
• Wait a couple minutes or so until they cool down before serving. Tilt the pan, and spoon some of the caramelized butter on top of each apple when serving.

This is for one of those busy weeknights. You only have 30 minutes start to finish with cleaning and everything!

It comes together in a jiffy and it holds over the next day really well. Serve it over pasta or in a sandwich.

Weeknight Turkey Bolognese

Ingredients (for 4):

• 1 lb. Ground lean turkey
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• ¼ white onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. salt 
• Pepper to taste
• 1 Fresno chile, sliced in thin rounds
• 1-2 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil. When hot, add chopped onion, chile, turkey and garlic. Sauté until turkey is no longer pink. Break up the turkey as it cooks with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add salt and some pepper as you cook it. 
2. Once turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, add marinara sauce. Heat through until it bubbles for a couple minutes. 
3. Serve over pasta, salad or sandwich. 

This is an easy option for lunch or dinner. All you need to make sure is that your beans are cooked and Chiles are roasted.

I grew up with a pot of cooked lentils or beans in the fridge at all times. So, bean tacos, or bean and cheese quesadillas were always a go-to snack or lunch. 

Today was one of those busy days that I was so grateful to have already cooked beans in the fridge.

You can serve these tacos with a side of chips, salad or vegetable to make it a complete meal. 

Save this for when you’re starved and don’t have time to make a full on meal.

Beans with Roasted Chiles Tacos (for 2)

• 1 poblano chile
• 1 cup beans, cooked (I like Peruvian white beans)
• ¼ avocado 
• 1 tsp. Oil
• 4 tortillas

Directions:

1. Roast Chiles. (I did this the day before when I was cooking other stuff.) With tongs, roast them over an open fire until blackened, a few minutes. (See pictures below) Turn them to evenly blacken them. You can also do this in the oven on broil but it will take longer. Once fully blackened, place in a plastic bag or bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. This helps it steam.
2. When chiles are cool to touch, remove blackened skin. Try to avoid dunking the whole thing in water because it will lose flavor. Just wet your hands to remove the skin easier. Once it’s peeled, cut it open and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Cut out the stem. Then, slice it into strips.
3. At this point you can store the Chile strips in the fridge, or use them right away.
4. Make refried beans. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. oil and heat. When hot, stand back and pour beans (without liquid) into the pan and smash with a spoon or potato smasher. Lower heat. Add a little bean liquid or water if it gets too dry. After a minute or two, add the chile strips and mix in. Heat just a couple minutes, stirring to prevent it from dying. Set aside.
5. Assemble tacos. Warm tortillas and then fill with bean & chile mix. Top with quarter avocado and salsa or hot sauce.

Beans with Roasted Chiles Tacos (for 2)

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Ingredients

  

• 1 poblano chile
• 1 cup beans cooked (I like Peruvian white beans)
• ¼ avocado
• 1 tsp. Oil
• 4 tortillas

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Roast Chiles. (I did this the day before when I was cooking other stuff.) With tongs, roast them over an open fire until blackened, a few minutes. (See pictures below) Turn them to evenly blacken them. You can also do this in the oven on broil but it will take longer. Once fully blackened, place in a plastic bag or bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. This helps it steam.
• When chiles are cool to touch, remove blackened skin. Try to avoid dunking the whole thing in water because it will lose flavor. Just wet your hands to remove the skin easier. Once it’s peeled, cut it open and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Cut out the stem. Then, slice it into strips.
• At this point you can store the Chile strips in the fridge, or use them right away.
• Make refried beans. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp. oil and heat. When hot, stand back and pour beans (without liquid) into the pan and smash with a spoon or potato smasher. Lower heat. Add a little bean liquid or water if it gets too dry. After a minute or two, add the chile strips and mix in. Heat just a couple minutes, stirring to prevent it from dying. Set aside.
• Assemble tacos. Warm tortillas and then fill with bean & chile mix. Top with quarter avocado and salsa or hot sauce.

Growing up, my mom would make this side dish often. We loved it. (So much better than salad with Newmans dressing- sorry, Newman)

It was a great way to eat our veggies, and no one complained about it!

Soy sauce really does a good job of upping the flavor of zucchini and onions to another level. The combo just works.

I always love making this dish when I’m short on time and have a spare zucchini lying around. Zucchini go bad so quickly so it’s best to use them if you find them in your fridge!

Like my mom, I paired this with chicken and pilaf rice. I know, it’s mixing different cultures, but it goes together so well.

Keep this recipe in your back pocket for picky veggie eaters or a quick side dish for dinner.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• It only takes 5 ingredients to make
• Heats up well the next day
• Passes the picky eater taste test

Zucchini and Onion Stir-fry

Ingredients (for 1-2):

• 1 zucchini, sliced in half and quartered
• ¼ onion, thick sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 1 tsp oil
• Dash of sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a small to medium saute pan, heat oil and add all chopped zucchini and onions at the same time.

2. When it starts to sizzle lower heat to a medium. Cook until zucchini is fork tender but not too mushy about 7-10 minutes. Add soy sauce in the last minute or two of cooking so it can evaporate a bit. Mix frequently while cooking.

3. Add a dash of sesame seeds right before serving.

I only learned this recently and don’t always remember to do it. 

But, I feel better about eating my produce when I do.

Here’s 3 ways to wash pesticides off your produce: 

1. Salt water 

Soak produce in salt water using Himalayan salt or sea salt for 20 minutes. Rinse with water afterwards.

2. Baking Soda

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of water and soak produce for 15 minutes. Rise with water afterwards.

3. White wine vinegar 

Soak produce in vinegar and water for 20 minutes. Use 1-part vinegar to 4-parts water, so 1 cup of vinegar would need to be mixed with 4 cups of water. Porous fruits such as berries may become soggy when soaked for too long.

For more tips, like these sign up to my email list: Subscribe here

To your wholesome & healthy life, 

Joanna

Did you use these tips?

Tag me on Instagram! @chefjoannas 

The Blue Zones are places where people live 90 to 100 years, and are free of disease.

So the recipes from there are valuable. They give us an insight into what people eat there. What they eat is only part of the story. Their way of life is a big key, too.

Living a long, healthy life sounded good to me. So, for a full year I cooked a Blue Zone recipe each week.

I found which ones were tasty and easy to make. And found others that just didn’t work out (cornmeal pancakes 😕) or were not enjoyable.

After all that research I want to share my favorite Blue Zones recipes so you don’t have to go through the same disappointments I did. The recipes I choose are easy to prepare, plant-based and delicious.

These recipes are adaptations from the bluezones.com website or Blue Zones Cookbook.

See my version of the recipes by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

1. Five-Ingredient Okinawan Bowl

This recipe is made with buckwheat soba noodles. I hadn’t really worked with soba noodles before, but they are amazing. They are whole grain and just take 4 minutes to cook. There’s only a handful of ingredients in this recipe. So, it instantly became a favorite weeknight meal for me.

2. Better than Takeout Lo Mein

Lo mein is another noodle I’ve never cooked before trying this recipe. But, knowing I can make this, I don’t order Chinese food anymore! This is a healthy stir fry with a ton of vegetables and a flavourful sauce. You can feel better eating this version and not the greasy who-knows-whats-in-it take out version.

3. Vegan Gumbo

This recipe takes a few more ingredients and time to prepare but it lasts for days. It makes a ton so it’s a great meal to share, or take to a pot luck. I love that it’s full of veggies. In just one bowl I can get my 5 to 9 veggies for the day! I love eating it with the vegan cornbread recipe from Loma Linda. Recipe here=> Vegan Cornbread

4. 20-Minute Pumpkin Marinara Pasta

Did you know you could add pumpkin purée to pasta sauce? The result is a creamy sauce without any dairy. The pumpkin naturally sweetens acidic tomatoes, too. I love the balance. Pumpkin adds all kinds of healthy vitamins, and increases the fiber in this pasta dish too. It’s hard for me to NOT like a pasta dish, so this healthy version was a quick favorite for me.

5. Pantry-Style Street Noodles

These noodles are an adaption of street noodles you’d find in Indonesia. I love how it’s packed with flavor, but it’s still healthy. It’s definitely one of those addicting kind of noodle bowls because of the spicy-sweet combo of flavors.

6. Warm Curry Bowl with Cauliflower and Chickpeas

I’m a personal chef. And this is one of my clients’ meal prep favorites. I love making this on a Sunday or in the beginning of the week for myself so I can enjoy it in the days to come. It holds up well and one bowl is all I need to get full.

7. Sardinian Walnut Pesto

Did you know tomatoes don’t come from Italy? The first sauces were pestos made from pine nuts or walnuts like this recipe. Grinding up walnuts and sautéing them in olive oil oddly gives them a meaty, filling mouth feel. In other words, you don’t miss meat. This recipe was a surprise because it’s so minimal, but tasty. The only thing is it doesn’t keep well and should be eaten once it’s made.

8. Greek Island Lentil Salad

I love lentils because they only take about 25 minutes to cook from dried, as opposed to hours for beans. Once you have your cooked lentils, it simply goes on top of your greens. I love making this recipe in the warmer months and keeping it in the fridge when I need a quick lunch or a healthy snack. I like to eat it with sourdough bread or crackers. It always fills me up in a healthy way.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did. I hope they inspire you to eat more vegetables. And it saves you the time from experimenting and failing (like I did) with some Blue Zones recipes that need more refining.

For more information on my work and vegan meal prep service, please visit www.chefjoannas.com

To your wholesome & healthy life, 

Joanna

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see it! @chefjoannas 

If you’re hanging out at home, this is a really easy recipe to prepare.

You don’t need a slow cooker.

You can cook it in a low temperature oven (325 F) for a couple of hours.

At the end you have really tender, shreddable beef that’s perfect for tacos.

You can also eat the broth as a soup or dip the tacos into the broth.

I make something similar with pork that comes out almost like carnitas. It’s my new favorite way to cook low cost cuts of meat! Here’s the recipe=> Carnitas in the oven

Hope you enjoy this low-maintenance recipe and can do more of the stuff you love.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• You throw everything in a pot and 2 hours later you have super tender beef
• You don’t need any fancy equipment to make it
• It’s a low cost recipe

Braised Beef Tacos

for 4 people

• 1 lb. beef chuck
• 1 small oxtail (optional)
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 small stalk parsley
• ½ lb. small yukon gold potatoes, halved

Blend: 

• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• ½ fresno chile or jalapeño
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ cup – ¾ cup water

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 
2. In a large oven proof pot add all ingredients in the first list, except potatoes. 
3. Blend the other ingredients. Add just enough water to blend ingredients well. Add to the pot.
4. Place a lid on it, and place in the oven for 2 hours. Stir halfway though. 
5. When, 30 minutes are remaining, add the halved potatoes. 
6. When done, beef should be very shreddable. Serve with tortillas and beans.

Braised Beef Tacos

Make this braised beef recipe when you're doing other chores around the house. In 2 hours you'll have amazing, tender beef for tacos.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb. beef chuck
• 1 small oxtail optional
• 2 carrots roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 small stalk parsley
• ½ lb. small yukon gold potatoes halved

Blend:

• ½ onion roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• ½ fresno chile or jalapeño
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ cup – ¾ cup water

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F.
• In a large oven proof pot add all ingredients in the first list, except potatoes.
• Blend the other ingredients. Add just enough water to blend ingredients well. Add to the pot.
• Place a lid on it, and place in the oven for 2 hours. Stir halfway though.
• When, 30 minutes are remaining, add the halved potatoes.
• When done, beef should be very shreddable. Serve with tortillas and beans.

Keyword low cost dinners, slow cooked beef, tacos

By boyfriend doesn’t crave veggies like I do. Sometimes I get sad about it because I want to share a salad with him. Most of the time he wants meat. 😄

On certain occasions, he agrees to order from Sweetgreen (salad chain), and I’m thrilled!

But. . . what’s better than ordering overpriced veggies bowls in soggy eco-friendly containers?

Making it yourself of course!

This one took a little longer than I wanted. But it came out even better than Sweetgreen’s. I changed a few things to simplify it, but my boyfriend approved so I think I got the flavors spot on.

If you meal prep, this would be a great recipe to add to your repotoire.

I think the secret to making this bowl amazing is the dressing. It makes the chicken really tasty. And, if you decide to make it with tofu, like Sweetgreen does, then it will flavor the tofu really nicely, too.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Cooking mushrooms down taste amazing because they get that “umami” flavor
• You’ll want to put this ginger-soy dressing on everything
• You can get your 5 to 9 servings of vegetables in one bowl. Yay, fiber!

Copycat Shroomami Bowl (not vegan)

Ingredients (for 2):

• 2 chicken breasts (or tofu)
• 2 portobello mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 package crimini or button mushroom, sliced thin
• 2 cups kale (I used Tuscan kale from Trader Joe’s)
• 30 oz. wild rice (I used frozen Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 hot house cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

Sesame-Ginger Dressing

• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground garlic
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 date, roughly chopped (or 2 tsp. honey)
• 1 lime, juiced
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (almond or peanut butter)
• ¼ cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Saute mushrooms. In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a little oil or butter to cook them in. There should be no more juice in the pan when they’re done. Be sure to salt and pepper them. Place cooked shrooms on a baking tray and set aside. (See a visual guide to cooking them in the pictures below)
3. Cook chicken. Meanwhile, in the same pan, cook the chicken breast (or tofu). I seasoned it with just salt and pepper and used sesame oil to cook it. Brown each side. Then, place chicken breast on the baking pan (you’ll finish cooking it in the oven) with the mushrooms that are hanging out.
4. Finish chicken in oven. Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, or the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 F. When done, let it rest 5 minutes. Then, slice and chop up chicken to add to your bowl. The mushrooms are fine in the oven and a few should get a little crispy.
5. Heat the rice. I used frozen rice so it only took 10 minutes to prepare. But, if you are making it from scratch start it early on so it’s ready in time.
6. Make the dressing. In the meantime, make the dressing. Blend all the dressing ingredients until well blended. I did this in a magic bullet blender. I also added a sprinkle of Chile-lime seasoning (also from Trader Joe’s) to add a little spice.
7. Assembly. A large bowl is best. This recipe is meant for 2 bowls. Start with the kale, then place ingredients around the side of the bowl in a neat pattern (if you’re slightly anal like me). In a clockwise pattern, add the warm rice, then the cucumbers, then the mushrooms, then the chicken, and a few leaves of cilantro on top. Drizzle the dressing all over to your heart’s delight. Then, eat.

Sit back and enjoy. See, who needs Sweetgreen anymore!

Copycat Shroomami Bowl (not vegan)

Okay, it’s not an EXACT copy, but the biggest thing here was nailing the dressing and the shrooms. This bowl is healthy, delicious, and makes you feel like you’re eating at a fancy spa in California. Hope you enjoy it!

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Course Salad

Ingredients

  

Ingredients (for 2):

• 2 chicken breasts or tofu
• 2 portobello mushrooms sliced thin
• 1 package crimini or button mushroom sliced thin
• 2 cups kale I used Tuscan kale from Trader Joe’s
• 30 oz. wild rice I used frozen Rice Medley from Trader Joe’s
• 1 hot house cucumber peeled and sliced thin

Sesame-Ginger Dressing

• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground garlic
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 date roughly chopped (or 2 tsp. honey)
• 1 lime juiced
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter almond or peanut butter
• ¼ cup water

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Saute mushrooms. In a large saute pan, saute the mushrooms until slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Use a little oil or butter to cook them in. There should be no more juice in the pan when they’re done. Be sure to salt and pepper them. Place cooked shrooms on a baking tray and set aside.
• Cook chicken. Meanwhile, in the same pan, cook the chicken breast (or tofu). I seasoned it with just salt and pepper and used sesame oil to cook it. Brown each side. Then, place chicken breast on the baking pan (you’ll finish cooking it in the oven) with the mushrooms that are hanging out.
• Finish chicken in oven. Place the baking tray in the oven for 10 minutes, or the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 F. When done, let it rest 5 minutes. Then, slice and chop up chicken to add to your bowl. The mushrooms are fine in the oven and a few should get a little crispy.
• Heat the rice. I used frozen rice so it only took 10 minutes to prepare. But, if you are making it from scratch start it early on so it’s ready in time.
• Make the dressing. In the meantime, make the dressing. Blend all the dressing ingredients until well blended. I did this in a magic bullet blender. I also added a sprinkle of Chile-lime seasoning (also from Trader Joe’s) to add a little spice.
• Assembly. A large bowl is best. This recipe is meant for 2 bowls. Start with the kale, then place ingredients around the side of the bowl in a neat pattern (if you’re slightly anal like me). In a clockwise pattern, add the warm rice, then the cucumbers, then the mushrooms, then the chicken, and a few leaves of cilantro on top. Drizzle the dressing all over to your heart’s delight. Then, eat.

Notes

Sit back and enjoy. See, who needs Sweetgreen anymore!

Keyword salad