BFF Necklace Partners

Do you remember those ridiculously cheesy, and unfortunately clique inspiring, BFF necklaces that everyone was wearing back in the day? Do you remember how wonderful it was when someone gave you a chain with half of a heart engraved with the words "st ends ever"while they proudly wore theirs "be fri for" around their neck? Ah to live in simpler times...Times where a necklace offered you the protection of a never ending friendship. Well I'm bringing it back, and I'm friending my prep bowls. Yes thats right you read correctly, this once sane woman will be BFF necklace partners with her prep bowls. Without these little charming bowls that hold my chopped up veggies I would be lost in a sea of counter space!!

Look what prep bowls help make!!

I have a plethora of prep bowls, and I cherish them all. If you came to my kitchen and borrowed one and didn't bring it back; I would know. I would also call you often and leave passive agressive messages in your voicemail box like this: "Hey this is me, and I was just calling to see if you cooked what you were cooking. Maybe if you need any help cleaning all the dishes... You know just wondering..." Why passive aggressive you ask? Because confrontation and I are not BFF for life. It makes me uncomfortable, makes my face cringe, and possible makes my palms sweaty. That last part hasn't been confirmed, I'm still looking into it.

But enough about all that, let's talk about what wonderful foods my prep bowls help me "prepare"<-see that, that is where the word 'prep' comes from. You're welcome for pointing it out. Feel free to tell your friends what you have learned today. Maybe give them a necklace of half a heart with some gibberish on it while you are at it. You'll be the life of the dinner party..... Alright, no more side bar conversations! For your taste buds I present to you an entree for you and several friends!

Sweet Potato topped w/ Coconut Greens

serves 4 (adapted from thekitchn.com)

gluten free

Ingredients:

4 medium/large sweet potatoes

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1-2 tablespoons oil (I am a big fan of avocado oil as of late!)

1 yellow onion (chopped)

5-6 garlic cloves (pressed)

1 tablespoon ginger (grated)

1/2 cup dried golden berries (chopped)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and zest from one lemon

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 can chickpeas

1/2 can cannellini beans

3-4 stalks of celery (chopped)

1/2 pound spinach (chopped)

1/2 pound kale (chopped)

1 can coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2-3 ripe avocados

Cilantro or Basil to decorate

All right first thing preheat that lovely oven of yours to a whopping 400 degrees. Wrap your sweet potatoes up in some foil, poke the wrapped up potatoes each a few times with a fork, and then place them in the oven for an hour. 

Once you have the potatoes in the oven set up your quinoa on the stove. Pour the 2 cups of water into a pot, and add in your 1 cup of quinoa. Bring the water to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn the temperature down to simmer and cover. It should take about 15 minutes to cook. Once finished you can let it cool off to the side. 

Now the fun part! Get out your prep bowls and lets start chopping! I placed my chopped onions in one bowl, the garlic, grated ginger, golden berries, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in another. Then I have my beans and celery in yet another bowl. When we get to the cooking you will be so pleased these are all ready to rock'n'roll. 

Using a large pot pour a tablespoon of avocado (or olive) oil into the pot, and add in your chopped onions. Cook on high heat for 5-7 minutes, waiting for the onions to brown slightly. Next pour the bowl in with the garlic, ginger, golden berries, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything around blending all your flavors. Stir continuously making sure your ginger doesn't burn to the bottom of your pot. 

Cook like this for another 5 minutes. Now you are ready to pour in your beans and celery! Keep stirring often and cook the beans for about 5-7 minutes or until they look golden. 

You are almost done, next put the kale/spinach mixture into the pot. Keep up that stirring. 

Once the greens are wilted pour in the coconut milk and add the 2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt and ground ginger. Once you have stirred in the coconut milk add in your cooked quinoa. You don't have to add all of it, but put enough in to create a yummy texture. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

About this time your potatoes should be finished, and you are ready to create a masterpiece. Cut your sweet potatoes in half and plate them. (Be careful as they will be pretty toasty!) Next take your avocado that you purchased for this meal, and scoop it out onto the potatoes, about a half an avocado per potato. The heat will melt the avocado into the potato making you and your friends VERY happy. 

Once you have the avocado down, scoop the coconut greens mixture onto the potatoes. Pile as high as you would like. Then sprinkle with your chopped cilantro or basil (whichever you would like you're the boss) I decorated mine with sriracha as it is spicy and wonderful, you don't need to do that if you don't want to. :)