Power Bowls with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Power bowls don’t have to be bland! This one mixes up flavourful quinoa with charred veggies, crispy chickpeas and is topped with a zingy lemon-tahini dressing.

These might look complicated but there are only a few components - cook the quinoa, roast the veggies, cook the chicken and make the dressing. The lemon-tahini dressing is so tasty and will keep in the fridge for about a week so it can double up as a veggie dip or top any other type of salad. The crispy chickpeas are like a guilt free crouton and add such a great texture to the bowl. This is one of meals that leaves you full and satisfied but never groggy!

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Lemon-tahini dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dijion mustard
2 tsp honey
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp ice cold water

Vegetables

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed and then patted dry (important as damp chickpeas will not crisp up)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 cup broccoli, but into bite sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 avocado, halved and sliced thinly
1/4 fresh dill, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely diced

Protein

2 chicken breasts, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tsp olive oil

Grain

2 cups cooked quinoa (I use chicken broth and 1 bay leaf instead of water when cooking)

Pre-heat the oven to 425C.

Make the dressing

Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar and shake well until well combined. If it seems too thick, slowly add more ice cold water until it reaches the desired consistency.

Roast your chickpeas

Toss the drained, rinsed and paper towel dried chickpeas with 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Put on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 20 - 25 minutes. once cooked, remove from the oven and season with a bit more salt. Set to the side.

Roast your vegetables

Once the chickpeas are done (or at the same time if you have a convection oven), toss the broccoli with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes and roast at 425C for 15-20 minutes, until charred.

Cook the chicken

While the broccoli is cooking, heat oil over medium high heat in a saucepan. Toss the chicken with the garlic and lemon pepper seasoning and add to the pan once the oil is hot. Cook until golden and cooked through.

Assemble your bowls

Add your quinoa to the bowl. Top with the cooked chicken, charred broccoli, crispy chickpeas, sliced avocado, chopped dill and green onions. Drizzle with the lemon-tahini dressing