Garden Grain Bowl
This vegetarian lunch features quinoa's cousin, freekeh.
"The secret to this easy meal prep lunch recipe is that it's flavored with za'atar, a Lebanese spice consisting of thyme, sumac, and sesame," says Katzie Guy-Hamilton, chef and director of food and beverage at Equinox. "The blend offers a multitude of health benefits; thyme has been shown to help fight acne-causing bacteria, while sumac is high in gallic acid (which has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties), and sesame seeds contain vitamin C."
This recipe is part of our meal prep series. Click here for all the details.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into thirds
- ½ teaspoon za'atar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Persian cucumbers
- 6 cherries, halved and pitted
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup arugula
- ¼ avocado
- 1 cup cooked freekeh
- Lemon wedge
- 1 teaspoon oregano oil
- 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Quickly sauté asparagus with the za'atar, salt, and pepper for two minutes.
Place cucumbers (left whole) in a salad container then add the cherries and cherry tomatoes.
Once asparagus is cooked and cooled, add it to the salad container alongside the tomatoes.
Place a handful of arugula on top and store the container in the fridge.
In a separate divided container place the avocado, 1 teaspoon za'atar, and crumbled goat cheese.
At your desk:
Warm freekeh in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Chop up cucumbers into ½-inch pieces and dice the avocado.
Place cucumbers, asparagus, cherries, tomatoes, avocado, and arugula on top of the freekeh.
Garnish with a squeeze of lemon, oregano oil, za'atar, and crumbled goat cheese.
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