Chickpea and Kale Power Bowl
Many nights in our house, Emanuel and I crave a hearty whole food meal. We usually want this after we have had a take out the previous night and just want to fuel our bodies with food that we feel good eating. Whole food nights make us feel better, they are tasty and believe it or not, with the right pairing they can fill you up. I also love creating dishes that include simple ingredients and take under an hour to make, which is how this chickpea and kale power bowl came to be. This dish is packed with flavor. Seasoned kale with a slight zest of lemon, spice from the chickpeas, with a nutty and slightly cheesy taste from my favorite sauce, cashew cream. It‘s a great dish to have as a side dish at dinner or to make ahead and take to lunch.
What I love about this bowl is that it is not spicy, but the paprika and harissa give the chickpeas the flavorful kick they need. The creaminess of the cashew cream really brings the meal together taking it to the next level. I really love to add my cashew cream to everything because it is just a delicious versatile sauce that is easily packed with nutrients such as B12, vitamin E, and healthy fats.
Emanuel is a big fan of kale which is the superstar leafy green ingredient in this dish. Kale is packed with Vitamin C, and Vitamin K. Kale is also helpful in lowering cholesterol as it contains substances that help your body digest fats more efficiently. Not to mention that greens, in general, are great for healthy hair, skin, and brighter under eyes.
For this dish, I destem my kale. The stalk is tough, fibrous, and chewy. You can destem your kale by simply chopping off the leaf from the stem. You can also pull off the leaves from the stem as well, or leave them on, the choice is yours. Just note if you leave the stalks on you will be chewing your kale a little longer.
I used an air fryer to roast the chickpeas to create this bowl. It cuts the cooking time in half and I feel like my chickpeas get crispy all around. If you are choosing to roast your chickpeas in the oven you can do so by at 400°F for 20 minutes on a baking pan.
Chickpea and Kale Power Bowl
Prep Time: 10 minutes l Cook Time: 15 minutes l Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Oil
1 can of Chickpeas
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Harissa
½ tsp Paprika
2 cups of kale destemmed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Onion Powder
Cashew Cream:
1 cup of raw cashews
1 cup of water
5 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Garlic
Salt to Taste
Directions:
Drain, wash, and dry your chickpeas.
Mix oil on to your chickpeas.
Coat your chickpeas with garlic powder, onion powder, harissa, and paprika.
Next place your chickpeas in an air fryer pan and cook on 400° F for 10 Minutes.
In a lightly oiled pan on medium heat, begin to sauteé your kale, mix in your seasonings, and cook for 2-3 more minutes until tender. Once tender, turn off the burner.
In a blender, blend cashews, water, Garlic Powder, Onion powder, Nutritional Yeast, and salt to taste.
Blend until creamy.
Remove your chickpeas from the air fryer, spread over a bed of kale and top with cashew cream!
Enjoy!