Getting healthy can be exhausting. Let me start out with the arrival of spring and that it means yard work. We’ve been digging up our backyard recently for a landscape project. Digging and lugging dirt in a wheelbarrow is pretty intense. It’s ok once you get in a groove but wow, this is some serious labor! I can’t tell you how many times we think about hiring somebody, but then we make good progress and keep moving along. This is good exercise right? People pay money to go to a gym for the same workout right? I’m more into yoga and hiking, not so much heavy lifting, but the end result will be satisfying so that keeps me going. Now the following recipe is not exhausting, however it does entail a few recipes within a recipe, but it’s worth it, and very much an energizing food to enjoy.

I first had this dish at a Sprouted Kitchen photography & styling workshop I attended last fall, it was so good that I’ve been wanting to make it ever since. It’s from their new cookbook Bowl + Spoon. Everything about this bowl is fantastic, however there are quite a few things to make here (the kind of recipe that makes me gasp at the ingredient list!), but some of this you can make ahead to save a little time, like the dressing and sunflower seeds. The dressing is really good not just for this bowl but other salads or falafels. These healthy bowls lend themselves to a lot of flexibility so feel free to swap out different vegetables or grains, but I would recommend sticking with the tofu marinade, the dressing and the sunflower seeds. The combination of flavors work really well.

Hippie Bowl

1/4 cup (coconut) sugar
3 tablespoons (low-sodium) soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons chili paste
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 (14 oz) extra firm tofu blocks
1 cup millet (or quinoa)
2 cups (low-sodium vegetable broth) or chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
4 cups stemmed, chopped kale
4 cups baby spinach
Sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 carrots shaved into ribbons
1 cup sprouts or micro greens
2 avocados, peeled and quartered
Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing (recipe below)
Spiced Sunflower Seeds (recipe below)

In a shallow dish whisk together the coconut sugar, soy sauce, chili paste, vinegar and sesame oil. Drain and press tofu between layers of paper towel or dish towel to remove excess liquid. Cut each block into 1-inch squares, toss them in the marinade and let soak for at least 30 minutes or for a few hours in the fridge. Flip them halfway through.

Preheat oven to 475°.

In a small pot over medium-low heat, add the millet and toast for a few minutes until you hear them start to pop. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes until millet is tender. Remove from stove, fluff with fork, and stir in 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover and let sit until ready to use.

Spread the tofu on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until edges are browned.

To saute the greens, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the kale and spinach in batches with a pinch of salt and the lemon juice, saute until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

Assemble the bowls with a portion of the millet, and then add your other toppings in quadrants on top, a scoop of tofu, warm greens, carrot ribbons and sprouts. Top with avocado, spiced sunflower seeds and a generous drizzle of tahini dressing.

Tahini Citrus Miso Dressing

1/2 cup tahini
2 tablespoons white or yellow miso
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 large orange (about 1/3 cup)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Lemon juice to taste

In a mixing bowl whisk together the tahini, miso, honey, sesame oil, Sriracha until combined. Whisk in the vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Thin with water or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. The dressing will keep covered in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Spiced Sunflower Seeds

3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon (muscovado) sugar

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and that the sunflower seeds until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the salt, cayenne, and sugar and toss them around until the sugar is hot enough to stick to the seeds, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper and spread out in a single layer and allow to cool. The seeds can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in airtight container. (I had a lot left over and they were good well up to a week in advance!)

Adapted from Bowl + Spoon