I go through phases where I crave flavors from certain parts of the world with incredible voracity. Being married to an Egyptian, our house tends to have a Middle Eastern craving more often than other types of cuisine. We do make all of the traditional recipes the way they are intended, but a lot of them are very time-intensive. So, for meals when I don’t have the time or patience to spend 5 hours in the kitchen, I also like to have a few go-to quick options that remind me of eating in Egypt and fit my super-crammed American life.
In addition to combining all of my favorite flavors in Middle Eastern cuisine, many of the ingredients in this recipe have some incredible health and digestive benefits. All of the fermented and pickled foods that make up this bowl give it a really satisfying tang, as well as pack a huge probiotic punch.
I usually do a recipe like this on days when I don’t have or want to spend a lot of time cooking, but am wanting something filling and healthy. Its also a great way to use up leftovers from those times when we do did spend the time to make a traditional Middle Eastern meal.
If you want to make it even less time-intensive, you can also do as I often do and use frozen substitutions for some of the ingredients. Trader Joe’s, in particular, has some amazing quickie recipe helpers that are minimally processed and only contain the good stuff.
How To Make It:
This recipe really couldn’t be simpler! Whether you’re using leftover or frozen ingredients, you’ll want to cook or reheat the rice or bulger and the meatballs or kofta.
Then you just chop all of the fresh vegetables, make the dressing, and mix together to form the base. Divide into bowls, add your preferred toppings, and voila! Egyptian flavors in 15 minutes or less!
Mediterranean Probiotic Bowl
Ingredients
Tabouleh-ish Base:
- – 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa, Bulger Wheat, or (like me) one package of Trader Joe’s Frozen Rice Medley, cooked according to package directions
- – 2 Cups chopped fresh parsley
- – 1 Medium Onion, diced
- – 5-15 Cloves of Garlic (To your taste)
- – 1 Medium Roma Tomato, diced
- – 1/4 Cup Capers, drained
Dressing:
- – 1/4 Cup Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
- – 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- – 1 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar
- – 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- – 2 tsp Cumin
- – 2 tsp Tumeric
- – 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- – 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- – 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Toppings:
- – 1lb cooked Kofta or meatballs (I went with the frozen variety here too)
- – 1 Cup Sauerkraut (in lieu of Torshi or some other authentic pickled veg)
- – 1 Cup Red Cabbage
- – 1 Cup Chick Peas, or Garbanzo Beans
- – 2 Cups Fresh Spinach
- – Pepperoncini, green olives, homemade pickled veg or other garnish
Instructions
- Chop and combine all of the ingredients for the base.
- Whisk the dressing together in a small bowl, then pour over the base and mix until well combined.
- Divide into 4 separate serving bowls.
- Distribute the toppings evenly across all 4 bowls. I like to make it look all pretty and sectioned off.
- If you want to be truly authentic about it, serve with warm pita.
Nutrition Facts
Mediterranean Probiotic Bowl
Serves: 4
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 553 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 22 | 33.8% | |
| Saturated Fat 8.2 | 40% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 | |
| Sodium | 0 | |
| Total Carbohydrate 59.5 | 19.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 9.3 | 36% | |
| Sugars 7.9 | ||
| Protein 34.2 | ||
| Vitamin A 143.1% | Vitamin C 98.4% | |
| Calcium 36.3% | Iron 11.1% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Studded Sidewalks
Notes:
- This keeps well and/or makes an excellent meal prep lunch or dinner. Just prepare the base and refrigerate separately from the toppings to avoid any nasty mushy greens situation. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- If you don’t love the intense sour vinegar flavors, substitute some or all of the vinegar with lemon juice. You could also add more yogurt, a couple tablespoons of hummus, or some tahini (a sesame paste available near the canned beans in most major grocery stores) to mellow the bite of the vinegar.
XOXO,
