Quinoa and Lentil Power Bowl {gluten free, vegan option}

Move over boring healthy meals! This hearty and filling Quinoa and Lentil Power Bowl will warm you up, fill you up, and STILL help you fit into your skinny jeans because it’s loaded with protein, fiber, and over 10 essential vitamins and minerals… now that’s a happy new year!

Disclosure: I received free samples of Progresso Cooking Stock mentioned in this post at no cost. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Progresso Cooking with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

So we survived the first work week of 2016! How ‘bout dem apples?!

Does anyone else find it weird to write 2016? I remember in high school (when we had to date our papers), whenever I returned from winter break I would always write the previous year for a solid month before it sunk in. Somethings never change…still in school…still messing up the date in January! 

Even if you didn’t make a New Years resolution, it seems that everyone tries to eat a littttle healthier come January. Hence the salads and healthy snacks and overall healthy eats.

But one common complaint I hear from friends, family and clients alike is that healthy eating is boring. If you’re crying boring healthy food, friends, let me tell you (with all due respect), that you’re doing it allllll wrong!

Here are a few tricks I have up my sleeve to make healthy foods taste GREAT…

• Choose in-season produce for the most potent flavors. (Kale, winter squash, cauliflower, citrus, and more are all in-season now!)
• Use a hearty stock, like Progresso’s new Cooking Stock to add complex flavor to grains (like I did in the recipe below), soups, stews, gravies and sauces without adding a boatload of calories or fat.
  • Progresso’s new Cooking Stock is made without artificial flavors and with just 15-45 calories per serving, 95-420 mg sodium, and 0-1 gram fat per serving!
• Roast fruit & veggies to allow their natural sugars to caramelize and add more depth to the flavors of your foods.
• Eat a variety of foods, without eliminating any major food groups, so your taste buds don’t get bored!

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest food trends you know BOWLS are tres chic right now. You won’t get special powers by eating this meal in a bowl (sorrryyy), but it’s THAT much more fun. I’m not sure why. #bowlsforlife

This recipe may seem a bit longer than some others for a seemingly simple meal, but the best part about it is that you can use whatever you have in your fridge, leftovers are PERFECT, and you can 100% customize it to your liking…

Not a fan of kale? Use spinach. Not the biggest quinoa fan? Choose brown rice, bulgar, or farro instead (athough I <3 quinoa’s higher protein content). No lentils in the house? Soak those beans, baby! Vegan? Don’t put an egg on it! See what I mean, jellybean??

The only step that I don’t encourage you to skip is the use of stock [instead of water] to cook your grain and lentils. Using vegetable or chicken stock, such as Progresso’s Cooking Stock, provides MUCH more robust flavor, adding depth to a very simple dish. If you’re a new cook (recent college grads, listen up!), this recipe is a great one to impress your friends because you’ll be serving up a dish with layers and layers of flavor by simply using stock instead of water. Easy peasy lemon squeasy! I even threw a bay leaf in my quinoa while I cooked it, but that’s optional!

You can assemble your bowls any way you’d like, so get creative!

[Tweet “Quinoa & Lentil Power Bowl with 23g protein + 16.5g fiber! #winning #MeatlessMonday! #ad”]

Nutritionally, each Quinoa & Lentil Power Bowl contains about 475 calories, 23 grams protein, 16.5 grams fiber and 14 grams (healthy) fat.

This is a hearty, filling, and nutrient-dense meal I can get behind!

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Quinoa and Lentil Power Bowl {gluten free, vegan option}

Ingredients

For the squash:
• 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
For the quinoa and lentils:
• 2 cups vegetable stock, divided
• 1/3 cup lentils, uncooked
• 1/3 cup dry quinoa
For the greens:
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 4 cups kale (or other dark leafy green)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
For the eggs:
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lined baking sheet, gently toss squash in olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper until coated.
2. Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through, until soft to fork. Remove from oven and divide in serving bowls. Alternatively, you can use leftover or pre-prepared cooked squash.
3. While squash is cooking, prepare lentils according to package instructions, using 1 cup vegetable stock in place of water. Do not salt the stock. Set aside.
4. In another saucepan, prepare quinoa. Add quinoa to saucepan with 1 cup vegetable stock (add a pinch of salt if your stock is unsalted). Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 9 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave saucepan covered for at least 10 minutes.
5. When both lentils and quinoa are done cooking, combine in a bowl, then divide among serving bowls.
6. In the meantime, coat a medium-sized sauté pan with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Gently sauté garlic in olive oil, then add greens. Cook until greens are wilted, but not soggy. Add to serving bowls.
7. Using the same pan as the greens, prepare your fried egg. Cooking one at a time, crack egg carefully onto pan. Cook until white becomes nearly opaque, about 1 minute. Carefully flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Yolk should still be runny when done. Place atop rest of ingredients in the bowl. Repeat with the second egg.
8. To assemble bowls, divide ingredients and arrange in bowls, as desired. Top with egg. Sprinkle with additional freshly ground black pepper (and hot sauce, if desired). Enjoy!

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Tell me: Do you like this whole bowl trend?
XO